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Whole wheat bread recipe for beginners
Baking with whole grain flour can be a challenge. It’s not a problem as long as you stick to lower amounts, but when you start to approach 50%, you may run into difficulties, such as flat, dry, and dense bread.
It doesn’t matter how healthy it is nobody likes dry and dense whole wheat bread.
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Glögg, Swedish mulled wine.
Last weeks post mentioned how important meatballs are for us Swedes when we celebrate Christmas. Something that is almost as important here in Sweden during Christmas is mulled wine, or glögg as we prefer to call it. It comes in different strength and shapes. The traditional glögg is made of red wine, but varieties made of white wine is quite popular as well.
It was probably the Romans who introduced the beverage in northern Europe. The herbs that were used to flavor the wine were considered to be a cure. But I suspect it was also an excuse for drinking more wine. And they probably needed that. Even the most battle-hardened badass roman legionary probably found it hard to stand the gruesome winter weather in the north. Not to mention all the hostile barbarians who did their best to make their life miserable. Anyone can have homesickness in such circumstances.
The Roman legions never reached Sweden, but the mulled wine found it’s way up here anyhow. Mulled wine was popular throughout the middle ages, but it was not until the 18th century that it became a Christmas drink. And its popularity has only increased.
1.3 million gallons of mulled wine is sold in Sweden every Christmas. That means, with 10 million inhabitants, every Swede has to drink about 2 cups of mulled wine every Christmas. Infants included. I suppose you don’t have to be a Roman legionary to feel depressed here up in the north sometimes.
Making glögg is easy. You may, in fact, have some of the ingredients in your pantry already. Let’s start with the wine. For this recipe, you can use one bottle of any type of red wine. Don’t look for anything expensive. A budget wine works fine.
Avoid using a sweet dessert wine for this recipe. You will add sugar, and a glögg overloaded with sugar is just disgusting.
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Pickled rhubarb with anise
Rhubarb is an incredible plant. I have one in the garden. I have never fertilized it. As a matter of fact, I never even care about it, unless I want to make some rhubarb pie. Nevertheless, it grows up with unremitting strength year after year.
It has been there since we bought the house 13 years ago. I forgot to ask the previous owner when it was planted. I’m not certain, however, that he could have answered it. I suspect it has been there for quite some time.
It’s strange how much effort you have to put on certain crops to make them grow, while others grow anyway. Like the rhubarb. It handles dry season very well, and no pests or diseases seem to affect it. Not even the infamous killer snail wants to touch it. Now, the killer snail is not as horrible as the name suggests. It’s a Swedish nickname for the Spanish slug that has invaded Scandinavia and is now running havoc in the gardens. The ingenuity of how to best kill these devilish beings is endless, and people are happy to share their experiences. But to no avail. The snails reproduce with ferocious speed and eat everything in their way. Except for rhubarb.
It rules.
The only problem is what to do with all the rhubarb. I mean, there’s a limit to how much pie you can make before it starts to go one’s nerves.
A solution can be Pinterest.
On Pinterest, you can find a lot of creative ideas. Here are a few examples that I will try this summer.
- Rhubarb curd from Vikalinka.
- Rhubarb BBQ sauce from Eatwell 101.
- Rhubarb sorbet from Simply Recipes.
- Rhubarb and ginger muffins from Jamie Oliver.
- Rhubarb fritters from Taste of Home.
I also found a recipe for rhubarb wine, but I think I pass that. Instead, I think this sounds more promising.
Rhubarb vodka from Leite’s Culinaria.
And I will also give you a recipe for pickled rhubarb. It’s a great way to take care of the abundance that rhubarb often provides. And it’s very easy to do. You just bring water, vinegar, sugar, salt, and concentrated apple juice to a boil. Add som anise and bay leaf and pour everything over some sliced rhubarb. Finished.
After 2 to 3 days it’s ready to be eaten.
It goes well with all sorts of grilled meat, especially pork. So try it for your next BBQ. And as apéritif, you can always enjoy a glass of rhubarb vodka. Or, perhaps you prefer to drink it as a digestif. Or both. I think I go for both.
Pickled rhubarb with anise
Why not make some pickled rhubarb for the next BBQ. The taste is both sweet and tart with a hint of anise, and it goes well with all kind of pork meat.
Ingredients
- 1 lb rhubarb
- 1/2 cup distilled vinegar 5%
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon concentrated appeljuice
- 3/4 teaspoon anise or one star anise
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Rinse the rhubarb and cut the stalks int 3/4 inch / 2 cm pieces and pack into sterilized jars together wit bay leaf. Add anise on top.
- Bring water, vinegar, apple juice, and sugar to a boil. Make sure that all sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and pour over the rhubarb and close the lid.
- Let cool off in room temperature, then place the jar in the refrigerator. You can keep it for at least two weeks. Can be eaten after 48 hours
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!