A FRIDGE FULL OF FOOD...

Cheesecake, Ancient Roman-style: Libum or Honey Cakes

 

Here in the Ozarks, we have an excellent local beekeeper:  Matt, who along with his family, own and run the Amish Country Store on Gretna Road in Branson (You can also mail/phone order by checking out their web site Amish Country Store, although, those of us who make the trip can tell you that there are a multitude of additional wonderful foods, ceramics, and furniture, on the shelves that make it worth your time to seek the store out in person the next time you're in Branson.) Next time you go, tell them "Glenna said Hi!"

 

Matt started beekeeping five years ago with one hive and a can-do eagerness. He's now an experienced beekeeper who maintains his hives as naturally and healthily (for the bees and for us) as possibly by eschewing the use of continuous wide spectrum antibiotics and winter feedings of commercial HFC mixes, instead using of a more bee-environmentally harmonious sugar water with lavender and peppermint mixture. His care has paid off in that he now manages fifty hives, which not only produce honey but help local farmers cross-pollinate crops.

This recipe for Libum or "honey cakes", dating back to 160 B.C. and written by Cato the Elder, Roman Statesman, is found in his book De Agri Cultura (translated: "On Farming"). Libum is the Roman version of cheesecake, used both as celebratory food and as sacrifices to the houseold spirits or gods.  It's a fun and appropriate choice to focus on honey, one of the oldest foods known to man. Revered for its antibacterial properties, it makes an excellent wound dressing and its composition from local pollens boost the immune systems of the honey-vores consuming it.

I have a couple of notes about the recipe. First: bay leaf.   I know it may sound like a funny choice since it's not usually associated with desserts in our present day culture, but don't leave it out. I was pleasantly surprised at how wonderful the bay smell while baking and what a subtle influence it was on the final taste. Not traditional to us, but a flavor I can only describe as "homey" or "cozy", and one that I think will become almost addictive to me with more use. I'll definitely be baking bread/dinner rolls on bay leaves in the future.

While these are called "cakes" the final texture is a cross between bread and cake. Not as light and fluffy as butter/sponge cake but not as chewy as bread. The ricotta gives a unique texture that is both soft and light while still warm but also denser when cooled. Not a texture we use a lot but a great experience for kids and adults alike.

Overall, this was a very fun recipe to make, eat, and think about culture and cooking from centuries ago. This would be a great Sunday School or Home School recipe to play with, easy for the kids to put together themselves and easy on the wallet, bringing kids closer to a tangible understanding of the reference to "honey cakes" in history, literature, and scripture. It will also definitely give them a better appreciation for  all the varieties of sweets we have available to us in our era!

More links to honey recipes

 Honey Curry Roasted Chicken-- OMG good! One of Gene's FAVORITE chicken recipes.

Honey, Cardamom, and Almond Rugelach -- One of my favorite cookies

Home-made Granola with Dried Fruit & Honey --Breakfast done right

Blood Orange & Lavender Muffins -- Summery goodness

Orange Olive Oil Cake with Honey -  Love this recipe! Whole food at its best.

  

Home-made Real Food V8 Juice, AKA: Vegetable Smoothie

Lately, more and more, I've become obsessed with  cooking from scratch and that includes finding real food clean eating recipes for my favorite packaged processed foods. Take V-8 for example.  I love it.  Plain tomato juice is boring to me but V-8 is complex and satisfying, not to mention gives me that "I've done something good for my body" high.

However, what I don't like is reading the can that lists the fake flavors, "modifiers", high sodium level, and what-not in the ingredient list, as well as, the lack of fiber.  With a little research I was able to create my own version

My version is a little less tomato-y because I used more of an equivalency amongst the vegetables instead of the 85% tomato juice base of V-8 with the other veggies serving more as taste garnishes.  My version is also thicker, more of a veggie smoothie than a juice since I made it in the blender instead of a juicer.  No offense to those who juice, but I've always had a small problem with all the fiber that gets thrown away with the juicing process. It seems sort of....bass ackwards to eating clean and healthy foods.

I've also found that my V-8 Vegetable Smoothie isn't just for drinking with breakfast or as an afternoon snack.  Simmered on the stove for about 20 minutes, it became a perfect marinara over pasta.  It also gave the chili I made the other night a nicely rounded complexity when it replaced the 2 cups of tomatoes or salsa I usually add.  Served in a soup bowl with a dollop of sour cream? Gazpacho. This freezes well too, simply pour extras into a freezer baggie to be used (best cooked after frozen)) as marinara or recipe add-ins later.  The possibilities are endless.

Chicken Chow Mein: Better For You Than Mom's--Sorry Mom!

Chicken Chow Mein (my Mom's) was my childhood favorite.  We each got to request our dinner and cake for our birthday and Chicken Chow Mein was always my menu. 

Now....there's a funny family story about our cake choices as kids.  My "cake" was always my Nannie's banana bread. My brother Kenneth's choice was always Angel Food Cake with NO frosting, dad's choice was pie, and at the moment it escapes me what my other siblings' (Suzanne and Carl) choices were. I'll have get them to comment to remind me.

Nothing funny, right?  Here's the punchline. Our Mom was a cake decorator.  After making cakes for every kid in town (and us getting all the mistakes and leftovers all the time), and even telling us she'd make us any kind/design we wanted no matter how involved, we were so burned out on cake we all denied our Mom the pleasure of making our birthday cakes. Were we brats, or what?  Yes!  (Laughing) What Mom on the planet has to put up with kids who cry "Please, Mom, please! Don't make us eat cake for our birthdays! Please!"  Brats. We were cake-spoiled brats!

My Mom's Chow Mein, was great and I asked for it every year. It was also healthy. Except...when I started making it as an adult I realized that for a dish with lots of vegetables there was very little color:  water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, baby corn, and bean sprouts, are all pretty boring looking.  To dress up the aesthetic and the vitamin content, I've included many more colorful vegetables in my version.

I don't think we're safe anymore