No bones left unturned in Brodo, A Bone Broth Cookbook ( Clarkson Potter, December 2015).

Since it's May 30th as I am writing this I should mention 'End of the Month Broth' (page 93) as a starter recipe.

Yet as Marco Canora tells it, the vision for 'Brodo' came to light after he stared at this window at his restaurant 'Hearth' for eleven years.

The author also confides that he ' begun drinking bone broth on a regular basis once I realized how much better it made me feel than the endless cups of coffee i'd been in the habit of consuming to lift me out of the afternoon doldrums.'

Visits to Union Square farmers' market helped the author come up with a menu.

Broth was to be offered as a stand alone beverage not a base for soups or other dishes.

Some ingredients like fresh turmeric are chosen for their health benefits, in this case 'anti-inflammatory' according to Marco Canora.

He even suggests adding a few shavings of it to tea and smoothies.

Other finishing touches that author offers are calabtian chili oil and red pepper flake oil.

Top among practical tips offered to present and future broth makers is 'don't overfill your pot'.

Cheapest and easiest 'how to find bones' options is to 'save leftover bones and whole carcasses from all chicken, duck, turkey, beef, pork, lamb and fish you cook'...

Marco Canora encourages us to make broth with mixed bones but reminds us 'to keep bones from fish and shellfish separate from meat bones'.

We are also encouraged to try 'the 3-day bone broth reset' (details on page 50) to clean our body.

To conclude try the 'polpettone' recipe on page 85 using leftover boiled meat from 'Hearth Broth' to make fried mini meatballs.

Making broth is part of no waste cooking after all.

(* My notes on 'Brodo' could not have happened without a review copy kindly sent by Blogging for Books...)

Happy Sweet 4th, Float with Purple Cow from The Soda Fountain (May 2014, Ten Speed Press) by Gia Giasullo, Peter Freeman and Elizabeth Kiem of Brooklyn Farmacy and Soda Fountain in Carroll Gardens.

You might have to wait until Labor Day week-end to make this recipe as Concord grapes are not in season right now. Otherwise you will have to create a variation of this recipe with different grape variety.

PURPLE COW

MAKES 1 FLOAT

First there was an ode (see page 78), then came the float, pictured at right.

1⁄4 cup (2 ounces) Concord Grape Syrup (page 79)
11⁄4 cups (10 ounces) plain cold seltzer
1 (4-ounce) scoop vanilla ice cream

Pour the syrup into a fountain glass and add seltzer until the glass is two-thirds full. Stir gently with a soda spoon to combine. Then, scoop a very firm 4-ounce ball of ice cream and “hang” it on the inside rim of the glass. Add the remaining seltzer to fill the glass. Serve immediately.

CONCORD GRAPE SYRUP

MAKES ABOUT 5 C UPS

Concord grapes are an early fall crop that show up in New York farmers’ markets in the latter half of September. Although they were developed for the New England climate, they’re grown all over the United States (although mostly in the northern states). Unless yours is a very large or sophisticated grocery store, you will probably not find Concord grapes on its shelves. Farmers’ markets are your best bet, followed by health food stores that carry a good selection of produce.

Chances are you don’t have a bottle of orange flower water hanging around in your pantry as it’s not a commonly used ingredient in this country. If you need to locate some, try a store that has a well-curated herb and spice section. If you can wait for it to be shipped, it can be found easily enough online. (What to do with the rest of bottle once you’ve made grape syrup? Splash it in your bath. No kidding. It smells heavenly.) This syrup is featured in the Purple Cow float (page 94).

3 and 1⁄2 pounds fresh Concord grapes, stemmed
1 and 3⁄4 cups (14 ounces) cane sugar
2⁄3 cup (5.4 ounces) water
5 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1⁄4 teaspoon orange flower water (optional)

Place the grapes, sugar, the 2⁄3 cup water, and lime juice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Decrease the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, let cool for 10 minutes, and stir in the orange flower water.

Place a strainer over a bowl and pour the grape mixture into it in manageable batches, using a wooden spoon to mash the mixture against the mesh of the strainer. Discard the seedy mash that remains in the strainer. Let the syrup cool to room temperature and chill before using.

Store the syrup in covered glass jars or plastic containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, but watch it, grapes do ferment! The syrup may also be frozen in plastic containers for up to 3 months. If frozen, allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.

To make a Concord grape soda, fill a 12-ounce glass halfway with ice, add 1⁄4 cup (2 ounces) of Concord Grape Syrup, top with seltzer, and stir gently with a soda spoon to combine.

(* Reprinted with permission from The Soda Fountain by Brooklyn Farmacy and Soda Fountain, Inc. copyright (c) 2014. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Random House LLC. Photography (c) 2014 by Michael Harlan Turkell)

Juice your Roots, Carrots, Beets, Kale, Celery, and a few more things...

Green Juice Recipe Card from Organic Avenue (William Morrow, April 2014) by Denise Mari 

(* Recipe from 'Organic Avenue by Denise Mari- William Morrow, April 2014- reproduced with permission)

Why should recipes be confined to cookbooks?

In her debut Singaporean mistery, Aunty Lee's Delights (William Morrow, September 2013), Ovidia Yu mixes spiced tea and mistery with Aunty Lee's Spiced Tea Tarik.

(* Recipe reproduced from Aunty Lee's Delights by Ovidia Yu with permission of publisher William Morrow, all rights reserved)

After sharing recipes for a few years, I thought it was time to find a way to allow visitors to the site to narrow their search.

We started today with 15 categories listed with their respective links in right column of 'Serge the Concierge' after mother category Recipes.

The 15 categories (listed in alphabetical order using model Recipes: Appetizers) are Appetizers, Baking, Chicken, Chocolate, Cocktails, Fish and Seafood, Gluten Free, Ice Cream and Sorbet, Lamb, Non Alcoholic Drinks, Pork, Salads, Soups, Vegan and last Vegetarian.

Some recipes like Chilled Tofu with Crunchy Baby Sardines are referenced in 2 (or more) groups for Tofu with Sardines both under Appetizers and Fish and Seafood.

So far about 40 to 50 recipes have been updated to reflect this friendlier way.

We will add the rest as quickly as we can and hope to be done by September 1st, 2013.

Let us know how you like the change.

(* Illustration is photo from Panelle, Sicilian Fritters, Gluten Free recipe from The Country Cooking of Italy by Colman Andrews- Chronicle Books, Fall 2011- reproduced with permission of the publisher- all rights reserved- Photography by Hirsheimer and Hamilton)

Not just sandwiches, drinks too in Banh Mi 75 Banh Mi Recipes for Authentic & Delicious Vietnamese Sandwiches (Adams Media, July 2013) by Phamfatale Jacqueline Pham. 

Thai Basil Seed Drink

Nước Hột É

Yields 12 servings

This odd-looking drink is, despite its appearance, very refreshing. Once soaked in warm water,
the seeds form a kind of gooey-textured shell. In addition to the Thai basil seeds, soaked malva nut
tree seeds are usually included in this unusual drink.

¹⁄³ (2-ounce) package dried malva nut tree seeds (đười ươi)
¼ cup Thai basil seeds
2 quarts water
½ cup superfine sugar, to taste
4 tablespoons honey
3 cups ice cubes, or more
2 limes, freshly squeezed

1. Preparing the malva nut tree seeds: Cover the malva nut seeds completely in warm water and soak for 30 minutes. Separate the cotton-like texture from the skin and seeds, discard the skin, and rinse the cotton-like texture in cold water. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible using paper towels. Set the seeds aside.

2. Preparing the Thai basil seeds: Place the basil seeds in a large strainer and rinse them under running water. Place the rinsed seeds in a large heatproof pitcher.

3. Assembly time: In a saucepan, bring 2 cups of the water to a near boil. Pour into the pitcher. Let the basil seeds gain in volume, which will take about 5 minutes. In the same saucepan, dissolve the superfine sugar with 1 cup of the water. Bring to a near boil, then add the honey. Pour the resulting
syrup into the pitcher. Add the remaining 5 cups of cold water and complete with lots of ice cubes. Add the lime juice and the malva nut tree seeds. Stir well. Adjust sweetness if necessary.

(Excerpted from Banh Mi by Jacqueline Pham, Copyright © 2013 by F+W Media, Inc. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.)

I was dying to share 'Roasted Stuffed Artichokes with Mint Oil' from The New Persian Kitchen (Ten Speed Press, Spring 2013) by Louisa Shafia instead here's a drink recipe to fill your summer party pitchers.

Watermelon, mint, and cider vinegar tonic
Sekanjabin

This refreshing mixture of nourishing cider vinegar and juicy watermelon is restorative and hydrating on a hot day. The mixture of vinegar and sugar is a time-honored Persian sharbat, or fruit essence drink, that’s also used for dipping crisp romaine lettuce leaves in warm weather, another distinctly Persian way to hydrate. Just put a bowl of this beverage alongside a plate of romaine leaves and that’s it: your salad is complete! Use raw, unfiltered cider vinegar to complement the taste of the watermelon.

makes 5 cups concentrate,

enough for twenty 1-cup servings of tonic

3 cups water, plus more to serve
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup good-quality honey
6 cups coarsely chopped
watermelon
1 cup tightly packed fresh
spearmint
1 cup cider vinegar
Ice cubes
Sliced watermelon, sliced unwaxed cucumber, and spearmint, for garnish

Bring the 3 cups water and the salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the honey, stir to dissolve, and remove from the heat.

Combine the watermelon and mint in a large bowl. Stir in the honey-water and let cool to room temperature, then add the vinegar. Steep the mixture in the refrigerator for several hours or up to overnight.

Strain the mixture and eat the watermelon chunks, if desired. Pour the concentrate into a clean glass jar, and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. To serve, pour 1/4 cup of the concentrate into a glass over ice and dilute with 3/4 cup water. Garnish with the watermelon, cucumber, and mint.

(* Excerpted from 'The New Persian Kitchen' by Louisa Shafia-published by Ten Speed Press, Spring 2013- Photography by Sara Remington)

Aspiring home brewers could do worse than grab a copy of 'True Brews' How to craft Fermented Cider, Beer, Wine, Sake, Soda, Mead, Kefir and Kombucha at Home (Ten Speed Press, Spring 2013) by Emma Christensen.

First pick from 'True Brews' will soothe our bodies on humid and sticky days.

Mango Lassi Kefir Smoothie

Serves 1

The hotter and more sticky-humid the day, the more desirable a mango lassi becomes. I’m pretty sure they’re genetically engineered that way. Not only does it hit the spot for something both sweet and a little sour, it also serves as a meal on those days when heat chases away your appetite.

1 cup milk kefir (page 53)
1 very ripe mango, peeled and coarsely chopped, or 1 cup frozen mango
1 tablespoon honey

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender. Blend on high speed until smooth and creamy.

( Reprinted with permission from True Brews: How to Craft Fermented Cider, Beer, Wine, Sake, Soda Kefir & Kombucha at Home by Emma Christensen, copyright © 2013. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc. Photo credit: Paige Green © 2013)

Craving an escape to sunny shores, here's a teaser from My Key West Kitchen (Kyle Books, October 2012) by father and son team of Norman and Justin Van Aken. 

MAMEY MILKSHAKE  

“Batido.” This pretty little word is well known all over Latin America and to many in South Florida as well.

A sweet and frothy fruit milkshake, it’s as varied as the currently available fruits in season. Guanabana, mamey, atemoya, coconut, cherimoya, banana, tamarind and many others—all contributing their gorgeous colors and enticing fragrances! Put the pulp of any tropical fruit or fruits in an electric blender with a little ice, a splash of milk and hit the blend button. Moments later, in a frosty glass, a delicious, healthy, delectable fruit smoothy is waiting for you. The buttermilk is my own addition. If you like the tangyness of sour cream ice cream or crème fraîche you will like this as well. If not, you can omit the buttermilk and go the standard batido route. It’s all good. 

Serves 2 to 3, depending on your thirst

1 cup peeled, pitted and cubed fresh ripe mamey

1 cup milk

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup sugar or honey

1 dash pure vanilla extract (optional)

1/2 cup ice cubes 

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Ingredient Note: If you don’t have access to fresh, ripe mameys, frozen mamey pulp can be found in many Latin American and Caribbean grocery stores. The flavor is nice though not as exquisite as the ripe, fresh fruit.

(* Recipe from My Key West Kitchen -Kyle Books, October 2012- by Norman and Justin Van Aken, all rights reserved, photography by Penny De Los Santos)