#star anise online

[pureleven]

Buy star anise online and elevate your culinary experience. Explore our premium selection of high-quality star anise for your cooking needs.

[amaimpex]

 5 Ways to Take Cinnamon For Weight Loss

 5 Ways to Take Cinnamon For Weight Loss

Cinnamon Use for Weight Loss: 5 Methods

Cinnamon obtained from the bark of the Cinnamomum plant is a spice used in various cuisines as a flavouring agent. It has many health properties which are used to treat and cure or slow down the risk of chronic diseases. Mainly cinnamon used for weight loss practice is considered highly effective in losing weight. If we talk about losing weight, there are other spices that also exist and are effective in nature, for instance, turmeric, cumin seeds, and many more. In summer, cinnamon proved highly effective in losing weight and does not generate heat in the body. 

This is leading to opening corridors for cinnamon suppliers & best quality spices suppliers in India and some other factors responsible for the market growth are mentioned below: 

The rising expansion of the HoReCa industry,

The advent of the various types of cuisines in the country

Rising population awareness regarding the health benefits of the cinnamon

Rising export practices for cinnamon in the country

How Cinnamon Works to Reduce Body Fat

Cinnamon Consumption Stimulates Brown Fat 

Brown fat is considered a good fat for the body and is a great source of energy. It contains many lipid tiny droplets and iron-containing mitochondria. This helps turn food into an energy source, and keeps the body warm by generating heat in the body, this is considered better for winters especially and helps convert the white body fat into brown fat fastly.

Cinnamon Improves Insulin Levels

Polyphenols, the compound found in cinnamon, improve insulin production. Insulin controls the glucose level, when the body doesn't produce enough insulin in the body, the glucose level starts to rise up, which leads to fat accumulation and diabetes. Also triggers other obesity-related diseases in the body. Research has been conducted, the consumption of cinnamon can alleviate insulin production level that eases glucose regulation practice, resulting in the reduction of body fat. 

It Lowers The Rising Blood Sugar

Cinnamon consumption lowers the blood sugar level in the body. As an alleviating blood sugar level is the major cause of obesity. Hence, it is recommended to intake cinnamon or cinnamon extract in your daily routine, which would result in controlling your rising body fat. 

Cinnamon reduces the LDL cholesterol levels 

Bad cholesterol levels increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Cinnamon consumption helps lower the LDL cholesterol level in the body and prevents your arteries from being damaged, this further allows the heart to function with ease and reduces pressure. Effective regulation and reduction of the LDL cholesterol level in the body help in body fat reduction. 

What Happens If You Eat Too Much Cinnamon Powder

The consumption of cinnamon powder excessively can cause several disease based side effects. The diseases are mentioned below:

Increase heart rates

Occurrence of gastrointestinal issues that further trigger various stomach-related issues

Skin irritation issues’

Liver diseases

reduce blood sugar levels in the body

Start to produce excess heat in the body

How To Use Cinnamon Powder For Weight Loss

Here are many ways to consume cinnamon powder for weight reduction practice. That we are discussing below in the points, and you can opt as per your taste.

1. Cinnamon & Honey Tea

If you are a morning person who loves drinking tea in the morning, then you have the option of preparing cinnamon powdered tea with the addition of lime juice & honey. Honey and lime together are proven effective in the body fat reduction process. 

2. Cinnamon & Apple Cider Vinegar

Combine cinnamon powder with apple cider vinegar. A simple and easy process to prepare this is, adding cinnamon powder to the boiled water simultaneously adding honey, and after the water is cooled then add the apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar contains fat-burning properties if combined with cinnamon will increase the power of the drink.

3. Cinnamon Fat-Burning Detox Drink

Cinnamon is a fast fat-burning and cutting spice. To prepare the detox drink, soaked cinnamon overnight in one glass of water, then added lime wedges and chopped mints. This detox drink will improve the immune system and metabolism systems, leading to fast-burning fat. 

4. Cinnamon With Oats

Make sure while preparing oats is using fat-free milk then you can either add it in between the preparation or can sprinkle it at the end. For the sake of flavoring your oats, this healthy breakfast will help you in weight loss as well as with other properties’ health benefits. 

5. Cinnamon and Turmeric Milk

You can include cinnamon in your night schedule as well, adding cinnamon powder with turmeric can be counted as an effective and tastier mix. This will enhance your milk’s taste and also prove well for losing weight. Having so many health-beneficial properties result in an increase in the scope for turmeric finger supplier in India. 

[zanthiakhalaplace]

I'm not LATTE for Halloween, am I? Come check my designs and products anytime here: http://www.redbubble.com/es/people/juditangelo https://www.teepublic.com/user/juditangelozk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juditangelo_zk/

[margaretskywatcher]

Meet...

Anise Meadows

Sixteen year old in her final year of high school. Lives with her Aunt Hazel - who owns a small coffee shop in the Aideen's Plaza area.

Sees herself taking over her aunt's shop once she retires, and hopes to expand it to other cities on the island.

She once wanted to follow in her mother's footsteps when she was younger, but an unfortunate accident caused her to steer away from her mother's career. She recently has been wanting to dip her toes back in that field, yet never had the confidence to do so.

[hetalianhistorian]

Animate Cafe has announced more collaboration details on the World Go Round! release!!

Source link: https://twitter.com/animate_cafe/status/1815310876737499534

Starting off with the menu, there will be an Earth themed macaron going for about ¥900 yen each for desserts. Each one will be made out of bread, whipped cream, and mixed berries! For drinks, each character will have their own themed drink! Here are the following characters, type of drinks, and the ingredients. Please note that I am using a translator, so there may be mistakes!

World-go-round drink! - Blue jelly, mint jelly, white water, whipped cream, and monaka.

Italy - Latte - Espresso, milk, whipped cream, and chocolate monaka.

Germany - Berry Cholet (?) - Wild berry soda and mixed berries.

Japan - Matcha Latte - Matcha latte and white chocolate.

Spain - Non-alcoholic Sangria - Sangria drink, grape syrup, orange, and lemon.

Prussia - Kinderpunsch - Apple juice, star anise, cinnamon powder, and apple.

Romano - Sicilian Lemon Iced Tea - Sicilian lemon tea, honey lemon, lemon, whipped cream, and monaka.

America - Coke Float - Coke, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, cherry, and chocolate.

England - Flower Herbal Tea Jelly - Black tea jelly, honeybush herbal tea, and edible flowers.

France - Fragrant Violet Soda - Violet jelly, violet soda, and bell rose.

Russia - White Milk Frappe - Milk smoothie, alazan, and sugar.

China - Honey Peach Golden Katsura - Oolong golden cinnamon, lychee syrup, and peach.

All drinks will cost ¥750 yen each. You will also be given a bonus coaster for each item ordered from the menu! These will be randomized. For merchandise, here is the line-up for goods that will be sold:

Acrylic stands - ¥800 yen each

Acrylic badge - ¥800 yen each

Stickers - ¥700 yen each - There will be 11 types with 2 random pieces included.

Water absorption coaster - ¥900 yen each

Tote bag - ¥700 yen each.

As such, after the cafe collaboration, sales will go up on Animate's online store from September 12th to September 26th!

[najia-cooks]

[ID: Mahlab seeds, aniseed, fennel seeds, and mastic in the center of a plate, surrounded by piles of the same spices in powdered form. End ID]

دقة كعك فلسطينية / Dugga ka'k falastinia (Palestinian spice blend for cakes)

دُقَّة كَعْك ("dugga ka'k"; "cake powder")—also known as "بَهَار الكَعْك" ("bahār al-ka'k"; "cake spice") or "بَهَارَات الكَعْك‎" ("bahārāt al-ka'k"; "cake spices")—is a blend of spices used in Palestinian cakes and sweet pastries. Even when a recipe doesn't call for the blend explicitly, you'll often spot its components in the ingredients list: aniseed, fennel, mahlab, and mastic.

"دُقَّة" is a noun meaning "fine powder." It comes from the verb "دَقَّ" ("daqqa": Levantine pronunciation, "dagga" or "da'a"), meaning "to crush," "to grind," or "to powder." The verb is of the root pattern "د ق ق" (d q q), which produces words related to accuracy and precision (and thus, to small measures of things): compare "دِقّة‎" ("diqqa") "accuracy"; "دَقِيقَة" ("daqīqa") "minute" (the measure of time); and "دَقِيق" ("daqīq"), which means both "accurate" and "flour, meal."

"كَعْك" refers to pastries including cookies, tarts, buns, and cakes; it is related to the Aramaic "כַּעְכָּא"‎ ("ka'kā") "cake."

This spice blend is used for pastries including مَعْمُول ("ma'mūl")—date-filled semolina cookies—and فَتُوت ("fatūt‎"), a soft, sweet flatbread from Nablus. The sweet, liquorice-like fennel and aniseed, the mahlab's notes of fruit and almond, and the mastic's smell of cedar and citrus combine to make a delicately aromatic blend that gives an incredible depth of scent and flavor when small amounts are added in with flour.

Recipe under the cut!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp (11g) aniseed (يانسون)

2 Tbsp fennel seeds (شمره / شومر)

2 tsp (7g) mahlab seeds (محلب) (or 2 tsp mahlab powder, packed)

1/4 tsp (.8g) mastic granules (مستكة)

Pinch of granulated sugar

Pinch of grated nutmeg (optional)

Aniseed, fennel, and mahlab are essential to this blend. Mastic is usually included. Small amounts of nutmeg and cinnamon are also possible additions. Some people also include a very small amount of a commercial "ريحة الكعك" ("riha al-ka'k" "cake scent”)—also known as "كلفة كعك" ("kulfa al-ka'k")—which might contain sweet spices such as cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and allspice, as well as camphor (كَافُور), Arab yeast (خميرة العرب), bay laurel leaves, and rose hips (ذر الورد), depending on where it is sourced.

The word "يانسون" ("yansoun") can be used to refer to aniseed or to star anise (or to a beverage brewed with aniseed); in this context, it invariably refers to aniseed. Aniseed is an oval-shaped seed—smelling of liquorice, and looking a bit like cumin, fennel, or caraway, but much smaller—with a body that tapers in towards the stem end. It can be found at a halal grocery store.

Mahlab seeds may be found at a halal grocery store, though you are more likely to find it in pre-ground form. The whole seeds may also be purchased online. Mahlab should be purchased in small quantities and kept in the refrigerator or even the freezer, as it will go rancid after several months at room temperature.

Mahlab seeds (left); aniseed (top); fennel seeds (bottom)

Mastic gum is the resin produced by the mastic tree. It is also known as mastika (مستكة), mastiha, muskeh, and masticha (Μαστίχα / μαστίχα). It may be labelled "arabic gum," but should not be confused with gum arabic, which is the sap of the acacia tree. Mastic is in the form of pale yellow droplets, not overly angular, usually the size of peas or smaller; gum arabic is a darker amber to reddish color, and has sheer angles. Mastic should smell of pine when ground. Ask at your local halal grocery store, as it may be behind the counter.

Mastic (bottom); not to be confused with tragacanth gum / goond katira (top left); or gum arabic / acacia gum / char goond (top right)

Instructions:

1. Toast fennel seeds in a dry skillet on medium heat, agitating often, until fragrant and a shade darker. Set aside on a plate to cool. Repeat with aniseed and mahlab seeds.

2. Remove skillet from heat and toast any pre-ground spices, agitating constantly, for about 30 seconds.

3. Grind mastic with a pinch of sugar in a mortar and pestle. Grind aniseed, fennel, and mahlab in a mortar and pestle or using a spice mill. Add nutmeg and mix.

You may be able to grind everything together in a spice mill if you're making a larger batch. Don't put mastic in a spice mill alone, as it can stick to the blades.

4. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.

[kcrossvine-art]

Hey folks n blokes! A few days ago ya might've been one of the people who helpfully responded to my question asking which LotR recipe we should cook next, and you all had great ideas. Including a golum salmonella sushi platter. There were a few that twinkled directly into my eyes, but only one fish gets fried at a time! Thanks @vensre for the suggestion!

Today from Lord of the Rings, we will be making Bilbo Baggin's Seed Cakes

(As always you can find the cooking instructions and full ingredient list under the break-)

MY NAMES CROSS NOW LETS COOK LIKE ANIMALS

SO, “what goes in to a Seed Cake?” YOU MIGHT ASKIf you're an amer*can like me, you might have never heard of a seed cake outside of the context of bird feeders.

Salted butter

Fine sugar

Whole milk

Eggs

Almond flour

Vanilla extract

Brown sugar

Caraway/fennel seeds

Ground anise seed

Ground nutmeg

The real key ingredient here is the caraway seeds. The factor that ties all recipes together. Important note, anise seeds and anise stars are 2 separate things!

AND, “what does a Seed Cake taste like?” YOU MIGHT ASKTastes like what an old bookstore smells like.

Smells like warm licorice

But without the chemical-y aftertaste

Take a shortbread and make it denser and with less airpockets. Thats your texture.

A little bit like gingerbread but nuttier, earthier

Very rich

Beautiful crumbly brown outside, soft teddybear-brown inside

Pairs well with a glass of milk hahaha

"A wonderful blend of sweet and savoury, seed cakes make a perfect after-supper morsel."-LotR Online. Mentioned both in the books and the MMO, being served after dinner ties into their real-life origins! Before caraway seeds in cakes became popular in the victorian era, they were often candied and served as dessert because caraway seeds help with after-meal indigestion.

. used an herb grinder for the anise seeds . used light brown sugar where brown sugar called for . used blanched almond flour . if i made this again, would probably use higher quantity of nutmeg or add cinammon

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From entering the kitchen, to having this in my stomach, it took roughly 2 hours? Ish? Definitely make sure to let your 2 sticks of butter and 3 eggs sit out a bit beforehand so they reach room temp, it helps them whip together the warmer they are.

The most difficult part of this recipe was finding the seeds. Everything except the caraway/fennel and anise seed i already had, and maybe its a recent thing but since when did grocery stores start charging such an obscene amount for a regular bottle of spices? Is it not enough to have everything else infected by price-gouging, now we'll be scraping pennies for our little flavor heavens? Bleh. 

The seed cake is a new experience for me also, and many pardons if some sacred seed cake rule has been broken today. It tasted fantastic! The licorice was a strong flavor I've never experienced in this form before, it suits itself well. If you're baking for children or have a sweeter palette, the bitterness may be a bit much, but just have them dunk it in milk honestly. It did feel like there was some 'empty space' on my palette while eating- if that makes any sense? It couldve been layered with another flavor but i still can't put my finger on what that missing flavor could be.

Definitely be careful to put the eggs into the butter/sugar a little bit at a time. I got impatient the first-go, and the eggs incorporated less, and it led to a greasier cake. People seem to say that storing these and eating them the next day makes them taste better, i cannot attest as i ate both within the same day of making them. 

This recipe has earned itself a glimmering 7/10, for making my kitchen smell nice but also making me use a standmixer if i want my arms to stay attached (with 1 being food that makes one physically sick and 10 being food that gives one a lust for life again.) 

🐁 ORIGINAL RESIPPY TEXT BELOW 🐁

Ingredients:

220g salted butter

225g fine sugar

16g of milk

3 eggs

175g almond flour

2 drops vanilla extract

Pinch of brown sugar

1tbsp caraway seeds

1 1/2tbsp  ground anise seed

1/2tsp ground nutmeg

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 320F. Soften the butter and let eggs come to room temperature. 

Cream the butter by itself for around 5 minutes with a standmixer on med., until light in color. Add sugar and continue until the mixture is pale and fluffy.

In a seperate bowl beat the eggs until 'frothy'. 

Stir a small amount at a time of the eggs iinto the butter and sugar mixture, making sure each portion incorporates as you go.

Add the caraway, ground anise seed, ground nutmeg, and vanilla extract.

Gently fold in the almond flour. Careful not to overmix.

Add a tablespoon of milk, or until the batter keeps its form but drips off an upside down spoon.

Pour into a greased 9-inch round cake pan, if not available muffin/cupcake pans should also work.

Sprinkle a bit of brown sugar on top.

Bake for 40-50 minutes. Cool for 10 before serving.

[gothhabiba]

I've been on a bit of a curry powder kick with my recipes lately I think. curry powder is sooo interesting as a subject of study because of how much potential for localisation there is; the process of creating recipes for different regional blends of curry powder is really making me think about my philosophy with adapting dishes.

like, plenty of home cooks in China & Hong Kong will actually use imported curry powder from India or Malaysia to make Chinese curry, because they're "aiming at" a "foreign" flavor profile that was originally inspired by Indian cuisine (with this image of Indian cuisine being itself a result of colonisation, an innovation aimed at making the ~flavours of India~ more accessible to the English home cook in the 18th and 19th centuries—but Indian companies to-day do export "curry powder" blends to other English-speaking regions that they label "authentic" &c. &c.).

but this wouldn't be very interesting to me! I'm interested in and "aiming at" a specifically Hong Kongese adaptation of curry powder, and therefore I'm going to want to include as many Chinese ingredients as I can find 'attested' in Hong Kongese curry powder recipes (in my research into the spices used in commercial curry powder blends made and packaged in Hong Kong; home cook YouTube videos and interviews with restaurant owners based in Hong Kong; &c.). I'm never ad-libbing (i.e., adding in spices or aromatics that I don't see 'attested' in whatever local blends that I can find a trace of online), and I try to make the proportion of spices that I include in a blend basically adhere to the average of what I see in the recipes I consult (& the commercial blends, which don't list out proportions but do at least have some ingredients listed and organised in order of weight)—

but I still have my own tendencies that I'm interested in indulging (e.g., localised over generic; more over less; pungent over mild), and I'm able to fiddle around with all of those variables to produce a blend that is itself attested nowhere else, though each of its component ingredients can be traced back. so my recipe for Xinjiapo gali fen jumps at all of the 'Chinese' ingredients that Koon Yick Wah Kee includes (Sichuan peppercorns, Chinese black cardamom), but also includes more 'Indian' spices that other recipes include, but their's doesn't (e.g. green cardamom, fenugreek).

(as a side note for anyone who speaks French—on peut constater que the list of ingredients has been machine-translated from Chinese to English and thence to French, based on the fact that "star anise" has been rendered "tenez le primier rôle l'anis". other translation issues: what is listed as "dried parsley" in English [芫茜] is probably actually coriander seeds.)

[moonieamv]

Season 1 Episode 3 Cosplay Mode Unity is an anime music video tribute, featuring cosplayers from all over the world showing their love for the hobby. Enjoy this AMV and follow the amazing cosplayers in this episode to see more of their work!

Cast:

Saito Himea (Itsuka Tenma no Kuro Usagi) · CN: Elie AI · Photographer(s): Chops Bardos Photography Saber (Fate Extra) - ~CN~ bellatrixaiden Simca (Air Gear) · CN: ANYA · Photographer(s): Mtknot Alicia Rue (Sword Art Online) · CN: MeltingMirror Cosplay · Photographer(s): Soulfire Photography Sumomo (Chobits) · CN: Selhin Flowergirl · Photographer(s): Marco-Photo Aisha Clan Clan (Outlaw Star) · CN: Gina B. Cosplay · Photographer(s): Fang Fox Photography Android 18 (Dragon Ball Z) · CN: Second Impact Cosplay · Photographer(s): Kami Yoshino (Date A Live) · CN: Disharmonica · Photographer(s): Ezhika Shimakaze (Kancole) - ~CN~ gnarlygnocci - ~Photographer(s)~ Tea Ice Demon King Maou (Hataraku Maou-sama) · CN: Kyoudai Cosband · Photographer(s): General-Kuroru Sakura (Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE) · CN: OrangeKona Sinon (Sword Art Online) · CN: LordSchiffer · Photographer(s): LylaAyumu Tsukiko Tsutsukakushi (Henneko) · CN: Chat Cosplay · Photographer(s): Sweedy Hills Cosplay Anise Tatlin (Tales of The Abyss) · CN: Giacchan Momo Velia Deviluke (To LOVE-Ru) · CN: NyappyMisako Mahoro Ando (Mahoromatic) · CN: MademoiselleLin · Photographer(s): Andy-k Rin Okumura (Ao no Exorcist) · CN: Law (TrustOurWorldNow) · Photographer(s): Bouilloncube Aoi Sakuraba (Ai Yori Aoshi) · CN: Cybilla-Fraulein Eru Chitanda (Hyouka) · CN: Bizarre-Deer Miyuki Shiba (The Irregular at Magic High School) · CN: Alexia Kyung Cosplayer · Photographer(s): Grafotoko Shinobu Oshino (Bakemonogatari) · CN: Ika-xin · Photographer(s): Jay Hedge Photography Arale (Dragon Ball) · CN: xXxEleanorxXx Kuroko Shirai (A Certain Scientific Railgun) · CN: ChelzorTheDestroyer · Photographer(s): BentPic5

[fatehbaz]

Fragrant Frontier: Global Spice Entanglements from the Sino-Vietnamese Uplands. Edited by Sarah Turner, Annuska Derks, and Jean-Fracois Rousseau. Published in 2022 by Nordic Institute of Asian Studies Press. Part of the series NIAS Studies in Asian Topics.

Open access e-book available. (All blurbs, quotes, and reviews in this post are excerpted from: niaspress.dk/book/fragrant-frontier)

Publisher’s “about the book” blurb:

“Since its inception over two millennia ago, the spice trade has connected and transformed the environments, politics, cultures, and cuisines of vastly different societies around the world. The ‘magical’ qualities of spices mean they offer more than a mere food flavoring, often evoking memories of childhood events or specific festivals. Although spices are frequently found in our kitchen cupboards, how they get there has something of a mythical allure. In this ethnographically rich and insightful study, the authors embark on a journey of demystification that starts in the Sino-Vietnamese uplands with three spices – star anise, black cardamom, and cassia (cinnamon) – and ends on dining tables across the globe. This book foregrounds the experiences of ethnic minority farmers cultivating these spices, highlighting nuanced entanglements among livelihoods, environment, ethnic identity, and external pressures, as well as other factors at play. It then investigates the complex commodity chains that move and transform these spices from upland smallholdings and forests in this frontier to global markets, mapping the flows of spices, identifying the numerous actors involved, and teasing out critical power imbalances. Finally, it focuses on value-creation and the commoditization of these spices across a spectrum of people and places. This rich and carefully integrated volume offers new insights into upland frontier livelihoods and the ongoing implications of the contemporary agrarian transition. Moreover, it bridges the gap in our knowledge regarding how these specific spices, cultivated for centuries in the mountainous Sino-Vietnamese uplands, become everyday ingredients in Global North food, cosmetics, and medicines. Links to online resources, including story maps, provide further insights and visual highlights.”

---

NIAS Press also provides “about the author” blurbs:

“Sarah Turner is Professor of Geography at McGill University. She is a development geographer specializing in ethnic minority livelihoods, agrarian change, and everyday resistance in upland northern Vietnam and southwest China. She also works with street vendors and other members of the mobile informal economy [...] in urban Southeast Asia. [...] [S]he is also an editor of the journals Geoforum and Journal of Vietnamese Studies. Annuska Derks is an [...] is a social anthropologist interested in social transformation processes in Southeast Asia, in particular in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. Also widely published, her research focuses on migration, labor, gender, as well as the social lives of things [...]. Jean-François Rousseau [...] is a development geographer with research focusing on the relationships between agrarian change, infrastructure development – especially hydropower dams and sand-mining – and ethnic minority livelihood [...].”

---

NIAS Press quotes a couple of book reviews. From Janet Sturgeon of Simon Fraser University:

“This compelling study – one of the best integrated volumes I have read – traces the precarious livelihoods of ethnic minority farmers producing spices under two related processes. The first is global commodity chains, which the chapters follow from node to node along long-standing relations of trust. The second is misguided state-driven interventions to limit farmers’ land and get them to produce monocrops. These combined processes threaten farmers in the borderlands between Vietnam and China, while international traders of these lucrative spices become rich.”

---

Available to read, for free, at NIAS Press.

[castletown-cafe]

Castletown Café Episode 25: Darkburger

This recipe has been a long time coming. A whole year, in fact. I didn’t get around to it last summer, but this summer, it’s finally here. Lots of work went into these as both the buns AND patties were made from scratch, meaning this is another double recipe episode!

Although the Darkburger is, according to Ralsei, a little on the burnt side, these vegetarian burgers are a different kind of dark. Black beans are an essential ingredient to these flavorful patties, and squid ink is used to make the buns pitch black.

Using squid ink to dye food black is not that unheard of in many parts of the world, from Japan to the Mediterranean. I knew from the get-go that I wanted to try this out to make these burgers look like they came from the Dark World.

The ink doesn’t really change the flavors of the buns much, although it may give them a slight umami taste. I didn’t find it all that noticeable, however, especially when combined with the burger’s fillings: the black bean burger patty, the creamy Kewpie mayonnaise, the crunchy lettuce, juicy tomato and the sharpness of the Swiss cheese.

Since I ventured into new territory with burger buns and black bean burgers, both things I’d never made before prior to making this episode, the recipes are not mine at all and I take no credit, even if I did take liberties with Sally’s Baking Addiction’s black bean burger recipe (I omitted the Worcestershire and feta cheese, while adding jalapeno, a little ground cayenne pepper, and a tablespoon of Kewpie mayonnaise).

Now I just mentioned Kewpie mayo twice. It’s my favorite mayonnaise brand. This Japanese mayo comes in a squeezable bottle and uses only the egg yolks as opposed to the whole egg. It’s so flavorful! It may not be easy to find at your local grocery store, however, so you may have to go online for it, or look for it at an import store.

I even found a recipe for squid ink burger buns, and I’m glad I did, because it wouldn’t have been fun or easy to figure that out myself! Baking is an exact science and requires every measurement, technique, and ingredient to be just right! One mistake and the whole thing can come out wrong. Especially with yeast!

Fill these burgers up with whatever condiments you like. Ketchup? Mustard? Pickle? Onion? Go wild. Personally, I’ll only take onion if it’s caramelized or pickled...anyway, my fillings of choice will be featured here in this recipe, but you add what you prefer!

What I did was make the black bean burger patties first, then stored a couple in the refrigerator while freezing the others. The next day, I made the buns, and froze most of them. This way I can always thaw some buns and patties whenever I feel like fixing one for dinner! And also because I wasn’t making them for a party.

When it’s time to fix em, I just reheat the patties over the stove, or even in the microwave. It’s amazing how well they take in the microwave...because the beans are dry, they don’t explode!

DARKBURGER BUNS

Based on: Squid Ink Burger Buns by Alpha Foodie*

1/2 cup warm milk

3/4 cup warm water

1 tablespoon squid ink

2 tablespoons sugar

1 & 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

3 cups bread flour

1 & 1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

100 grams softened butter (a little over 7 tablespoons)

Sesame seeds, for topping

*This recipe also called for 1 & 1/2 tsp star anise powder, but I omitted that.

Heat up the milk and water until warm, but not too hot. If it hurts a little to touch, that’s too hot. Combine your milk and water in a bowl and add the sugar, squid ink, and yeast. Give it 10 minutes to bubble and ferment. It’s fun to watch!

Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl, then add in ONE of the eggs plus the squid ink mixture, and keep mixing until a dough begins to form.

Stir in the butter, a little at a time, until fully incorporated. Your black dough will now be slightly glossy.

Grease another large mixing bowl with softened butter and place your black dough in it. Cover with a tea towel or cheesecloth and set aside in a warm place for about an hour and a half.

Once your dough has finished proofing, divide it up into 8 to 12 balls. It’s recommended to weigh them with a kitchen scale to get a desired weight to keep them all the same size. I divided them into 8 balls and ended up with humongous buns - but unfortunately I didn’t write down the weight and so I don’t remember what the weight was....I suggest about 100 grams, though.

Place these balls on a parchment-paper covered baking sheet and cover again, leaving them for another 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to about 392 degrees Fahrenheit or 200 degrees Celsius (my oven is colder by a few degrees so I rounded up to 400 degrees F), and beat the remaining egg with some water. Brush the egg wash over each bun so it’ll be nice and glossy, then top with sesame seeds.

Bake for about 15 minutes, depending on the size of the buns. While you won’t be able to see any browning as they’re pitch black, it’s a good idea to check anywhere after 10 or 12 minutes have passed.

Once the buns have coole, place in the freezer for later use, or enjoy right away. These don’t have a long shelf life, but the freezer preserves them well, and they should thaw just fine.

DARKBURGER PATTIES:

Based on: Sally’s Baking Addiction’s Black Bean Burgers*

*I made a few slight modifications from the original recipe!

2 cans canned black beans, oven-dried

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 yellow onion diced

1/2 to 3/4 bell pepper, diced and finely chopped

1 jalapeño, minced

1 & 1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 eggs

1/2 cup panko

1 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise

1 tbsp barbeque sauce

1/2 tbsp ketchup

1 heaping spoonful flour

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, open cans of black beans and drain (easiest by pouring the beans into a spaghetti strainer). Spread on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until dry. Let cool.

Chop garlic, onion, pepper, and jalapeño. Sautee in some olive oil over medium heat until soft, about 6-7 minutes. Let cool.

With paper towels, blot out excess moisture and oil from the veggies. Add veggies, spices, condiments, panko and eggs, stir to combine. Mix in the black beans, mashing with a potato masher but not thoroughly smashing EVERY bean. Stir in flour.

Form patties using 1/3 cup of mixture on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes: 10 minutes on one side, flip burgers, and bake for another 10. Serve, refrigerate, or freeze once done.

DARKBURGERS:

Squid ink burger buns

Black bean burger patty

Iceberg lettuce, washed and dried

Thinly sliced Roma tomato

Pre-sliced Swiss cheese

Kewpie mayonnaise

Ketchup

Heat up black bean patties however you’d like. For the stove I recommend medium heat, with a touch of olive oil for moisture. Trap in heat by placing a lid over your pan, which will assist in the re-heating process. I suggest giving it at least 10 minutes. Give it another 5 if it’s still not hot enough! At the last minute, top your patties with the cheese to get it nice and melty.

Slice bun in half horizontally. Spread insides with a mixture of ketchup and Kewpie mayonnaise. Place the patty with melted cheese on the bottom bun and top with lettuce and tomato.

Top with the top bun and enjoy!

Sources: 

Samira, Alphafoodie, “Natural Squid Ink Black Burger Buns - Alphafoodie”. Link: https://www.alphafoodie.com/natural-squid-ink-black-burger-buns/

McKenney, Sally, Sally’s Baking Addiction, “The Best Black Bean Burgers I’ve Ever Had - Sally’s Baking Addiction”. Link: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/best-black-bean-burgers/

[pureleven]

Buy Star Anise Online

[pocket-deer-boy]

what're some of ur favorite foods? im a sucker for salad-sandwiches and stir fried noodles

oh god hard question i like a lot of different shit.

Classic answer is pancakes (dutch style obviously). fucking yummy treat. eat sweets for dinner yum

For a while i was REALLY into ramen, i like a good basic shoyu ramen

I like pasta carbonara a lot i need to practice making it again sometime but i swear to got if i ever meet my online friends i'm making them this shit cause it's so good and i'm good at making it

there's a lot of other stuff i like, like roti, rendang, and i like chicken saag or butter chicken. recently my dad's been making this spicy oil with like a fuckton of chili flakes, star anise, cinnamon, garlic, probably some other stuff i'm not getting, and just pouring that over some rice with some chicken and some crispy baked onions and some random other vegetable like beans or fresh onions? i don't love my parents but fuck man he can cook

[messier-47]

It's Tag Game Tuesday

I got tagged by @pachu09 and @fiyasgideon

Name: Messy! but Kyle is my irl nickname

Pronouns: They/She - hate being referred to as "she" online cause why? what's the point? I'm a genderless blob on the internet so why am I "she"? but I do have a pair of tits which I don't mind irl, just online I'm a "they"

where you call home: California, USA!

Favorite animal: I...don't have a favorite animal? I like animals but I don't have a favorite. Unless you count plants cause then I have a whole bunch of plants I could prattel on about forever.

Favorite Ceral: Honey Nut Cheerios!

Are you a visual, audio, or kinesthetic learner: ...all 3? idk, might be the ND part where I need to read facts, but also cement the idea by needing to listen to sentence phonics and then really implement what I learned through either writing notes or knitting/crocheting in class.

First pet: A calico cat named "Kitty" only because i was really young going "Here kitty, kitty, kitty!" to call my fur baby and then she only responded to Kitty.

Favorite Scent: Chai! I don't know if it's the cardamon, star anise, or something else but the scent of warm spice I could bathe in.

Do you believe in astrology: Nah, but its fun to read! especially if they're funny horoscopes like @normal-horoscopes

How many playlists do you have on Spotify/apple music: none, pretty dang techno-phobic. i still rip off music from youtube-to-mp3 sites for my MP3

sharpies or highlighters: sharpies. highlighters make me look away from information.

A song that makes you cry: "Snap" by Rosa Lynn. the lyrics "Where are you? You're still in my heart" gets me everytime

A song that makes you happy: "Little Talks" by Monsters and Men, yes i know it's technically a sad song never have I not sang along.

Do you write/draw/create: I write! currently trying to find time to actually start F2:EB cause pretty dang finished with plotting.

I'm callin' out @haigidal @creamy-jam @madbuns @doeinstinct @kiokesu @fennign @blackonthepiano @owari26 @vikishus

Have fun!

[auspicetaker]

had a really surreal experience today pouring bulk star anise into a jar and the star anise wafted a glittery sweet cloud of licorice scent into the air and i thought i was having my low blood pressure hallucination of little silver confetti in the air but i could tell that these silver sparkles were REAL they existed in reality

i told my coworker and she asked a manager and he said it was "crystalized sugar" from "how fresh it is" which sounds fake and i can't find any evidence online that that's a real thing... what is going on??? is it a christmas miracle (barf)???

[rtgrl]

Cooking by weight has been a very fun and game changing way to do some special meals, unfortunately it is now impossible for me to share those recipes with most people because my documentation process for tweaked/combined recipes is a spreadsheet which has no instructions and requires vibe checks.

For example, here is my ham recipe. This year I used cinnamon stick, pink peppercorns, mustard seed, cloves, allspice, star anise, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, bay leaf, and a little ancho chile, and double sugar (the recipe is low sugar to start with). It's important to be accurate with the salt / cure, but I don't weigh the spices. I just kinda aim for rough visual proportions and give them a light crush.

The cure 1 outputs a range, (min/max) where I err closer to the low number. Ham conversion factor is auto generated, and crunches numbers on the rest of the column. The water (by weight) is the brine, this year I had to make more so it would seal nicely (doing 300g-400g right away next year) which is why there's a 100g ham in column 2.

After weighting it all out its pretty easy. I do about 50% pump rate (injected brine) even though it's not super necessary for a lil 1kg ham like this one. Seal with no air, chill in the fridge, flip & lightly agitate it every day (try to move the spices around a bit)

The 50% pump ensures that even if I end up pulling it at 6 days instead of 7-10, the middle will be cured. So it's good to go Christmas Eve to Boxing Day.

Because it's equilibrium brined with accurate measurements, it doesn't need soaking or anything like that. Just rinse off the spices and cook as desired! This one is getting smoked to somewhere in the 155F zone, I don't think ham should go over 70C but most recommend ham cook temps are too low imo. Keeping it under 70C gets a harder cook without that tough over cooked feeling. Since ham is chemically cured (that's just what ham is, natural ham just uses natural sources of the same chemicals, usually extracted from celery), it can go rubbery when over cooked.

I've done sous vide as well which is still excellent, just not as smoky or visually appealing. Oven is fine, but way harder to control & monitor temperature.

The test batch from Thanksgiving turned out excellently, although the spicing was very different. I did one spicy tasso-style ham, and one herb-y rosemary mustard ham. Christmas ham should be good.

It's a bit of a daunting process, but curing salt is surprisingly cheap online, bulk store spices are cheap, pork still costs way less than ham, and my family/friends are way more open to it than to my other foodie projects (most people I know will not *try* pickled onions if given a choice)

mmm, ham