Brent Borchardt

Preserved Lemons

Food preservation is a household management skill that is taking on renewed importance now during The Great Sequestration. Preserved Lemons are a delicacy that’s so easy you’ll want to slap your forehead and say, “Why have I never done this before?” Just about any time a recipe calls for lemon zest – and , ofContinue reading “Preserved Lemons”

Homemade Sauerkraut

Homemade sauerkraut eats like a fresh cabbage salad suited for long-term preservation.

Covid Loaf

England has a healthy bread called Hovis Loaf that goes back to the 1880’s. It holds a warm spot in the hearts of the British and a commercial for Hovis Loaf was voted “Best TV Ad Ever” in Great Britain. It was directed in 1973 by Ridley Scott who went on to direct such filmsContinue reading “Covid Loaf”

Ontbijtkoek, the Dutch Gingerbread Recipe

Rye flour and a complex spice blend reflects the Northern European heritage and influence of the Dutch East India Company in this gingerbread.

Drinkable Cheap Coffee

I actually do know what good coffee tastes like. So, before I write about cheap coffee, I want to state that I am actually rather picky about the coffee I drink. In fact, when I owned a natural foods store about 30 miles south of Iowa City, Iowa, I carried and served coffee from CafeContinue reading “Drinkable Cheap Coffee”

Pickled Green Tomatoes or Tomatillos, 1 Quart

It can be a challenge to find a use for green tomatoes at the end of summer. The origins of this recipe are long forgotten, but making it couldn’t be simpler and the results are fabulous after about 48 hours. Since green tomatoes are seasonal, substituting tomatillos are a good option since they are usuallyContinue reading “Pickled Green Tomatoes or Tomatillos, 1 Quart”

Star Dawn

There’s a sight that brings a smile to my face when I stand a short distance in front of my parent’s gravestone. I can look out and see all the old farmers I grew up working for who lived near us: Eddie and Virgene Uthof, Lloyd and Dorothy Kern, and Willard and Hulda Menz. It’sContinue reading “Star Dawn”

MSG

I once had occasion to shadow several cooks of Nepali heritage who had been refugees from Bhutan. I observed them cooking a meal, writing down every ingredient as it was prepped and every step as the dishes were made. I then turned my notes into a standard recipe format that others could follow. There wasContinue reading “MSG”

Portuguese Broa Cornbread

A wonderful yeasted bread alternative to skillet cornbread.

Mass Communications

In the 1920’s and ’30’s, my grandparents farmed in Freedom Township, which is a rural area east of Emmetsburg, Iowa. According to family legend, when Charles Lindbergh flew The Spirit of St. Louis across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927 and landed in Paris, my grandfather set his wind generator-powered radio in front of the speakerContinue reading “Mass Communications”