[1] Iced tea should be clear (photo © Mighty Leaf Tea).

[2] Black tea can cloud when you add juice or other flavorings, like this peach iced tea. Herbal teas can also be cloudy. But we got cloudy tea from plain English Breakfast. See the solution, below (photo © Peet’s).

We’re capable of consuming four or five bottles of iced tea per day in warm weather; maybe even more. Given our desire to keep plastic out of the landfill—not to mention the $2 to $3 a bottle, we began home-brewing our iced tea years ago. We pour it into re-purposed beverage bottles, or keep it in a pitcher.

One thing we noticed this season is that our tea, which is clear when we put the bottles into the fridge, is cloudy when they’ve chilled down. It doesn’t taste as “clear,” either.

This was top-quality English Breakfast from Rishi Tea. So we put on our science hat to discover why.

We made hot tea, which was perfectly clear; thus, not a problem with the tea or our kettle. We used a glass pitcher instead of a plastic one to brew. We placed the pitcher in the fridge without pouring into serving-size bottles. We tried distilled water, from which the minerals are removed.

The result: still cloudy.

So we asked our wine editor, Kris Prasad—who happens to be a Ph.D chemist—how to solve our problem. Here’s his response:
 
 
WHAT MAKES ICED TEA CLOUDY?

 
So that’s the “why.” Now, what can you do about it?
 
 
HOW TO AVOID CLOUDY ICED TEA

 
 
ICED TEA VS. ICE TEA

Properly, the drink is iced tea: tea that has been chilled with ice. It is spelled this way in primers on editing and by the line editors* of quality publications.

But, as more and more Americans care less and less about the rules of English, ice tea—tea with added ice—has been making inroads, even among some editors.

There is precedent: Ice cream and ice water were originally “iced cream” and “iced water.” We presume that editors in that era were equally chagrinned.

 
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*A line editor is responsible for reviewing each sentence for consistency, grammar, punctuation, spelling and word usage prior to publication. Here’s more.

[2] Some of the different hues of rosé wines, based on grapes and the amount of skin contact desired by the winemaker (photo © JoTot.com).

In France, more rosé wine is sold than white wine [source]. Rosé is also a popular warm-weather wine, and a great pairing with grilled foods and picnic foods.

So with Memorial Day at hand, how about a rosé tasting party? There are as many different styles of rosé wines as with other varietals. A tasting is an opportunity to get to know the different producers and identify some favorites.

Here’s how to have a wine tasting party, although you can simply set out the bottles and let people do their own thing.
 
 
WHAT IS ROSÉ WINE?

Unlike Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and the other grape varietals, there is no “rosé grape.” Rather, a rosé wine can be made from any red wine grape*. White Zinfandel, for example, is a sweet rosé wine, also called a blush wine. Most rosé wines, however, are dry wines. First:
 
 
ROSÉ WINE TERMS

 
ALSO TRY SOME…

 
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*“Red grape” skins can be black, purple or red, depending on the varietal. A rosé can also be made by blending red and white wines, although this is less common.

†The skin contact phase of winemaking is known as maceration. In this phase, the phenolic materials of the grape—tannins, coloring agents (anthocyanins) and flavor compounds—leach into the must (the newly-pressed juice) from the grape skins, seeds and stems. Maceration is a food and wine term that means to soften by soaking. Here’a more about maceration.
  

Here’s fun for kids and adults alike over the holiday weekend. You can use your favorite franks, and also make a vegan option with Lightlife Smart Dogs.

This recipe was created by Foodness Gracious for Lightlife.

February 2nd is National Tater Tot Day. Here’s the history of Tater Tots.
 
 
RECIPE: HOT DOG & TATER TOT SKEWERS

Ingredients

 
Plus

 
Preparation

2. THREAD one piece of a hot dog at the base of the skewer. Next add a Tater Tot, being careful not to tear it; then a cherry tomato. Repeat this process until the skewer is completely filled. Once all of the skewers are ready to grill…

3. BRUSH them on one side with olive oil. Season each skewer and place it onto the grill. Grill for 1-2 minutes, then turn them over and repeat. They will be done when the hot dogs begin to blister. Serve at once with dipping sauce(s).
 
 
MORE TATER TOTS RECIPES

Top and center: This American Flag Cake is easy to make (photos courtesy TheKitchyKitchen.com). Bottom: You’ll need nine eggs for the cake (photo courtesy Organic Valley).

We’re very fond of American flag cakes for Memorial Day and Independence Day. Check out these cakes on Pinterest.

Many of them require the skills of a pastry chef, but you can make a sheet cake that’s easy to ice and decorate, and tastes just as wonderful.

This recipe was sent to us by Claire Thomas of TheKitchyKitchen.com. An airy sponge cake is topped with cream cheese frosting and fresh fruit.

The recipe makes one 9” x 13” sheet cake or two 10” round layers.
 
RECIPE: AMERICAN FLAG SHEET CAKE

For The Sponge Cake

 
For The Cream Cheese Frosting

 
For The Decoration

This may look like a lot of steps, but each step is very easy.

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350F°. Move the rack to the lower third of the oven. Grease or spray a nonstick 9” x 13” pan and line the bottom with parchment. Grease the paper as well.

2. SIFT the flour, half of the sugar (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) and salt into a bowl; set aside.

3. CAREFULLY separate the egg whites from the yolks and whip the whites with the whisk attachment in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, just until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and whisk until soft peaks form. Add 3/4 cup sugar in a steady stream, whisking until you have thicker, stiffer, glossy peaks—about 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla, lemon juice and zest. Scoop the mixture into a VERY large bowl and set aside.

4. WIPE out the bowl you used for the egg whites, and beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until thick and pale yellow—about 2-3 minutes. Add the water and beat until thickened, about 4 minutes: the yolks should be very thick and pale. Pour the yolk mixture over the whites and gently fold together with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle a third of the flour mixture over the egg mixture; fold to combine. Repeat two more times, just until all the ingredients are incorporated.

5. GENTLY POUR the batter into the pan and level the top with a spatula. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the top springs back slightly when lightly touched and a toothpick comes out clean. Invert the pan onto a cooling rack and cool for about 45 minutes.

7. MAKE the frosting. Chill a metal or glass bowl in the fridge, then add the cream and whip until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over-beat the cream or it will curdle (that’s how cream is churned into butter). Set aside.

8. MIX the cream cheese, salt, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until very smooth (if you have one, use an electric mixer with a paddle attachment). Fold in the whipped cream, one third at a time. If you aren’t frosting the cake right away, keep the frosting in the fridge and let it warm up on the counter for 20 minutes prior to using.

9. PLACE the cake on a serving platter. Spread the frosting about 1/2 inch thick with a spatula. Create the “stars” in a square in the top left corner with the blueberries, and place the red fruits in “stripes.”
 
MORE MEMORIAL DAY RECIPES

To find appropriate recipes for each holiday, pull down the “Holidays & Occasions” menu at the right of the title of this article.

[1] Pelmeni with Russia’s favorite herb, dill (photos #1 and 32 Amazon).

[2] Meat stuffing in a pelmeni mold (photo Amazon).

[3] Ready to cook (photo © Mums Prefer).

[4] A package of Popkoff’s Pelmeni. Check out recipes here (photos #1 through #6 © Popkoff’s).

[5] Pelmeni in miso soup.

[6] Pelmeni in mushroom sauce (recipe below).

You may have had Polish pillow pasta—pierogi—but how about their Russian cousin, pelmeni (pell-MEN-ee).

As with dumplings the world over—including ravioli—a simple dough rolled out and stuffed with beef, cheese, chicken, mutton, pork, seafood, or vegetables. Or, they can be a blend: A traditional recipe combines beef, mutton, and pork. In Europe, add some garlic, onions, and pepper to the mix.
 
 
1. THE HISTORY OF PELMENI

Historians agree that pelmeni originated among the indigenous Siberian people and later became part of Russian cuisine; they are also called Siberian dumplings in Russia. The word translates to “ear bread”: The bite-size dumplings can be seen as little ear pasta (although not nearly as ear-like as Italian orrechietti, which have the advantage because they aren’t stuffed).

Pelmeni were a particularly good way to preserve meat during the six months of Siberian winter, with temperatures as low as -47°F and snow on the ground through April. It became a tradition in Siberia households to make thousands of pelmeni as soon as temperatures fell below freezing, in November. Long before electric refrigeration, Siberians had natural refrigeration, i.e., in an unheated barn or shed. A bonus: Livestock could be harvested before the freeze, eliminating the cost to feed them over the long winter.

Pelmeni have evolved from labor-intensive food prepared by housewives to quality frozen versions to the Russian student substitute for instant ramen noodles!
 
Pelmeni Cousins

European stuffed boiled dumplings may be a simplified version of Chinese wontons. The list of cousins includes Chinese jiaozi, Georgian khenkali, Italian ravioli, Japanese gyoza, Jewish kreplach, Korean mandu, Middle Eastern shishbarak, Mongolian bansh, Nepalese and Tibetan momo, Polish uszka, Turkish and Kazakh manti, Ukrainian vareniki and Uzbek chuchvara, among others.
 
 
2. EASTERN EUROPEAN DUMPLINGS: THE DIFFERENCE

In the U.S., the term pierogi is often used to describe every type of Eastern European dumpling. Of course, there are differences: in shape, size, and thickness of dough (these are the differences between all dumplings, as well as cooking technique: boiled versus fried, boiled in water vs. broth or stock).

 
 
3. MAKE THEM OR BUY THEM FROM POPKOFF

Similar to making ravioli, you can short-cut the process by purchasing a pelmeni mold in plastic or aluminum—and make other types of stuffed pasta with it.

Or, look for a good brand. We recently tried Popkoff’s, and were very pleased. Use the store locator to find the nearest retailer.
 
 
POPKOFF’S PELMENI & VARENIKI

These delicious dumplings, full of Old World flavor, are easy to prepare. It takes just 5 minutes from boiling water to plate. The simplest preparation is a traditional one: butter and sour cream, with fresh dill.

The dumplings can be served as an appetizer, side, or main dish. Or, add a bit of smoked salmon and caviar for a luxurious hors d’oeuvre.

Why do Popkoff’s pelmeni taste so good?

Their “farm to frozen” pelmeni and vareniki are made from 100% all-natural ingredients from the best vendors: King Arthur Flour, Mary’s Free Range Chicken, Meyer Natural Angus Beef, Marcho Farms Veal, and Good Nature All-Natural Pork. All ingredients are domestic and the dumplings are made in California and are packaged in GoGreen sustainable packaging.

The meats are antibiotic-free and hormone-free, and the fruits and vegetables are locally grown and non-GMO. There are no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

We tried four varieties of pelmeni, all so good that we can’t wait to try the vareniki. Traditionally, pelmeni are filled with meat, and vareniki, a Ukrainian variation, were filled with cheese or vegetables; vareniki are larger, like ravioli. Popkoff’s choices:
 
 
Pelmeni Varieties

 
Vareniki Varieties

Pick a topping, pick a sauce. Some of these are traditional, and some reflect modern tastes.
 
Toppings

 
Sauces

 
You can also add pelmeni to broths and green salads. They are traditionally boiled; vareniki can be boiled or pan-fried.

Also, check out our 50 ways to serve pierogi and adapt them to pelmeni.
 
 
5. RECIPE: PELMENI IN MUSHROOM SAUCE

You can make this recipe from Chef James Bailey from scratch (recommended), or take a shortcut with canned cream of mushroom soup.

It’s a variation of the famous Russian dish that originated in the mid-19th-century rage, Beef Stroganoff, which has a sauce made with sour cream (smetana in Russian).

Prep time is 15 minutes, and cook time is 20 minutes.
 
Ingredients For 6 Servings

 
Preparation

1. MELT the butter over medium heat; add onions and cook until softened. Add the garlic and mushrooms; stir and cook for 3-5 minutes until the mushrooms have softened.

2. ADD the beef broth and cook over medium heat until the liquid is slightly reduced. Add the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce is combined.

3. BRING a large pot of water to a boil and add a pinch of salt. Carefully add Popkoff’s Beef Pelmeni and cook for 5 minutes until cooked through. Drain and reserve.

4. MIX in sour cream and chopped parsley into mushroom stroganoff, portion dumplings onto plates, and top with sauce, optional toppings, and dill garnish.
 
 
6. DESSERT PELMENI & VARENIKI

Pelmeni stuffed with delicate farmer’s cheese is a charming dessert or a sweet lunch.

Vareniki are typically used for dessert because the cheese can be sweetened. Cheese pelmeni has no sweetener.

But with sweet toppings, you won’t even notice. We enjoy dessert pelmeni with a few of the following: