Momofuku Milk Bar

Ryan and Angus hanging out

We recently visited Rufus in Iowa. While Ryan and Angus were hanging out, Dad ate all of Sophia's Cap'n Crunch. Which reminds me...one of our favorite places in New York, Momofuku Milk Bar, makes ice cream from cereal milk. You know the milk that you love to drink straight from the bowl after you finish your Cap'n Crunch or Fruit Loops or whatever.

Well, Momofuku also makes the most delicious pickled strawberry jam which is made with vinegar and salt and corriander and other fine stuff. Sounds weird, but it is FANTASTIC. And since Sheryl isn't sharing her secret preserve recipe, we just have to share this one. It goes great on Dan's Mountain High Bread and biscuits too. We have been making our biscuits (and nearly everything) with white whole wheat flour these days. We don't want to use plain old white flour anymore. That's unhealthy old school.

Anyhoo, we make a batch of pickled strawberry jam nearly every day. It's too simple. Just prepare and let cool in the frig for about an hour. Nothing better!

Pickled Strawberry Jam

Time: 20 minutes, plus cooling

1 3/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon powdered pectin
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups strawberries, hulled
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
5 coriander seeds
1 cardamom pod.

1. In a bowl, whisk the sugar, pectin and salt to combine. If a seedless jam is desired, purée the berries in a blender and strain through a fine-meshed sieve. Otherwise, leave them whole, or cut large ones into quarters.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the sherry vinegar, rice wine vinegar, coriander and cardamom. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and immediately remove from heat. Remove and discard the coriander seeds and cardamom.

3. Return the saucepan to medium heat and add the sugar mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until blended; it will be dry at first. Add the strawberries or strawberry purée, and continue to stir, crushing the berries with the spoon, until the mixture is liquefied and comes to a boil. Continue to boil, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 3 minutes.

4. Pour the jam into a heat-proof bowl and let cool completely. Store it, covered, in the refrigerator. The jam can also be frozen for up to six months.

Yield: 3 cups.

Serving suggestions: Spread the jam on toast, use it as a filling for crepes or cakes, or swirl it into sweet buns or coffeecake. Mix it with an equal amount of cream cheese to make a spread. Or it may be mixed with an equal amount of butter for spreading or baking, or for blending with confectioners’ sugar and a pinch of salt to make a frosting for cake or cinnamon buns.