Folkways
by Maya Brown Zniewski. Illustration by Avram Dumitrescu.
FIRE EATER FALL TONIC
T
he
renowned
herbalist
Rosemary Gladstar created
Fire Cider in the early 1980s
in the kitchen of her California
School of Herbal Studies. The name
Fire Cider is now under ownership
by a company of lawyers, or some
such
thing,
not
herbalists. I call my
version of this tradi-
tional tonic Fire Eater.
The drink goes fantas-
tically well with wild
game and barbecue
and as a marinade for
both. Use homegrown
or organic ingredients
to make this hot and
wonderful pick-me-
up.
In a quart-sized
mason jar place two
chopped heads of gar-
lic, peel and all; one
jalapeno, chopped; an
onion, skin and all,
chopped; a little bit
of fresh horseradish
(jarred is fine if
you can’t get fresh);
a
whole
lemon,
chopped, peel and all;
and a knuckle of gin-
ger, chopped. All
these amounts are
based on taste, so you
can vary this accord-
ing to your likes and
dislikes. If you love ginger, add
more. You can also add a sprig of
rosemary or a chunk of turmeric, or
other herbs or spices of your choice.
Some people love the heat and flavor
of cayenne in Fire Eater, so they add
a little cayenne.
Next, fill the jar within an inch of
the top with apple cider vinegar.
Cover the top of the jar with wax
paper or plastic wrap and use a can-
ning jar lid to seal it. The wax paper
24
or plastic wrap over the top is to keep
the vinegar from reacting with the
metal lid. Let the Fire Eater sit for
two to six weeks. The longer it
steeps, the stronger it gets. Strain the
liquid into a clean jar.
Feel free to dip some out after one Fire Eater and one to two ounces
vodka. To make a Fire Eater bever-
age, hot or cold, use one ounce of
Fire Eater, one ounce honey and
eight ounces water, either hot or
cold. You can add an ounce of Fire
Eater to tea, lemonade or cactus
day if you wish to try it. It gets better
and better the longer the mixture
sits, but it is already flavored after
one day. I suggest you add honey
(use local!) to sweeten it up. You can
drink a shot of Fire Eater straight,
like a shot of whiskey, or add it to a
mixed whiskey drink. To make a
Bloody Fire add it to a Bloody Mary
either with or with out alcohol, no
need for Tabasco sauce! Use six
ounces of tomato juice, one ounce juice. Sweeten with additional
honey.
For a spicy salad dressing: Mix
three parts olive oil to one part Fire
Eater, salt and pepper to taste. You
can use Fire Eater, with or without
honey, as a marinade for any num-
ber of tasty meals. Try it on chicken,
pork chops, pot roast or tofu. I love
the way it makes firm tofu taste so
yummy!
For tofu marinade, rinse a block
Cenizo
Fourth Quarter 2016
of firm tofu (a box is about 14
ounces) with warm water. Soft tofu
will work if you can’t get firm. Cube
into pieces about one inch square.
Don’t get out a ruler, an approxima-
tion is fine. Put the tofu in a non-
reactive bowl. Pour about a quarter
cup of Fire Eater over
the tofu and refrigerate
for an hour or so.
Meanwhile, chop up
what veggies you have. I
particularly like cauli-
flower and sliced car-
rots, but pick the veggies
you like best. Add the
veggies, tofu and mari-
nade to a hot cast iron
pan with a little oil in it.
You want the tofu to get
crunchy and brown on
the outside. Cook, stir-
ring as needed to pre-
vent burning, until the
veggies are done but not
soft. Serve over rice. I
also do the same recipe
with mock duck (seitan),
using broccoli instead of
cauliflower.
The Fire Eater veg-
gies that are left after
straining out of the vine-
gar make an ideal
chunky condiment. Try
chopping up the Fire
Eater vegetables and
add some of them to the
top of your hamburger. I love this
topped with jalapeño cheese. They
will add a little zing to hot dogs and
brats, too.
Best of all, a shot of Fire Eater
makes you feel ready for the wind
and cold and snow of the coming
season.