Author: Hannah (BitterSweet)

Author of My Sweet Vegan, Vegan Desserts, Vegan a la Mode, and Easy as Vegan Pie.

Buckle Up, Peanut Butter Cup

Homemade Halloween candy is fun and all, but let’s be honest: there’s not a single trick-or-treater on the streets getting that kind of plunder. This stuff, the good stuff, is reserved for more appreciative palates. Let’s cut to the chase and make a treat just for us older children here. No finicky caramelization, no individual wrappers, just a supersized version of a classic that doesn’t hold back.

Hauntingly Delicious

Year after year, polls show that peanut butter cups are the runaway favorite candy for little goblins and gremlins to nab on their sugar-crazed stroll. Taking the #1 spot for at least 40 states, that’s the most unanimous vote to come from the US since George Washington’s election. Riding the coattails of that cult classic, my jumbo Crunchy Peanut Butter Cup Torte is intentionally designed to hit all those same crowd-pleasing, nostalgic flavor notes in a more shareable format.

At least, I really hope you’ll share. If a sleeve of standard cups could send the average child into a sugar-induced frenzy for a solid hour, more than one slice could rocket them straight to the moon. Dark chocolate ganache helps temper the sweetness, capping off a center of buttery peanut mousse, creating a dangerously balanced duo that could lure unsuspecting eaters into overindulgence. Crunchy peanut butter effortlessly adds a contrasting textural element to make every bite seem novel and exciting, only adding to the risk. Maybe I should have called it “Peanut Butter Peril Pie” instead? Catchy, yes, but descriptive, not so much.

A Slice Of Life

Classic peanut butter cups deserve that hat tip in the title. Beyond the helpful reference point, it’s hard to imagine Halloween without them. That said, hand out whatever you want for those wretched door knockers (potatoes are surprisingly popular, too); save these slices for the real party.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)7 Comments

Catcher In The Rye

I’ve always envied those with a strong culinary heritage. My own origins are as murky as they are unexciting, with food appearing as a bit player, never the star. When asked, my general response is that I’m a European mutt, maybe Russian at most, or Ukranian, or German, or Austrian, or…

Clues are scant and hard to verify. There are stories, like family lore, that could be as close to fact as fairy tales. Anyone with the truth is long gone. The best evidence I have are photos, especially of my dad’s side, seen through a Kodaslide, illuminating the past in every sense of the word. Seen in 3D, there’s my teenaged grandparents at the pool, my dad and aunt as toddlers dressed in some unfortunate plaid jumpsuits, my other aunt as a child running away from what seems like a dead body lying in the grass; some of these moments in time raise more questions than answers.

My Great Grandmother May, Circa 1955

Naturally, I’m most drawn to images depicting holidays and dinner parties, the grand celebrations and feasts of yore. There, I can’t help but notice the towers of bread, stacked instead of splayed, like two pillars a the center of the table. Though it’s hard to identify much else, I know this for sure: it’s rye bread on display.

It turns out, I’m like rye bread. Any number of countries could claim it as their own, offering compelling facts to make the case. In Scandinavia, you’ll find sweet and crisp rye breads like the Finnish rye and the crispbreads of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Eastern Europe, particularly Russia and the Baltics, is known for its dark, dense, and intensely flavored rye breads. Germany has a wide range of rye breads, from the robust and complex to the rich and varied, with Vollkornbrot being especially popular. Other notable rye breads include the tender and piquant rye of Southern Poland, the aromatic and flavorful rye of Bavaria, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy, and the rustic French-style Tourte de Seigle. In essence, rye bread is also a European mutt.

Jewish rye bread, lightly sour, sweet, and flecked with caraway seeds, is the food of my people. Marbled loaves especially have held a certain undeniable allure, rippled with undulating waves of dark, cocoa-tinted dough. I’ve long promised myself I’d make a loaf of my own, and so, for this World Bread Day, I finally have.

Banner World Bread Day, October 16, 2025

Of course, as you probably already guessed, I couldn’t simply pander to tradition to recreate what’s already been done millions of times before. Mine is a triple take on the concept, weaving in an even darker braid dyed with edible charcoal for maximum impact. Looking like a streaky challah, the tender yet dense texture evokes the best parts of a brioche and a pullman loaf combined. There’s a uniquely savory edge thanks to the distinctive seasonings and earthy whole grain flours, making its thick slices the ideal end caps to any deli sandwich.

Happea Vegans Not Yo Mami Pastrami on Rye

Other recipes will advise that caraway seeds are polarizing and thus optional. This is true, and I’d never look down on someone who wasn’t a fan. That said, I will advise that this is my recipe, and for me, they are not. Want a simple rye bread without seasonings or inclusions? Want to skip the different colors, the braiding and waiting, the long prep time to make that distinctive final swirl? That’s perfectly fine. That’s not this recipe.

Like the story behind rye bread itself, layered, winding, and shaped by time, my journey has led to something uniquely mine. I can’t recreate the original exactly, but I can honor its spirit. This rye bread is my version, rooted in tradition, but entirely my own.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)14 Comments

Milling About

If milling whole grains at home to make your own flour is extra, then I never want to be just enough. For most of human history, exactly the opposite has been true. Grinding grains wasn’t a luxury or a hobby; it was a simply an act of survival. Convenience has made the essentials feel optional, often to the detriment of quality.

Convenience, however, can also mean increased access to better technology, bringing the whole concept full circle. Home grain mills are now within easy reach of anyone hungry for a change.

Grinding Towards Independence

Evidence of prehistoric peoples using flat stones to crush grains into a coarse meal stretches back tens of thousands of years. One could argue that the first miller was whoever was brave enough to put a kernel of wheat into their mouth and chew. For as long as there have been grains, humans have wanted to pulverize them. Much as I’d love to share a whole deep dive on the history of milling, that would turn into a novel. Let’s speed through a few millennia to the American Revolution, where our nascent country became defined by amber waves of grain and by extension, the need to grind them into flour.

Watermill Built in the Late 19th Century

Before the revolution, the colonies relied on British flour imports. George Washington himself was instrumental in planting the seeds of economic sovereignty. In 1771, he unveiled what could easily be called one of the most advanced gristmills of its time, providing the tools for local farmers to mill their own crops. Becoming self-sufficient and producing their own flour, which was the most important staple of their bread-heavy diet, allowed them to reject British trade policies and withstand shortages. One could argue that flour is what won the war, and I’d like to think that as because of this, there’s nothing more patriotic than grinding your own grains.

The Benefits of Milling Your Own Grains

Freshly milled flour has an unmistakable aroma that no store-bought bag can ever replicate. It’s earthy, nutty, and alive. That’s because once a grain is ground, the oils in the germ and the nutrients in the bran begin to degrade. Commercial flours are stripped of these parts to extend shelf life—but what’s lost in the process is the soul of the grain.

Milling at home means:

  • What you put in is what you get out: 100% of the grain—germ, bran, and endosperm. No fillers, no fortification, no bleaching, no nonsense.
  • By starting fresh, you preserve the flavor and nutrition, including natural B vitamins, iron, magnesium, fiber, and healthy fats.
  • Having full control over a range of different grinds means being able to create any texture you desire, from coarse semolina to the finest cake flour.
  • There are no limits to what you can bake with. Take advantage of seasonality and regional grain diversity with heirloom grains like einkorn, emmer, spelt, or rye. Don’t forget about the ability to make gluten-free flours, using dried beans like chickpeas and lentils, too.
  • Starting truly from scratch and milling your own whole grains does take more time, but I’d write that in as a benefit, too. Slowing down makes you appreciate the end results on a deeper level, reestablishing the frayed connection between where our food comes from and what we actually eat.

Modern Grain Mills for Home Use

Thankfully, today’s grain mills don’t require hauling water or harnessing livestock. The modern home baker has a range of user-friendly, attractively designed tools that fit neatly on a countertop but still echo the intention of those ancient stones.

My own obsession and the whole inspiration for this post began with the Mockmill 100. Roughly the size and shape of a juicer, it uses corundum ceramic grinding stones which stay cool during grinding, preserving the nutrients and oils in the grain. The adjustment dial is intuitive, giving you control over everything from coarse grits to ultra-fine flour. Cleanup is minimal, it’s compact enough to live on the countertop, and it feels solidly built, promising to keep cranking for years to come. Most importantly, it unlocked a new world of whole grain flours to bake with, which is especially exciting when you have a resource like Grand Teton Ancient Grains to supply all the software.

Numerous brands make grain mill attachments for the Kitchenaid stand mixer, with an equally wide range of success. Mockmill also has a model that’s at the top of the heap for me, producing the finest grind with the least amount of friction and strain on the machine. It’s a more affordable way to get started, using some of the equipment you already have in your kitchen.

Vitamix makes a Dry Grains Container which is a reasonable solution for small batches, and well suited for making coarse grits, but is difficult for maintaining a consistent fine grind. You’ll always need to sieve your flour before use and run the bigger pieces back through for a second and sometimes third time. Never use your regular wet canister to grind grains; they’ll quickly dull the blades and chip away at the plastic container, making it permanently cloudy.

For a low-cost, low-tech solution, you can get a hand-crank mill which has the added benefit of working on your upper body strength at the same time! I can’t overstate how much physical labor it takes to operate one effectively, which could be a pro or a con, depending on your constitution. These typically clamp onto a table and then you’re good to go. Some models struggle with more oily grains, so it’s important to carefully review what the manufacturers do and don’t recommend milling.

True Grit

Most people would reasonably want to use their grain mills to start cranking out ultra-fine flour to make cakes and breads so soft, they could be mistaken for edible pillows. What I find to be even more alluring, however, is the ability to dial in the consistency to make fresh grits out of any grain your heart desires. In this case, I’ve tapped my good friend, Khorasan, to make instant hot cereal that blows that dusty stuff from store shelves out of the pantry. If you’re looking for ways to eat well on a budget, this is the ultimate in nourishment, comfort, and easy.

Yes, Cream of Khorasan is unglamorous, and you would be within your rights to call it gruel, but I promise you, it’s so much more than meets the eye. Think oatmeal, but with a uniquely nutty depth, filling and hearty, waiting for you to dress up however you like. Endlessly versatile, it can be sweet or savory, equally satisfying when lavished with berries and maple syrup as it is with furikake and soy sauce. Don’t judge this book by its cover; give it a chance, and you’ll find its a real page-turner.

Full Circle

Milling your own grains isn’t just about baking better bread, it’s a step towards reclaiming autonomy. It’s a rebellion against the packaged, the processed, and the passive. One kernel at a time, we grind toward a richer life, inside the kitchen and out. It’s a daily ritual that reestablishes our frayed connection to the land that we love.

It’s just flour, but as the basic building block of bread, pasta, pastries, and more, that’s no small thing. Milling your own flour honors tradition, takes a huge step forward to self-sufficiency, and most importantly, instills the deep satisfaction of truly starting from scratch.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)12 Comments

Isaw It Coming

Clearly, nothing I make can really faze my mom anymore. Speaking over the phone, I explained I was in the middle of making intestine skewers using eggplant, and her response was so tepid, I might as well have said I was folding laundry. Just routine activities you’d expect from me at this point. After making vegan anchovies, Korean blood sausages, and brain pate, what could really be more shocking? Thankfully, isaw is hardly disconcerting to begin with, aside from the animal components.

What Is Isaw?

Isaw is celebrated as one of the most popular street foods in the Philippines. Made from chicken or pig intestines marinated in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and chilies, they’re coiled onto skewers like incongruously delicate ribbons, and grilled over open flames until lightly charred, smoky, and just a little crisp at the edges.

Each skewer is a textural wonderland; chewy, bouncy, and perfect for those who appreciate a more engaging eating experience. They’re often dunked into a sharp vinegar dip, spiked with more chilies, onions, and a touch of lime.

Plant-Based Intestines? Try Eggplant!

Inspired by the blank canvas that is eggplant, I wanted to do something really special with the scant harvest of Japanese eggplants that came from my own backyard garden. Their firmer texture with very few seeds makes them an ideal candidate for more aggressive cooking like this, whereas large Italian globe eggplants would become a watery mess. Sliced into long, thin planks, they get a dunk in that flavorful marinade until soft enough to bend without breaking, threading gracefully onto sticks at will.

Short Cuts Without Cutting Corners

I did cut corners a bit when it came to cooking. Employing my trusty air fryer instead of a proper grill, perhaps they don’t have that same inimitable char, but they do gain a compellingly crisp finish, in no time at all, with very little mess.

Likewise, for the dipping sauce, I could simply repurpose the leftover marinade, since cross-contamination is a nonissue when we’re talking about basic veggies instead of meat drippings. Waste not, want not! Spike it with a bit of heat and citrus, and we’re in business.

Isaw, You-Saw, We-All-Saw

Are the results exactly like intestines? Absolutely not, I promise you that. No one would be fooled for a second. It is, however, a delicious interpretation inspired by traditional flavors that makes for a satisfying quick snack, starter, or side dish for a larger meal. Everyone can appreciate that. Made with care, creativity, and respect for where the original idea came from. It doesn’t need to be an exact replica to earn its place at the table.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)3 Comments