Spending time at home

To fight against coronavirus pandemic, here in California Bay Area we are ordered to stay at home.
It is a drastic measure to close many businesses and hugely affected our life too, but if this works and we can contain this pandemic, it's worth it.

In a meanwhile, we decided to utilize this time at home and make preserved food.

First thing we made was Miso.
The timing worked for me because it is around this time I make Miso every year.

To crush soy beans, we used a food mill. It was fast and texture seemed smoother than soy beans crushed by hand or even by a food processor.
I'd like to find if it will taste different, but have to wait until autumn.

We also made jam with blackberries which I harvested (they were more like weed in the garden) and froze last year, and preserved lemon.

When the weather becomes better, we will do deep house cleaning.

It is fun to get creative and find something to do while we all have to stay home, but I really hope things will go back to normal soon.

L'Arack de Musar

Chateau Musar in Lebanon is known for producing great wines, but they also make Arak.
Arak is a grape-base distilled spirit with anise flavor from Eastern Mediterranean.

L'Arack de Musar

... Please excuse my cat.
Chateau Musar's L'Arack de Musar is distilled four times and it is distilled with anise seeds at the 4th time.

Distinct but not overwhelming aromas and flavor of anise seeds and underlaid dark chocolate.

Very smooth and clean mouthfeel.
It is not necessarily sweet, but its creamy texture gives the perception of subtle sweetness. 

It is a strong spirit and traditionally mixed with water to drink.
When water is added it becomes hazy with white color. 
This means that the Arak is made by distilling with real anise seeds, not by simply adding extracts to alcohol. 

We tried several ratio, and liked 1 : 3 ratio (Arac : water) with ice the best.