I first learned of kefir about two years ago when I started reading Harold McGee's book On Food and Cooking. I searched for it high and low, but discovered the only way to really try it was to find someone with a parent culture who was willing to give you some of the grains and have you make your own. About a year later, I did see a kefir beverage in a health food store in Berkeley, CA, but after learning how this stuff was meant to be brewed, I figured any commercially available version of it would not be as gnarly as the 'real' stuff.
THEN I moved to Hungary. Kefir originated thousands of years ago in the Caucasus Mountains. Nomadic tribes would ferment cows' and goats' milk with the grains and basically survive on the effervescent, slightly alcoholic, creamy beverage that ensued. Kefir grains were considered so valuable that they were used as a measure of a family's wealth. There are lots of myths surrounding the tale of how humans first discovered kefir grains. My favorite involves God giving the chosen people kefir grains as a kind of manna. Anyway, in the early 1900's the grains and secret techniques were acquired by some Russian physicians who, in turn, made kefir an enormously popular drink throughout Russia and it's areas of influence. In Hungary, kefir is available in every single market you enter. I enjoyed it and it's health benefits while I was living there, but due to a useless, if beautiful, antique oven, I never really got my bake on in Budapest.
Enter New York and Trader Joe's. Upon returning to the states, it was brought to my attention that kefir is now available at Trader Joe's! w00t w00t! I've been drinking it daily and making smoothies, but I knew I needed to try it out in baking. This cake turned out pretty good, but I'm thinking next time I'll use kefir to make pancakes, or maybe muffins.
2/3 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup ripe bananas (mashed)
1/3 cup kefir
1 teaspoon vanilla
Confectioner's sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Beat the butter in an electric mixing bowl, gradually add the sugar, creaming together for a light and fluffy consistency. Add each egg separately, beating well after each addition.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over water that is just below boiling. Once the chocolate is well melted, add it to the creamed butter mixture.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In another separate bowl, combine the mashed bananas and the kefir. Add the banana mixture alternately with the dry mixture to the butter and egg, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla.
Pour this into a 11x9x2 inch pan, lined on the bottom with greased paper. Bake for about 35-40 minutes. Cool and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar. Cut into pieces.
A little more about kefir. The grains live forever and apparently they even multiply and grow quite rapidly. I'm thinking I'll find someone with grains so that I might start to make my own. I still imagine that the homemade variety has far more good bacteria and effervescent-fermented goodness than the supermarket breed.
Interestingly, I found a few sources claiming that the etymology of the word "kefir" is from the Turkish root "keif", meaning 'good feeling' (in reference to the incredible feeling of health and well being experienced after consuming it - a feeling I can attest to!). Ten points to anyone who can think of another word that has obviously evolved from this same root...
