It's been a couple of weeks (I've been otherwise disposed for a couple of Fridays), so indulge in the following with my apologies.
Mascarpone Banana Tartlets - Well, obviously, this could only be good. Note to self: have not been food shopping since returned from California; perhaps today would be a good day to remedy that...and buy some mascarpone.
Pumpkin Hazelnut Gelato - As the damn Italian merchants who were supposed to send me pistachio cream have gone radio silent, I guess I'll have to make ice cream with other nuts. This looks phenomenal.
5 Broccoli recipes for people who hate broccoli - Wait, that's me. I hate broccoli. Perhaps I shall give it another chance in the interest of being a grownup.
Spicy Sweet Potato Fried - Ok, perhaps I will go to the market tomorrow (see aforementioned lack of edibles in house). Can I serve these with roast chicken?
Pumpkin Bread Pudding - Someone strangely resembling me might have made a vow just the other week not to make bread puddings this year, citing the problem that occurs when a loaf pan of the stuff somehow convinces us to treat it as dinner. In its entirety. So damn you, Smitten Kitchen, for convincing me to welch on this vow so soon after it was made (and also thank you for the above).
Yumpkins - Now I'm starting to feel persecuted. Pumpkin cheesecake poundcake bars? Fine, I warn all the people in the Bahamas with me this winter that I will be very fat indeed and will possibly be the person eying your persons hungrily on the chance that I could make a Yumpkin out of you!
Showing posts with label Ice Cream. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ice Cream. Show all posts
Friday, October 26, 2007
Friday, September 7, 2007
Working From Home - Friday Tagging
Beset by a migraine, I am in a dark room in my house instead of the bright office. This has not prevented me from doing the minute tasks that fill the ends of weeks, nor will it prevent me from the Friday tag wrap-up.
Pistachio Gelato - There's nothing like reading a post that forces you to scour the internet to then buy a product from a website in a language you don't understand, prompting you to ask a co-worker who then reads every word aloud to you. Still, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't counting the moments until my Bronte pistachio cream arrived. Thank you, David.
Lavender Creme Brulee - I don't know why I bookmarked this since I own the Dorie Greenspan book. Perhaps it was to remind myself to investigate it more.
Apricot Jam - The season is over here, but I stored some already halved apricots in the freezer for jam. I thought the photos were beautiful, though, and have to seriously reevaluate the light in my kitchen if I want to continue posting my own.
Honey Ricotta Napoleons - One of the reasons for wedging a chest freezer into a New York City apartment was so that things like veal stock and puff pastry could be made and kept. Sadly, I bought the freezer during summer when I had little desire to make either. With autumn approaching (drat), perhaps its time to utilize said freezer.
Tomato Paella - Ok, so it has no meat, which will require a little convincing for the man of the house (who, yes, I know, should shut up and be thankful someone cooks for him), but this does look tasty, and I do buy too many tomatoes every week.
Tiramisu Ice Cream - There has been mascarpone in my fridge for several weeks, as I was planning on making cheesecake. Perhaps I should give up the fight and turn it into yet more ice cream.
I am gong to try and jam my plums this weekend, so stay tuned!
Pistachio Gelato - There's nothing like reading a post that forces you to scour the internet to then buy a product from a website in a language you don't understand, prompting you to ask a co-worker who then reads every word aloud to you. Still, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't counting the moments until my Bronte pistachio cream arrived. Thank you, David.
Lavender Creme Brulee - I don't know why I bookmarked this since I own the Dorie Greenspan book. Perhaps it was to remind myself to investigate it more.
Apricot Jam - The season is over here, but I stored some already halved apricots in the freezer for jam. I thought the photos were beautiful, though, and have to seriously reevaluate the light in my kitchen if I want to continue posting my own.
Honey Ricotta Napoleons - One of the reasons for wedging a chest freezer into a New York City apartment was so that things like veal stock and puff pastry could be made and kept. Sadly, I bought the freezer during summer when I had little desire to make either. With autumn approaching (drat), perhaps its time to utilize said freezer.
Tomato Paella - Ok, so it has no meat, which will require a little convincing for the man of the house (who, yes, I know, should shut up and be thankful someone cooks for him), but this does look tasty, and I do buy too many tomatoes every week.
Tiramisu Ice Cream - There has been mascarpone in my fridge for several weeks, as I was planning on making cheesecake. Perhaps I should give up the fight and turn it into yet more ice cream.
I am gong to try and jam my plums this weekend, so stay tuned!
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Sweet Sweet Corn
It took me until the last possible day, and now I'm hoping they continue it into September, but the sweet corn custard from the Shake Shack was everything I wanted it to be.
When I ordered for two, one for me and one for a friend, the Shake Shacker asked if we'd ever had it before and then suggested we try before we buy. In my estimation this did not bode well. However, when offered the two test spoons, we bravely ate, and were astounded that there might be people out there who didn't really adore it.
It was, for lack of a better word, corny. It tasted like corn but without an aftertaste (unless you burped a half hour later in which case, well, it was a burp that tasted of corn). The consistency was great, much better than any I have achieved at home where, even after pushing the corn liquid through the chinois 3-4 times, there's still, well, that vague corn consistency. I detected none of that in this ice cream.
It tasted of late summer, and yesterday was, admittedly a great late summer day. I never managed to get down to the Shack on a Sunday to try apricot, but I was pretty pleased with my homemade apricot ice cream. We'll have to see what September brings!
When I ordered for two, one for me and one for a friend, the Shake Shacker asked if we'd ever had it before and then suggested we try before we buy. In my estimation this did not bode well. However, when offered the two test spoons, we bravely ate, and were astounded that there might be people out there who didn't really adore it.
It was, for lack of a better word, corny. It tasted like corn but without an aftertaste (unless you burped a half hour later in which case, well, it was a burp that tasted of corn). The consistency was great, much better than any I have achieved at home where, even after pushing the corn liquid through the chinois 3-4 times, there's still, well, that vague corn consistency. I detected none of that in this ice cream.
It tasted of late summer, and yesterday was, admittedly a great late summer day. I never managed to get down to the Shack on a Sunday to try apricot, but I was pretty pleased with my homemade apricot ice cream. We'll have to see what September brings!
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
The Drowned and the Saved
I may have made the best chocolate ice cream ever.
When it came out of the ice cream maker and I took a bite, I was sort of astounded. When the man of the house ate it he said he thought it was the best chocolate ice cream he had ever eaten. And we eat far too much ice cream for our own good around these parts.
It's mostly David Lebovitz with some adjustments which I include below:
Chocolate Ice Cream
adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz
500ml heavy cream
21 g unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Valrhona)
90 g semi-sweet chocolate (I used Callebaut)
50 g very bittersweet chocolate (I used Callebaut 70%)
250 ml whole milk
150 g vanilla sugar
5 large egg yolks
dash of vanilla extract
I had attempted chocolate ice cream recipes before with all bittersweet chocolate but had found that it became too rich and, for some of its tasters (though not for me), not sweet enough. The above combination was perfect.
After gobbling a fair bit of it down au naturel, I thought I might make one of my favorite beverages. Since I must, at every opportunity, justify the cost of the prettiest toy in my arsenal,
I decided to make an affogato with my ice cream. Simply put, pour espresso over ice cream, stir, drink. I used Illy espresso pods, though if anyone knows where I can get a hold of the Lavazza ones, I would be appreciative as I like them as well. Here is how a bill becomes a law:
P.S. Please notice how perfectly the glass matches the espresso maker. I found a set in a shop in Dijon and knew it was destined to be mine.
When it came out of the ice cream maker and I took a bite, I was sort of astounded. When the man of the house ate it he said he thought it was the best chocolate ice cream he had ever eaten. And we eat far too much ice cream for our own good around these parts.
It's mostly David Lebovitz with some adjustments which I include below:
Chocolate Ice Cream
adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz
500ml heavy cream
21 g unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Valrhona)
90 g semi-sweet chocolate (I used Callebaut)
50 g very bittersweet chocolate (I used Callebaut 70%)
250 ml whole milk
150 g vanilla sugar
5 large egg yolks
dash of vanilla extract
I had attempted chocolate ice cream recipes before with all bittersweet chocolate but had found that it became too rich and, for some of its tasters (though not for me), not sweet enough. The above combination was perfect.
After gobbling a fair bit of it down au naturel, I thought I might make one of my favorite beverages. Since I must, at every opportunity, justify the cost of the prettiest toy in my arsenal,
I decided to make an affogato with my ice cream. Simply put, pour espresso over ice cream, stir, drink. I used Illy espresso pods, though if anyone knows where I can get a hold of the Lavazza ones, I would be appreciative as I like them as well. Here is how a bill becomes a law:
P.S. Please notice how perfectly the glass matches the espresso maker. I found a set in a shop in Dijon and knew it was destined to be mine.
Monday, August 6, 2007
The Death of 18 Apricots
I could not keep you all. As plump and juicy and ambrosial as you were, I bought far too many of you. And my weekly Wednesday foray to 14th street fast approaches. I hope you know that I do you great honor, though as you were mashed and cooked and churned you may not have felt it.
Your freshness carried over and your final resting place (or penultimate resting place as soon you will descend into my stomach) is nothing short of evocative. My only regret is that I couldn't scoop you as beautifully as you deserved, even though I ran the scoop under hot water.
Thank you as well to David Lebovitz and the Perfect Scoop
for reminding me of the importance of that soupcon of almond extract.
Your freshness carried over and your final resting place (or penultimate resting place as soon you will descend into my stomach) is nothing short of evocative. My only regret is that I couldn't scoop you as beautifully as you deserved, even though I ran the scoop under hot water.
Thank you as well to David Lebovitz and the Perfect Scoop
for reminding me of the importance of that soupcon of almond extract.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Weekly Wrap-up: What I Tagged This Week
I haven't been sold on the idea of tagging yet. I know people swear by it, but after being an early adopter in my teens and twenties, I'm starting to find myself tired by all the next big things. But, several months ago, at the tail end of the tagging revolution (does anyone know if it has jumped the shark yet?), I dutifully signed up for del.icio.us and started tagging.
Here's the thing, I don't like that my Ice Cream tag is Icecream and that there is no real taxonomy built in (though those in the know have explained that taxonomy and tagging are enemies in a steel cage matchup reminiscent of Spartacus vs. Mothra), but it lets me look back on the things I want to make and the wines I want to try, and for that I'm grateful (though I will be more grateful when next generation tagging emerges with greater functionality).
So here is the week that was:
Guacamole Deviled Eggs: My mouth is having a little difficulty imagining this, but it does like eggs and it does like guacamole. Now I just need an excuse to feed these to others as I'm not quite sure I'd like them halfway through my day on the beach.
Walnut Cakes: I find that my food processor, wonderful though it is, is not quite up to the task of thoroughly pulverizing nuts. This gives my macarons a bit of a speckly look and mouthfeel and I'm going to have to throw in the towel and buy things like pistachio flour and simply look away as the bill is calculated. This recipe seems not to mind the coarse nature of my chopping abilities. I'm thinking it would be lovely to serve it with the Walnut Ice Cream and perhaps a sour cherry compote.
Pear and Hazelnut Bread Pudding: I like pears as much as the next person, perhaps even more, but I am saddened by their recent appearance in recipes. My cup runneth over with every kind of fleeting summer fruit imaginable, and I just can't bring myself to think about apples and pears and the autumn they bring - an autumn bereft of peaches and plums and berries. Still, this looked really good so I'll spirit it away until October beckons.
Homemade Vanilla Extract: Since Clothilde mentioned the vanilla beans available directly from Mayotte, I must confess I've been using very little vanilla extract and instead heaping vanilla beans into my confections - they're too cheap not to use. Still, I have tons of empty pods in ziploc bags. Yes, I've already chopped many up and infused granulated, superfine, and confectioner's sugar with them, as well as some sea salt, but there are so many more pods to dispose of. I'm thinking that if I use a ton of pods in this preparation, it won't matter if the beans themselves have already found their way, by myriad paths, to my belly.
Homemade Flavored Salts: Did I just mention the vanilla sea salt? It must have been on my mind when I perused this. I'm trying to decide what flavor I'd like to make first. I'm thinking cardamom or star anise.
Duck Egg al Tegamino: I almost never go to the Union Square market on Saturdays. It is a madhouse. It is also a time when tons more meat purveyors set up shop and when one can get fun eggs (which someone left out at room temperature a little too long and found herself with something very nearing a true abomination). So another Saturday trip is in order.
Chocolate and Cinnamon Ice Cream: I have made chocolate ice cream a hundred different ways, and am sure I could merely add cinnamon to one of my favorites, but I think ice cream benefits from as many different preparations as possible - this one uses many fewer eggs than I would ordinarily - so I'll give it a whirl this weekend (oh crap, and the apricot ice cream, and the blueberry, and the nectarine sorbet - crap crap crap).
Truffle Sandwich Cookies: I won't be using white chocolate ganache because, well, there are things I love more. I'm thinking a dark chocolate and fig ganache, mostly because when I just went outside I saw the street fruit hawkers had figs, and now I'm looking for places to get good ones.
Tomato Confiture: This site is in French, but considering I am 230 pages through Les Bienveillantes
and have been working my way through ph10, I'm less intimidated by it than I might have been a year ago. I know tomato season, though just truly getting underway, will end, but before it does, I will swipe bags of the juicy things and preserve them as many ways as I can imagine.
Apricot Granita: Someone else has my problem: "Food waste is inevitable in my fridge. My seasonal affairs with cherries, peaches, tomatoes, anything juicy and ripe, begins with lustful savoring. Best when they're naked and ungussied. Then, it ends with forgetfulness and the shame of neglect until they rot and get chucked into the garbage can when the next weekly, more appealing batch arrives." Ugh - I know exactly what you mean. I have Nicole's strawberries from this week and last week and Red Jacket apricots from this week and last week - I smell clafoutis, ice cream, and free form tart (or juice - sweet, freezable juice).
Here's the thing, I don't like that my Ice Cream tag is Icecream and that there is no real taxonomy built in (though those in the know have explained that taxonomy and tagging are enemies in a steel cage matchup reminiscent of Spartacus vs. Mothra), but it lets me look back on the things I want to make and the wines I want to try, and for that I'm grateful (though I will be more grateful when next generation tagging emerges with greater functionality).
So here is the week that was:
Guacamole Deviled Eggs: My mouth is having a little difficulty imagining this, but it does like eggs and it does like guacamole. Now I just need an excuse to feed these to others as I'm not quite sure I'd like them halfway through my day on the beach.
Walnut Cakes: I find that my food processor, wonderful though it is, is not quite up to the task of thoroughly pulverizing nuts. This gives my macarons a bit of a speckly look and mouthfeel and I'm going to have to throw in the towel and buy things like pistachio flour and simply look away as the bill is calculated. This recipe seems not to mind the coarse nature of my chopping abilities. I'm thinking it would be lovely to serve it with the Walnut Ice Cream and perhaps a sour cherry compote.
Pear and Hazelnut Bread Pudding: I like pears as much as the next person, perhaps even more, but I am saddened by their recent appearance in recipes. My cup runneth over with every kind of fleeting summer fruit imaginable, and I just can't bring myself to think about apples and pears and the autumn they bring - an autumn bereft of peaches and plums and berries. Still, this looked really good so I'll spirit it away until October beckons.
Homemade Vanilla Extract: Since Clothilde mentioned the vanilla beans available directly from Mayotte, I must confess I've been using very little vanilla extract and instead heaping vanilla beans into my confections - they're too cheap not to use. Still, I have tons of empty pods in ziploc bags. Yes, I've already chopped many up and infused granulated, superfine, and confectioner's sugar with them, as well as some sea salt, but there are so many more pods to dispose of. I'm thinking that if I use a ton of pods in this preparation, it won't matter if the beans themselves have already found their way, by myriad paths, to my belly.
Homemade Flavored Salts: Did I just mention the vanilla sea salt? It must have been on my mind when I perused this. I'm trying to decide what flavor I'd like to make first. I'm thinking cardamom or star anise.
Duck Egg al Tegamino: I almost never go to the Union Square market on Saturdays. It is a madhouse. It is also a time when tons more meat purveyors set up shop and when one can get fun eggs (which someone left out at room temperature a little too long and found herself with something very nearing a true abomination). So another Saturday trip is in order.
Chocolate and Cinnamon Ice Cream: I have made chocolate ice cream a hundred different ways, and am sure I could merely add cinnamon to one of my favorites, but I think ice cream benefits from as many different preparations as possible - this one uses many fewer eggs than I would ordinarily - so I'll give it a whirl this weekend (oh crap, and the apricot ice cream, and the blueberry, and the nectarine sorbet - crap crap crap).
Truffle Sandwich Cookies: I won't be using white chocolate ganache because, well, there are things I love more. I'm thinking a dark chocolate and fig ganache, mostly because when I just went outside I saw the street fruit hawkers had figs, and now I'm looking for places to get good ones.
Tomato Confiture: This site is in French, but considering I am 230 pages through Les Bienveillantes
and have been working my way through ph10, I'm less intimidated by it than I might have been a year ago. I know tomato season, though just truly getting underway, will end, but before it does, I will swipe bags of the juicy things and preserve them as many ways as I can imagine.Apricot Granita: Someone else has my problem: "Food waste is inevitable in my fridge. My seasonal affairs with cherries, peaches, tomatoes, anything juicy and ripe, begins with lustful savoring. Best when they're naked and ungussied. Then, it ends with forgetfulness and the shame of neglect until they rot and get chucked into the garbage can when the next weekly, more appealing batch arrives." Ugh - I know exactly what you mean. I have Nicole's strawberries from this week and last week and Red Jacket apricots from this week and last week - I smell clafoutis, ice cream, and free form tart (or juice - sweet, freezable juice).
Thursday, August 2, 2007
SS Thursdays in August
Say what you will about the quality of the burgers and the length of the line, the Shake Shack does do good custard. If you approach the Shack after the lunch rush, say between 3:30 and 4:45 (before people leave work and try to get dinner), you will rarely be waiting more than 5 minutes.
When I checked out the Custard Calendar for August, I was delighted by the choices: Sweet Corn, Summer Peach, Blackberry, Apricot... I commenced my August tasting today and stopped off for a very late lunch: burger - adequate; fries: didn't finish; blackberry custard...
eh
Just not enough blackberry-ness. It was cold and not too sweet, which is good, but it was only vaguely berry flavored. In previous months, I have been very pleased by the Salted Caramel, Pistachio, and Chocolate Peanut Butter, and it occurred to me this might be my first fruit flavor of the year and I had therefore been evaluating the custardliciousness based on the non-fruit offerings.
I, myself, will be crafting some apricot ice cream over the next few days (the Red Jacket apricots are starting to get a little soft at the market), and I'll post my results, but I'm now concerned about the remainder of the August Shake Shack lineup. Did anyone get to try the Sweet Corn yesterday?
When I checked out the Custard Calendar for August, I was delighted by the choices: Sweet Corn, Summer Peach, Blackberry, Apricot... I commenced my August tasting today and stopped off for a very late lunch: burger - adequate; fries: didn't finish; blackberry custard...
eh
Just not enough blackberry-ness. It was cold and not too sweet, which is good, but it was only vaguely berry flavored. In previous months, I have been very pleased by the Salted Caramel, Pistachio, and Chocolate Peanut Butter, and it occurred to me this might be my first fruit flavor of the year and I had therefore been evaluating the custardliciousness based on the non-fruit offerings.
I, myself, will be crafting some apricot ice cream over the next few days (the Red Jacket apricots are starting to get a little soft at the market), and I'll post my results, but I'm now concerned about the remainder of the August Shake Shack lineup. Did anyone get to try the Sweet Corn yesterday?
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