Spice Dish

Tastes of Summer

It’s summer. Summer sun, summer fun, summer fruit. What’s a girl to do? Make ice cream of course. Well Strawberry Rhubarb Sorbet (pg 129) and Fresh Apricot Ice Cream (pg 76).

This was another one of those back-to-back batch days. The second the ice cream maker bowl was refrozen I plopped the second batch in. First batch? Fresh Apricot. I had a birthday dinner to go to that night and I was (of course) charged with bringing the dessert. I mean really…. who wouldn’t want fresh, homemade ice cream for their birthday?

David starts off his recipe by acknowledging that people who live where fresh apricots are available are ‘lucky.’ I am one of the lucky indeed. I actually grew up amidst apricot orchards. We had an apricot tree in our backyard. My dog used to jump up and eat the thick, juicy fruits off the tree while I sat on the back steps and split open heavy fruit after heavy fruit.

 

This recipe just called to me. It just screamed ‘childhood.’ The recipe does call for almond extract, but I substituted (a very non-childhood ingredient) brandy. Why brandy? Cuz hey… it was a birthday! The result was rich, creamy and gone in a flash. As soon as that bowl hit the table… drunken birthday goers had at it.

 

The next batch I made was an iffy one. It was Strawberry-Rhubarb Sorbet. For starters, I hadn’t had rhubarb since I was a kid (a friend’s mom made it into desserts… unsweetened) so I wasn’t super excited about it. Getting Designated Eater Mimi to eat it wasn’t going to be easy either. While I was up for giving rhubarb another go, I had to sneak the rhubarb into her. She’d never tasted it, and its strange red-celery looks gave her ‘the icks.’ I told her it was plain old strawberry and handed her a spoonful to which she proclaimed ‘mmm it’s good’ to which I did my ‘ha ha you like rhubarb’ dance.

 
Oh you rhub!

I followed David’s advice and chose the brightest, reddest stalks in the bunch. He advises this so that your sorbet will be ‘enticingly colored’ and oh my, was it ever. The resulting sorbet was delightfully tart and somehow very sweet at the same time. It's earmarked for a neighbor and a coworker but I really think  I may make  this again to keep some for myself. I'm sure the next batch won't require any trickery to get D.E.M. to eat it either! 

 

Enjoy!

Erin

As always, all recipes are available in David Lebovitz' The Perfect Scoop.

Simple Pleasures

Sarah, Sarah, Sarah. This girl… well her outlook on life is pretty infectious. For her July POP project she asked us to write up a happiness list. Why? Because, as she reminds us “it's so helpful to have at hand a reminder of what means the world to you.” Especially during a season that is “all about simple pleasures.” As you know, a picture is worth more than any essay I could write on the simple pleasures in my life. So… in pictures… I give you my Happiness List.

Watching my huge “manimals” curl up together like little mice.

 
Digging through dusty stacks of old cookbooks looking for a handwritten note left by a woman maybe a little bit like me.

Photo by Greg Westfall
Watching my students have ‘light bulb moments’ in class.

 
Tickling my nephew until he crumples into a pile of giggles.

Making ice cream!

So that's it. My summer '08 POP inspired Happiness List.

Enjoy!

Erin

 

Mission: Watermelon

Watermelon rocks my world. It’s one of those things I wait for with bated breath each summer. You add vodka to that watermelon and well… I’m putty in your hands. David’s Watermelon Sorbetto recipe had been calling me for weeks. It’s such a simple recipe. Watermelon, lime juice, vodka…. man… how did I not make cocktails while I was at it? Add a mint sprig? How fantastically ‘summer’ would that be?

 

I had initially intended to make popsicles (like the luscious ones shown on pg 112) but the one mold I own is being monopolized by some truly awesome pineapple popsicles that I am slowly savoring. I had snagged half a watermelon at the market for a few coins and realized that I had to make the watermelon sorbetto ASAP. The popsicles would have to come another time. I was so excited to make this that I didn't read  as carefully as I should have and I boiled a bit too much juice with the sugar... but it still came out cold, soft on the tongue and absolutely delicious. The 'adorable' touch here? There are little chocolate chips  that act as 'seeds'!!!

 
See the seeds?

I of course have overworked myself to the point of sickness again this week and let me tell you… vodka soused watermelon sorbetto with little bites of chocolate happiness? Best sore throat salve ever. I can honestly say that this is one of my favorite flavors so far. It's just so.... so.... damn good!

Enjoy!

Erin

I'm A Believer

Raining Rainiers

I don't like fruity/nutty ice cream. Don't know why… just don't. Chunky Monkey? Chubby Hubby? Nope. Not for me. That said. Do you want to know what my new favorite ice cream is? It's Toasted Almond and Candied Cherry Ice Cream. The recipe on page 60 of David's book sounds a little involved, and I guess it is… but I went zen on a bowl of cherries and came out with something that made me truly happy.

 

At the market I bought a bag of Rainier cherries that was the size of my head for 2$. TWO! They were super ripe and needed to be dealt with that very day. What's a girl to do? Candy the suckers. Oh yeah. I have no pitter so I had to pit each and every cherry with a small paring knife, but this was very much worth it. I boiled them in sugar until they were clear, crinkly and somehow still plump. Then I drained them until a pool of syrupy goodness formed a pool that I could dip my finger into.

What to do next? Roast a bunch of almonds then infuse some whole milk with their flavor. Oh yeah. With this almondy milk you make a simple custard base and then get the goodies in. The custard is rich, creamy and permeated with almond flavor. The roasted almonds are crunchy and savory. The cherries are pure candied bliss.  All of this adds up to an inexplicably wonderful marriage of flavors and textures that will convert any fruity/nutty non-believer. That is my promise to you.




Enjoy!

Erin

Blondes Have More Fun?

It’s like this… as you may recall there is no room left in my freezer for any more frozen treats. It’s a dire situation actually. I mean… I had to stop making ice creams! We just couldn’t eat them fast enough. This doesn’t mean however that I would put my project on hold while we dig through tub after tub of goodness. Oh no.

What I needed was a politician-like change of strategy. It’s not that I would ignore the ice cream recipes that were calling my name per se. I would just relegate them to the back burner while I switched gears. David was grand enough to include a ‘vessels’ section in his book. Things to make to put your ice creams in, on and around.

 

I, again, am not a baker. It requires skills I simply do not possess. Skills like patience, exactness, forethought, and attention to detail. Even so, I decided on making David’s Blondies (pg 222). I honestly didn’t expect the world, but I had the ingredients and several ice creams to put on top. What I didn’t have? The required pan size. I apparently also didn’t have the patience needed to read the recipe through before beginning (something I generally do, but for whatever reason, when it comes to baking… when that is most important… I tend to forgo it).

 

This meant that I combined the ingredients in the incorrect order and did not realize that I didn’t have an 8x8 pan until it was too late. There was nothing I could do about the ingredient order but I can improvise with the best of them when it comes to kitchen equipment. I personally like brownies when they are baked in muffin tins. Why not blondies?

 

They came out golden, moist and surprisingly good! Apparently, not even I could mess up what David calls "the perfect blondie" I highly suggest you do what I did… dollop a spoonful of peach ice cream on top of a warm one and savor an amazing little treat.

 

Enjoy!

Erin

Tutti-Fruitti

Pop Goes the Pineapple!

As I reached into the freezer this morning to grab some ice for my iced coffee I had the strange sensation that I had fallen asleep and awoken in a Rip Van Winkle-like future. A future where all fruit comes in frozen treat form.

Purple Blueberry Frozen Yogurt, Pastel Plum Ice Cream, Orangey Peach Frozen Yogurt, Yellow Pineapple Popsicles!

This wasn’t, however, a futuristic fruit paradise. It was, point in fact…the aftermath of the fact that it was too hot to make ice cream last week. When the heat wave finally broke I had made a mad dash to the market to snap up a rainbow of fruit.

 

For the Plum Ice Cream, I used plums that were small, plump and purple with orange flesh. Their flavor wasn’t top-notch though and the flavor they added to the ice cream was minimal. It tasted more of the brandy I splashed in than anything. And that wasn’t much. Designated Eater Mimi had a brilliant idea of mixing in some milk and chocolate and transformed a so-so ice cream into a rich, creamy and complex milkshake! The bitter chocolate with the background fruity sweetness of the plums made for an excellent, warm weather snack.

 
Plummy Yummy

The Blueberry Frozen Yogurt was dense, creamy and rich, with bits of berry interspersed. It’s tangy nature made it the perfect foil for the fresh peach slices I threw on top for one of the best breakfasts I’ve had in a while.

Blueberry Bounty

The Peach Frozen Yogurt came out perfectly sweet, creamy and tangy. It’s really, really fantastic. It was almost impossible to tell it apart from the peach ice cream! The pieces of fresh peach mixed in are cold, sugary and wonderful.

 
Peachy Keen!

I was excited to make popsicles simply so I could use the cute new mold I’d picked up at my favorite local hardware store, Cliff’s Variety in the Castro. I grabbed a few pineapples at the market (2 for a dollar for the ripe ones!) knowing that I’d a) gorge myself on the fresh fruit and that b) they would make excellent frozen treats. Did they ever. The Pineapple Popsicles came out a vibrant yellow, and tasting of nothing but fresh pineapple flavor.

 
Pina Sunshine

The next time you find yourself in a heatwave… I say make one of these and you’ll be right as rain.

In the book:

Plum Ice Cream pg 77
Blueberry Frozen Yogurt pg 88
Peach Frozen Yogurt pg 90
Pineapple Popsicles pg 137

Enjoy!

Erin

Hazardous!

What's so hazardous about ice cream making? You'd think it would be the pounds you gain or the fact that the guy at the corner market wonders what you're up to because you buy 'heavy whipping cream' every day or the messy state your kitchen counter is continuously in... but no. It's the freezer. It's the freezer and the frozen treat bombs it drops on your feet every time you open the door. It's not the freezer's fault really. It's mine. All mine. See... my freezer is packed to capacity. Not with wondrous-freezer-burn-covered mystery fillets but with ice cream. Tubs and tubs of the stuff. Peach ice cream, peach frozen yogurt, chocolate ice cream, blueberry frozen yogurt, sorbets galore. There's also frozen boxes of cream bought and not, yet used. Poor Designated Eater Mimi was beaned with one just last night.

 
My Freezer

David warns of this exact issue on pg 51, but unlike him, I can’t bear to part with my ice creams willy-nilly. I give them to friends who request certain flavors and of course share when guests come to the apartment. But just hand off a quart to the FedEx guy? Now don’t get me wrong… he’s great. But this is akin to me handing over, not a child exactly,… but maybe a cat. I just couldn’t bear it. Not to see the look on a person’s face when they take that first spoonful? Unthinkable.  

So does this packed to the gills, potentially toe crushing hazard deter me in my quest for The Perfect Scoop? Oh of course not. As I type this, the chunka-chunka-whir of the ice cream maker is chunka-chunka-whirring happily away in the kitchen. Plum Ice Cream with a dash of brandy anyone?

Enjoy!

Erin

Chocolate & Champagne

I think I had decadence on the mind because for this round of recipes, I busted out not only the chocolate but the champagne as well.

 

By special “request” (read: Designated Eater Mimi demanded) that I made another batch of chocolate. I willingly conceded and made a batch of the immaculately rich, super fluffy, decadently rich and creamy Milk Chocolate Ice Cream (pg 31). For a little extra decadence I chopped up an espresso bean studded piece of dark chocolate to mix in. Oh so good.

 

Do I like grapefruit? Not really. Do I like champagne? Hells yeah. Do I really love the Pink Grapefruit-Champagne Sorbet found on pg 118?? Oh yeah. This is actually a flavor I remember from my childhood. There was a very fancy French restaurant my dad would take me to for birthdays, graduations, anniversaries… all those life biggies.

One night the chef made a champagne-grapefruit sorbet as a palette cleanser and I fell in love with it. From then on, whenever we called to make a reservation the chef would take note that we were coming in and he made sure to make it for me… special. Lucky girl. While making this recipe I had one of those ‘I hope this holds up to my childhood memories’ moment. It did. Oh it did. It’s clean, crisp, fruity, refreshing and somehow oh so decadent all at the same time. 

So pink , so pretty.

Enjoy!

Erin

Just  a reminder... all recipes in this project can be found in David Lebovitz' Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments

Peachy Keen

Cookin' Peaches

Have I mentioned the farmers market lately? Have I?? Because it is a springtime wonderland these days. Last trip I snagged a bag full of plump, juicy peaches and big, fat blueberries. I knew that I absolutely had to put them in ice cream (but basically these days I think that everything belongs in ice cream) I was too impatient to wait 24 hours between bowl freezes to use both the peaches and the blueberries so I figured that Peach Ice Cream with Blueberry Sauce on top was the way to go.

 
Look at it! LOOK!

David claims that peach ice cream is the “first ice cream that springs to mind when people recall hand-cranked. Old-fashioned fruit ice creams from their past.” He’s 100% right. The very first ice cream I tried to make in my handy-dandy new maker… peach. But I was over-confident in my skills and went sans recipe. I ended up with an icy ‘cream’ full of fruit rocks. Ho hum.

David’s version of Peach Ice Cream (pg 89) is so very unlike my first attempt. It’s rich, creamy, tart and sweet with pieces of fruit that are just the right texture.

 
Boozy, gooey goodness

The Blueberry Sauce (pg 182) was the perfect use for the blueberries. The method allows for luscious, plump berries whose color becomes a rich, deep, very non-blue, ‘cabernet’ color. The added liqueur allows for a slightly boozy flavored sauce.

On top of the peach ice cream?? Oh man. Best breakfast ever.




Enjoy!

Erin

Fan Letter… to My Mom

Sarah from Pink of Perfection has done it again. Her monthly project, this month? To tell someone we care about “just how exquisite they are.” She asks that participants “scrawl it on a college-ruled page or make a pilgrimage to a stationery shop” in order to let that special person know just how they have affected your life. So here goes.

Fan Letter… to my mom

That's my mom

First off, this post is waaay overdue. I should have done it at Mother’s Day. Not because I don’t tell my mom how awesome she is regularly… but because I haven’t told you people how amazing she is. I know she’ll read this too because she’s supportive like that.

She has been teacher to me, beyond being a parent, a friend, a role model, and a mentor. She’s now, and always, an inspiration. She’s strong, supportive, independent, freakin’ adorable, supportive, understanding, supportive, loving… did I mention supportive?

I haven’t always made the most parent-approved decisions in my life, but she’s supported me no matter what I’ve decided to take on. Become a bartender after she spent thousands of dollars on a college education? Ok sure. Start a real career and then drop it all to move to New York… shortly after 9/11… go ahead! Move back a year later with no money? C’mon home! Accept whomever I was dating at whatever time? Why not? Like I said… my mom rocks.

 

One reason she rocks…. Take Mother’s Day for example. Some moms require jewelry, flowers, champagne and their kids doting on them with loving, perfect eyes. My mom? Fish n’ chips and a beer at a little pub she likes by the beach. Seriously.

 

Cameron’s in Half Moon Bay is a crazy English pub with a double decker bus parked outside. They’ve got a massive menu but mom always orders the fish n’ chips.  During a fun lunch where we played 20 questions (the little electronic kind) did she drill me with inquiries as to when I’m going to have a kid? Nope. “How about we toddle through town… “ was her only request. Half Moon Bay is a small town. Once you’ve popped in the shops the only left to do is stop for ice cream. “Okie”. See… she’s easy that way.

 

My mom has been through a lot in her life. Family stuff, career stuff, relationship stuff… all the ‘stuff’ women of her generation had to figure out how to do… in a new way. She’s always stood on her own two feet. She’s always cared for others before herself. She’s always been there when her family needed her. And she’s also promised never to make meatloaf or tuna casserole ever again.

Through everything, she's kept her sense of humor and her own sense of self. My mom.... well she's amazing and I love her.

Erin