Continue reading »]]> Chocolate, strawberry, vanilla – these are flavors of ice cream that you find pretty much everywhere you find ice cream. One flavor you might have trouble finding is sweet corn. Unless you were looking in my freezer right now. Yes I made sweet corn ice cream. Seems strange doesn’t it. I was motivated to make this after watching an episode of the Cooking Channel show “Cook Like an Iron Chef”. The show is hosted by Iron Chef Michael Symon. He picks one ingredient each show and makes it the star of several dishes. Now in the episode Michael also adds popcorn and caramel-candied bacon to the ice cream, but I just decided to try the ice cream all by itself. Here are my notes from preparing this ice cream. For the full recipe visit Cooking Channel’s website.

1. The corn including the cobs are placed with the dairy. This is where the flavor will be imparted to the ice cream. So don’t rush through this step. I took a little taste as I went along and it seemed like the flavor wasn’t all that strong, but don’t worry it will be before the mixture hits the fridge.

2. I decided to skip adding the vanilla beans or any vanilla whatsoever. I wanted to make sure the vanilla didn’t overpower the flavor of the corn. Since I hadn’t made this ice cream before, I didn’t want to end up with a more vanilla tasting ice cream than a corn one. In the end I was happy with it, without the vanilla.

3. In the show, Michael puts the mixture over an ice bath to cool. Since I wasn’t working with the time line he was, I just placed it in the fridge until the mixture was thoroughly chilled. I actually left it in overnight and churned it in the morning in a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker.

This turned out to be an uniquely delicious ice cream. Imagine frozen creamed corn. It had a real nice corn flavor without being too weird. It would be fun to serve this up to some unexpected guests who thought they were having vanilla ice cream.

Recipe Grade: A-

Continue reading »]]> This is part five of a five part series on different ways I use my food processor. This series is a part of my month long “5 Days With My Appliances” series..

In the summer months I love to pick my own fruit. This leads me to coming up with creative ways to use that fruit. Ice cream, sorbet, granita, and homemade lemonade are a few options I turn to. All of those recipes, call for fruit to be pureed before adding. A food processor is very useful for this task. It does a good job of taking fruit and making it into a uniform puree. I think the job is faster in the food processor than in a blender.

Here are some recipes that call for pureed fruit.
1. Homemade Peach Lemonade
2. Homemade Blueberry Lemonade
3. Lemon & Strawberry Swirl Ice Cream
4. Alton Brown’s Melon Sorbet

Another idea is to just puree your favorite fruit along with enough sugar for your taste. Use that as a topping for ice cream, cheescake, or whatever your heart desires. Or you can make a granita by adding a bit of water to your puree, mixing it together, and chilling in the freezer in a pan. Every 30 minutes you scrape the mixture with a fork, until you have a pan full of flaky ice crystals. Any of my lemonade recipes can be turned into granitas.

Continue reading »]]> Baked Alaska, Oeufs a la Neige, and Pavlova – do any of these ring a bell? Well Alton Brown is on a mission for these names to be brought back from the dead, at least in this country. These are all meringue based desserts that have been long forgotten. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth our time.

Alton begins the show with another explanation of egg whites. He has done this in countless episodes but still felt he had not covered it enough. It’s basically about proteins coagulating creating a structure for bubbles. These bubbles are easily broken unless something helps to reinforce their structure. That is where sugar comes in.

Alton categories meringues into three different categories:
1. French = Uncooked
2. Swiss = Cooked
3. Italian = Syrup

French Meringue – Pavlova
This dessert is the national dessert of Australia. I know the name doesn’t sound very Australian. That is because it named after a Russian dancer, who danced in New Zealand. So Australia’s national dessert is named after a Russian and originated in New Zealand! This dessert is a meringue that has a grove in it to add fruit. Traditionally that fruit is passion fruit and that is what Alton uses in this show. It is placed in the oven but not really to cook it but to dry it out. The temperature is only set to 250 degrees. Since it won’t be fully cooked Alton recommends using pasteurized eggs or eggs from a farm you trust. Pasteurized eggs may not be easy for you to find. I have looked for them before without success.

Swiss Meringue – Oeufs a la Neige
This dish is balls of meringue that sit inside a custard. If you have ever made custard based ice cream before you should have no trouble with this dish. Part of the process calls for heating the meringue up to 140 degrees. You can do using a double boiler and whisk until your arm falls off or you could attach a hair dryer to a banana hanger, then attach a hose to that, where the ends fits over the bowl of your stand mixer. Only on Good Eats would you see such a technique. Alton was happy to show that a banana hanger is not a uni-tasker. To check the temperature of the meringue, Alton uses an infrared thermometer, which can get the results lickety-split.

Italian Meringue – Baked Alaska
This is a layered dessert. It starts with a layer of ice cream, with cake (Alton used a chiffon cake) on top of that, and then meringue on top of that. This meringue differs from the others ones in that it contains a syrup that has been cooked to 240 degrees. When the meringue is finished, Alton uses a torch to brown it. Others have suggested using the broiler but that could be too harsh.

This show was full of interesting dessert ideas if you are looking to change things up in your household. I think the Baked Alaska was the only one I thought sounded that appealing. For the full recipes, click here to be transported to Food Network’s website.

Continue reading »]]> The most classic drink of the Christmas season is egg nog. The majority of the people who will be downing some this year will be doing so with some store purchased variety. But this is something you should make in the home. Why not? You are only going to do it once a year. You never hear of anyone sipping some egg nog on the porch on a warm July afternoon. So why not make the only nog of your year be a good one. Alton Brown in the episode “School of Hard Nogs” shows the viewer how to make some serious egg nog.

One of the most important lessons to making great egg nog is learning how to separate eggs. Any bit of yoke in your whites will ruin them. Alton practices the method of separating the eggs into a separate bowl and only combining all the whites once he is sure no yoke has got in.

Next, he talks about nutmeg. Grating your own nutmeg is key to getting the best flavor. I use a Microplane Grater/Zester whenever I need to grate some nutmeg. Another flavor that is often added to egg nog is bourbon. If you don’t want the alcohol you can just leave it out.

Alton points out to not forget to wash the beaters on your mixer before you beat your whites as they have come into contact with egg yolks. Another concern one might have with this recipe is consuming undercooked eggs. They do make pasteurized eggs, but if you can’t find them you can also use the cooked custard method. If you have ever made ice cream using eggs then this will be pretty easy for you. Speaking of ice cream, you could throw the whole mixture minus the beaten egg whites into your favorite ice cream maker and churn out some good eats.

So this Christmas, if you want some egg nog, forget the store, make it yourself. Check out the Good Eats page on Food Network’s website for the full instructions.

Continue reading »]]> Fresh fruit and vanilla ice cream were made for each other. As the peach season comes to an end, I wanted to make sure I got a chance to combine peaches with ice cream. And to add a little contrast in texture, the additional of some pie crust pieces. It’s another way to eat peach pie a la mode.

Ingredients
For the ice cream
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste (or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract)

For the pie crust topping
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour

To make the ice cream
Check out my instructions on how to make custard based ice cream. Follow those instructions and use your vanilla bean paste or extract as your flavoring.

To make the pie crust topping
Combine the melted butter and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Then add the flour and mix until it forms a dough. Set your oven to 350 degrees. Take pieces of the dough and roll them into small balls. Place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment or a Slipat. Slightly flatten each ball. Place into the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes. Once they are golden brown, take them out of the oven. Once cool break into bite size chunks and store in an airtight container

To make the final dessert
Slice some peaches into bite size peaches. Scoop your vanilla ice cream into a bowl. Add your sliced peaches, and then your pie crust pieces on top of that. Eat and enjoy!

Continue reading »]]> Do you own an Amazon Kindle Are you looking for some good cookbooks or food related books to purchase for your Amazon Kindle? If you have one it is a great way to rid your kitchen of the clutter of piles and piles of cookbooks. Some people think it can become a must have “kitchen appliance” like a toaster or a food processor. Below is list of some of the best books that I recommend that you can currently buy the Kindle version. Clicking on the title of book will bring you to it’s Amazon Kindle page.

1. How to Pick a Peach: The Search for Flavor from Farm to Table

This is a wonderful guide on how to choose fruits and vegetables to get the best quality. Find the history of each item, from apples to peaches to green beans. Also find out where these things are grown. The best part of the book is that you learn why certain types of produce are found in today’s supermarket.

2. I’m Just Here for the Food: Version 2.0

This is THE book for learning how to cook written by Alton Brown of Good Eats fame. It goes through every type of cooking from grilling to roasting. It also include many great recipes and tips.

3. BakeWise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Baking with Over 200 Magnificent Recipes

This is THE book for learning how to bake. It containing many fabulous recipes, and each one the author explains why she is using certain ingredients. The science behind each recipe is explained, so that you know what is really happening in your oven.

4. Home Cheese Making

Want to learn to make your own cheese? This is the source for all things cheese making related. Tons of recipes are included from easy ricotta to more difficult cheddar.

5. The Ultimate Brownie Book: Thousands of Ways to Make America’s Favorite Treat, including Blondies, Frostings, and Doctored Brownie Mixes

Are you a brownie lover? Then this is the book for you. This book will keep you busy turning our different variations on this chocolate treat. It’s good for both those who love cakey brownies and those who love fudgy brownies.

6. The Ultimate Ice Cream Book: Over 500 Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas,

This book contains a ton of ice cream, sorbet, and granita recipes. It’s not my favorite for explanation, but it’s great just for the wide range of recipes.

7. Making Artisan Gelato: 45 Recipes and Techniques for Crafting Flavor-Infused Gelato and Sorbet at Home

Want to make your own gelato? Then this is the book you need. The author provides tips and tricks to help turn whatever fruit, nut, or other flavoring into a sweet, cold delight.

8. Bob’s Red Mill Baking Book

Bob’s Red Mill is known for making some of the highest quality whole grain products on the market. I regularly use their corn meal. This book contains recipes to make some of the best and healthy baked goods and breads you have ever turned out.

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This afternoon, I got a chance to attend Zingerman’s Creamery Gelato Kickoff. It was their way of welcoming the summer season with their new summer flavors. They were offering free scoops of gelato to anyone in the shop. My wife tried the dark chocolate, my daughter had the blueberry sorbet, and I had the Luciano’s Lemon, which had a nice lemon flavor without being too tart, very good. They were also sampling their brand new Maple Bacon gelato, which I have to say is the strangest flavor I have ever seen. Never did I think, hey you know what this gelato needs, some pieces of bacon, but it turned out much better than I thought it would. The maple flavor of the gelato itself was excellent. As for the bacon it was different because it was candy-coated and didn’t have the crispiness you expect in bacon. My wife thought it was too chewy for her liking. Zingerman’s is having an event called Camp Bacon, which is what inspired this gelato flavor.

After the free samples, I got to watch a demonstration on how their gelato maker Josh, churns out tasty treats. He made vanilla gelato, and everyone got to sample it fresh out of the machine. He uses vanilla bean paste from Madagascar, which is the same location I get my vanilla bean paste from.

Overall it was a nice way to break up the day and cool off on a muggy June day. Thanks Zingerman’s for putting on this free event and keep churning out quality products.

Continue reading »]]> Lemon and strawberry make a great combination. Strawberry lemonade is a great treat to have on a warm summer day. I wanted to capture that same flavor in the form of ice cream, so I came up with this recipe for a lemon ice cream featuring a strawberry swirl. Try to buy the most fresh strawberries that you can get. This is a custard based ice cream, so if you don’t know how to make a custard based ice cream, read my instructions on how to do so.

Ingredients for Lemon Ice Cream
4 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup half & half
pint of fine salt

Ingredients for Strawberry Swirl
1/4 cup + 1 pint of strawberries

Prepare the eggs, sugar, and dairy as according to my instructions on how to make custard based ice creams. Add the lemon juice once the mixture has had about a half hour to cool. Then place into the fridge for at least 2 hours to fully chill.

For the strawberry swirl: cut up your strawberries and pour 1/4 cup of sugar over them. Let it sit for a half hour. Then using a food processor, puree the strawberries. Place your pureed strawberries into the fridge to thoroughly chill.

When your ice cream mixture is fully chilled, pour the mixture into your ice cream maker according to the instructions of your model. About 2-3 minutes, before your ice cream is done, slowly introduction your pureed strawberries. Turn off the ice cream maker, and pour your ice cream into your favorite container and place in the freezer to fully harden before enjoying.

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This is a recipe review, which means this is a recipe that I did not personally come up with, but that I tried out and am giving my opinion on how the recipe turned out. For legal reasons I cannot post these recipes, but I can tell you where you can get them yourself.

Recently, I did a post on the King of Spices – the Peppercorn. One of my goals has been to come up with something on the website for each different type. While reading through the book “Making Artisan Gelato” by Torrance Kopfer, I found a recipe for Pink Peppercorn gelato. I never dreamed of using them to make a dessert. If you have read my post on the peppercorn, you would know that the pink peppercorn is first off not a true peppercorn and secondly, it is a berry. So even thought it smells like a peppercorn when you crack it, the taste is more berry like. It reminds of lingonberries (which you can get at IKEA stores), but without the tartness.

So I got all my ingredients together, and made the gelato. You can get the full recipe in the Making Artisan Gelato book, which is available on Amazon or check your local library. Here are my notes describing my experience with this recipe.

1. Make sure you crush your peppercorns good. I found that the flavor when it was ready to go in the fridge wasn’t strong enough. You want almost too strong of a flavor before churning it. I allowed some peppercorns to remain in the mixture until I was ready to churn, and then I strain them all out.

2. My mixture was off-white when it was ready to go into the fridge. So I decided to add just a bit of red food coloring to make the color a little pink. It doesn’t affect the flavor, but I think if something looks better to our eyes, we can trick our tongues into thinking it tastes better.

3. I used a Cuisinart ice cream maker for this gelato.

4. I ate mine fresh out of the machine when it was done. I think if you are going to make gelato at home, then it’s at it’s best right out of the machine. When I make ice cream, I put that in the freezer to harden for a couple hours. If you don’t know the difference between ice cream and gelato, check out the earlier post explaining it. My leftovers ended up in the freezer.

5. I didn’t use any vanilla extract as I was all out. Also, I think in some ice cream/gelato flavors that I have made the vanilla overpowered the flavor it was suppose to be.

Overall, I think this is a good recipe. The flavor was good and unique. I am sure your guests would be intrigued to try this. The recipe was easy to follow, especially for someone who has been making ice cream for a while now.

Recipe Grade: B+

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This is part of a series of posts on grocery stores that I have been to and would recommend to those that live in the area to check them out.

Zingerman’s has been the standard for great tasting food in Ann Arbor since 1982. In more recent years, they have opened up a creamery where all their cheese and gelato is made. At the front of the creamery there is a cheese shop, where you can buy all sorts of cheese (including goat cheese and cream cheese), a kit for making your own mozzarella at home, books, salami, and best of all the gelato! They have several flavors on hand, freshly made in the same building! Be forewarned, all their food is really tasty, but it isn’t for the cheap skate. When you use better, more expensive ingredients, you end up with a quality product that costs more than you would pay at the super market. But don’t worry, there are daily and monthly specials you can take advantage of that will keep some of your hard earned money in your pocket.

You can also tour the creamery for a mere five dollars. Click here to read my experience at the tour. Click here if you want to learn more about the creamery itself and what specials they are offering.