Hooray for Sorbet!

I think I have found a new obsession: homemade sorbet. It's easier to make than ice cream (not to mention less fattening) and the possibilities for flavors are endless. Plus, if a flavor turns out to be a failure, you not only didn't waste much time, you also didn't waste any eggs (there's something about wasting eggs that I find depressing).

Yesterday after breakfast I just had the idea to make chocolate sorbet, so I headed back into the kitchen and just made it! If you have an ice cream maker, you probably have everything you need to make sorbet right now. It couldn't be easier.

Since this was the first sorbet experiment, I decided to follow the recipe to the letter. I look forward to changing it up next time (not using vanilla extract, for starters), and trying new flavors.

Get the recipe for rich chocolate sorbet here.

Warm Weather Entertaining: Dessert That'll Make You Melt

Salted Caramel Ice Cream with Chocolate and Sea Salt Cookies

This insanely delicious dessert is just about perfection. The pairing of the sweet, luscious ice cream with the small bite of rich chocolate cookie makes my heart melt faster than a scoop on a summer day. It’s the kind of dessert that makes you want to go back for seconds. And when we made it during my last cooking class, I did.

Although this is the final element of a cooking class I took from First Class Cooking called Warm Weather Entertaining, it was the real standout so I wanted to share it first. Yum!

Some notes on the recipes

Ice cream: While the little bits of praline (hardened caramel) do add to the ice cream, I don’t think they’re necessary. Next time I make the ice cream, I will omit this element. The ice cream is damn tasty enough without it.

Cookies: These are incredibly rich. Next time I would definitely do the suggested alternate of 4 oz. of chocolate and 2 oz. of cocoa nibs, or even 3/3 and see how that works out.

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Make caramel swirl: Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or brush lightly with oil. In a large, deep-sided skillet or shallow saucepan, spread the sugar evenly across the bottom. Heat over low, until edges begin to melt. Use a silicone spatula (or simply shimmy the pan) to gently fold the edges over the center, until everything is melted. Cook until golden.

Sprinkle in the sea salt but don’t stir. Without pausing, pour the caramel onto the prepared baking sheet and lift up the baking sheet immediately, tilting and swirling it almost vertically to spread the caramel as thinly as possible. Set aside to harden and cool.

Make ice cream: Place medium metal bowl within a larger bowl filled with cold water and ice cubes (an ice bath). Place one cup of the milk in the inner bowl.

In the same skillet or pan as before, spread sugar in an even layer. Cook over moderate heat, until caramelized. Once golden, remove from heat and stir in the butter and salt until butter is melted, then gradually whisk in the cream. Stir in the remaining cup of whole milk (keeping the one cup in the ice bath). If the caramel seizes (bubbles up) when you add the dairy, return it to low heat and gently whisk to get rid of clumps.

In a small bowl whisk the yolks until they’re pale yellow and smooth. Pour about 1/4 cup of the warm caramel mixture over the yolks, stirring constantly. Add an additional cup of the caramel, whisking to combine. Scrape the warmed yolks into the saucepan and cook the custard using a wooden spoon, stirring constantly (scraping the bottom as you stir) until the mixture thickens (when done, you should be able to draw an S on the back of the spoon and have it hold its shape).

Pour the custard through a strainer into the milk set over the ice bath. Add the vanilla (I forgot this but it didn’t seem to matter), then stir frequently until the mixture is cooled down. Refrigerate an hour or overnight.

Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. While the ice cream is churning, crumble the hardened caramel praline into very little bits and add them in. The caramel should turn slightly gooey.

Ingredients for Caramel Swirl:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tsp good quality sea salt, such as Maldon

Ingredients for the Ice Cream:
2 cups whole milk, divided
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 tbsp salted butter
Scant 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup heavy cream
5 large eggs yolks
3/4 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate and Sea Salt Cookies


Note: Consider adding cocoa nibs to the batter in place of (or in addition to) the chocolate bits.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa and baking powder and stir to blend.

In a mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until very pale and smooth, about 4 minutes. Add the flour-cocoa mixture by hand or on very low speed and mix just until incorporated. Add the chopped chocolate, vanilla and crushed sea salt and mix just until incorporated.

Divide the dough into 3 or four quantities. On a clean board, roll the dough into a 1-inch round log. Wrap in plastic and smooth out the edges (or make square, if preferred). Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour or up to 3 days. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Preheat the oven to 300˚ and line 2 baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment. Remove the logs from the fridge and with a sharp knife slice into ¼-inch thick rounds. Lay the rounds on the baking sheets and cook for 15-18 minutes.

Transfer the cookies onto cooling racks to cool before eating.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups plus 1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking powder

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

6 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp flaky sea salt, crushed in mortar and pestle

Both recipes from First Class Cooking.

Le Pain Adorable

Que j’aime les choses petits! Two mini loaf pans came as part of a baking set Brett and I received as a wedding gift. I have wanted to use them for months now, but malheureusement, I keep forgetting. That’s why I was so happy to see a recipe in the New York Times today for an interesting French loaf. Because I get to celebrate Bastille Day and use the little loaf pans, a la fois!

Apparently served as an hors d’oeuvre, this bread is kind of like a croque monsieur all mixed up together. It contains ham and gruyere, and of course flour, eggs and milk. I decided that, paired with a sizable salad, this pain monsieur (as I think it should be called) is also perfect for dinner. And it would definitely be parfait pour le petit dejeuner. (I know I’ve left off some accents here, but I don’t know how to get them.)



"Bursting with flavor!"
--Brett Tyrrell

Get the recipe here.

A Perfect Day for Pimm's Cup

Sooner or later, the truth comes out. My motivation in making homemade lemonade yesterday was not merely to celebrate its quaint charm, nor was it to celebrate the sultry days of summer (I live in San Francisco). The real reason? I need it as an ingredient in a bowl of alcoholic punch that friends and I will enjoy at 11:30 on a Sunday morning. Shock horror!

The occasion for this Sunday-morning imbibing is, of course, the World Cup final. And while Pimm’s Cup is of English origin (whose team is decidedly not competing in the final), the punch sounds delish and it has the name “Cup” in it, making it still perfect for the occasion.

Makes punch for 6 to 8 people.

Step 1: Fill a large pitcher or bowl with ice.

Step 2: Add 2 cups lemonade, 1 cup ginger ale, 1/2 cups Pimm’s No.1, and 1/2 cup gin.



Step 3: Stir it all up and throw in some lemon slices to make it look simply smashing.

Ingredients:

Ice
2 cups lemonade
1 cup ginger ale
1/2 cup Pimm’s No.1
1/2 cup gin
lemon slices

Recipe Source: My Girl Martha

The Ultimate Summer Refreshment

Even if you don't absolutely love lemonade (like me), there is no denying its summertime charm. How cute and cheerful does it look in a pitcher with a couple of lemon slices? And if it’s homemade? That’s just the bees knees.

Makes 2 quarts.

Step 1: Juice enough lemons to get 3 cups. Strain the juice through a fine sieve into a pitcher.



Step 2: Add 2 cups of superfine sugar and stir until it dissolves.



Step 3: Add 4 cups of water.



When you are ready to serve it, add ice and lemon slices to the pitcher.

Ingredients:

About 20 lemons
2 cups superfine sugar
4 cups water

Recipe Source: My Girl Martha

Homemade Ketchup, Take Two

This recipe is much simpler than the last one I tried. You just puree tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, garlic and brown sugar with cider vinegar and water, then add spices and cook it down. Now that’s my kind of ketchup...Or is it?

Makes 3 cups.

Step 1: Puree 1 28-oz can of tomatoes, 1 onion (peeled and quartered), 1/2 jalapeno (stemmed and seeded), 1 clove of garlic (peeled and smashed), and 2 tbsp dark brown sugar.



Step 2: Add 1/2 cup cider vinegar and 1 cup water and puree again.



Step 3: Pour the mixture into a saucepan. Add a pinch EACH of: cayenne, celery salt, ground mustard, ground allspice, ground cloves, ground ginger, and ground cinnamon. Cook over low for about 45 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.



Step 4: Curse the second failed attempt at making ketchup!



OK, time for another Ketchup Postmortem: While the other recipe was a quantity fail, this recipe is a quality fail. The consistency is not smooth, nor is it all that ketchup-like. I would say, if you follow this recipe, you have to strain it (after pureeing and before you cook it down). Also, I would use 1/2 an onion MAX.

I’d be curious to know if anyone else has attempted to make their own ketchup, and if so, how the results turned out. In the meantime, I’ll refrain from any more ketchup posts until I succeed.

Note: It got a little smoother after recruiting some backup to help puree it even longer, but still. Not that great.



Ingredients (according to the recipe):

1 28-oz can of tomatoes (whole or pureed)
1 medium onion
1/2 jalapeno pepper
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 cup water
Pinch each of: cayenne, celery salt, dry mustard, ground allspice, ground cloves, ground ginger, ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper

Recipe Source: Saveur

Thats-a Good-a Pizza!

Pizza is the best food invention ever. (Don't deny it!) Sadly, it is also one of the most corrupted. The biggest offense is usually too-thick crust. But also common is way too much cheese. I love cheese, but too much cheese on a pizza is never a good thing. It makes the crust soggy and it drowns out any flavor that may have been found in the sauce.

Balance is the key to great pizza. Go as crazy as you want with exotic toppings and combinations. Just don’t overload the pizza!

In the last post we made dough from scratch, based on Chris Bianco’s recipe. Step 1 below refers to (but doesn’t follow) his recipe. Everything else comes from three sources: the Italian lady at City Discount, secret pizza master Megumi, and my own improvisations.

Step 1: Take out your oven racks and place your pizza stone on the floor of your oven. Heat oven to 500. (The stone has to be in the oven for at least an hour before you begin baking your pizzas.)

Step 2: Make your sauce (if you want it). I like a simple red sauce. Heat some olive oil in a pan and add a 28-oz can of whole tomatoes. Crush the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Add salt, pepper and some oregano. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 40 minutes.



Step 3: Roll out a ball of dough (refrigerate the others). The dough recipe says to turn the dough like a wheel and do some other fancy stuff*. This method doesn’t work for me, so I roll the dough out with a lightly floured rolling pin, lightly flouring the top of the dough so it doesn’t stick. (Shout out to Megumi for the tip!) Rolling the dough out into a perfect circle isn’t necessary; pizzas the shape of say, France, still taste just as delicious. It is important, however, to get it as thin as possible for best results.



Step 4: Dust your pizza peel with cornmeal. Carefully peel the rolled-out dough off of your surface and place it on the peel. As Megumi points out, it’s easiest to start at the top and place that end on the far side of the peel, by the handle. So the side of the dough that is facing you on your work surface becomes the bottom side on the peel. (This step is much easier with two people.) If the dough keeps shrinking while it’s on the peel, pinch a little piece of the edge and stick it to the underside of the peel. This will help the dough stay in place.





Step 5: Add toppings! I like to start with a base of either tomato paste or the red sauce I made, or both (but don’t put too much!). Our favorite combination right now is sliced fresh mozzarella, a little pecorino romano, thinly sliced mortadella, and green bell peppers. Before you put it in the oven, “bless” the pizza with some olive oil (a tip from the Italian lady, natch).



Step 6: Bake the pizza. First, make sure it slides easily on the peel. Unstick any edges of dough. Try to lightly move the pizza back and forth on the peel and make sure it’s not stuck anywhere. Put the peel all the way into the oven so the back end of the pizza is at the back end of the stone and pull the peel back so the pizza lies on the stone. Cook for 10 minutes or less. (To get the pizza out, just shove the peel under the pizza in one quick movement.)



Serve with: A superb salad (Thanks, Brett!)



And for dessert…Chocolate-Espresso Gelato (recipe coming soon)!

Buon Appetito!

Ingredients:

Pizza dough
Tomato paste
Olive oil
Cornmeal (for peel)
Toppings of your choice

Red Sauce (for a few pizzas):
28-oz can whole tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Oregano


* The recipe’s way: “Holding top edge of dough ball in both hands, let bottom edge tough work surface. Carefully move hands around edge to form a circle, as if turning a wheel. Hold dough on back of your hand, letting its weight stretch it into a 12” round.”

Make-a Your Own-a Dough-a!

A great pizza starts with a great crust. Or more precisely, great dough. Thanks to an awesome wedding gift (a pizza stone!) from my pal Kate, I recently took Village Pizzeria off speed dial and started making my own pizzas, including the dough. Why? Simple. Because I loves me some pizza. And fortunately, so does Brett.

Oh, but one more thing: You could even say a great pizza starts with great flour. I fortuitously stopped into City Discount to get a pizza peel for my first pizza trial. The older Italian lady working there asked me what kind of flour I planned to use for the dough. When I said, “Oh, just regular, you know, unbleached…” she smiled politely and walked me over to their selection of Italian imports. “You need to use this,” she said, handing me a little red package of “00” flour. Only later did I discover that what she really handed me was the secret to making great pizza dough.

Makes enough for four 12” (or so) pizzas.

Step 1: Dissolve 1 envelope of yeast in 2 cups of warm water in a large bowl. Let sit 5 minutes.



Step 2: Add 3 cups of “00” flour and 2 tsp fine sea salt and mix. Add 2 more cups of the flour. (At this point I use my hands.) The dough should come away from the bowl but still be sticky. If it’s not there yet, add up to 1/2 cup of flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. (I usually only need 1 tablespoon, if that.)



Step 3: Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface. Start by pushing the dough away from you with one hand while you pull it toward you with the other. Then fold the dough in half. Do this ten times. Knead regularly until the dough is smooth, elastic and soft, but a little tacky. (The recipe says to do this for 10 minutes, but with the “00” dough it feels pretty good after about 2.)



Step 4: Shape the dough into a ball and put it into a lightly oiled large bowl. Turn to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic and let the dough rise in a warm place until it doubles in volume, about 3 hours. Sometimes it's hello, muffin top! But not this time, sorry.





Step 5: Place the dough onto a floured surface and cut it into 4 pieces. Shape these into balls. Dust them with flour and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 20-30 minutes, until the dough almost doubles. (Dough pictured is pre-doubling.)



Step 6: Wrap the dough balls in plastic and refrigerate until you’re ready to make your pizza(s)!

Up Next: Makin’ your own-a pizza!

Ingredients:

1 envelope dry yeast
2 cups warm water
5 to 5 1/2 cups “00” flour
2 tsp fine sea salt
Olive oil (for bowl)

Recipe Source: Chris Bianco

The Kitchen Workhorse

In my kitchen, the yellow cast-iron dutch oven is the MVP. Perfect for soups, stews and one-pot dishes (like this awesome Chicken and Chorizo dish), it also comes in handy for everyday tasks like cooking pasta. And, what can I say? I love the way it looks, too.



But even more important than any one piece of equipment is having a great assistant.

I have the fortune of working with a truly talented and eager apprentice. Although she takes a “paws-off” approach to her work, and demands snacks every five minutes, she stands up to any challenge, as you can see here.

Now This Cuts the Mustard

Not only is mustard a superior condiment to ketchup, it is also easier to make. All you do is soak the seeds in a spice bath and then blend it all up. So far I’ve just made the Spicy Brown variety, but I look forward to experimenting with various spices and other types (like horseradish!). Plus, packaged in little jars, homemade mustard makes a great hostess gift…or wedding favor!

Makes 3 1/2 cups.

Step 1: Soak 1 1/2 cups brown mustard seeds in a non-reactive bowl filled with 1 12-oz bottle Guinness Extra Stout, 1 cup red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp kosher salt, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, and 1/4 tsp EACH ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, and ground allspice. Cover and let sit for 2 days.

Step 2: Blend it all together in a food processor or blender until the seeds are coarsely ground and the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes.

Step 3: Transfer it to a jar and refrigerate.

Note: This mustard is pretty spicy! It does mellow with age but not all that much. The recipe states that it keeps for 6 months, but I’m guessing it’ll be good for a little longer.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups brown mustard seed
1 12-oz bottle Guinness Extra Stout
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp EACH ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, ground allspice

Recipe Source: Saveur

Move Over, Heinz!

It’s barbeque season so it seems like a good time to continue with the homemade condiments theme. Why not make a full-flavored ketchup minus the high fructose corn syrup and “natural flavoring”? Because despite the perfectly vine-ripened tomato pictured on the bottle, there is nothing healthy about corn syrup.

Makes…well, you’ll see.

Step 1: Chop up 2 pounds of tomatoes (I used plum), 1 onion, and 1 anaheim chile.



Step 2: Put everything you chopped into a saucepan (or Dutch oven), along with 1 smashed garlic clove, 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 cup white vinegar, and 5 tbsp brown sugar.



Step 3: Make a spice bundle. Put 4 whole cloves, 1 bay leaf, 1 cinnamon stick, 1/4 tsp celery seeds, 1/4 tsp chile flakes, and 1/2 tsp whole allspice into a little piece of cheesecloth and tie it up (I can never find the kitchen twine that I always think I have so I cut off a small sliver of cheesecloth and use that). Add this to your pot.



Step 4: Cook everything until it gets nice and soft (30-40 min.).




Step 5: Take out the spice bundle and puree everything else until smooth. Strain this into a saucepan.



Step 6: Cook the sauce down until thickened, about 30 minutes.




And finally you get…



TWO WHOLE TABLESPOONS OF KETCHUP. Ketchup fail!

Ketchup Postmortem: Maybe I didn’t puree everything enough so it didn’t make it through the sieve? Maybe the holes in the sieve are too tiny? Or, maybe it was the recipe.

The recipe came from a 2009 issue of Saveur so I checked their site to see if there were any comments on it. But! Following the same intro paragraph there is a different recipe in place of the one they featured in print. VERY suspicious. So maybe it was the recipe after all. I’d like to think so.

(BTW, the new recipe calls for a can of whole tomatoes so you have less to lose going into it. One ketchup fail will not deter me from my mission in making homemade ketchup.)

In the meantime, here are the ingredients for this recipe…if you dare.

Ingredients:

2 lbs tomatoes
1 onion
1 anaheim chile
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup white vinegar
5 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
4 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp celery seeds
1/4 tsp chile flakes
1/4 tsp whole allspice

Recipe Source: Saveur

Pickles for Procrastinators

Turns out you can make deliciously tangy pickles in just two hours. This is great news if you’ll be heading to a barbeque this weekend and you didn’t start pickling weeks ago (slacker!). Because now you can still impress your friends and family with an adorable jar of homemade pickles. “Oh, these old things? Couldn’t be easier.” Just don’t let on how easy it actually is.

Makes about 3 pint-sized jars.

Step 1: Get about two normal-sized cucumbers. (If you can find small ones, even better. But all the cukes I found seemed to be about the size pictured here.)



Step 2: Cut the cucumbers into 1/8” thick slices.



Step 3: Line a baking sheet with paper towels and sprinkle with coarse salt. Arrange the cucumber slices on the sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with more salt and cover with paper towels. Let sit while you make the brine.



Step 4: Make the brine. Pour 3 cups of white vinegar into a saucepan. Add 1 1/2 cups of sugar (yes, it may seem like a lot but the sweetness balances the tang.) Add in 2 tsp coarse salt, 1/2 tsp brown mustard seed, 1/2 tsp celery seed, and 1/8 tsp ground turmeric. Bring to a boil.



Step 5: Dab any moisture off of the cucumbers. Place a few fronds of dill in a jar and stuff the jar with cukes, leaving enough room to completely cover them with brine. Pour the hot brine into the jar and seal it. Repeat with remaining cucumber slices. Refrigerate the jars for two hours and let the magic happen.



That’s really all there is to it. I was skeptical that such a simple pickling process would actually create tasty, tangy pickles. But it works! Can’t wait to top a cheeseburger with them. And of course, show them off. (Ain't I a stinker??)

Ingredients:

About 2 cucumbers
A bunch of fresh dill
Coarse salt
3 cups white vinegar
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp brown mustard seed
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/8 tsp ground turmeric

Recipe source: Everyday Food