29: Almond Joy Ice Cream

-Almost the end of an era.-

29.

I know that doesn't generate a lot of sympathy for those of you who have already seen this number come and go. You've made your peace with your twenties. They were swell, you had a shitty apartment and your older friends bought the drinks. You made a few bad decisions that - with luck and a bit of hindsight - hopefully haven't been repeated in your thirties-plus. I'm sure you think your twenties were nice and you have some great memories, but who would want to go back to that?

But bear with me for a bit. Remember that once it was suddenly the last year of your twenties. How suddenly that number had the gravity to yank you down to actualized adulthood. Think of how the next blank-9 birthday of your own is coming up and how another decade in your life will be closing so fast that if you turn to look at the days gone by you'll risk way-back whiplash.

A few years ago - heck, at 28 - the looming possibility of 30 seemed so abstract. It was a number. Something far, far away. Way over there and so distant you needed binoculars to get a fuzzy view of it. Little did you know it was charging in your direction like a pissed-off menstrual rhino.

We all poo-poo'ed our friends who turned 29. "It's just a number, after all. Who cares? Don't stress," we said so haughtily.

Then, sweet Georgia Ann, it's your turn. What the hell did you know a year ago and how did your older friends not backhand the shit out of you every time you opened your dismissive maw with another age joke or half-handed condolence? You're a god damn twenty-something anyways. What do YOU know about life?!

Catch Up: Watermelon Sorbet

-My family often complains that I never talk to them and am too private (he typed on his blog), so I'm trying to take the initiative to call them more.-

Call No. 1: Brandon McCord. Younger brother.

Garrett: Hey Brandon. What's up?

Brandon: I'm cooking beet greens! They're steaming!

Garrett: Oh so?

Brandon: Did you know you could eat these?

Garrett: Yes. You can also eat carrot greens. Stir-fry them, toss them into salad, or make them into a pesto.

Brandon: Oh, okay, cool. I'm learning to cook more for myself more. It's really fun actually. I have a chicken marinating right now.

Garrett: Very cool. Good for you!

Brandon: What are you doing?

Garrett: Unpacking a yellow watermelon that unf-

Brandon: They come in yellow?

Garrett: Yes, the flesh is. And, unfortuneately, it's not pink. The yellow ones have a slight cantaloupe flavor that I find somewhat distasteful, but this one is mild, so it's fine.

Brandon: Oh. Hey can I call you back? The greens are burning I think. Maybe?

Garrett: How on earth do you burn something steaming? Is this like when you burned jell-o? Did you actually forget the water aga-

*click*

-That would be a yes.-

Call No. 2: Steve McGee. Uncle on father's side.

Garrett: ...Yes, we're a litigious state. Yes, California has traffic that slows down if there's a ratty boot abandoned along the pullover lane. And, yes, California has to rework immigration laws so workers can get here easier. I agree. Yes.

Steve: So how is not Kansas better?

Garrett: It's Kansas. You have tornados, snow, all and all just terrible weather, and the corn outnumbers the state population. Your only claim to fame is Dorothy Gail and that's because she's famous for leaving. Plus, she's not even real.

Steve: Alright. I'll give you that. But the people are nicer.

Garrett: Only in manners. You're a red state. They hate the liberals. "You don't belong here," they would cordially say before berrating my sexuality and support of Planned Parenthood over Kansas-style BBQ and a slice of pie.

Steve: Okay. Probably. But-

Garrett: Steve, can I call you later? I'm chopping up watermelon for sorbet. I'm gonna lose a finger.

Steve: Alright, call your dad.

Garrett: Will do.

*click*

Mistaken Identity: Blackberry-Rosewater Sorbet

-Make no mistake about the delightfulness of this spring sorbet.-

-Mission Viejo High School, 1999-

I was exhausted. Somehow I had scrounged enough cohesive thought on my most recent Algebra 2 exam and pulled off a B. The class was the bane of my academic life, an inescapable ding against my otherwise 4.0 GPA. I was getting tutored, studying like a maniac, and otherwise trying my best to scrape together good grades. A B was essentially the best I could do and probably used up the rest of my luck for the next few weeks. I was convinced that the class was completely useless in the long run anyways and couldn't understand the purpose of being beaten over the head with the derivative of a cosecant.

(By the way, to any readers out there who are in high school: Unless you plan to go to college for mathematics or engineering, you will never use Algebra 2, Calculus, or Trigonometry. Ever. At most, you will end up using the basics of Geometry and Algebra 1. Just thought I would confirm this ever-present high school complaint for you.)

As I made my way to the quad I spotted my friend, Tiffany. Her back was towards me but I could make out her tan skin, her short but bouncy curls like thick, winding ribbons, and her varsity jacket.

Tiffany and I were friends who had met in marching band. I was the only male flute player in the woodwind section and she one of the color guard girls. We were good friends who spent a lot of time together; she would teach me to spin her color guard flag, sending it soaring high into the air at dizzying speeds. I loved the kaleidoscopic spin of the colors and the pata-pata-pata-pap of the fabric as it fought against the whipping air. I taught her the basics of the flute and helped her with her English homework, and how to best memorize passages from her literature assignments.

Like any friends we also had out own secret set of inside jokes and private rituals. This included phonetically writing out any Japanese word in English, referring to ourselves "Bot Hitches", and me smacking her ass till it felt like a pincushion for her.

Breakfast Cereal Ice Cream

-Yes, this is what you think it is. Read on and trust me that it is awesome.-

This post will split my readership into two factions: those that think this recipe is vile, and those that will think that this is the best thing ever. Allow me to explain first why I did what I did in making this ice cream. You might better understand.

A few days ago BF and I went out to one of those trendy little yogurt places. You know, the kind where you pick a soft-serve flavor and then load it up with fruit, or candy, or whatnot. Feeling the need to break away from my usual two options; pistachio with granola and strawberries, or chocolate covered with broken up Reese's; I went with a simple vanilla ice cream.

In the corner of my eye I saw prismatic flare of Fruity Pebbles cereal. The epileptic, multi-color overload seemed so whimsical and fun, and so with a jaunty little smile I took a small scoop of of cereal and tossed them in the cup. I took a whiff and recalled that sweet, sugary smell of faux-fruit flavors and the few rare days I was allowed to eat such a treat as a child.

You see, as a kid we grew up with Cheerios and oatmeal and were happy to do so. Dad would cut up bananas, sprinkle on cinnamon, or toss in a handful of raisins and make these breakfasts special. It was how my brothers and I bonded with our dad every morning. We were never left wanting for sugary cereal as we were raised knowing that a box of Lucky Charms was a treat reserved only for visits to grandma's. Still, every so often, maybe on a vacation, we were afforded the luxury of a box of Captain Crunch or, perhaps, Fruity Pebbles which would be greedily eaten in ginormous bowls as my brother and I watched Power Rangers in the morning.

It was tasting my 10 year old life in eating that ice cream when suddenly it hit me: I could make Fruity Pebbles ice cream. The most special childhood Saturday mornings frozen in time and heavy cream. I had had something similar before; the Secret Breakfast ice cream at Humphry Slocombe in San Francisco, a Corn Flake and Bourbon flavored ice cream which is stunning in its flavor and simplicity. It could be done again. I could do it.

-Looking at it too long may cause a stroke.-

So I did. I bought a box of Fruity Pebbles, soaked the cream and milk with it, and then churned that into a basic, Philadelphia-style ice cream (meaning no eggs). It tasted like the milk at the bottom of the bowl. And it was so good. SO good. It was toy commercials, waking up at 6 AM trying not to wake mom and dad, and not having to do homework on Saturdays.

You can do this with any cereal you want, whatever milk in the bowl you liked best, though I think the unhealthier the cereal the better. (BF wants me to try Cinnamon Toast Crunch.)

Yes, part of me should hate it. It's anti-Slow Food. Not sustainable. Certainly not healthy or responsible. But the memories are there. The recipe is fun and it makes me smile. That, sometimes, is reason enough.

-Garnish this ice cream with some of the cereal. It makes it all the better.-

Breakfast Cereal Ice Cream
2 cups of cream
1 1/2 cups of whole milk
3/4 cup of sugar
pinch of salt
2 cups of cereal (your choice)

Bring the cream, sugar, and salt to a simmer and stir over medium-high heat until the sugar and salt dissolve. Add the cereal and milk, stir and let sit for two hours. Strain the mixture and discard the soggy cereal. Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Place in a bowl in the freezer for 45 minutes to an hour to firm up. Serve immediately.

*Note: I made this, coincidentally, on a Saturday morning and wasn't feeling the desire to make a custard base ice cream. You very well could if you wanted. The flavoring method is simple enough.

Chocolate Sorbet

-Yes, it is as rich as it looks.-

I like homemade ice cream. I enjoy creating and trying out new flavors that you might not otherwise be able to find at the store. However, I find them often to be too rich, or a bit to hectic to produce sometimes. It's why I prefer sorbet. Sorbet is easier to produce and takes so much less time. Heat up some water and sugar, add the flavor and chill. Pop in the ice cream machine and boom, 'yer done. No tempering eggs, and no trying to figure out what to do with all those egg whites. Furthermore, I find that I generally prefer the lighter and clearer taste of the ingredients you use in sorbet.

Normally, I make sorbet when I have an overabundance of fruit during the summer when turning on the stove sounds too heroic an effort for me to accomplish in my lazy summer sloth. Puree the fruit, pass it through a sieve, add a splash of brandy or vodka and add to the warmed sugar-water. Ta-da! Easy.

However, in early spring, when I eat fruit far too quickly to be able to produce a practical sorbet, I like to rely on this little chocolate sorbet recipe. I actually prefer this over chocolate ice cream as I find the chocolate is much more intense when it doesn't have to compete with yolks and cream for flavor. It utilizes ingredients I - and I assume every avid home baker - has on hand, meaning it's a simple, practical frozen treat. Furthermore, this sorbet never gives me texture problems; it never crystallizes into a rock, even after a week in the freezer as most homemade ice creams and sorbets have a tendency to do. Complimented with some chopped mint and strawberries it's a perfect sorbet for the hotter days ahead.

-If you don't have an ice cream maker, then just toss it into a shallow tray, freeze and stir up the crystals every so often until you reach a good consistency.-

Chocolate Sorbet
Adapted from Jaime Oliver

75g cocoa powder
300g sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
45g of peanut butter (organic works best)
300g chocolate (60%-70% cacao), broken into pieces

Pour 750ml water into a small saucepan with cocoa, sugar, vanilla extract and peanut butter. Bring to a boil while whisking then remove from heat. Add chocolate and a pinch of salt and leave for a minute, then stir until chocolate has melted and you have a glossy mixture. Cool in the fridge for four hours or overnight and then transfer to an ice-cream mixture per the manufacturer's instructions.

-A slight bit of peanut butter is what gives this chocolate sorbet such a creamy texture.-

Chocolate Cupcakes with Matcha Ice Cream and Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Totally slammed and busy this weekend foraging for food or studying. A unique post from the archives.

I have been itching to utilize these two flavors together for some time now. Both flavors are slightly bitter and slightly sweet, so they compliment each other well.

I had to admit I had some trouble with the cake for a while, I wanted something chocolaty and moist, so it had the texture of a cake, but it couldn't get too soggy with the ice cream. Basically I had to find a balance between cake and brownie, and I think I accomplished it. It's chewy and dense, but also deliciously moist.

I've been giving the ice cream maker a workout, and with the heat starting to near hellfire temperatures, it just seemed like the natural step to take in cupcake development. The matcha ice cream was sweet, creamy, and slightly pungent. It's also $25 for 1 ounce (ouch). So if you can spare the expense for a flavor, go for it. Otherwise, I would suggest maybe buying green tea (ooh, or maybe mint!) ice cream and using that instead.

The frosting is a real basic chocolate buttercream, but it's a frosting and it completes the cupcake nicely. Plus, it's purty. Purty is good.

This is also a cupcake that may require a bit of patience, so wait for a day where you'll have a few blocks of time free. The end product is worth the wait though, and it's a fun activity to do with friends and family.

Overall, a tasty treat which has set the pace for many more tasty ice cream cupcake treats in the future!

Chocolate (Halfway-to-Brownie) Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes / 350 F oven

What You'll Need...
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup of sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 cup of flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
pinch of kosher or other salt
1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup of milk

What You'll Do...
1) Cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat the crud out of it until light and fluffy.
2) Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat for thirty seconds after each.
3) Sift the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder together. Measure out the milk. Add some of the dry, then some of the wet, continuing to alternate between the two and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
4) Scoop about one heaping teaspoon into the cupcake papers. Spread it out a bit so it covers the bottom of each paper. You want only a small amount of rise there will still be enough room left over for the ice cream layer.
5) Bake for 12 minutes at 350 F. Let cool on a wire rack.


Matcha Ice Cream
Adapted from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop

What You'll Need...
6 egg yolks
1 cup of whole milk
2 cups of heavy cream
pinch of salt
3 teaspoons of matcha powder
3/4 cup of sugar

What You'll Do...
1) Whisk together the matcha and the cream in one bowl. Whisk the egg yolks in another.
2) In a medium saucepan bring milk, sugar, and salt together over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Pour the mixture into the egg yolks while whisking like a crazy person to avoid cooking the eggs (mmm, scrambled egg ice cream!).
3) Return the mixture back to the saucepan and cook over medium heat. Constantly scratch the bottom of the saucepan to prevent sticking. It should thicken into a custard. When it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, it'd done.
4) Pour the mixture through a strainer (to catch any solids, just in case) into the matcha and cream. Whisk until frothy and place into the fridge to cool completely. Then pour into your ice cream maker per the manufacturer's instructions.


Simple Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
What You'll Need...
1 cup of butter, room temperature
3/4 cup of powdered sugar
1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

What You'll Do...
1) Beat the crud out of the butter. Add the sugar and cocoa powder in increments. Taste as you go in case you want to lessen or increase the amount of sugar or cocoa. I find frosting is finicky with people, so go by your own taste. Pipe onto frozen cupcakes.


How You'll Assemble...
1) Be sure the cupcakes are completely cool, and the ice cream freshly made or thawed if frozen. Scoop the ice cream onto the cupcakes and smooth with the back of a spoon. Place in the freezer, preferably in covered containers, but if not no worries, plastic baggies work to avoid a bit of freezer burn.
2) Pipe frosting on and serve or place back in the freezer. Garnish with come matcha if desired.

My brain is soft like this ice cream I made to fight off idleness.

It is done.

Final papers. Over. Finito. Collectively I wrote about 80 pages worth of research in the past 4 1/2 months. I'm burnt out. Toasted. Fried. Beaten. And every other food related euphemism I can think of for just plumb tuckered out. (It's not plum, that would just be too perfect.)

Just one problem. I have no idea what to do with myself. I'm not one to have lots of ample time, so what I do manage to balance out is usually neurotically planned to the second so I can squeeze every possible moment of freedom out of that rare mini-stretch of time. I'm like a man sucking down the last drop of water from his near dry canteen in some futile attempt to ward off a parched and sun scorched death. In a way it's kind of sad how efficient I am about my lounging about and procrastination.

There is one academic caveat to my my chrono-affluent dilemma, and that is I do have to finish a 30 page thesis proposal on Slow Food rhetoric (Any Slow Food members in Sac able to sneak me into an event or two this summer for my research? I can't afford the tickets.). Still, right now? Right now my brain cannot process anymore information. In fact it's actually rejecting it and demands I fill it with episodes of Sex and the City and Justice League and the small stack of books I have been meaning to read.

But even that only kills so much time before my brain stonewalls even the most frivolous youtube video or video game or bike ride. I need to occupy my hands and left brain. I need to learn and try and make before all creativity goes *thhhbbblllllpppt*. I actually find myself right now not so much writing but typing in a fugue state without really comprehending or giving attention to the words going on the screen. It's just all a endless string of letters.

I keep my cookbooks close to my workspace and not in the kitchen. It sounds odd, I know, but there's reason behind this which is that they sort of give me a way to break from the stuff that forces my brain to make the words in my head. A happy place to escape to right in arms reach. The pictures, the combinations, the dialogue of cookbooks all sort of snaps me out of my vacant stare - cookbooks are my intellectual and creative smelling salts.

Ice cream sounds nice right now. I actually have a cookbook I received from my brother and sister-in-law that I still have yet to open. How sad is that? So I plan to open it up and find something tasty, something fun, something jaunty and radical and tomorrow, I'm going to fucking make it and start my mini-summer vacation, week off before I start to study again break with a bit of a sweet bang. It's got a few interesting ice cream recipes to try (it means nothing, David; you know that when it comes to ice cream you're still my favorite boy to dance with).

Orange ice cream with dates it is to be then. (Chopped and dried dates mind you. Fresh ones are pricey.)
The recipe comes from my long time neglected copy of In The Sweet Kitchen: The Definitive Baker's Companion by Regan Daley. It's fabulous book that's basically a class in desserts. And I mean a class. There aren't a lot of recipes - enough in various sections like pies, or frozen treats to give you practice in method but still make something one might call haute cuisine. But when I say class you need to understand that this is a 700 page tome of tools, methods, chemistry, history, ingredients, and so on. So far it's a fabulous read and it explains the science and chemistry without being to textbook-ish.

As I said before the recipes are a practice in method and technique - the problem is nothing is really simple when it comes to the recipes for the most part. The book kind of just tosses you in the deep end with recipes that utilize a lot of different practices and steps, but in the end you get a lot done and learn a lot along the way. It's not a learning mode tailor made for everyone but I happen to love it. Learn from your mistakes or make none at all and either way you learn a lot of techniques and methods all in one go.

While my brain was for the most shut off that night but this helped turn it back on. By the time the custard thickened in this orange-creamsicle tasting brew I was awake. Chatting with friends, making plans, and fervently bandaging my knuckles after an unfortunate and garish incident with the rasp while zesting oranges (after a quick disinfecting of vodka followed by a shot or three, that is).

I crashed after prep and clean up and churned it the next morning after allowing it to chill all night. A warm breakfast of Earl Grey tea and ice cream covered with chopped and dried dates perked me awake. I realized I should try to sit down, relax,and enjoy the lack of higher brain functions - it doesn't happen often that I get to actually do nothing. I plan to go outside and lay down on the grass and take in the smell of fresh air and growing trees. Actually stride through the farmer's market rather than dash madly to get back home and start my chores and errands. Maybe even *gasp* read a book for fun, not skim it due to time constraints.

After, perhaps, another bowl of ice cream.

(By the by, there's a new post up at The Rhetoric of Rhubarb. Hope you enjoy that while eating a bowl of this delicious and rich ice cream.)
Orange Ice Cream with Dates
(I added vanilla for a more creamsicle taste. Regan says to mix in fresh ones but dried should be added on top else they become mealy when cold.)
About 1 1/2 quarts

2 cups half&half
2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons of orange zest
1/2 vanilla bean, seeded (I used an old husk that I had lying around which was fine)
6 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup orange juice
chopped dried dates

1. In a heavy bottomed sauce pan combine the half&half, vanilla bean, 1 tablespoon of orange zest, and one cup of cream. Place over medium-high heat until bubbles break the top. Take off heat and let flavors infuse for five minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk the yolks and sugar together till pale. After the hot liquid has infused add a small portion to the eggs while whisking, fully incorporating it. Add a little more. Then some more. Then add the whole of it till you have one good custardy mixture. Add the orange juice and fish out the vanilla bean husk.

3. Place over a pot of simmering water creating a double boiler. Stir with a wooden spoon for 10 minutes. Remove bowl from heat. Add the remaining cream and orange zest. Place in fridge with plastic wrap covering it with a vent hole or two to allow steam to escape and to prevent a skin from forming on the surface. Chill for 4 hours or overnight.

4. Place in ice cream machine and churn per manufacturer's instructions. Added chopped dates and serve.

A Pause for Raspberry Sherbet

I turned my face away from the pastel magenta explosion coming from the counter and thanked my lucky stars that I actually put on the stupid kitchen apron. It had been a purchase I had long put off but now that I had finally paid out for one I always forgot to put the damn thing on. Luckily, a load of wash was saved and one of my favorite lay-around shirts was spared (only, of course, to be destroyed an hour later by an orange highlighter falling out of my mouth).

I looked down at my raspberry-milk slurry which would soon be churned into raspberry sherbet a la David's recipe, albeit with a bit of orange water and mandarin blossom vodka added. As I poured it into the well chilled bowl I began to think again of how I could utilize Sarah O'Brien's argument that the swamp in Hemingway's Big Two-Hearted River precipitates the eventual "machine in the garden" dilemma of pastoral escape and apply that to the manufactured food Nick eats during his lunch in the story.

Damn, stupid brain. "Stop thinking!" I thought to myself. All I wanted was to make something sweet. Instead my mind kept wandering back to papers I had to write.

With the looming knowledge that my summer vacation would be devoured by endless research, reading, and writing; and my current situation with final papers and thesis proposal, every last square inch of my living room and bedroom were buried in books and papers and notes. More than a few pieces of clothes had been ink stained and Mace was constantly stalking my printer should is show signs of loud ferocity again in it's unending effort to print more sources for me to glean over.

For those curious, my thesis is on the underlying problems in the rhetoric of the slow food movement. By slow food I do, indeed, mean the ACTUAL Slow Food Movement started by Carlo Petrini, but will also discuss a bit of the whole green, organic, local diatribes that people go into. Not to say that I don't agree with what they say, but sometimes the arguments don't take in the whole picture or are a bit too utopian (or in this case Watersian).

Furthermore with finals this year, in order to double up my reading, I ensured that my papers were all food related so I could read books I would could use for my thesis. The ritual of the meal as an indicator of societal values is the paper for my Cultural Studies class, the other on the use of food in Hemingway's novel "Farewell to Arms" and short story "Big Two-Hearted River" as a way to demonstrate the food and eating scenes as a form of escapism and thus a way to psychologically analyze the characters. The irony of the sherbet situation here was I was using food to escape the paper about food as escapism (I wonder if I can work this post in somehow...?).

As you can see I'm drowning in food theory, rhetoric, and psychology. It seems I have laid out my future as a food-focused sociologist of sorts.

But yes, the sherbet. We've gone off topic a bit. I needed to simply escape reading and writing about the blah blah blah of food and actually sit down and make some and eat it. Remind myself why I actually give a damn about it all.

The sherbet was perfect. More than perfect. It was rejuvenating. I picked up some of the books off the couch and plopped down with a ramen bowl of the ice cream. Cid and Mace curled up next to me and I pressed play on the DVD remote to start the Sex and the City DVD start up where I left it. A quick pause in the day to relax and rekindle my fires with a chilly treat, refreshing myself and recalling why all this food study crap is just so much fun.

Kiwi Sorbet

Given, it is the middle of winter, but sometimes a frosty treat really is what I want and why miss out on kiwi when it's in season right now? (Kiwi's in spring and summer are imported.) So why not throw together a simple and easy kiwi sorbet? Clean, easy, and delicious.

Kiwi Sorbet
What You'll Need...
9 kiwis, peeled and diced
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of water
a squeeze of lemon juice

What You'll Do...
1) Boil the sugar and water together into a clear simple syrup.

2) Peel and chop the kiwi's. Blend them until well liquefied.

3) Mix the kiwi puree, lemon juice, and the simple syrup together. Chill. Then add to your ice cream maker as per the manufacturer's directions.

Coconut Cream Ice Cream

I wanted one more run on the ice cream maker before it became too chilly. Luckily, Chocolate and Zucchini had a simple recipe with ingredients I had in my pantry. It's very tasty sweet. I upped the amount of coconut by about a cup and used some dark rum and vanilla sugar. It's quite a treat.

Be sure to tune in on Monday! Something special is going to be announced.

Kitchen Bitchin' for Fig Ice Cream

If David Lebovitz will have me, I would like to be his kitchen bitch. I can clean the oven, dice fresh produce, and clean dishes all while wearing a skimpy little outfit even. That's how much I seriously love his ice cream book.

The fig ice cream has been thus far my absolute favorite ice cream in the book. Not that the rice pudding gelato, cheesecake ice cream, or endless sorbets haven't been absolutely fantastic. But this one is just *UNH!* It's the bee's knees. Pure ecstatic pleasure; like driving down a bumpy old dirt road in a car with bad shocks. (I bet I get an angry e-mail about this post...)

This ice cream is great with some honey and pairs harmoniously as a side to a cheese plate; we had a bit of manchego on the side for us. It's insanely sweet, but really extols the heady nature of figs. The figs have come into full season at the farmer's market, so be sure to head down, pick some up and make this ice cream.Fresh Fig Ice Cream
From David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop

2 lbs fresh figs (about 20)
1/2 cup of water 1 lemon, preferably unsprayed
3/4 cup of sugar
1 cup of heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon of freshly squeezed, lemon juice, or more to taste

Remove the hard stem ends from the figs, then cut each fig into 8 pieces. Put the figs in a medium, nonreactive suacepan with the water, and zest the lemon directly into the saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8-1o minutes until the figs are tender.

Remove the lid, add the sugar and continue to cook until it reaches a jam-like consistency. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Blend together with cream and lemon juice, chill in the fridge and then put in your ice cream maker per the manufacturer's instructions.

Vanilla Olive Oil Ice Cream

Now that my vanilla bean infused olive oil is finished, I've begun putting it to work. It's already been drizzled over freshly cut papaya and avocado for an simple afternoon snack, but today I really wanted it to shine.

If you've never had olive oil ice cream, it's quite a treat. It's very smooth and creamy, and a perfect chance to really allow any designer olive oils you might have on hand to shine. Regular olive oil is fine, but the vanilla infused olive oil creates an aromatic ice cream that matches perfectly with freshly cut peaches.

Vanilla Olive Oil Ice Cream
What You'll Need...
1 1/2 cups of whole milk
1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup of vanilla olive oil
(Optional: If you don't have vanilla infused olive oil, 1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla extract can be added)

What You'll Do...
1) Warm the milk, salt, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk together the yolks in another non-reactive bowl.

2) Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly. Afterwards, pour the eggy milk mixture back into the saucepan and put over medium heat. Stir with a heatproof spatula and keep scraping the bottom and sides to ensure nothing becomes too solid.

3) When the custard mixture can coat the back of a spoon, pour the mixture through a wire mesh and into a new bowl set in a larger bowl filled with ice water. Add the cream while whisking furiously. Add the vanilla olive oil and whisk until fully incorporated.

4) Allow to chill in the fridge, then pour into your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturers instructions.

Spiced Mango Soup with Strawberry Basil Sorbet

Perfect for a light, sweet lunch. The cool mango soup is slightly spiced with ginger and red chilies. It's the perfect backdrop for the sweet-tart strawberry sorbet that has been kissed with small flecks of fresh basil that serenely appear and vanish in your mouth.

It's an easy recipe, and a perfect chance to use some of that fresh Farmer's Market produce you might happen to have lying about.

Strawberry Basil Sorbet
serves 2-4

What You'll Need...
1 lb. of strawberries
1/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of water
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tablespoon of fresh basil or Thai basil

What You'll Do...
1) Hull and chop the strawberries, puree.

2) Push the strawberry puree through a strainer. Add the lemon juice, sugar, and water and whisk. Chill for an hour, then pour into the ice cream maker and proceed following the manufacturer's directions.

3) Roughly mince the basil, add to the ice cream maker when there are only 5 minutes left of churning.

4) Serve right away or place in the freezer to set up in a tightly sealed container.


Spiced Mango Soup
serves 2-4

What You'll Need...
1 cup of plain yogurt
2 mangoes
1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger
1 red chili pepper (or jalapeno)

What You'll Do...
1) Grate the ginger. Devein and seed the chili pepper. Cut the pepper in half length wise. Dice 1/2 of the pepper and save the other half for salsa or what have you. Cut the mango and dice.

2) Blend all the ingredients together with an immersion blender/blender/food processor. Chill for 30 minutes.

3) Strain the soup through a strainer if you so desire. Ladle into bowls, then place a scoop of strawberry basil sorbet in and serve.

Vanilla Plum Sorbet

I had a bunch of plums from Elise that were so ripe you could barely hold them without juice seeping out and trickling down your arm. What better way to use a bunch of delicious plums quickly than with this tasty freeze treat? The vanilla is subtle and just sort of lingers in the air like the smoke from a fire extinguished hours ago. Mouth-puckering tart, smile inducing sweet, and altogether shibby.

Vanilla Plum Sorbet
What You'll Need...
8 plums
3/4 cup of vanilla sugar or sugar
1 vanilla bean
1/2 cup of sugar

What You'll Do...
Chop and pit the plums. Discard the pits. Puree the plums and push through a strainer. Combine with water, sugar/vanilla sugar, and cut open and scrape out the inside of a vanilla bean. Whisk together.

Chill the mixture, then freeze it in your ice cream maker per the manufacturer's instructions. (I used one from the vanilla sugar bottle that had some left. Remember, vanilla beans can be used many times before being discarded.)

Vanilla Pear Sorbet & The Austrailian Hook-Up

This is an aromatic and simple sorbet that's perfect for spring. It's like a vanilla scented Eau de vie, but in a tasty frozen treat form. Pears and vanilla are a perfect pairing that'll help finish any meal.

It's not always cupcakes here at Vanilla Garlic. Just most of the time.

Vanilla Pear Sorbet
Makes 4-6 servings

What You'll Need...
6 Anjou Pears
1 vanilla bean (preferably Bourbon)
3 1/2 cups of sugar or vanilla sugar
1/2 extra cup of sugar or vanilla sugar
5 strips of lemon zest
6 cups of water

What You'll Do...
1) Use a vegetable peeler to strip 5 strips of zest off of a lemon. Cut open the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds. Place the vanilla pod and seeds, lemon zest strips, sugar/vanilla sugar, and water in a pot. Let it come to a boil so that all the sugar has dissolved, reduce heat to medium.

2) Peel the pears, and cut off a small portion of the bottom so they can stand up straight (for easy cutting later). Place in the water for about 10 minutes.

3) Cut the "meat" off of the pears and discard the cores and stems. Puree with 2 cups of the poaching liquid and 1/2 cup of sugar/vanilla sugar. Let cool in the fridge. Place in your ice cream maker and proceed via the manufacturer's directions.

Note: I highly suggest saving the rest of the poaching liquid, filtering the solids out, and adding and dissolving an equal part of sugar to make a rockin' simple syrup for cocktails later! Pair this with some Absolut Pear and ice and you are so made.
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Minh, my cupcake sister from Australia , sent me over a huge cache of Tim-Tam's (a popular cookie brand from down under), which are so insane shibby-good. They're basically two cookies with a chocolate filling, covered in chocolate. Then they come in a variety of flavors; raspberry & chocolate and the caramel ones are my faves.

Also, she sent over little caramel filled koala bears. Is it wrong I love to devour their little heads with so much joy?

Thanks a ton, Minh! Be sure to check out her blog and her variety of creative cupcakes!

Ice Cream Bandwagon & Wine Uncorked

Yep, after getting an ice cream maker from Rob, and David Lebovitz's book from my mom (gotta love b-day swag, dontcha'?) I have been making a lot of ice cream. So far vanilla ice cream, rice pudding gelato, and now lime sorbet have come out of our kitchen.

It's nice to have frozen treats so readily available now that the heat is coming. But as for cupcakes? No worries, we'll just have to fill them with ice cream, now won't we? Expect to see a few of those coming up next week!

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Edible Sacramento is putting on an awesome wine tasting event for all of you winos out there! Be sure to check it out, if you love your local wine producers!

Quarry Ponds Uncorked

Featuring Placer County Wineries and local seasonal fare prepared by Pullman Kitchen.
Sip, dine and chat with our local vintners while strolling through the Market Hallway.

Sunday, June 24
4:30 - 7:30 p.m.

$30 per person
($25 for Slow Food Members)
includes a Riedel wine glass

FEATURED WINERIES
Charlie Green Family Winery . Dono dal Cielo
Fawn Ridge Winery . Mount Vernon
Ophir . Pescatore Winery
Secret Ravine Winery . Vina Castellano Winery

To make a reservation and pay by credit card
please call 916.786.5511.
To pay by check, mail check to:
Events at Quarry Ponds - 5540 Douglas Blvd. Ste 110
Granite Bay, CA 95746