Sunday Sweet Sunday: Ice Cream Party

June 19, 2010 | Posted as Uncategorized at 11:28 pm | Comments »

I’ve posted before about my struggle to give sugar up completely- but because I’m not the type of person who can do things drastically, I’ve come up with the idea to have sugar only on weekends.

It could work.

And because one of the things my husband and I love most about Sundays is having our families over (we were both raised this way), we decided to make an event of it: hereafter known in these parts as Ice Cream Party Sundays! Here are tips on throwing your own:

• Ice Cream. You’ll need ice cream, of course. Three plain flavors should do, such as Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry. I like to throw in some unexpected flavors as well, such as Cheese or Ube or Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia. Because I can.
• Accessories. A stack of small bowls, or (as in the photo above) edible waffle baskets. I like to put out a box of sugar cones as well. If we’re expecting mostly adults, we use Margarita glasses for extra chic-ness.
• Toppings! Here’s where you can go nuts. Literally, with nuts- and crushed oreos, mini M&Ms, marshmallows, fresh fruit, whipped cream in cans… the sky’s the limit.
• Syrup. I actually prefer my ice cream without toppings, but doused in generous amounts of syrup. Warm up some chocolate syrup, make your own ganache and add a few tablespoons of corn syrup, or perhaps some caramel with about a cup of cream mixed in.
• Have savories available. Too much sweet can leave your guests yearning for something salty and savory. Try also serving something like a cheese plate or even simply a bowl of barbecue chips.

Chocolate Crinkles

June 17, 2010 | Posted as Baking, Chocolate, Cookie Recipes at 9:39 pm | Comments »

So I’ll admit to a wee bit of food snobbery. Blessed with mad baking skills myself and a husband who cooks like a Michelin chef, I can eat “five-star”-style at home almost anytime I like. And the truth is that Chocolate Crinkle Cookies- or simply “Crinkles”- is one of the things I used to turn my nose up at.

Here’s the thing, though- Crinkles are simply brownies that have been rolled into balls, rolled in powdered sugar, and baked like cookies- til their tops crack and they gain that distinctive “crinkly” appearance. There are bad versions, yes- made from metallic tasting box mixes, or the cheapest ingredients possible, but when made right, they are just awesome. Slightly crunchy and sugary on the outside, moist and fudgy on the inside- properly made Crinkles can be even better than “five-star”.

Chocolate Crinkles
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 ounces good bittersweet chocolate, callets or chopped small
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped small
**Note: You could very well substitute 6 ounces of semisweet chocolate for the 2 chocolates here. It’ll be just as good, I promise.
3/4 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered (icing) sugar, sifted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with parchment paper.

Combine butter and chocolate in a medium sized saucepan. Over very low heat, stir until melted and smooth, and remove from heat immediately, Add sugar, then slowly whisk in eggs, one at a time (so as not to cook them!) Add vanilla and salt, and gently stir in flour just until it disappears… do NOT overmix.

Chill this batter in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Scoop out into balls, and roll each ball in powdered sugar. Place on cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, but no more- you know those “bad Crinkles” I was talking about? Most of them were overbaked. Better to underbake slightly than to overbake.

Serve with coffee, tea, or a jug of chilled milk.

Fresh Oysters with Red Sauce

June 16, 2010 | Posted as Celebrity Chefs, Seafood Recipe at 10:24 am | Comments »

Blame it on Bourdain. A few days ago, we caught a replay of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations: Brittany episode, which ends with him consuming a “Tower of Shellfish”. Since then, it seems I’ve been thinking of nothing but shellfish, and when my neighborhood fishmonger offered me some fresh oysters yesterday, I simply HAD to say yes.

The truth is, all fresh oysters really need is some good rock salt. Kosher is fine, Maldon if you have it, Fleur de Sel if you’re being fancy. But I love having them with a classic chili-tomato sauce, which my husband and I simply call “Red Sauce”. We use ketchup in our recipe, which makes it a little sweeter than normal, and simplifies things tremendously.

Red Sauce for Oysters

1/4 cup tomato ketchup
2 tablespoons horseradish
Juice of half a lemon
celery salt (to taste)
Tabasco sauce (to taste)

Combine ingredients, tasting frequently as you add celery salt and Tabasco, to reach your desired saltiness and spiciness. Whir in a blender, whisk together, or process in a food processor. Transfer to an airtight container and chill.

Serve with freshly shucked oysters, some fresh limes and lemons, and some good salt.

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Orange-Infused Hot Cocoa

June 11, 2010 | Posted as Chocolate, Drinks at 12:06 pm | (4) Comments »

Sometimes, inspiration comes from the unlikeliest of places. Such as the absolutely delicious cups of orange-infused hot cocoa we had tonight. My mid-morning snack was a whole fresh orange, followed by a couple of pieces of creamy Lindt dark chocolate.

Hence this hot cocoa, kicked up a big notch with fresh orange zest. The combination, which is at the heart of Starbucks’ Mocha Valencia, is a winner- especially on cold, rainy nights, enjoyed preferably in front of a roaring fire.

Also, if you’re lactose-intolerant, this is just as delicious with rice or soy milk.

Orange-Infused Hot Cocoa

1 liter whole milk
zest of one medium-sized orange
300 grams dark chocolate, broken or chopped up into small pieces
4 tablespoons brown or muscovado sugar
whipped cream & cocoa powder for sprinkling

In a saucepan, combine milk and orange zest, and bring slowly to a simmer. Remove from heat, and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. This is your orange-infused milk.

Return the saucepan to heat, and add chocolate bits and sugar. Over low heat, stir constantly until chocolate is melted.

Pour into mugs, and pipe whipped cream on top. Sprinkle with cocoa powder.

Vietnamese Fresh Rolls with Dipping Sauce

June 4, 2010 | Posted as Vegetable Recipes, Vegetarians are Fun at 11:03 pm | (1) Comment »

The husband and I love to entertain at home, and while the usual fare is something simple but comfortingly delicious like roast chicken or something on the barbecue, we have quite a few vegetarian friends- and this, one of our favorite things to serve them, is always a winner.

For these rolls, you must use Vietnamese rice paper, which is very affordable, and readily available at your local Asian food store- or online at Amazon!

Vietnamese Fresh Rolls
1/2 cup fresh beansprouts, washed and dried
1/4 Chinese cabbage (wombok), shredded finely
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, washed and dried
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves
12 Vietnamese rice paper rounds
1 cup shredded cooked chicken (optional)
Dipping sauce (recipe follows)

We like to serve everything in separate bowls, allowing guests to take what they like for their rolls. The chicken here is optional- if going vegetarian, omit it.
You’ll need a large, flat plate or platter into which you pour some warm water. And here’s how to assemble:

For each roll, take a rice paper round, immerse it in the warm water for a few seconds- until it’s slightly soft, but not falling apart. Transfer to another plate, fill with the vegetables and/or herbs (and chicken if using) of your choice. Roll, tucking ends in. Dip in dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/8 cup sugar
3 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla or patis)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 dried red chili, minced

Combine all ingredients together. Mix well, and serve on the side as a dipping sauce.