Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Wood Fired Oven Pizza Party

There are some things that you are highly unlikely to ever find at my house. Among those things are take out, frozen or microwaveable, (*shudder*) pizza. I would much rather make my own, thank you very much. And since I’m making my own pizza I might as well go all out and make my own dough too. But really, if I’m going to the trouble of making my own dough, I’d better make sure to cook it properly and a regular oven just won’t do. That’s why I have a wood fired oven in my backyard. Sure, it might take me 3 or 4 hours to make pizza but it’s well worth the wait.

The only thing that can get in the way of my pizza making is the weather. Canada is both blessed and cursed with a climate that can range from warm and sunny to snowy and downright cold. That’s why on any given day when I head out to the wood fired oven I may find it in a variety of states such as the three photos you see below. The first one was taken mid September on a summery day, the second during a brief thaw in the snow this week and the third is a prediction photo. What’s that you say? You can only see a white rectangle where the third photo is supposed to be? That’s because there’s so much snow in that picture that white is all you can see. I suspect that’s the way things will be here very shortly. When that happens I will be forced to retire the wood fired oven for the season, but until then, it’s time for a pizza party!

There’s no need to wait for a special occasion, pizza is reason enough for a party, especially when it’s this good! There are a few routes you can go when planning a pizza party. One is to simply lay out a variety of toppings and have your guests build their own pie. Another way is to plan out a few different pizzas so that your guests need only choose a slice of each one they want to try. The second option is a good one if you have adventurous friends who will try anything you throw their way. I chose the second route this time but I made sure to have a little something for everyone.

So what was on the menu? I decided to offer 4 different pizzas which I dubbed Classic Combo, Greek Inspired, Seafood Plus and Chef’s Choice. The Classic Combo was a blend of Italian and American with tomato, basil, mozzarella and pepperoni. The Greek Inspired pizza had garlic stuffed olives, sundried tomatoes, feta stuffed jalapeno peppers and feta, (I think I should have stuffed the crust with feta too, just to keep my theme of using stuffed ingredients). The Seafood Plus pizza is not one you’ll likely see on the menu board of your local pizza place as in addition to bay scallops, shrimp, caramelized onions and a goat cheese béchamel sauce, it also contained butter fried Lion’s Mane mushrooms. I get those from my friend who grows organic specialty mushrooms at Wylie Mycologicals. And finally, the Chef’s Choice pizza was topped with homemade bacon, (yes, I make that too!) caramelized onions, halved red grapes and aged cheddar.

I think my favourite was the Chef’s Choice pizza, it’s a flavour combo I’ve had in my head for a while now and I really like how it works together. Grapes aren’t your typical pizza topping but I quite like them, especially with homemade bacon, (because everything’s better with bacon!). Unfortunately, since I can’t come to your house and build a wood fired oven in your backyard, the best I can do for you is to give you one of the easiest pizza crust recipes you’ll ever find. It requires no kneading and is from a book I’ve been using a whole lot of lately, Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois.

No Knead Olive Oil Pizza Dough

Makes 4 1lb loaves. This recipe is easily doubled or halved

2 3/4 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tbl granulated yeast
1 1/2 tbl salt
1 tbl sugar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Mix the yeast, salt, sugar and olive oil with the water in a 5-qt bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container

Mix in the flour without kneading, using a large wooden spoon.

Cover (not airtight) and allow to rest at room temperature for about 2 hours. You can use the dough at this point, or refrigerate and use over next 12 days. If you refrigerate at least overnight, you’ll develop better flavor in the dough. If you only want to make 1 flatbread, just pinch off a grapefruit sized piece of dough to use…keep the remaining covered loosely in the refrigerator.

This post is part of Foodbuzz's series 24, 24, 24, where 24 meals are posted, one each hour of the day from 24 locations around the world. Head over to Foodbuzz soon to check out the other 23 meals!

Quirks and Quacks

Everybody has quirks, little idiosyncrasies that make us unique. These quirks can range in scale from subtle actions to overt behaviours. Sometimes you only notice a person’s quirks after spending a great deal of time with them, while others you pick up on immediately. When I was little I knew a girl who had no eyelashes. This wasn’t some sort of genetic defect, she would just compulsively pluck them out. One of my university roommates used to leave cupboard doors open, it drove me crazy. I would follow behind her shutting them. A guy at work shuffles his feet everywhere he goes. It’s a wonder he doesn’t go through more pairs of shoes, he never lifts his feet.

And for some people, their quirk manifests itself in the form of quacking like a duck. There’s no explaining these people and what’s more, they’re surprisingly hard to identify. You can know a quacker for months without ever suspecting there’s anything duck-like about them until one day a fury of quacks are unleashed and things will never be the same. Sound too strange to be true? I assure you, this happened… In honour of the quackers, here’s a recipe for duck breast with chili, honey and ginger glaze, served with mashed sweet potato. Try it yourself, it’s quacktastic!

Seared Duck Breast with Chili, Honey & Ginger Glaze (from Michael Lomonaco, Epicuious, 2000)

2 whole magret duck breasts, approximately 1 pound each, available from specialty meat markets

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 small dried ancho chili pepper soaked in 1 cup boiling water for 30 minutes

1 small white onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon grated ginger

2 tablespoons warm honey dissolved in 1/2 cup port wine

2 scallions, chopped, about 1/2 cup

With the point of a knife, score the skin side of the breasts in crosshatch pattern, being careful not to pierce the flesh of the meat. Season the duck breasts with salt and pepper. Heat a sauté pan over medium heat for 1 minute before adding the breasts, skin side down. Cook skin side down over medium to low heat, for approximately 10 to 12 minutes to render the fat from the skin before turning the breasts over. When the duck has rendered its fat and the skin has taken on a crisp exterior quality turn the breasts over and sauté the flesh side for 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully remove the duck from the pan, place on a platter to keep warm and pour the excess fat safely into a heat proof container. (The reserved duck fat may be chilled and used for another cooking use.)

While the duck is cooking (or even before you cook the duck), remove the chili pepper from the water in which it had soaked and reserve the liquid. Place the chili into a blender and begin to pureé, adding as much of the reserved liquid as necessary to create a smooth and thin paste-like texture. This chili paste may be refrigerated for a day covered with plastic wrap or pour a tablespoon of olive oil on its surface and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

After removing the duck breasts from the pan add the onion to still hot pan and return to the heat. Add a tablespoon or two of reserved duck fat. Sauté the onion briefly before adding the ginger and 2 tablespoons of the chili paste. Add the honey and port to the ginger chili, stir to combine and cook for one minute.

The breasts have rested for several minutes and should now be medium rare. They can be sliced lengthwise or cross-wise and several slices placed on each plate. Drizzle the warm glaze over the duck or for more impact, brush some on the duck breasts before slicing, run the duck under a hot broiler for 1 minute, caramelize the glaze and then slice and drizzle. If you desire, drizzle some around the duck breasts on the serving dish.

SHF: All That Glitters

It’s been a while since I’ve participated in some of the monthly blogging events. I don’t even remember what the last Sugar High Friday was that I participated in and it used to be a regular event for me. Since my little bike accident I’ve spent most of my time on the couch, trying not to move. It’s such a waste of time off work, I can’t even bake. I have gotten caught up on some blog reading though and I’ve been sifting through my enormous list of “Stuff Left to Post” (the eggnog ice cream, although it was quite suited to my last post was actually made weeks ago). So when I saw that this month’s SHF theme is All that Glitters, (hosted by The Well Seasoned Cook) I figured I should definitely be able to find something that I’ve already made to suit the theme.

A while back I was challenged to make Croquembouche. At the time I knew what it was although it was not something I had ever attempted. Essentially, Croquembouche is a pyramid of cream puffs, glued together with caramel and topped with spun sugar. As regular readers will know, although I love caramel, I have not always had the best of luck with it, going so far as to call caramel, (and hot sugar in general) my nemesis. In order to prepare myself for the challenge, I decided I would do a trial run. What resulted is the mini croquembouche you see here, not perfect by any means but kind of glittery and therefore appropriate for SHF. I thought my practice run went reasonably well and although I knew there were some some wrinkles I hoped they would be ironed out for round two. Well somewhere in my croquembouche research I failed to note that despite the fact that the spun sugar decoration is made from hard crack sugar, the actual cream puffs should not be glued together with it as you will never be able to free them from the pyramid if that’s what you use.

Silly me, I started making a pyramid with hard crack sugar, essentially cementing the cream puffs together, never to be separated again. I had only made a couple layers like this when it was so graciously pointed out to me by my challenger that I should have added some cream to the sugar so that the cream puffs could be gently pulled apart and eaten. My mistake turned out to be not such a bad thing though because instead of continuing on with making the cream puff pyramid, my challenger suggested I dip half the cream puffs in the hot sugar, let them cool and then dip the other half in chocolate. It was no croquembouche but the dipped cream puffs looked pretty neat, (glittery even) and were quite good that way. I like when failures can be rescued.

If you’d like to attempt a Croquembouche, you’ll need pate a choux dough to make the cream puffs, pastry cream to fill them with and caramel to glue them together. After checking out Epicurious though, I think chocolate is definitely an easier medium to use to glue together your croquembouche, as seen here. Or, you can do them like I did and dip the cream puffs in some of each!

Egg Nog Ice Cream to Soothe the Soul (and Body)

When only ice cream or booze will do, why not have both? Egg Nog Ice Cream. It’s the best of both worlds. And for those of you who are already singing Christmas carols, Egg nog ice cream will fulfill your festive needs as well. Now I’m not the one singing carols, (and those of you who are, are driving me crazy!) but I could certainly go for a pint of this ice cream after the day I had yesterday. For some silly reason I decided I would go for a bike ride despite the fact that it was cold and wet outside. I bundled up, put my ipod on and off I went. I cursed the rain that began only moments after I started pedaling but decided to continue my bike ride anyways. About two thirds of the way through my course as I was going down a hill, (at speeds unsuited for the conditions) my bike slid out from under me and I met the pavement face first. Hard. I sat on the ground for a bit and tried not to blackout, thankful that I always wear my helmet and then shakily walked my bike up the hill and pedaled home. Adrenaline is wonderfully useful at times like this as without it I would probably still be laying on the pavement, unable to move. After making it home I took a 4 hour trip to the hospital to determine that I had a scraped up face, concussion and bruised ribs, but nothing broken. Just because it’s not broken doesn’t mean is doesn’t hurt like a thousand bees stinging my eyes. I feel as though my entire left side has been run over by a truck. I considered posting a picture of the carnage, but then recalled that this is a food blog and ice cream is infinitely more appealing than blood. For those of you who are curious, if you haven’t added Jumbo Empanadas as a friend on Facebook, feel free to do so now. And for the squeamish who just want the ice cream recipe, here it is, another winner from David Lebovitz.

Egg Nog Ice Cream (from David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop)

1 cup whole milk

2/3 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

2 cups heavy cream

6 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or to taste

2 T brandy

2 T dark rum

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Warm the milk, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. Pour the cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top.

In a separate bowl whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warmed mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir into the cream to cool. Mix in the nutmeg, brandy, rum and vanilla and stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator. Once the mixture is cold, taste it, and grate in more fresh nutmeg if you wish. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Blogging By Mail: 10 Items or Less

I constantly marvel at how other people get everything done that they do. One person who never ceases to amaze me is Stephanie over at Dispensing Happiness, (her blog is so appropriately named). Besides managing her own blog and monthly blogging event, she’s organized another round of Blogging By Mail with the theme of 10 Items or Less and this time 116 bloggers signed up to mail packages around the world. I’ve participated in quite a few rounds of BBM and I always look forward to receiving my package in the mail. This time was no exception and I was thrilled when I got a great box filled with Boston related food items from Pam of Cave Cibum.

In the picture you should be able to spot the following items:

-Charleston Chew

-Chocolate covered cranberries, (disappeared the fastest)

-Baking related tea towel

-Homemade cherry shortbread cookies

-Baking stationary, (as I’m a list maker, this has been put to good use)

-Johnny Cupcakes keychain, (very cute)

-Fluff (perfect for making Dorie’s Fluff filled chocolate madeleines)

-Necco Wafers

-Cupcake/Muffin wrappers in 2 sizes

Many thanks to Pam for the thoughtful package and to Stephanie for organizing the event. You two are wonderful!

Lobster and Cake: An Update

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes. This is just a quick update to show that I really did eat some delicious lobster and make myself a very chocolately cake.

The lobster was simply steamed, cracked open and dipped in butter. Mmmm butter.

I can't say the decoration on the cake was my finest work, but it got the job done. Besides, the cake was served with my own pineapple-caramel-rum ice cream so that distracted from the plainness of the cake.

A note about the cake itself: I'm providing the exact recipe from epicurious, but I baked mine in 3, 8-inch pans and probably only for about 50-55 minutes. Other than that, I didn't change a thing.

Double Chocolate Layer Cake

(from Gourmet, March 1999)

For cake layers

3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut

1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee

3 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)

2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

3 large eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

For ganache frosting

1 pound fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

Special equipment

two 10- by 2-inch round cake pans

Make cake layers:
Preheat oven to 300°F. and grease pans. Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper and grease paper.

Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well. Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.

Make frosting:
Finely chop chocolate. In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted. Cut butter into pieces and add to frosting, whisking until smooth.

Transfer frosting to a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until spreadable (depending on chocolate used, it may be necessary to chill frosting to spreadable consistency).

Spread frosting between cake layers and over top and sides. Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days. Bring cake to room temperature before serving.

So You Say It's Your Birthday?

Well it's my birthday too!

And I'm celebrating by eating some tasty tasty lobster and this cake that I made this morning.

Have a wonderful day everyone.

Hungry?

These shrimp topped deviled eggs are just an appetizer, a little something to whet your appetite for things to come, (although I’m not quite sure what those things will be, there will definitely be things).

In the meantime, a question…

What’s your favourite hors d’oeuvres or appetizer? To make or to be served, it doesn’t matter. Just curious.

The Swans Are Swimming

According to my beloved Wikipedia, an ear worm is the term for a portion of a song or other musical material that becomes stuck in a person's head or repeats against one's will. A synonym that is sometimes used for an ear worm is Last Song Syndrome, as in whatever song you heard last is the one that will be stuck in your head. This is particularly problematic if you live above someone who plays the guitar and blasts music at all hours of the day and night or if you work with people who like to sing/whistle/hum. When I lived above Ozzy, I could usually count on having either Pat Benatar’s Love is a Battlefield or Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ embedded in my mind for days at a time. Even though I’m free of Ozzy, Journey still works its way into my psyche on a disturbingly regular basis. I think it’s that damn piano riff at the beginning that sucks me in and then I’m hooked and find myself belting out lyrics about taking the midnight train going an-y-where!



At my new workplace I seem to have stepped into a world of wannabe karaoke superstars… Actually, sometimes I don’t even think they’re aware they’re doing it. I am though because the songs they’re singing, humming, whistling or tapping out the tune to become lodged in my brain and I then I start singing them too. Or at least I do in my head. I am not a singer and with good reason.

I only worked with one of the guys for two weeks but he’s managed to stick with me for a month after leaving because he used to give a nightly serenade of Drive by The Cars. This was partly for practical reasons, as he’d use the song to ask who was going to give him a ride home at close and partly because it’s a wretched ear worm that demands to be repeated. You see, the lyrics ask “who’s gonna drive you home, tonight?” and he would simply change them to “who’s gonna drive me home, tonight?” I think those were the only lyrics he actually knew, although he would randomly throw in some other ones that may or may not have been made up, if he felt so inclined.



I’ve saved the best ear worm for last though. It’s an obnoxiously catchy song that has been permeating my workplace in the past week. As soon as one person starts it, it circulates at an alarming rate. And curse it though you may, (and you will definitely curse it) you’ll inevitably end up joining in. Just so that you’re not out of the loop, I’ve provided the lyrics for the chorus so you can sing along while you watch the video. Don’t say I didn’t warn you though, this song will be stuck in your head until an equally annoying one pushes it out. Without further ado, I give you Flo Rida with the song Ayer.

Oh hot damn, this is my jam

Keep me partying til the a.m.
Y’all don’t understand
Make me throw my hands in the ayer
In the ayer, ay-ayer, ayer, ay-ayer

Perhaps you’ve noticed that cream puff swans seem suspiciously out of place in a post about ear worms. Here’s the link: I was allowed to play around at work the other day and I made these swans while trying not to hum along to Flo Rida or Christmas tunes, (which also seem to be popular lately). Everything comes full circle.

Mom's Zucchini Relish

Whenever I leave home there are some kitchen staples that I always have to take with me: maple syrup from the sugar bush down the street, Chatsworth Honey and Mom’s zucchini relish. The third item is what we’re going to focus on today. Mom’s zucchini relish is pretty much the only reason I eat hotdogs, (and even then, only if they’re bbq’d, don’t get me started on the disgustingness that is boiled hotdogs). I load up hotdogs with so much relish that they’re unrecognizable. Delicious.

I don’t eat hotdogs for just any relish though, it has to by my Mom’s. I try to make sure that I always have a back up jar in the cupboard because it’s a sad day when I go to retrieve the relish from the fridge and find that the jar has been scraped bare. If I’m at home I need only run downstairs to the fruit cellar where there’s usually a glorious stack of relish jars, begging to be popped open. If I’m away, I try to hold back the tears. A sad day indeed.

Quite frankly just seeing Mom’s relish in the fridge reminds me of home. Who would have thought a jar of relish could be comforting? It’s something I’ve grown up with though and I think most people have strong ties to items from their childhood. Sensory memories such as those associated with taste are particularly strong. Fortunately for me, I get to relive a little bit of my childhood on a regular basis as Mom’s zucchini relish can be made every year so I’ve got a constant supply. If you’d like a taste of my childhood, give this recipe a try. As with most canning recipes, this makes a big batch, but as it’s made with veggies fresh from the garden it’s got to be big to see you through to next year. Mom's recipe is handwritten in an old recipe book which is pretty to look at for its nostalgic value, but not so easy to read so I've copied it for you here.

Mom’s Zucchini Relish

5 zucchini

3 large cucumbers, peeled and seeded

8 green tomatoes, peeled and seeded

6 onions

3 sweet red peppers, seeded

3 apples and/or peaches, peeled and cored

1 small cabbage, cored

¼ cup pickling salt

6 cups cider vinegar

8 cups white sugar

2 T mustard seeds

1 T dry mustard

2 T celery seed

1 T turmeric

¾ cup flour with enough additional vinegar to make a smooth paste

Put first 7 ingredients into a food processor fitted with a shredding blade to grate. You’ll have to do this in stages and have a big bowl to put everything into.

Combine with pickling salt and allow to sit overnight. Drain well.

In a large pot combine the drained veg with the rest of the ingredients except for the flour and extra vinegar. Bring to a boil and then simmer 20-25 minutes.

Add the flour paste and boil for 5 minutes, until thick, stirring constantly.

While hot, pour into sterilized jars and seal.

Makes 8-9 pints.

The Kids Are Alright

My friend Pete is a News Editor for The Homer Index, a newspaper serving the Homer and Litchfield areas of Michigan. (If this sounds familiar, I’ve previously mentioned Pete in this post about roasting chicken). Every week I have the pleasure of opening my inbox to find a copy of Pete’s most recent Word on the Street column. This week Pete wrote about Ryan Michaels, an award-winning journalist who does movie reviews for Heritage Newspapers, Inc. What’s the big deal about an award-winning journalist? This one happens to be 11 years old and he received an honourable mention in the Michigan Press Association’s 2008 Better Newspaper Contest in the category of Local Columnist for a weekly paper with a circulation under 4,000. My friend Pete did not. Of course his initial reaction was to be depressed, and really, who could blame him? Being beat by an 11 year is almost as bad as that time he was beat by a 15 year old girl in a foot race…

But I digress… I could feel Pete’s pain because earlier in the day I had listened to a CBC radio interview with Luke Hayes-Alexander, (you can listen to the podcast in the archives under Eating and Dining Locally). Who? That would be 17 year old Executive Chef Luke Hayes-Alexander who plans the menu and cooks using locally sourced ingredients at his restaurant Luke’s! in Kingston, Ontario. He’s only 17 and he's a phenomenally good chef. What's more is that he's articulate and humble about that whole thing too. He became obsessed with food at age 11 and took off from there. And what am I doing with my life? Certainly not running things like Luke.

After initially hearing the interview I had the same reaction as Pete, depression. But after thinking about it for a while I came to another conclusion; that this might actually be a good sign. Maybe the kids are alright after all. Given all the horror stories told on the news involving the youth of today it’s kinda nice to hear that they’re not all bad. An optimist could even go so far as to hope that these youngsters are starting to become the rule as opposed to the exception. I can’t say that I’m not jealous of their success, but I’m happy they’re having it nonetheless. Pete also eventually admits that although he may have lost out on the award, he’s fallen to a worthy foe. Yes, the kids are alright. You should check out Pete’s website to read more of his articles which are always entertaining, informative and written with a sense of humour that I just can’t get enough of, (case in point: this article about Pete’s ongoing fight with Canada which began a few years ago when he, an American, voted in a Canadian Federal Election).

But back to the food… In honour of the little ones, I’m going against my ‘Go Big or Go Home’ slogan and posting a series of mini pies. They’re all made with Dorie’s Good for Almost Everything Pie Dough and were created to use up leftover dough or ingredients from other projects. None of them have recipes to go with them, other than the star pie which is actually Dorie’s Thanksgiving Twofer Pie, (pumpkin and pecan in one). I made a large version of that for Canadian Thanksgiving, which was this past weekend. The trio of pies are apple with maple caramel inside because I had leftover maple caramel and decided pie was the place for it to go. And the other pie is actually more of a pear crisp set on a pie shell, with sugar dusted pie dough scraps as garnish. I called it Pear Pie for One and was inspired to make it after watching Flight of the Conchords one night and hearing Bret sing about making a Lasagna for One. So there you have it, mini pies to salute the kids. I know I can’t beat them, I can only keep doing what I do and hope that the young ones will continue to flourish and subsequently support me when I get old. Or better yet, maybe I should consider becoming a cougar so I can snag one of those go-getters for myself… Hello Life Sponsor!

A Story for Every Flavour

You know how much I love ice cream, right? So it should be of no surprise that I don't care what the weather is like outside, I'm going to keep on making ice cream. If you're one of those people who only eats ice cream when it's hot outside, I have this to say: It's always hot somewhere so if you're in the Northern hemisphere and preparing for cold weather, I can recommend lovely Australia as the place to go for sunshine and eternal enjoyment of ice cream. So without further ado here are a sampling of a few of the ice creams I've recently made. You can find all of these recipes in David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop. A book every ice cream enthusiast should own.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ice Cream: The first time I had chocolate peanut butter ice cream was to impress a boy. It was his favourite flavour but I had never had it before and ordered it just to show him I had good taste. He also introduced me to cherry flavoured candy canes and although I like them both to this day, the boy is long gone. Lobovitz’s Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ice Cream wasn’t quite the same as the first cone I had but it’s awfully good when sandwiched between cookies.

Rich Vanilla Frozen Yogurt: This one is made by first straining regular yogurt, (or using Greek yogurt if you have access to it) until it’s thick and the results are phenomenal. I was hooked on this for a while and made batch after batch. That’s saying a lot for the girl who doesn’t like to make anything twice. It’s the perfect base for any add in of your choice but I liked it best with fresh fruit on top. I even ate it for breakfast with fruit and granola. What? It’s yogurt, it’s practically health food.

Fresh Mint Ice Cream with Fudge Ripple: I am a big fan of chocolate mint combos, especially if they come in the form of Girl Guide cookies. I was a Girl Guide for exactly one year and it may have been just so that I could eat a ridiculous amount of thin mint cookies. I haven’t laid my hands on a box of those in ages but I know if I did they would disappear in seconds. This Fresh Min Ice Cream was good on its own, but better with the Fudge Ripple.

Peach Ice Cream with Blueberry Sauce: I’ve struggled with peach ice cream this year. I’ve made it a few times and a few different ways and I’ve been somewhat disappointed each time. I don’t think the ice cream recipes have been the problem, I think it’s the quality of the peaches. Good peaches have been hard to find this year, they haven’t been sweet enough and consequently my ice creams have suffered. Coating the ice cream with blueberry sauce definitely helped make it better though.

Guinness-Milk Chocolate Ice Cream: I wanted to love this ice cream, I really did. I adored the intro story that David told, (he essentially described it as boy-bait) and I wanted to make it right away. Sadly I didn’t love the results, but once again, this is not the fault of the recipe. I decided that I don’t actually like Guinness and therefore didn’t like the ice cream. I kept eating it though because when you first take a bite all you taste is chocolate but the aftertaste is definitively Guinness. The Guinness makes the ice cream incredibly creamy though and I’m certain that this ice cream would win over many people but sadly I was not one of them.

Olive Oil Ice Cream with Lemon: Most people wrinkled their noses at me when I told them I made olive oil ice cream, and if your nose is currently wrinkled, unwrinkle it! The ice cream doesn’t taste overwhelmingly of olive oil, it’s just unbelievably creamy. I used a fruity olive oil from New Zealand and took David’s suggestion of infusing the olive oil with lemon zest. I’d be interested in trying it with orange and lime zest as well. I sneak citrus zest into a lot of things, I love the flavour it lends and zest is a fun word to say.

Fresh Ginger Ice Cream: I like ginger. I like it pickled with sushi, ground in desserts, grated in stir fries, candied and dipped in chocolate. I like it lots of ways. I like it in ice cream and especially when served over a Dorie Apple-Cranberry Crisp. Perfect for fall. Perfect for anytime.

Aztec “Hot” Chocolate Ice Cream: This one was definitely spicy. I like it that way though. It’s a confusing sort of ice cream as the temperature of the ice cream is obviously cold but after swallowing it your mouth is curiously on fire. I tried to dress up the ice cream by torching a marshmallow on top but stupid me forgot that ice cream + fire = ice cream soup. Only the top layer turned to liquid, it was still solid underneath and I love toasted marshmallows so I guess it was worth it. That reminds me, I want to make a toasted marshmallow ice cream…

I’ve also made David’s Super Lemon Ice Cream but the pictures are still in my camera and I have plans to make his Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream next. Stories for another day.

Baking and Lists

Dorie has been writing a 3 part series for Bon Appetit teaching us all how to be better bakers. In the first installment, (October’s issue) Dorie gave us a recipe for a savoury quick bread that includes one of my favourite ingredients, bacon. The loaf, (pictured here with a beautiful dahlia from the garden) is great on its own as it also includes cheddar, dried pears, walnuts and sage, but I like it toasted with a little honey on top.

Dorie’s second baking article appears in the November issue of Bon Appetit and as I read it I found myself nodding along in agreement. Dorie mentions unearthling a scrap of paper that says “Exercise more; take a drawing class; learn Spanish; tackle War and Peace.”

Although War and Peace has never quite made it onto on of my many to-do lists, exercise is always there and take a drawing class and learn Spanish have also made appearances. Last year I actually took the drawing class although I can’t say I’ve drawn a single thing since it ended. I also made a half-assed attempt at learning Spanish by downloading conversational Spanish lessons to my iPod and listening to them repeatedly. I eventually got bored of those and didn’t learn Spanish, unless you count being able to greet someone and give directions on how to take the bus to the supermarket.

One of my never ending lists is a “Stuff to Post” list where I have a wealth of my cooking and baking exploits. Today I’m able to remove part of the Dorie section as I share with you Pecan Brown Sugar Shortbread, Bill’s Big Carrot Cake, Alsatian Apple Tart, Cream Scones, (with raspberries) Cornmeal Shortbread Cookies, (with lemon zest) and Fresh Ginger Chocolate Gingerbread, (with lime cream cheese icing) all from Baking From My Home to Yours. Anything listed in brackets was my own additional to the already superb recipes. I enjoy an opportunity to add cream cheese icing to anything and it pairs wonderfully with chocolate gingerbread cake.

Sometimes the things that make my non cooking related lists are pretty unattainable, like ‘acquire a life sponsor’. Other times I write down simple things like ‘do laundry’ just so that I can have the satisfaction of crossing it off the list. I’m currently accepting suggestions for things to add to my list, I’m feeling the urge to try something new, so send your ideas my way. I’d also be happy to hear some of the things on your lists and if they ever actually get done.

Bacon Cheddar Quick Bread with Dried Pears, (from Dorie Greenspan via the October, 2008 issue of Bon Appetit)

5 bacon slices, chopped

1 cup coarsely grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese plus 1/2 cup 1/4-inch cubes extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces total)

1 cup finely chopped moist dried pears (about 3 1/2 ounces)

1/3 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped

1 tablespoon minced fresh sage

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 large eggs

1/3 cup whole milk

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Generously butter 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch metal loaf pan. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.

Combine bacon, all cheese, dried pears, walnuts, and sage in medium bowl. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper in large bowl to blend. Whisk eggs, milk, and olive oil in another medium bowl to blend. Pour egg mixture over flour mixture and stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Add bacon-cheese mixture and stir until incorporated (dough will be very sticky). Transfer dough to prepared loaf pan; spread evenly.

Bake bread until golden on top and slender knife inserted into center of bread comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool bread in pan 5 minutes, then turn out onto rack and cool completely. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in plastic, then foil, and store at room temperature.

Black Forest Cake

“I wanted to buy a candle holder, but the store didn't have one. So I got a cake.” That’s a Mitch Hedberg quote and he makes me laugh. He’s also a good source of inspiration for blog posts because he has a lot of one liners about food. This post is kinda like that Mitch quote. I wanted to write a blog post, but my brain didn’t have one. So I posted a cake. I actually made this cake in July for Mom’s birthday. As always, it had to be a black forest cake but I refused to make it the ordinary way and instead roasted the cherries for the filling in balsamic vinegar for a bit of a change. That was an excellent substitution. It was around that time that I first made balsamic roasted strawberry ice cream and fell in love with it so it was only natural that I gave cherries the same treatment. I’ve been meaning to do the same thing with peaches and I think it might happen yet. Possibly in ice cream form… Definitely in ice cream form.

There’s no specific recipe for this cake, it was cobbled together from a few different sources. The cake is the chocolate cake recipe from the cover of Dorie’s book. The filling is my own. And the frosting is simply a kirsch scented, lightly sweetened whipped cream. I wish I had more occasions to make layer cakes. I also wish that Mitch Hedberg wasn’t dead so he could come up with more great lines like “My friend was walking down the street and he said, "I hear music." As if there is any other way of taking it in. I tried to taste it, but it did not work.”