Phlavor

It is the height of summer now. No better time that now for cold, creamy homemade ice cream. This May was the first time I have ever had fresh ice cream, the kind created by people who love food and friends. Kelly and Juliette made Strawberry Ice Cream while I was staying with them. That was divine. The little strawberries from the local pick-your-own were potent and sweet. I am amazed at how much richer and more flavorful homemade is over the store bought. It even trumps the ice cream parlor.

Mint. That one little work conjures up a mouthful of explosive flavor. One leaf is enough to flavor a glass of tea. One stem makes a mojito something more than just rum and sugar. When you think about it you can taste it. And there are different flavors of it, old reliable peppermint, spicy strong spearmint, alluring chocolate mint, and the tropical pineapple mint with its sassy sweetness mixed into all that zing. It's hardy. It will dominate your yard if giving a little nudge. Thankfully, it is plentiful.

I am a chocolate gal. The darker the better and bittersweet, ohhh. Love in a bar. What more do you need out of life than a pint of New York Super Fudge Chunk at the end of a very bad day? Chocolate can so take the pain away. A bite can open your mind and a bar lets all the bad flow out. Not so much to make a tummy ache, but just enough to start pleasure stirring, to feel the silky texture, the melting sensual flavor on your willing tongue. Combine that with the powerful flavors of mint and you've got yourself quite the illicit love affair.

I mentioned in an earlier blog that I had made Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. Well, the mint in the back yard is starting to get a little out of hand so I'm doing it again. It is steeping in warm cream, milk and sugar right now. In a short while it will get combined with more cream and some eggs, making a smooth and delicious concoction.

I am using the recipe from Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz with only a slight modification. Where he says warm the milk, I actually go for tea steeping temperature, somewhere around 175 F, to bring out the most flavor of the mint. I also bruise the leaves before steeping to release the oils. At the end, just before finishing it off in the ice cream maker, I will be adding the crushed pieces of a very dark chocolate bar. I will not post the recipe here since it isn't mine. If you are so inclined, I would suggest picking up a copy of his book. The flavors he uses and pairs together are inspired.

And here is the finished product. It has a greener color than the picture describes. It is a lovely color of pale emerald. And, oh, the flavor and texture!

The Relationship and Phood Phreek

Cool crock I found at the Archon Art Show

It may be time for me to consider whether I am ready for long term relationships. So far, my track record isn't up to snuff. Some of my friends may question whether I am making the right decision, but I think I can do it. I began a sourdough starter. It is 5 days in the making so far and I haven't killed it or forgotten it yet but our relationship is still new. It is timid and I am unsure. How will it react to my place? Will it grow and flourish here or will it turn on me? Can I live with it without taking for granted that it will always be there? Am I mature enough to give it the care and nurturing it needs or will I end up like others on the blogosphere who speak so callously about how easy it is to start it and ignore it or chuck it if it doesn't suit? The aroma is faint at the moment. It is beginning its life of fermentation. If I didn't know better I would think it wanted to be beer.

And so the story begins....

Finding My Phood Muse Again

Was it really just April 29th when I last wrote? It feels like a year or more has passed. It's been a busy summer, some good busy, some ok busy and some just downright high on the ick factor busy.

I haven't done a lot of in depth cooking since my last entry except for a wedding cake. That was monumental. I wanted to blog the process but really just needed to get the thing baked and delivered. I did take a picture of the final product. I was happy with it. The bride was happier. It was a tribute to flavor. The largest layer was chocolate cake with hazelnut syrup, hazelnut buttercream between layers and a thin layer of Nutello mixed with a bit of apple sauce spread over the layers to help keep it moist. The next layer up, my favorite, was a lemon cake. From a regular yellow cake recipe, I simply replaced the vanilla with lemon extract. It was so brightly flavored. Between the layers was a lemon buttercream and a layer of raspberry all fruit jam. The top two layers were the same flavors, chocolate cake sprinkled with rum and coffee with rum buttercream between. All of it was covered with rolled fondant flavored with either hazelnut or lemon depending on the layer. It worked. I have made quite a few wedding cakes over the years. Each time I am happy with them. I take a few years break, thinking I'll never do that again, then a friend with an as yet unmarried relative comes crawling out of the wood work and asks if I still bake cakes. I always seem to answer yes. About half way through the process I start wondering what I got myself into and how could I say yes again, etc. But by the end I feel like I've accomplished something wonderful for someone I care about. It's worth it.

Finished cake. No topper, she didn't think it needed it.

I am settling into my new place. It is a beautiful 1920's apartment with hardwood floors, high ceilings and lots of windows. The kitchen is of an actual workable size. I haven't had any parties yet. There are still a lot of unopened boxes blocking space my dining room. I have, however, taken to making ice cream. The back yard has a couple of nice flower gardens and one is just teaming with mint. So, what else, mint ice cream happens. I used the base recipe from David Lebowitz Perfect Scoop. To that I added more mint (I really like the flavor) and chopped up bittersweet chocolate. That was super yummy. Every now and then I think about the flavor of that first batch and I actually miss it. I must make more before summer is over. Thankfully, summer in the midwest can last right on into late October. My next batch was Maple Walnut ice cream. My sister had given me a tin of Grade A Dark Amber and I found some walnuts at the farmers' market. It was a custard base that came out smooth and super creamy with a heady maple flavor and chunks of maple covered walnuts throughout. At the same time, some friends of mine had just returned from a trip to Mexico and had challenged me to make a sorbet like one they had tasted there. It was mango and chili's. Getting the mango sorbet was a breeze, but figuring out what kind of chili and how much is a work in progress. The first batch was with chipotle powder, only a half teaspoon in 2 quarts of sorbet. It was smokey and hot and frozen all at once. It went best, I think, mixed with a scoop of chocolate ice cream (which is exactly what we did at Stavra's Ice Cream Social). Without the chocolate ice cream, I found the chili a little too overwhelming and I'm no whimp when it comes to this stuff. So what flavor shall I make next? Research Geek and I were talking about sticky toffee pudding ice cream. I'm thinking it's a must! And, yes, I will start taking more pictures as I go. It's a bad habit of mine to forget that I own a camera at all.

So here I am, sitting at my desk in late evening thinking about what will be next. I am going to start a sourdough starter tomorrow night and go for the bread this weekend. I can't wait to try sourdough flapjacks and doughnuts. I promise to write all about it in the coming weeks. I'm busy getting ready for a new semester in school, working hard and settling in, but I miss the writing. I am making more time for it and for the baking and cooking that inspires it. How else will I get any relaxation if I don't make time to work in my kitchen?

More later....and beyond.... ;)