Spork or Foon?

Top Chef with Teanna: Season 1, Episode 7. Part Deux - Caramelized Banana Crisp with Hot Butter Rum Sauce.

Yes, as I said yesterday, it tastes as good as it sounds.

In the second and final installment of this week's winning dishes from Top Chef's Restaurant Wars, I present to you this Caramelized Banana Crisp with a Hot Butter Rum Sauce.  

I had carte blanche to make whatever I wanted this week, as the concept of the winning restaurant was an American Workshop.  I had the idea to try this caramelized banana crisp, so I went with it.  I initially wanted to do a banana flambe crisp, by flambeeing (is that a verb?) the bananas and then putting them in the oven in the crisp.  But then I read somewhere that Eric Ripert said to not put flambe in a toaster or else it will explode.  And when Eric Ripert speaks, I listen.  

So I caramelized the bananas in a bit of butter and brown sugar until they got nice and... caramelly.  Then, I popped them in the oven with a delicious topping and hoped for the best. 

This. was. amazing.

The rum soaked, caramelized bananas take on a wonderfully creamy texture underneath the crisp sugary topping with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon. 

In the words of Darrel Hammond, AKA Sean Connery in Celebrity Jeopardy from the Saturday Night Live glory days of the late 90s:  "You're sitting on a gold mine, Trebek!"

Now, we are not talking about the Penis Mightier here (that's "The Pen IS Mightier"), but this may be the next best invention. 

Flambeed Banana Crisp with a Hot Butter Rum Sauce 

This is best served with a big scoop of ice cream.

Hot Butter Rum Sauce Recipe

Serves 2

For the Bananas

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 medium bananas

Melt butter in large sauce pan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and lower heat to a simmer.  Let simmer for 2 min. Slice bananas in a diagonal into 1/3" inch slices. Arrange in a single layer in sauce pan, turning after 2 minutes, until golden brown on each side.
 

For the Crisp

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour 

1/4 cup oats

1/4 teaspoon salt 
6 tablespoons butter 

Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter or spray two individual ramekins.

Combine bananas, sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon in a ramekin.

Mix sugar, flour, oats and salt. Cut in butter until it forms crumbs. Scatter mixture over batter and bake 40 minutes or until browned.

Top Chef with Teanna: Season 1, Episode 7 - Restaurant Wars - I'm Not Your B-, B-!

Yes, my friends, it is here. My favorite Top Chef Theme and yours: Restaurant Wars.

In Season 1, Tiffani, Dave, and Harold teamed up with an American Workshop Concept, serving classic American Food such as Tuna Tartare (don't ask, it's not classic American, but they did it as sort of an homage to a dish Harold created in Episode 5), Roasted Chicken, and a Fruit Crisp. It doesn't sound too impressive, but one thing we have learned over the years in Top Chef is that sometimes simple is better. Let's see if it worked.

They were against Leanne, Stephen, and Miguel's Spanish restaurant, Sabor. Their menu included a tapas trio, red snapper with crispy risotto cakes, and olive oil ice cream. 

It turned out that the American Workshop won, due in no small part to Dave's friendly demeanor at the front of the house, which won over diners and judges alike. 

Let's get down to what was really important in this episode. If you thought it was the food, you are strongly mistaken. No, no. It was the line that was heard round the world.  A little ditty that goes a little something like this:

I'm not your bitch, bitch!

Ah, yes. Sweet, often nervous and fidgety, Dave, put the evil Tiffani in her place once and for all. And not only did he put Tiffani in his place, he started what is now the Bravo TV phenomenon of creating T-Shirts for their reality TV programming.  You, too, can now thank Dave for your Housewives of Orange County T-Shirt with two orange slices going across your boobs.  It is capitalism at its finest. Click here for your very own I'm Not Your Bitch, Bitch T-Shirt.

This was a great week for me for several reasons - All of the dishes were relatively simple, there were no recipes with hundreds of ingredients (there were no recipes at all, being that these were pretty straightforward), and I would have carte blance to prepare what I like. 

I could not find sashimi grade tuna, so I skipped the Tartare Course and went straight to the main.  I was rifiling through my first EVER (seriously, I remember it like it was yesterday) Food and Wine Magazine, with a section from Thomas Keller and his pastry chef for a delicious summer meal with Roasted Chicken. He served the chicken with wilted arugula heirloom tomatoes with a summer succotash and pickled pearl onions.  

Score. 

I only followed the recipe for the pickled onions, but used the rest as a guide.  I've linked to Thomas Keller's Roasted Chicken Recipe, which is the most beautiful recipe ever. Dry Chicken. Salt Chicken. Put Chicken in oven. Leave it alone for an hour. Eat it the way I tell you (yes, he tells you how to eat it).

I then made a Banana Flambe Crisp with a Hot Butter Rum Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream. Yes, it sounds as good as it was.  I will post about it tomorrow. 

Thomas Keller's Roasted Chicken 

Thomas Keller's Quick Pickled Pearl Onions

Vine Ripened Tomatoes Stuffed with Summer Succotash adapted from Food and Wine Magazine

¾ cup green peas

½ cup corn kernels

¼ cup yellow onion, diced large

8 firm, ripe heirloom tomatoes (about 5 ounces each)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 1/2 tablespoons snipped chives

 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 425°. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and corn and boil until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain the beans and corn, transfer to a bowl and let cool.

Slice off the bottom of each tomato so it sits flat. Using a knife, cut around the center of each tomato to form a cone that can easily be removed once the tomato is baked. Brush the tomatoes with olive oil and set them in a large pie plate, stem side up. Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper and roast just until tender, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly, then spoon out and discard the centers to make room for the succotash.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoons of the butter in the 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Cook the onion until very soft and translucent, about 7 minutes.  Add the green beans and corn and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and the chives and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the succotash into the tomatoes and serve warm or at room temperature.

TWD: Coffee and a Donut Breakfast Ice Cream

Recently, Jack and I got into a serious argument.  He stated that Pistachio pudding is the best dessert on the face of the Earth. I told him that he was crazy, asking how he could like some thin, electric-green powdered box-dessert when he can have a cool and creamy, freshly churned ice cream.  He told me that Pistachio pudding is the best because it is delicious (great argument). He then hit me with a "It is better than any dessert you've ever made me" jab, saw my stunned face and followed it up with a  "Wow, look at your hair, you look like Medusa (it is very humid out!)" cross, and made a final blow with a "You have awful eyebrows. I hope our kids have my eyebrows" punch that was very below the belt.  

I was determined to prove Jack wrong (on ALL fronts).  I grabbed my straightening iron, plucked my eyebrows, and started churning some ice cream (not at the same time, thankfully). 

I tried two different versions of Dorie's ice cream. First, was Dorie's vanilla. Simple to make. Easy. Creamy. Smooth. Rich. Hints of creamy, sweet bourbon vanilla produce a smooth finish to the ice cream.  Who ever knew vanilla could taste so good? 

I gave Jack a taste.  

"It is good, but too cold."  He said through bites of ice cream.  

I gritted my teeth. How could ice cream be too cold?  ICE. cream. 

Then I made Dorie's Mint Chocolate Chip Version, knowing Mint Chocolate Chip is his favorite flavor.  Bits of intsense 70% dark chocolate studded the minty cool ice cream and was an instant favorite.  

"It's not green." he observed.

No, it's all natural. I told him

"It would be better if it was green."  

Apparently, this is the movie BIG and I am dating a 12-year old Tom Hanks.

I racked my brain for something that would wow him. I was an avid reader of Michael Laiskonis's, the head Pastry Chef at the famed Le Bernadin restaurant in New York City, Workbook Blog. There, he created a Cinnamon Toast Ice Cream in which he soaked wheat bread in milk overnight, strained it, squeezed out the excess milk, churned it with fancy pastry-chef things like trimoline and glucose powder, and added some cinnamon sugar to the very end of the churning process.

I used Dorie's ice cream as a base for this, and let me tell you something. I forgot to toast the bread before the soak, which I am sure would have imparted even more bread flavor into the ice cream, this ice cream is a winner.  Pure culinary genius. The cinnamon-sugar adds a sweet and fragrant finish and wonderfully crunchy texture to the smooth and creamy bread ice cream.  I went a step further and made a Hazelnut Coffee Ice Cream that I adapted from The Perfect Scoop. 

If this didn't wow him, I don't know what would. 

I set both flavors in front of him and told him that it was my version of Breakfast Ice Cream:  Coffee and a Donut (I know it is cinnamon toast and not a cinnamon donut, but that is neither here nor there). He looked confused, but took a bite.  He looked up at me and smiled. He then got off the couch and did his happy-when-he-likes-my-food-dance.  

I win. Pistachio pudding be damned, I win.

A few notes.  Jack is never that mean to me seriously, he was joking about the hair and eyebrows thing (which he does all the time with a devilish grin). Also, I didn't take any photos of the vanilla and mint chocolate chip flavors because I didn't keep the ice cream around long enough for me to pick at it over and over.   But they were good. Best. Ever. Seriously.

Check out Lynne of Cafe LynneLu for the recipe and check out TWD for some more delicious ice cream variations! 

Pistachio Pudding Pie - Keepin' it Real

I write this post in fear. In fear that I will loose all credibility. In fear that I will be exhiled from the food blogging community. In fear that if, one day, I ever become a famous baker/cook/food blogger, this very post will resurface and paint me as a fraud.

But I must share this with you.  Because frankly, my friends, I've got to keep it real.

As you may know, last week was my boyfriend Jack's birthday.  I made him a dish of duck confit and date and apricot stuffed gnocchi.  It was a culinary achievement. I was proud.

But Jack has one true love in his world (well... besides me.  And our Australian Shepherd, Remy).  And that love is pistachio pudding.

He has begged and pleaded for me to make him pistachio pudding.  I always promised that I would, but never pulled through. I had never even had pistachio pudding, so I was unfamiliar with where to begin. Even my trusty companion, Google, didn't help. I could not find a recipe for homemade pistachio pudding. Anywhere. So I let it go.

But this year, I really wanted to make his neon-green dreams come true.  So I searched again.  I finally found a recipe for pistchio pudding, but it called for pistachio paste.  I sighed in frustration and began to Google pistachio paste recipes.  I found two - one that used a ton of confectioner's sugar, which I wanted to avoid, and a Pierre Herme` recipe that I just didn't have the time to make.  

In my searches, however, I found several recipes for ways in which to use Jell-o pistachio pudding.  In cake, (mixes) in cupcakes (mixes), and in pies.  I headed to the supermarket and bit the bullet.  I wore a hat and sunglasses and all black, lest I should be recognized, and swept two boxes of pistachio pudding into my cart. I did not make eye contact with the cashier.  I ran to my car and peeled out of the parking lot.

I poured the green... powder... into a bowl and added milk.  The light green... powder... turned a shade of neon, bio-chemical green.  I followed the directions, using a pre-made (the horror) Oreo cookie crust, ground 100-calorie pack chocolate wafers, a bit of light cream cheese, and cool whip.  I assembled my preservative-filled, fake ingredient-having cake and hid it in the back of the fridge for two reasons:  so Jack wouldn't find it, and so I can forget it ever happened.  I then took a shower to wash the shame off of me.

At dessert time, I lit some candles and walked into the dining room. Jack had a look of shock on his face, as he was not expecting a cake. He made three wishes (so cute), blew out his candles, and plunged his knife into the cake.  The glowing green layer caugh his eye.

"Could it be?" he asked, excitedly.

I nodded and smiled.

He took a huge piece and dropped it on his cake, quickly grabbed his fork and shoveled a bit into his mouth.  The largest smile shone on his face.

I couldn't believe this was good. I took a bite.  Huh?  It was not only good... it was GREAT.  I grabbed a piece for myself.  I finished that off and took a bit more.  I never take whole pieces of cake.  I never go in for seconds. But this... I could not resist.  I was prisoner to the power of the green. 

Smooth. Creamy. Cool. Easy. And actually pretty low-cal, low fat, being that the major componenets of this dish were low-fat, no sugar added pistachio pudding, light Cool Whip, and 100 calorie packs.

And I think I'm making it again this week. Don't judge. Just keep it real.

Pistachio Pudding Pie Adapted from Here

1-1/2 cups chocolate wafer cookies (about 100-Calorie Oreo packs)

3 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese (softened)

1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1 8 oz. container frozen whipped topping (such as Cool Whip), thawed

1 prepared chocolate crumb crust (such as Oreo or Keebler)

3/4 cup cold skim milk

1 1/2 (4-serving size) packages instant pistachio pudding

Preparation:

Place wafer cookies in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until they become coarse crumbs. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar together. Beat in half of the thawed whipped topping. Spoon into prepared crust.

Top with half of the crushed cookie crumbs.

Place milk in another bowl. With a whisk, beat in the pistachio pudding. Beat in the remaining whipped topping. Spoon over the cookie crumb layer.

Top with the remaining crushed cookie crumbs.

Refrigerate 3-4 hours until firm.

Pizza with Lamb, Rosemary, and Gorgonzola

The Setting: Interior. Kitchen. Thursday evening. 

The Situation:  I had just returned home from a long day of work and was hoping to make a quick dinner that I had been looking forward to making for two weeks:  Fig, Rosemary, and Gorgonzola Pizza. 

The Background:  Each time I went to the supermarket to get figs, they were sold out.  I finally hit the jackpot two days before, when Whole Foods was freshly stocked with Black Mission Figs.  I had previously prepared an Alice Waters pizza dough recipe and froze it for this special occasion.  

Cut to me at the counter, setting my mise en place.  The dough had been brought to room temperature. The rosemary chopped. The gorgonzola crumbled. Now, it was time to slice the figs.

Cue dramatic music. Close up on mold spores. 

Cut to my widened eyes, filled with a mix of horror and sorrow.

As I said previously, I had been looking forward to this for weeks. WEEKS.  My dreams, which were so close to coming true, were crushed.  I turned to Jack for help. I tried to convince myself that it wasn't mold.  But it was a losing battle.  

We racked our brains for items that we had on hand that would compliment gorgonzola and rosemary. Grilled plums.  Caramelized Onions. Lamb.

Stop.  Hammer Time.

We had lamb shoulder in the freezer.  It would work.  It had to work.  We defrosted the lamb shoulder, I seasoned it with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, seared in on the stove for 5 minutes, spread it on the pizza, sprinkled it with rosemary and gorgonzola, and said a prayer as I placed it in the oven.

Cut to:

Interior. Couch. 30 minutes later. 

I walk over to Jack and hand him a steaming slice of pizza.  I eye him as he takes his first bite. His eyes widen.

Jack:  MMMMMMMMM.  BABY. WOW.

Me:  Really?  

I take a bite.  WOW. The creamy gorgonzola melted in my mouth while I chewed on pieces of succulent lamb and tasted the fresh pine flavor from the fragrant rosemary. The pizza dough was delicious, with a crust that was hard on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside with hints of rye from the addition of rye flour.

Our smiles lit up the room as the camera fades to black.

THE END.

Lamb, Rosemary and Gorgonzola Pizza (Pizza Crust Recipe adapted from The Art of Simple Foods)

2 teaspoons dry yeast

1/2 cup lukewarm water

1/4 cup unbleached white flour

1/4 cup rye flour

2 cups unbleached white flour

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour (if you do not have ww flour, just used 3 1/4 cup unbleached white flour)

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup cold water

1/4 olive oil 

1 lb. lamb shoulder, trimmed of fat and diced

2 tablespoons rosemary, minced

4 oz. crumbled gorgonzola cheese

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Stir together yeast and warm water until yeast is dissolved.  Add 1/4 cup white flour and rye flour.  Allow the mixture to sit until quite bubbly, about 30 minutes. 

In another bowl, mix together the unbleached white flour, whole wheat flour, and salt.  Stir this into the yeast and flour mixture and add cold water and olive oil. 

Mix thoroughly by hand or in an electric stand mixer.  If working by hand, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead until the dough is soft and elastic, about 5 minutes.  If the dough is too wet and sticky, add more flour, but only enough to form a soft, slightly sticky dough.  Or use the mixer, fitted with a dough hook, and knead for about 5 minutes.  The dough is the right texture when it pulls away from the sides of the bowl of the mixer, but still adheres to the bottom.  You are looking for a very soft, slightly moist dough.

Put the dough in a large bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.  For an even better-tasting and more supple dough, let the dough rise slowly overnight in the refrigerator.  Remove from the fridge 2 hours before shaping.

Divide the dough into two and form each piece into a nice, smooth ball.  Allow the dough balls to rest at room temperature, wrapped loosely in plastic, for an hour or so.  Flatten each ball into a disk about 5 or 6 inches in diameter, flour lightly, cover, and let rest for another 15 minutes.  Place a baking stone on the lowest rack in the oven.  Preheat the oven to 500 F.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat in a medium sauce pan. Season the lamb with kosher salt and black pepper.  Sear the lamb on each side until golden brown. Set aside.

Gently stretch one of the disks into a round roughly 10 inches in diameter and put on a floured peel or an inverted baking sheet.  Brush the dough with olive oil, and, leaving a 1/2" border uncovered, top with lamb, rosemary, and gorgonzola.  Slide the pizza onto the baking stone and bake until the crust is browned, about 15 minutes.

Top Chef with Teanna - Season 1, Episode 6 - Date and Apricot Stuffed Gnocchi and Duck Confit

Oh, where do I begin with this post.  

This dish gave me nightmares.  Many of the Top Chef winning dishes have recipes online.  This, however, does not.  Not only does it not have a recipe, but I was hard-pressed to find a good stuffed gnocchi recipe.  I also could not find dried figs.  It also takes 2 days to make duck confit. 

I was so stressed with this dish, that I even went out of order last week, making Episode 9's dish of Truffle and Cognac Mac and Cheese and Filet Mignon with Truffled Mirepoix. 

But I couldn't escape this dish for long.  Oh no.  I needed to face the music.

This week's challenge had the chef-testants cooking dinner for Ted Allen, then of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy fame, at a dinner party.  The chefs had to prepare a 7 course meal.  Each chef drew knives and had to come up with their dish to fit the corresponding course.  Stephen "took one for the team" at the request of Tiffani and took the dessert course.  He then used AOL to find a dessert recipe.

Let's talk about some historical references for this episode, which aired in April of 2006.

1.  Queer Eye for the Straight Guy was popular.

2.  People still used AOL.

In true Top Chef fashion, Tom Colicchio came into the kitchen with his pretty blue eyes and turned the tables on the chefs by telling them that they were not going to cook the dish they came up with, but would be assigned another chef's dish.  Of course, the chefs were dumbfounded.  

Regardless, the meal ended up going very well, with the chef-testants pitching in to help each other with the dishes and put out a very nice meal. Leanne won with Tiffani's Fig Stuffed Gnocchi with Duck Confit.

Also in the episode, Miguel felt that Tiffani was conspiring against him, as Tiffani told the judges he should be the one sent home.  "You're a snake."  He hissed.  Then he hissed.  Literally.

Now let's talk about duck confit, shall we?  We all know that duck is fattening in and of itself.  But how about we submerge duck in 4 CUPS OF DUCK FAT and let it sit for two days?  Who wants to talk about fat now?  

Since I could not find figs, I made a stuffing for the gnocchi out of dates, apricots, sage, parsley and shallots.  I also could not find duck fat, so I rendered as much fat as I could from a 5 pound duck and used Michael Ruhlman's duck confit recipe, which uses olive oil instead of duck fat. Finally, I lightly tossed the gnocchi 2 tablespoons of brown butter before serving. 

Obviously, you do not eat anywhere near the amount of oil or duck fat that the duck is soaking in, but in the name of keeping healthy, I did not eat the dish and instead had a pear while I watched Jack and his master metabolism enjoy the succulent duck with its crispy skin, fluffy light gnocchi filled with a sweet and savory stuffing of dates, apricots, and sage. 

But I did not walk away empty handed.  With this challenge, I learned how to deconstruct my first duck, make duck confit, and make a damn good stuffed gnocchi recipe all on my own.  This was an absolutely solid dish that served as a perfect birthday dinner for Jack.  

Next week, my favorite episode and yours, Restaurant Wars.

Duck Confit Recipe by Michael Ruhlman

Gnocchi Recipe from Michael Chiarello

Date and Apricot Stuffing

For the stuffing: 
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup pitted and coarsely chopped dried dates
1/4 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots
2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp. chopped fresh sage
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Set aside to cool. Put the dates and apricots in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the , parsley, sage, and onions and pulse a few more times until everything is minced and well combined. 

To Fill the Gnocchi:

After you have rolled and cut the gnocchi, place a scant 1/4 tsp filling into gnocchi, roll into a ball to cover filling, and then roll on a well floured board to shape gnocchi. Repeat with remaining filling.  Freeze gnocchi or cook immediately in a pot of boiling, salted water. 

Forgive the flash, my kitchen is a window-less dungeon.

TWD: Raspberry Blanc Manger (THE BLESSING!)

You may be asking yourself, "What is a Blanc Manger".  Well, dear readers, Dorie describes a Blanc Manger (pronounced blah-mahn-jay) as panna cotta's kissing cousin.

Let me give you a little history about me and Panna Cotta, shall we?  We used to never get along.  When presented with the option for panna cotta as a dessert when I was younger, I always thought back to the scene in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation where the family is gathering for Christmas Dinner, and Ellen's crazy Aunt and Uncle show up with a green jello mold with cat food as garnish and the camera pans the table as the family tries to make their way through dinner, crunching an all.

You know the Aunt and Uncle I'm talking about?  Who gave us such hilarious lines like:

Is Rusty still in the Navy?

and

Clark: Since this is Aunt Bethany's 80th Christmas, I think she should say grace.

Aunt Bethany: What dear?

Nora: Grace!

Aunt Bethany: Grace? Grace died 30 years ago.

Uncle Lewis:  THE BLESSING!

Aunt Bethany: Oh.  I pledge allegiance, to the flag...

Pure genius. It is not Christmas without that movie, in my opinion.

Now, you are probably wondering why I compare panna cotta to this dessert.  Unfortunately, I do not have an answer for that.  No one can argue with the logic of a once picky eater.

Now, however, I love panna cotta.  The creamy, smooth refreshing texture is something I look forward to in a dessert.  And its "kissing cousin", the blanc manger, did not let me down.  The whole texture of the ground up almonds thing did not help my case for remembering the green jello mold with cat food as garnish, however, this was an absolutely delicious dessert that was easy to make.  A little milk, a little cream, some ground up almonds, some gelatin, and voila! A very impressive dessert.  I made two versions:  a blueberry version (with the fruit on the inside) and a fig version with fig jam (no fruit on the inside) that was atop a graham cracker sable from Johnny Iuzzini's dessert book, Dessert Fourplay (get this book for some fantastic professional dessert ideas).  I liked it better without the fruit on the inside, as I didn't want anything getting in the way of that delicious blanc manger.

On another note, today is Jack's birthday!  So we'll be celebrating by polishing this off and then tonight, I'm making him duck confit with date stuffed gnocchi (which also will be my Top Chef post for tomorrow). Needless to say, I hope I don't mess it up!  But I hope it will be the perfect dinner for my little Harry Potter look-a-like.  

Seriously, the older Harry Potter gets (not Daniel Radcliff, but Harry Potter), the more he looks like Jack.  I couldn't get over it while watching the movie this time around.

Check out Susan of Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy for the recipe and check out TWD to see more great blanc mangers!

Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream

Take a look at that title right there.  When reading the name of that ice cream, I knew what I was in for.  Decadence.  Creaminess.  Sumptuousness.  Diet-breaking-ness.  But I did not care.   Upon tasting this ice cream, all restraint went out of the window.  I smiled.  I squealed.  I ate.  I made a shrine to David Lebovitz around my ice cream maker.

Ok, I didn’t go that far. 

This ice cream is the richest, most velvety, most luxurious, complex and flavorful ice cream that I have ever tasted. Typically, homemade ice cream tends to be hard as a rock after it is frozen, but because of the caramel, this ice cream stays soft and lush for days on end.  In my case, that means it is easier to sneak a bite every now and then.   And another.  And another…

Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream 

Adapted from David Liebovitz

 

2 cups whole milk, divided

1½ cups sugar
4 tablespoons salted butter
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

To make the ice cream, make an ice bath by filling a large bowl about a third full with ice cubes and adding a cup or so of water so they're floating. Nest a smaller metal bowl (at least 2 quarts/liters) over the ice, pour 1 cup (250 ml) of the milk into the inner bowl, and rest a mesh strainer on top of it.

Spread 1½ cups sugar in the saucepan in an even layer. Heat the sugar over moderate heat until the edges begin to melt. Use a heatproof utensil to gently stir the liquefied sugar from the bottom and edges towards the center, stirring, until all the sugar is dissolved. (Or most of it—there may be some lumps, which will melt later.)

Continue to cook stirring infrequently until the caramel starts smoking and begins to smell like it's just about to burn. It won't take long.

Once caramelized, remove from heat and stir in the butter and salt, until butter is melted, then gradually whisk in the cream, stirring as you go.  The caramel may harden and seize, but return it to the heat and continue to stir over low heat until any hard caramel is melted. Stir in 1 cup of the milk.

Whisk the yolks in a small bowl and gradually pour some of the warm caramel mixture over the yolks, stirring constantly. Scrape the warmed yolks back into the saucepan and cook the custard using a heatproof utensil, stirring constantly (scraping the bottom as you stir) until the mixture thickens. If using an instant-read thermometer, it should read 160-170 F.

Pour the custard through the strainer into the milk set over the ice bath, add the vanilla, then stir frequently until the mixture is cooled down. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or until thoroughly chilled.

Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Recipe Inbox

It's been a while and I've got some good ones this week:

I just discovered this site and I am glad I did.  My Cooking Hut has a fantabulous (it is a word in my book) Cherry Tomato and Zucchini Tart.  Slather some goat cheese on that bad boy and I'm dancing in the streets.

I actually think that I'm going to move into this hut and wash down this tart with a little Blueberry and Pistachio Tiramisu.  Word.

Let us talk about the brilliance that is Cannelle et Vanille and her Pate Feuilletee that she turns into Raspberry Palmiers.  Lets then discuss my inabilaty to pronounce the word feuilletee (I'd sound like the Friends Episode where Pheobe tries to teach Joey French).  

Let's do a little food magic shall we? No Recipes has an amazing (recipe) for Pastilla.  Is it savory? Is it sweet? For something that "activates your sweet taste receptors" and the finishes with an "umami burst of flavour (with a "u")." Yeah, I'm in. 

Don't judge, but I don't think Milk Chocolate is that bad. Ok, judge. But then throw some truffles in that bad boy? Are you still judging? Check out Sophistimom for her Milk Chocolate Truffle Ice Cream and take those judgey-pants off.

I know it is not a recipe, but I think I'll have to include new blog discoveries as well. There are so many great bloggers out there, and I have been very into food photography lately, so these sites really tickle all of my fancies.  

So what did I add to my Google Reader this week?

Milk + Honey Cafe - A Canadian who moved to America who moved to Korea who moved back to America who moved back to Canada.  And she is only 23.  And an awesome food photographer. 

Bitchen Camero - Love the name. Love the photography. Love the site. 

Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

I have always wanted to try my hand at zucchini blossoms and finally had my shot this Sunday.  A certain stand at the Dupont Circle Farmer's Market in DC was brimming with the delicate flowers.

But what do with them?  I had never even tasted a zucchini blossom, let alone knew how they were prepared.

I stood in my apartment and scanned the room, hoping to find some inspiration.  But all I saw was an autographed photo of Mark Twain, an autographed photo of three Dallas Cowboys phenoms (Michael Irvin, Troy Aikman, and Emmit Smith) and a photo of Jack and his sister with Bill Clinton - no autograph.

Now, I could go there and make a joke about rolling the zucchini blossoms into cigars, but that would be so 1996.  And I don't think any of us want to go back there.

But lo!  What's this? The July Issue of La Cucina Italiana sitting on my printer with none other than zucchini blossoms on the cover?  What are the odds? I squeal in excitement as I flip through the magazine to find not one, not two, but, like, 5 or 6 (I didn't count) recipes all featuring zucchini blossoms!  

Cue angels singing.

I learned that zucchini blossoms are often served stuffed, and sometimes fried. The options were endless:  zucchini and mushroom omeletes with zucchini blossoms, asparagus soup with zucchini blossoms, shrimp stuffed fried zucchini blossoms... I could go on.  I went with Zucchini Blossoms with Vegetables, because, with some tweaks, I had everything I needed to make the recipe.

These were the perfect summer appetizer. As you bite into the blossom, your mouth is filled with a combination of light and creamy cheeses, sweet, crunchy leeks, and the pop of succulent peas.  Don't miss out on the magic of the zucchini. 

Zucchini Blossoms with Vegetables adapted from La Cucina Italiana

Ingredients

1 leek, white and pale green parts only

Coarse sea salt

3 medium tomatoes

Extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup shelled fresh peas (1 to 1 1/2 pounds in pods) or frozen peas

1 large carrot, finely chopped

7 ounces ricotta salata cheese, softened at room temperature, crumbled

4 ounces mascarpone cheese (1/2 cup), at room temperature

12 large zucchini blossoms, stems and pistils removed

Good quality balsamic vinegar

Special Equipment: a 10-inch disposable pastry bag or sealable plastic bag 
 

Instructions

Cut leek in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces and wash. 

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil. Drop tomatoes into water and boil 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, remove tomatoes. Peel, seed, and cut into 1-inch pieces. Transfer to a bowl.

Cook fava beans in the same pot of boiling water until tender, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a colander. Run under cold water for 1 minute to stop cooking, then pat dry with paper towels and add to bowl with tomatoes. Drizzle with oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Cook leeks, peas and carrot in the same pot of boiling water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and run under cold water for 1 minute to stop cooking. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add robiola, mascarpone and generous pinch salt and pepper to leek mixture; stir together to combine. Transfer cheese mixture to pastry bag. Snip a 1/3-inch opening and pipe filling into blossoms. Using your fingers, gently press petals around filling. Chill stuffed flowers until filling is just set, about 15 minutes.

Divide tomato mixture among 4 serving plates. Arrange blossoms on top. Drizzle with oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper.