One of the best thigns about a summer birthday is that it can any way you want it to go.If you want a outdoor soiree then so be it. If an indoor brunch is your dream party, then go for it. Another facet is the food, Unlike cooler weather dos , you can have a grilling good time too.
Summer parties can have all sorts of theme. If the celebrant is a big seafood lover you can throw a backyard clambake for them. Lobster , tilapia , salmon and even oysters can be roasted over hot coals. Whip up a big batch of old fashioned cole slaw (the kind with mayo and carrots) along with grilled ears of corn as sides. A nice extra is old fashioned easy to make scratch biscuits and serve them with lemon butter. The birthday cake doesn't have to be a cake , instead serve a peach pie or blueberry crisp with fresh whipped cream. For the Paleo types have a traditional meat cookout. Start with tasty sausages and peppers and end with steaks and ribs. What to serve with all this protein? Tomato salad with fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil or a grilled Caesar salad. This last is easy to do- simply brush oil on Romaine lettuce leaves and then place on the grill until they are slightly charred and wilted. The dessert should be the perfect warm weather treat -ice cream cake. You can have your favorite ice cream shop make it or make it yourself.
Theme parties can be fun too. Hot weather begs for a luau and a birthday one is extra special. You can always roast a pig although this is labor intensive, especially for novice barbecuers. Think about a suckling pig which is usually twenty five pounds compared to an adult that can reach two hundred!An alternative is grilling ham and serving it with a pineapple barbecue sauce or char sui, a Chinese dish popular on the islands. This is roasted pork tenderloin brined in a sweet spicy sauce and served with fresh pineapple on those yummy Hawaiian sweet buns. Feature island fruits such as papaya and mango in salads. The birthday cake can be the traditional haupia cake which features a filling of coconut cream.Another sweet treat is Hawaiian shaved ice which just requires a block of ice , a scraper and different syrups.You can go completely opposite and have a summer tea , much like the Crawleys would do on Downton Abbey. Start with serving a variety of different teas, from the citrusy Lady Grey to the the robust Irish breakfast. You can even make a tea punch using strong black tea , lemonade and seltzer or ginger ale. Sandwiches can be the traditional watercress or chicken salad. For variety you can also have thin shaved ham or minced shrimp. The birthday cake can be a series of petit fours that have lettering spelling out "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" or cupcakes doing the same thing. If you do want alcoholic drinks then think about mimosa, a light bubbly mix of champagne and orange juice.
The best birthday is a summer one. There are so many ways to go to celebrate, whether with a clambake or an English tea, or a luau or a good old American cookout. Any way is a fun way to party, enjoying good company, good food and good gifts!
Showing posts with label Hawaiian shaved ice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hawaiian shaved ice. Show all posts
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Friday, May 22, 2015
Your Ice Cream Guide
The warm weather brings about much wished, things, days at the beach , barbecues, and of course ice cream. This is the start of the frozen treat season. Yet many of us don't; know the difference between gelato and an ice cream or frozen milk and regular ice cream. Just like flavors, there are so many different kinds of ice cream and ices .
Most of us usually have a brick of ice cream in the freezer.This is known as hard ice cream because of its consistency.It's made with not only milk and cream but also with eggs and stabilizers to keep it from melting..It's churned to keep the ingredients from freezing into a solid mass Ice cream can be made at home thanks to an ice cream maker or one of those balls with a canister inside to hold the mixture.French style ice cream is a bit richer thanks to the addition of eggs to make a thin version of crème anglais.That boardwalk favorite frozen custard is similar but uses more eggs or just yolks. Both are cooked and left to cool prior before freezing. Both are denser than regular ice cream and have a silky feeling.There is also Philadelphia style ice cream which is made without eggs.It's simpler to make at home. Remember without the egg base it does freeze firmer and harder. The Italians give us that classic treat gelato. The name simply means frozen in Italian . It can contain eggs or not but it is denser than our version, thanks to having very little air whipped into it There is also semifreddo.. It means half cold and is a variation on ice cream or frozen custard.It's frozen in a loaf pan and then sluiced and served with fruit.It's usually made at home with just cream and eggs.
Of course there is the lighter side of frozen treats.These don't have as many calories, yet still have flavor. There is ice milk which doesn't have enough milk fat to be considered ice cream.It is still creamy but lighter and lower in calories. Sherbet has always been a warm weather favorite. Classic kinds are made with fruit juice sugar water or even wine..Some versions do contain milk, buttermilk, egg whites or gelatin.It is sometimes confused and labeled sorbet which is completely vegan. This has been traditionally used as a palate cleanser between large courses.It's usually lemon or strawberry flavored and very light on the tongue and taste buds. Granita is one of the easiest frozen treats to make at home.It's made from mashed ice and usually the preferred flavor is coffee.It can be served with ice cream but is good on it's own with a chocolate syrup and side of whipped cream. Then there is ice.It can be known as Italian ice or water ice if you're from Philly.It can contain egg white as a binder but it's mostly just water and syrup churned like ice cream. Another treat is President Obama's love Hawaiian shaved ice and this is the most refreshing of all the ices.It starts with a block of ice that's been shaved with a special gadget , mounded into cone and then doused with syrup. Three different flavors can be poured over it for a yummy rainbow ice.
Just as there are so many flavors, there are so may types to choose from. Make a semi freddo for a weekend get together, have a cone on Sunday and maybe some ice during the week. No matter what you finally opt for, it's all cool , sweet and delicious, a perfect break from the sweltering heat.
Most of us usually have a brick of ice cream in the freezer.This is known as hard ice cream because of its consistency.It's made with not only milk and cream but also with eggs and stabilizers to keep it from melting..It's churned to keep the ingredients from freezing into a solid mass Ice cream can be made at home thanks to an ice cream maker or one of those balls with a canister inside to hold the mixture.French style ice cream is a bit richer thanks to the addition of eggs to make a thin version of crème anglais.That boardwalk favorite frozen custard is similar but uses more eggs or just yolks. Both are cooked and left to cool prior before freezing. Both are denser than regular ice cream and have a silky feeling.There is also Philadelphia style ice cream which is made without eggs.It's simpler to make at home. Remember without the egg base it does freeze firmer and harder. The Italians give us that classic treat gelato. The name simply means frozen in Italian . It can contain eggs or not but it is denser than our version, thanks to having very little air whipped into it There is also semifreddo.. It means half cold and is a variation on ice cream or frozen custard.It's frozen in a loaf pan and then sluiced and served with fruit.It's usually made at home with just cream and eggs.
Of course there is the lighter side of frozen treats.These don't have as many calories, yet still have flavor. There is ice milk which doesn't have enough milk fat to be considered ice cream.It is still creamy but lighter and lower in calories. Sherbet has always been a warm weather favorite. Classic kinds are made with fruit juice sugar water or even wine..Some versions do contain milk, buttermilk, egg whites or gelatin.It is sometimes confused and labeled sorbet which is completely vegan. This has been traditionally used as a palate cleanser between large courses.It's usually lemon or strawberry flavored and very light on the tongue and taste buds. Granita is one of the easiest frozen treats to make at home.It's made from mashed ice and usually the preferred flavor is coffee.It can be served with ice cream but is good on it's own with a chocolate syrup and side of whipped cream. Then there is ice.It can be known as Italian ice or water ice if you're from Philly.It can contain egg white as a binder but it's mostly just water and syrup churned like ice cream. Another treat is President Obama's love Hawaiian shaved ice and this is the most refreshing of all the ices.It starts with a block of ice that's been shaved with a special gadget , mounded into cone and then doused with syrup. Three different flavors can be poured over it for a yummy rainbow ice.
Just as there are so many flavors, there are so may types to choose from. Make a semi freddo for a weekend get together, have a cone on Sunday and maybe some ice during the week. No matter what you finally opt for, it's all cool , sweet and delicious, a perfect break from the sweltering heat.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Natural Ices
This is the time of year for sweet cool, treats. Ice cream and Popsicles are great yet they can be too sweet, Not only that their ingredients may not be healthy. A better alternative is homemade Italian ice. You know that's it's fresh and full of good stuff because you made it. Not only that you can have fun creating your own flavors too.
Ices can be like the smooth creamy Italian style or crunchy and textured like the Hawaiian kind. Either is a cool relief on a hot day. Italian ice is made using fresh fruit that has been pureed with unsweetened apple and lemon juice .It is then pored into trays or pans and allowed to set for one and a half to two hours.It is then whisked with an electric beater until creamy. For all natural ice, used fresh picked fruits of the season. Try strawberry or blueberry for ices with dense rich flavors. Try fresh, pureed peaches for a lighter fare. For more exotic flavors add some fresh picked mint or basil for a different spin. For zing, add some ginger bits.
Italian shaved ice is another type of ice that is genuinely refreshing on a hot June day. Shaved ice or Sno cone ice just requires ice cubes . Here you can go the extra mile and freeze spring water for a really healthy treat. (you can also buy or freeze a block of ice but this will require an ice shaver). Put small batches of the cubes into the blender and ground. The pieces should be no bigger than bread crumbs ideally. Flavor with juices from your juicer. A good one is a berry mix using fresh strawberries and blue berries. You can also make a tasty dark blackberry one. Again peaches and nectarine juice, right from your juice are also flavorful. Even toss in the left over mashed pulp if you want to, too.
There's nothing like a cool ice on a hot late spring or early summer's day .Make one that is not only soothing but also super healthy. It's great way of beating the heating and adding more vitamins and minerals to your warm weather diet.
Ices can be like the smooth creamy Italian style or crunchy and textured like the Hawaiian kind. Either is a cool relief on a hot day. Italian ice is made using fresh fruit that has been pureed with unsweetened apple and lemon juice .It is then pored into trays or pans and allowed to set for one and a half to two hours.It is then whisked with an electric beater until creamy. For all natural ice, used fresh picked fruits of the season. Try strawberry or blueberry for ices with dense rich flavors. Try fresh, pureed peaches for a lighter fare. For more exotic flavors add some fresh picked mint or basil for a different spin. For zing, add some ginger bits.
Italian shaved ice is another type of ice that is genuinely refreshing on a hot June day. Shaved ice or Sno cone ice just requires ice cubes . Here you can go the extra mile and freeze spring water for a really healthy treat. (you can also buy or freeze a block of ice but this will require an ice shaver). Put small batches of the cubes into the blender and ground. The pieces should be no bigger than bread crumbs ideally. Flavor with juices from your juicer. A good one is a berry mix using fresh strawberries and blue berries. You can also make a tasty dark blackberry one. Again peaches and nectarine juice, right from your juice are also flavorful. Even toss in the left over mashed pulp if you want to, too.
There's nothing like a cool ice on a hot late spring or early summer's day .Make one that is not only soothing but also super healthy. It's great way of beating the heating and adding more vitamins and minerals to your warm weather diet.
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