Showing posts with label affogato. Show all posts
Showing posts with label affogato. Show all posts

Saturday, June 18, 2022

A Culinary Road Trip For Dad

 father's Day is usually about grilling dogs and burgers on the grill. There's the occasional steak but that's it.It's time to liven up dad's special day  with some international recipes.

Red meat is always important to the man of the house. You could go the way of the English and serve him Yorkshire pudding  with roast beef. It's a simple make because the pudding is nothing more than a savory popover. It's a mix of egg flour , milk and water. You can add the roast dripping along with a pinch of English powder mustard if you want. Finish with  chocolate stout cupcakes with a Guinness  infused buttercream frosting. Of course homemade sausage rolls, sausages encased in a flaky puff pastry crust and doused with HP sauce is another British treat dad would love, especially on a lazy Sunday afternoon. A picnic French style is always a fun way to reconnect with dads. Pack not just the soccer ball and bubble wands but  some good flaky croissants  that can be slathered with Brie or layered with slices of Gruyere and ham. A charcuterie style one is a great way for fathers to sample a variety of cold cuts, cheeses and different breads. Bring along a baguette too for quick sandwiches. Include grapes and wine  - if your local parks allow it.Dessert could be a box of macarons in all sorts of tasty flavors. You could also do a German style with wursts, hard rolls and mustard. Make sure you pack homemade potato salad too.

What father doesn't love Italian food? You could easily treat dad to a sausage straight from the grill and pepper sandwich. The peppers can also be grilled for added smoky flavor and you could add some grilled onions for more taste. A meatball sub  brimming with homemade meat balls and sauce is a fun late lunch.Another idea, and in keeping with the season is pasta con vongole, or with clams.  This is spaghetti made with a very easy sauce of manila clams,garlic, olive oil and red pepper flakes.Chopped parsley is sprinkled on top for coloring.What could finish this? Affogato or drowned ice cream. This is a yummy treat of vanilla or chocolate  ice cream drowned in a shot of very hot espresso. Place the ice cream in a glass or metal dish or bowl that's been chilled. This will cool down the coffee somewhat.  Add a splash of amaretto if you want. even better, crown it with some whipped cream and shaved dark chocolate on top.A culinary turn  East and dad could have homemade customized sushi,it is a bit more labor intensive , especially when making the rice. This can be made in an Instapot with Japanese short rice being mixed with salt sugar and rice vinegar. You will also have to have the dried seaweed or nori to wrap it in. Most grocery stores do carry it.. You can fill the rolls with dad's favorite from shrimp to crab for a tasty lunch. Have sake to drink for an authentic lunch or dinner.

Treat the man in your life to culinary trip for Father's Day, it could be an English country lunch, or French or German  picnic. He could feast on Italian Japanese or any international dish for his special day.

Monday, August 16, 2021

Grown Up Floats

 There's something about an ice cream float on  a hot summer's day. Amp it up by making it an affogato, vanilla ice cream swimming in a pool of espresso.It's a yummy treat on an August day.

The Sunday New York Times Magazine had ErikKim's recipe yesterday and it's a definite must make. It's a scoop or two of vanilla or chocolate ice cream drowned in a heady shot of esspresso. Mr. Kim recommends gelato , something without eggs, but any type of non dairy ice cream can work too. I'm planning mine with an extra shot of chocolate syrup for a mocchiato vibe. A puff of whipped cream wouldn"t go amiss here either.

This is the perfect dream dessert for these humid days, Try it for a tasty take on this Italian classic,It's a blast of icy goodness during these dog days.

Friday, December 20, 2013

Ice Cream For Dessert

Ice cream is not one of those desserts that goes with Christmas or even in winter.Yet it's a nice change from the traditional baked goods.A simple scoop can offset an elegant roast dinner while a sundae can be a treat at the children's table.There's also a bigger choice of ice creams and even sorbets to choose from than there are with cakes and cookies. Ice cream can be made elegant simply by how it's served. A single serving is truly something served in a elegant glass bowl.One idea that is a perfect foil for after Goose or hams vanilla is ice cream served with a drizzle of brandy.For a refreshing change try peppermint, which is sold right now or a simple chocolate chip mint.You can also try a Neapolitan ,strawberry,vanilla and chocolate ice-cream molded into a stria effect.Tortone ,a Southern Italian treat, ice cream with a chocolate shell .This can be bought at any supermarket or can be made at home.Take scoops of your favorite then pour hard shell chocolate sauce over it.Affogato is another hip frozen dessert.Roll ice cream balls in ground almonds and cocoa powder.Serve in a cup of steaming espresso.If you feel that any ice cream maybe too heavy after an elaborate meal, then go for lighter fare.Try gelato or a refreshing lemon or orange sorbet to cleanse your palate. Frozen desserts are also a fun departure from the usual cookies and cakes.Friendly's ,the king of ice cream treats , have their famed Jubilee roll.This is type of buche de Noel.A cylinder of chocolate ice cream is covered with chocolate chip ice cream covered in fudge along with almonds and candy chips.You can make something similar at home.One looks like a giant ice cream sandwich ,made with ice cream and those famed chocolate wafers as a base.For a fun family party.You can take any pre made crust and fill it with ice cream and then a layer of whipped cream.One treat is a chocolate crust filled with a coffee ice-cream.Cover first with a layer of fudge sauce and decorative spritzes of ReddiWhip.You could also fill the crust with the kinds that have crushed candy in them.Top with more of the same crushed candy.Another neat idea is having the kids make their own ice cream sandwiches,using crushed candy canes and ribbon candy as decoration. Ice cream for Christmas? Why not? It's a refreshing departure from the tradition Holiday desserts.