Your house is now the main place for staycation. There's probably a pool set up along with a badminton ser or shuffleboard court. Add to the fun by creating your own ice cream parlor. There's so many good frozen products out there , the kids can have a field day.
Ice cream parlors were known for their elaborate sundaes and sodas. Make sure you have a variety of different fixings to begin. Start with the ice cream. There's always chocolate or vanilla but coffee works as does strawberry and chocolate chip mint. If you're worried about having two much dairy , then go for soy, almond or cashew milk ice creams. Oat milk ice cream is big right now and with good reason. Planet Oat's oat milk one tastes just like the dairy kind, creamy and rich. They not only have the usual chocolate and vanilla but also blueberry oat crumble,cookies and cream , chocolate peanut butter swirl and coffee fudge swirl. These work in any sundae or soda. As for the toppings, there are homemade and store bought. Hot fudge sauce is easy to make. Start with cocoa powder and cook with sugar , heavy cream and butter over a stove top. You can serve it freshly made or store it in a glass container. It can be reheated in the microwave or stove top for a second use. Caramel is another great topping, especially over vanilla ice cream. Smuckers has a sea salt caramel that's phenomenal. Of course there's whipped cream but now you can get non dairy coconut or almond nut milk Reddi-Whip, Toss a handful of nuts, M&M's or sprinkles for extra fun.Sliced fruit also is a nice topping too.
Ice cream sodas are cool, refreshing treats. Many just plop a scoop or two into a glass filled with Coke or Pepsi. This is good but a real ice cream soda does have a bit more flair. Start with a root bear float. Put two scoops in a mug of well chilled root beer. It's the perfect marriage of flavors topped off with a good head of froth. As far as a true ice cream soda, start off with a seltzer. You can used a flavored one like cherry or raspberry for added taste. As for the ice cream, try a chocolate or vanilla one. Add one or two tablespoons of chocolate syrup like U-Bet or Hershey's. Top with a fancy swirl of whipped cream. Add multi- colored sprinkles for extra fun. If you're not into ice cream then try an egg cream. This is the perfect summer treat. This deli special is just a mouthwatering mix of cold milk, chocolate syrup, namely U-Bet and seltzer. It's then just vigorous beating with a fork until a foam forms on top.Sip and enjoy.For coffee lovers there is the coffee float. It's just taking cold coffee, whether caffeinated or decaf, adding ice cream - try chocolate for a mocchacino vibe to it. Top with a generous squiggle of whipped cream. You can add a drizzle of chocolate or caramel too.
An at-home ice parlor is just one of the great aspects for a stay at home summer. Go wild with sundaes and sodas. Enjoy them as you catch sun and fun in your back yard.
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
Monday, June 8, 2020
A Quick Sorbet
With the weather heating up, there's nothing like a cooling simple sorbet .Everyone thinks it's a hard make but a recipe in the Sunday Home section of the New York Times. I thought I'd try it. It's simple ,.Just freeze a can of fruit and then puree.
Well, it was simple in theory. I put a can of peaches in the fridge. The recipe calls for fruit in heavy syrup, but that would be too sweet and I had this.
Well, it was simple in theory. I put a can of peaches in the fridge. The recipe calls for fruit in heavy syrup, but that would be too sweet and I had this.
I left the DelMonte peaches overnight. First thing, never freeze the fruit in the can that it came in.
It was a block of fruity ice which was impossible to get out of the can. I put it under hot tap water to loosen it. That didn't work, so I got both my paring and slicing Farberware knives out to break it into chunks.
Once it was all out it needs to be pureed.I used my immersion blender for it and voila - sorbet!!
It was creamy, cool and fruity, a lovely delicious end to dinner. I would definitely make this again, maybe with pears and fruit salad.I also would put the fruit into a container. first. It was a job hacking it to pieces in the can.
This quick fruit sorbet is the perfect cure for a hot steamy summer's day. Try it with one kind of frozen fruit or two for a treat. It's a light alternative to ice cream.
Saturday, June 6, 2020
A Feast For A Few
June has traditionally been a time for weddings and grad parties, showers and engagements. We can still have these celebrations but now for much smaller groups. We can still have our feasts and fetes but with a much smaller menu.
Mostly this is the time for weddings and they're usually big, lavish affairs held at wedding palaces. However an old fashioned reception of twenty or thirty is also a very nice idea. You can even cater it yourself. Years ago, a reception might have only offered sandwiches, something to drink and a slice of the wedding cake. It may seem sparse by today's standards yet it works. No one really wants to fill up on slabs of beef and Hasselback potatoes along with an all you can eat shrimp or sushi bar. Delicate finger sandwiches filled with olive cream cheese and shrimp salad will work just fine. Add roast beef, turkey and ham for the heartier eaters. If you want salads, then have a chef salad, filled with cold cuts and different veggies and cheeses. As for the cake , you can make one yourself. Amazon sells the Wilton five tier pan set. The Internet has dozens of recipes for that special cake along with frosting recipes (try the Two Sisters blog. They have the best flavored frosting recipes). As for decorating , check You Tube or just go with simple mixed berries or flowers cascading down the side. Bridal showers can also be in this vein. Simple sandwiches, followed by a cake or better yet - fancily decorated cupcakes.
Graduation and even engagement parties don't have to be as formal as a wedding. Both can benefit from a table set up with a charcuterie board. This may cause concern for some because of the sharing. The solution is simple. Hand out latex or plastic gloves as guest arrive or put them on the table, next to the plates and utensils.As for the board, arrange slices of prosciutto, Genoa salame and ham. Offer cheeses such as Provolone, Swiss Asiago and Brie with slices of Italian or French bread. Make sure there are extras such as green and black olives along with sun dried tomatoes, marinated peppers and giadiniria, the tart Italian salad. As for dessert, a simple homemade sheet cake would work along with bowls of fresh fruit. You could also go for a barbecue . Again have a variety of different choices , from beef to veggie. If you have trouble finding beef burgers or your grocery set a limit on how much you can buy, switch to turkey and Beyond Burgers. They taste just like the real deal, especially if they have all the fixings. As for sides, keep it simple, Don't have salads. Think sliced tomatoes and pickle spears instead. You can also grill veggies such as eggplant , zucchini and even tomatoes and serve with a balsamic vinaigrette. As for the dessert, again go for cupcakes, They can be decorated with little 2020 toppers and for the engaged couple, ice their initials into the cupcake's frosting.
There can be feasting and celebrating again, even if it's on a smaller scale. Think simple. It can be a feast but a pared down one.
Mostly this is the time for weddings and they're usually big, lavish affairs held at wedding palaces. However an old fashioned reception of twenty or thirty is also a very nice idea. You can even cater it yourself. Years ago, a reception might have only offered sandwiches, something to drink and a slice of the wedding cake. It may seem sparse by today's standards yet it works. No one really wants to fill up on slabs of beef and Hasselback potatoes along with an all you can eat shrimp or sushi bar. Delicate finger sandwiches filled with olive cream cheese and shrimp salad will work just fine. Add roast beef, turkey and ham for the heartier eaters. If you want salads, then have a chef salad, filled with cold cuts and different veggies and cheeses. As for the cake , you can make one yourself. Amazon sells the Wilton five tier pan set. The Internet has dozens of recipes for that special cake along with frosting recipes (try the Two Sisters blog. They have the best flavored frosting recipes). As for decorating , check You Tube or just go with simple mixed berries or flowers cascading down the side. Bridal showers can also be in this vein. Simple sandwiches, followed by a cake or better yet - fancily decorated cupcakes.
Graduation and even engagement parties don't have to be as formal as a wedding. Both can benefit from a table set up with a charcuterie board. This may cause concern for some because of the sharing. The solution is simple. Hand out latex or plastic gloves as guest arrive or put them on the table, next to the plates and utensils.As for the board, arrange slices of prosciutto, Genoa salame and ham. Offer cheeses such as Provolone, Swiss Asiago and Brie with slices of Italian or French bread. Make sure there are extras such as green and black olives along with sun dried tomatoes, marinated peppers and giadiniria, the tart Italian salad. As for dessert, a simple homemade sheet cake would work along with bowls of fresh fruit. You could also go for a barbecue . Again have a variety of different choices , from beef to veggie. If you have trouble finding beef burgers or your grocery set a limit on how much you can buy, switch to turkey and Beyond Burgers. They taste just like the real deal, especially if they have all the fixings. As for sides, keep it simple, Don't have salads. Think sliced tomatoes and pickle spears instead. You can also grill veggies such as eggplant , zucchini and even tomatoes and serve with a balsamic vinaigrette. As for the dessert, again go for cupcakes, They can be decorated with little 2020 toppers and for the engaged couple, ice their initials into the cupcake's frosting.
There can be feasting and celebrating again, even if it's on a smaller scale. Think simple. It can be a feast but a pared down one.
Friday, June 5, 2020
Bee Konscous A Different Kind Of Honey
One of the healthiest sweeteners you can have is natural honey.There is a new brand out there, Bee K'Onscious Raw Honey. It's a different, more artisanal spin on this classic.
I am a big fan of honey in cooking. I use the dark meadow foam kind in my Mom's recipes of tomato sauce and chili. It adds depth and removes the tomato sauce's metallic tang. I was not a fan of the light golden until I tried Bee K'Onscious Sage Honey.
I am a big fan of honey in cooking. I use the dark meadow foam kind in my Mom's recipes of tomato sauce and chili. It adds depth and removes the tomato sauce's metallic tang. I was not a fan of the light golden until I tried Bee K'Onscious Sage Honey.
It's perfect for flavoring teas , especially the all natural kind. I like the sage flavor because it has an herbaceous taste which gels perfectly with the all natural teas. There is also raw Montana clover which should be interesting along with the Brazilian Cipu Uva made from Brazilian Rain Forest flowers. There is also Marmeleiro honey made from flowers from northern Brazil.. Bee K'Onscious doesn't pasteurize its' honey so it's not uncommon to see pollen or other bits in it. This is honey in its' purest form and it's a light golden color.It's also good in salad dressings too
Another plus is that you can track where your honey is from, from the beekeeper to where it was harvested. It's a great way of being connected to the product. The company is from Denver ,Colorado and was started by the environmentally conscious Matt Kollmorgen.
.
Bee K'onscious is the tastiest way to enjoy the benefits of raw honey. Try it and see the difference from other honeys. It's a definite must have in any kitchen.
Sage Honey Dressing
1 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon Bee K'Onscious Sage honey
1 teaspoon apple cider
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
Mix all together and use for any light salad.It's especially good over grilled chicken salad.
Thursday, June 4, 2020
Stocking Like A Chef
Cooking and shopping these days are vastly different than what they were. Now home chefs have to think like the pros. That includes food shopping like a restaurant owner. It may not be what we're used to but it's actually the best way.
Pete Wells and Jennifer Steinhauser , both New York Times Food section veterans wrote about this new aspect of home cooking in yesterday's Food section. As home chefs have to plan for two weeks of cooking they have to shop for that amount too. It makes sense in a way to then shop at a restaurant supplier. Not only can you get large quantities of produce and meat but also items you wouldn't see in your local grocery store.Jessica Kramer found this out when she ordered from the poultry supplier D'Artagnan in her native Newport, Rhode Island. Her kitchen was filled with freshly slaughtered Rohan duck breasts squabs and baby poussins or chicks. She has made notes for other purveyors that visit her house, much like that of a chef.Many other families are going to suppliers and buying such foodstuffs as wild morels, trays of sea urchins, along with bunches of foraged ramps. Restaurants are also cashing in on this. Several are also selling their most popular dishes like Shouk, an Israeli fast food place in Washington. Customers can buy the much loved hummus along with falafel kits. The owner, Ran Nussbacher, says that making falafel, especially grinding the chickpeas are hard. It needs to be down with an industrial one to get the right silky texture.
Farms are also following suit. Nat and Alison Bjerke-Harvey usually sell their microgreens and garden veggies to their Manhattan, Kansas to restaurants and farmers' markets. The Corona virus shut that down and now the couple sell directly to homes. Their Piccalilli Farms are now making up to two hundred deliveries with their sunflower and pea shoots being the most ordered. They have also delivered their French breakfast radishes, beets and green onions. On Tuesday mornings they watch their veggies sell out.Some restaurants are joining in as Dan Barber , chef at both Blue Hill and Blue Hills at Pocantico Hills, New York. To keep cash circulating to farmers, foragers and fishing crews, Mr. barber began to sell boxes of fish, meat and seasonal vegetables for curbside pickup. Customers get a grab bag of ingredients that are both well known as greenhouse cucumbers and lesser such as Purple sword celtuce stalks. Tucked into the boxes are recipes and backgrounds of the crops include beetle bitten brassicas, veggies that are loved by flea beetles. This expands home chefs knowledge and introduces them to new ingredients and recipes.
This may be the way to go if you're bored with what's in your grocery store. It's a neat way to excite the home kitchen. It's also a great way to get fresh meats and veggies .
Pete Wells and Jennifer Steinhauser , both New York Times Food section veterans wrote about this new aspect of home cooking in yesterday's Food section. As home chefs have to plan for two weeks of cooking they have to shop for that amount too. It makes sense in a way to then shop at a restaurant supplier. Not only can you get large quantities of produce and meat but also items you wouldn't see in your local grocery store.Jessica Kramer found this out when she ordered from the poultry supplier D'Artagnan in her native Newport, Rhode Island. Her kitchen was filled with freshly slaughtered Rohan duck breasts squabs and baby poussins or chicks. She has made notes for other purveyors that visit her house, much like that of a chef.Many other families are going to suppliers and buying such foodstuffs as wild morels, trays of sea urchins, along with bunches of foraged ramps. Restaurants are also cashing in on this. Several are also selling their most popular dishes like Shouk, an Israeli fast food place in Washington. Customers can buy the much loved hummus along with falafel kits. The owner, Ran Nussbacher, says that making falafel, especially grinding the chickpeas are hard. It needs to be down with an industrial one to get the right silky texture.
Farms are also following suit. Nat and Alison Bjerke-Harvey usually sell their microgreens and garden veggies to their Manhattan, Kansas to restaurants and farmers' markets. The Corona virus shut that down and now the couple sell directly to homes. Their Piccalilli Farms are now making up to two hundred deliveries with their sunflower and pea shoots being the most ordered. They have also delivered their French breakfast radishes, beets and green onions. On Tuesday mornings they watch their veggies sell out.Some restaurants are joining in as Dan Barber , chef at both Blue Hill and Blue Hills at Pocantico Hills, New York. To keep cash circulating to farmers, foragers and fishing crews, Mr. barber began to sell boxes of fish, meat and seasonal vegetables for curbside pickup. Customers get a grab bag of ingredients that are both well known as greenhouse cucumbers and lesser such as Purple sword celtuce stalks. Tucked into the boxes are recipes and backgrounds of the crops include beetle bitten brassicas, veggies that are loved by flea beetles. This expands home chefs knowledge and introduces them to new ingredients and recipes.
This may be the way to go if you're bored with what's in your grocery store. It's a neat way to excite the home kitchen. It's also a great way to get fresh meats and veggies .
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Cooks And Non Cooks
These past few months have been challenging for home chefs and non chefs alike. It's been harder for the second. Don't fret. You're not alone. Many out there have issues with food from cooking to baking.
This was the subject of regular contributor Priya Krishna's piece in today's New York Times Food section. Cooking and baking do not come easy to many. Ms. Krishna interviewed several baptized by fire home chefs about their experiences (it was accompanied by clever drawing s from celebrated artist Jessica Olien). Some home cooks even have problems with frozen foods as did Melissa Hodges in College Station, Texas. She noticed her classmates at the Texas A&M University posting glossy pictures of spaghetti carbonara and citrus scones on Instagram. it inspired her. She tried to heat a frozen pizza but forgot two vital things. She forgot to read the instructions and put it in some kind of pan. The dough fell through the cracks in her oven and the flavors? Think doughy and charred. She tried again with pasta and wound up with another mess.It crunched when she bit into it. Ms. Hodges is now resigned to eating breakfast cereal and other easy dishes. She could have chronicled her failures like another non-cook , Kyler Callahan of Seattle, Washington. The computer engineer cooked a chicken breast but incinerated it when he turned up the heat, when a meat thermometer declared the meat undercooked. This was the case also with Eric Philips who joking tweeted he alphabetically arranged his five spices.It did upset some home chefs.
Do cookbooks help? Many haven't been cracked open since they were given as wedding and shower gifts.This was the case with Kim Baldwin who works at the independent bookstore, Parnassus Books in Nashville. She also hasn't used the appliances she received for wedding gifts either. She has made curried lentils with the legumes from her pantry. It worked save for one problem - the lentils were eight years old. According to her they were "chewy and weird'. Then she tried making barbecued chicken with boneless chicken breasts and barbecue sauce. Everything was thrown into a slow cooker and turned basically into a soup. That convinced her husband to a steady diet of ramen. She did have a victory with lemon pie even though almost every ingredient had to be substituted due to shortages. Some of the simplest recipes like whipped daglona coffee, a popular drink made with just instant coffee, sugar, water and milk has been met with problems. Jennifer Tallman of Brooklyn tried it with an immesion blender , only to be bathed in it. Her shrimp and pasta also bombed.
Home chefs, don't despair. Stick with the simple and then work up to the more complicated dishes. Learning how to cook takes time. That's the secret ingredient.
This was the subject of regular contributor Priya Krishna's piece in today's New York Times Food section. Cooking and baking do not come easy to many. Ms. Krishna interviewed several baptized by fire home chefs about their experiences (it was accompanied by clever drawing s from celebrated artist Jessica Olien). Some home cooks even have problems with frozen foods as did Melissa Hodges in College Station, Texas. She noticed her classmates at the Texas A&M University posting glossy pictures of spaghetti carbonara and citrus scones on Instagram. it inspired her. She tried to heat a frozen pizza but forgot two vital things. She forgot to read the instructions and put it in some kind of pan. The dough fell through the cracks in her oven and the flavors? Think doughy and charred. She tried again with pasta and wound up with another mess.It crunched when she bit into it. Ms. Hodges is now resigned to eating breakfast cereal and other easy dishes. She could have chronicled her failures like another non-cook , Kyler Callahan of Seattle, Washington. The computer engineer cooked a chicken breast but incinerated it when he turned up the heat, when a meat thermometer declared the meat undercooked. This was the case also with Eric Philips who joking tweeted he alphabetically arranged his five spices.It did upset some home chefs.
Do cookbooks help? Many haven't been cracked open since they were given as wedding and shower gifts.This was the case with Kim Baldwin who works at the independent bookstore, Parnassus Books in Nashville. She also hasn't used the appliances she received for wedding gifts either. She has made curried lentils with the legumes from her pantry. It worked save for one problem - the lentils were eight years old. According to her they were "chewy and weird'. Then she tried making barbecued chicken with boneless chicken breasts and barbecue sauce. Everything was thrown into a slow cooker and turned basically into a soup. That convinced her husband to a steady diet of ramen. She did have a victory with lemon pie even though almost every ingredient had to be substituted due to shortages. Some of the simplest recipes like whipped daglona coffee, a popular drink made with just instant coffee, sugar, water and milk has been met with problems. Jennifer Tallman of Brooklyn tried it with an immesion blender , only to be bathed in it. Her shrimp and pasta also bombed.
Home chefs, don't despair. Stick with the simple and then work up to the more complicated dishes. Learning how to cook takes time. That's the secret ingredient.
Tuesday, June 2, 2020
Food Unifies Us
It cannot be said often enough about how food is a great uniter. Breaking bread allows us to see each other in a different, less confrontational light. We need to have more socially distanced community dinners and picnics. Coming together over a plate of something is better than having that plate thrown at us.
Of course there should be more discourse however for now we should think of having town or block funded barbecues where law enforcement is invited.If cops got to see how neighborhoods are , maybe there wouldn't be so much fear - yes fear - and prejudice on their part. Inviting them over for burgers and dogs isn't such a bad idea. They can get ideas about how to patrol and what they're looking at if they know the people. This is also a good concept for churches to follow too. Now that the weather is warmer , gatherings can be held outside to allow for social distancing. Imagine it like a big pot luck where people bring main dishes and sides along with desserts. Other congregations can also be invited. They too can bring different foods, reflecting religious and ethnic backgrounds. Not only is it a chance to come together but try recipes that are out of their comfort zone. Baked mac can be served alongside kugel and falafel. Kids can snack on cotton candy or baklava. Individual barbecues can be set up for s'mores and toasted marshmallows.
Since cops are also our first responders, we need to remember the efforts and sacrifices they make during this ongoing pandemic. It's nothing to whip up a batch of cupcakes and homemade icing for your town's finest. Make an ice box cake if the weather is too hot. Another idea is sending pizza and prepared meals from your local pizzerias and restaurants. You'll be helping eateries in the area as well as providing a hot lunch or dinner for the force. If you have a neighbor who works on the force, treat them and their families to something, whether a cake or extra spaghetti and sauce. They'll appreciate the gesture and the fact that you're behind them. As social gathering restrictions get lifted invite them over for a backyard meal. It's a great time to talk and find out about who they are and what's going on in your area. It's also the perfect time to suggest starting mentoring multiracial youth groups and having a police backed baseball or football team. Also tell them what you've seen in town and if there is a need for improvement.
Food will always unite us. If we start a dialogue, then it needs to be over a hamburger or a slice of cake. Eating brings us together - which is what we need right now.
Of course there should be more discourse however for now we should think of having town or block funded barbecues where law enforcement is invited.If cops got to see how neighborhoods are , maybe there wouldn't be so much fear - yes fear - and prejudice on their part. Inviting them over for burgers and dogs isn't such a bad idea. They can get ideas about how to patrol and what they're looking at if they know the people. This is also a good concept for churches to follow too. Now that the weather is warmer , gatherings can be held outside to allow for social distancing. Imagine it like a big pot luck where people bring main dishes and sides along with desserts. Other congregations can also be invited. They too can bring different foods, reflecting religious and ethnic backgrounds. Not only is it a chance to come together but try recipes that are out of their comfort zone. Baked mac can be served alongside kugel and falafel. Kids can snack on cotton candy or baklava. Individual barbecues can be set up for s'mores and toasted marshmallows.
Since cops are also our first responders, we need to remember the efforts and sacrifices they make during this ongoing pandemic. It's nothing to whip up a batch of cupcakes and homemade icing for your town's finest. Make an ice box cake if the weather is too hot. Another idea is sending pizza and prepared meals from your local pizzerias and restaurants. You'll be helping eateries in the area as well as providing a hot lunch or dinner for the force. If you have a neighbor who works on the force, treat them and their families to something, whether a cake or extra spaghetti and sauce. They'll appreciate the gesture and the fact that you're behind them. As social gathering restrictions get lifted invite them over for a backyard meal. It's a great time to talk and find out about who they are and what's going on in your area. It's also the perfect time to suggest starting mentoring multiracial youth groups and having a police backed baseball or football team. Also tell them what you've seen in town and if there is a need for improvement.
Food will always unite us. If we start a dialogue, then it needs to be over a hamburger or a slice of cake. Eating brings us together - which is what we need right now.
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