Spiced Wine Ice Cream

Combine in medium pot over high heat:

1 cup sweet red wine
1/2 cup jam or jelly (grape or any bramble berry flavor)
2 cinnamon sticks
several whole cloves
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 orange, sliced

Boil until reduced to about 1/2 cup. Strain and let cool until lukewarm.

In a separate pot, bring to a simmer:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla bean, if you have it)

Meanwhile, beat until smooth and pale yellow:

8 egg yolks

Slowly pour cream mixture into egg yolks, whisking constantly. Return mixture to pan and heat until 140˚F for 4 minutes, if you are concerned about undercooked eggs.

Slowly stir cooled wine mixture into cream mixture.

Churn in ice cream maker.

Almond Swirl Zucchini Bread

First, make the almond filling:

16 oz almond paste (2 cans)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla or almond extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup flour

Beat all ingredients together until smooth and well mixed.

For zucchini bread batter:

3 cups white all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp cinnamon

3 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup shortening, melted

1 1/2 cups white sugar

3/4 brown sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 cups grated zucchini, drained

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Grease and flour two loaf pans (8 x 4).

Mix flour salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in a large bowl. Beat eggs, oil, shortening, both sugars, and vanilla extract. Add zucchini. Stir zucchini mixture into dry ingredients. 

 

Cover the bottom of each pan with about 1 inch of zucchini batter. Spread a layer of almond filling down the middle, leaving an inch of batter on either side. Cover with another layer of batter, about 1/2 inch thick. Follow diagram of cross section to make the almond swirl.

Bake for 45-60 minutes, covering top with foil if it begins to brown too much. 

Blackberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

2 cups cream
1 oz white chocolate
8 oz cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup blackberries


Combine cream, white chocolate, sugar, and cream cheese in heavy bottomed pot. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until white chocolate melts. Transfer mixture to blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Stir in blackberries and transfer to ice cream maker to process.

Duck Egg Ravioli

Fresh Egg Pasta:

2 3/4 cup wheat flour
4 eggs, room temperature

Place flour in processor. Add eggs. Using on/off turns, blend until clumps of moist dough form (do not process into ball). Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface; shape into ball. Knead until smooth, sprinkling lightly with flour if sticking, about 3 minutes. Wrap in plastic. Let rest at room temperature at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Filling:
You have two options. You can mix all ingredients except for the duck eggs, fill the ravioli, then crack an egg into each ravioli. This is the "traditional" way to do it. However, this also results in REALLY HUGE ravioli. But it's also way cooler, in presentation and texture. So if you don't want REALLY HUGE ravioli, simply mix the duck egg into the filling. It will not be as thick, but it will still have the full flavor, if not the same texture or drama. 

Cut dough into 8 equal pieces. Cover with plastic wrap. Set pasta machine to widest setting. Flatten 1 dough piece into rectangle; run through machine or roll out as thinly as possible with rolling pin. Cut into 2x2 inch squares. Fill each with 1 heaping teaspoon of filling mixture, top with second square, and tamp edges down with fork.

Coal Roasted Eggplant with Yogurt-Goat Cheese Sauce

General idea and procedure stolen from Bon Appetit Mag, Aug. 2013.

Eggplant:
Find some long tongs and solid hot pads.
Make fire.
Throw some whole eggplants in the coals.
Let them cook until the skins begin to flake off.
Remove, cool, and peel skins off. Lightly salt, and serve atop Yogurt-Goat Cheese sauce.

Yogurt-Goat Cheese Sauce:
Combine 1/2 cup greek yogurt and 4 oz. soft creamy goat cheese. Add salt to taste.
Alright, time for some unusual spices.
I'm not going to give amounts, because how much you use is really up to you, but start with 1/2 teaspoon of each if you are unsure. Toast carom seed (aka ajowain), asafoetida, and nigella seed (aka kalonji), until they become fragrant. Grind with mortar and pestle. Add to yogurt sauce. Add a bit of amchur powder. Taste. Adjust spices (or goat cheese/yogurt) as needed. Add a bit of milk if sauce is too thick (should be fairly thick). 

To serve, spread on platter, top with eggplant, and drizzle with olive oil. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with pita or roti.

Chilled Berry and Greek Yogurt Pie

Combine:
2 cups sugar cookie or Vanilla Wafer cookie crumbs, finely crushed or ground in food processor
1/2 cup butter, softened
When throughly mixed, press evenly into springform pan.
Bake in 350˚F oven for about 10 minutes. Let cool completely before proceeding.

Mix any combination of the following in medium saucepan over medium heat:
3 cups blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, huckleberries, or other sweet berries
Add:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp vanilla
a few drops of almond extract
pinch of salt
Stir until sugar begins to dissolve.

Stir 2 packets of gelatin into 1/4 cup of water, and let sit for 30 seconds.
Add to berry mixture.
Cook briefly, stirring, until gelatin melts completely.
Stir in 2 cups greek yogurt (not fat free).

Pour berry mixture over prepared crust.
Refrigerate until chilled and set, at least two hours.

Serve topped with fresh berries and whipped cream or creme fraiche.

Chocolate Chip Cookies, The Best Way

Here is the "Ultimate Guide to Chocolate Cookies", which is a wonderful reference. For a basic recipe, and a few of my personal insights, follow the instructions below. 

Makes about 16 large cookies. Recipe can easily be doubled.

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

8 tbsp butter

1/2 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tbsp vanilla

12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips/morsels

Cream butter and sugars. Add vanilla and egg, beat until fluffy. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt. Add to butter/sugar mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

Refrigerate dough for 24 hours.

Remove from fridge 15 minutes before shaping.

Preheat oven to 325˚F.

Use about ¼ cup dough for each cookie. Space several inches apart.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or maybe more, checking every couple minutes (yeah, it’s a pain, but every oven is different) until the cookies are relatively flat on top and not gooey in the center, but still slightly soft to the touch.

Savory French Toast with Sheep Feta and Fried Alliums

This is a savory version of "french toast." I used duck eggs for the egg mixture because I happened to have them, which resulted in a very rich, yolky custard, but chicken eggs should be quite adequate for this recipe.

Serves 2-4. 

8 slices of slightly stale rustic or french bread (I used week-old Grand Central rye)

5 large eggs

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/4 tsp sweet paprika

1/2 tsp salt

Black pepper to taste

2 tbsp (or more) butter

1 bunch green onions, scallions, or about 4 shallots, finely chopped

2 tbsp coarsely minced garlic cloves

6 oz. sheep feta (cow feta can be substituted)

Whisk eggs, milk, paprika, salt, and pepper until combined.

Dip each slice of bread in egg mixture, turning to coat completely, and lay the slices out on a rimmed baking pan. Drizzle any remaining egg mixture over the bread. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate if not using immediately.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat until just melted. Add green onions and garlic and saute until crispy and browned on the edges. Transfer to small bowl. 

Scrape skillet clean or heat a griddle. Melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add egg-coated bread, and fry until lightly browned on each side, flipping once, about 3-5 minutes per side. Bread should be supple, but not gooey in the center. Sprinkle each piece with feta and fried onion/garlic mixture to serve. 

Salmon Bisque with Tarragon

This soup is a great way to use leftover salmon or cheap salmon trimmings from the store. Cottage cheese adds a creamy tartness, and the curds compliment the texture of the salmon, but if cottage cheese curds in soup sound too weird, substitute creme fraiche, sour cream, or simply leave out the sour dairy altogether.

1 green bell pepper
3 stalks celery
1 carrot
1/2 of one onion
1/2 of one sweet potato or yam
1 tbsp oil (I prefer grapeseed or sunflower, but any will do)
2-3 cups vegetable broth or water
a pinch of sage
a pinch of thyme
1 lb. of cooked salmon, fully de-boned
1 cup 2% or whole milk
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
cottage cheese, creme fraiche, or sour cream, optional

Coarsely chop the vegetables. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and carrot. Cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add sweet potato and enough broth or water to cover the vegetables. Bring to a simmer, and cook until soft, about 5-8 minutes. Sprinkle in sage, thyme, salt, and pepper.

Using a blender or food processor, puree the vegetable mixture until completely smooth, in multiple batches if necessary. Be very careful blending hot liquids, and always do small batches to avoid splattering or trapped pressure from steam. Return vegetable puree to pot.

Stir de-boned salmon and milk into the vegetable puree. If bisque is still very thick, add vegetable broth until the soup is a desired consistency- not too thick, but also not watery. Season to taste with more salt and pepper if necessary.

Serve in large bowls, with a sprinkle of tarragon and a dollop of cottage cheese, creme fraiche, or sour cream if desired.

Tarragon and Snap Pea Salad with Fresh Mozzarella

The delicate flavors of fresh Mozzarella are often overpowered by the stronger flavors of basil, tomatoes, garlic, or onions. In this salad, all ingredients should be fairly mildly flavored and lightly dressed. A sprinkle of edible flowers can add some nice color, if you have them.

1 bunch Mizuna, coarsely chopped (about 4 cups, chopped)*
1 cup snap peas, coarsely chopped at a diagonal angle
2 tsp fresh tarragon, minced
2 tsp white wine vinegar
salt and pepper
1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella
1 tbsp mild-flavored oil, such as grapeseed or sunflower
Mild flavored edible flowers, such as violets or pansies, optional.

Combine the greens, peas, and tarragon in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss greens until thoroughly combined. Dress with 1 or two teaspoons of vinegar, to taste. In separate bowl, season mozzarella with salt and 1 tablespoon oil. Toss to coat. Add mozzarella to green mixture and toss gently. Garnish with edible flowers.


*other light, tender greens (watercress, miner's lettuce, baby spinach, baby lettuce, mild edible flowers, etc.) can be substituted

Proportions for the Perfect Gooey Caramel

• Melt sugar without water (or use 1 tsp per cup if sugar will not dissolve fast enough otherwise)
• Dissolve desired amount of salt in half the amount of cream compared to the amount of sugar you used. (Ex: if you use 1 cup sugar, use 1/2 cup cream. For 2 cups sugar, use 1 cup cream). About 1/4 tsp salt per cup of cream is nice. 
• When sugar is a dark amber color, stir in 2 tablespoons of butter per cup of sugar. 
• Carefully pour in salted cream.
• Caramel should drip easily off a spoon at this point. If not, or if undissolved chunks of sugar still exist, add a bit more cream. 
• Stir until all large chunks of sugar are dissolved and caramel is smooth.
• Use immediately (remembering to account for the fact that caramel will firm up as it cools), or refrigerate, for gooey perfection.