coffee ice cream with cacao nibs

It's unofficially summer.

We sort of skipped spring altogether. It's so hot in our tiny attic bedroom that it's hard to sleep at night. But I never do in the summer. There's too many reasons to stay up. All I want is to travel, eat ice cream, drink beer, and visit with friends. Everything else is an obstacle.

I kicked off my summer trips last weekend with an impromptu trip to Cincinnati to help my very talented friend, Jodi, to help her at a craft fair. Although, I was only there for a short time, I really enjoyed the city and will be passing through again in a few weeks.

I can't wait for more adventures. I already have plans to go to northern Michigan, to explore caves in Kentucky, to go to Pitchfork in Chicago, and to hold our annual craft camp in teepees in Ohio.

I have also started making homemade ice creams. I refuse to break down and buy an ice cream maker, so I'm sticking to no churn recipes for the time being. When I was in Cincinnati I picked up a growler of cold brew coffee from The Coffee Emporium. I had never seen a growler of coffee before. What a cool idea! I used that to make this coffee ice cream and it was stellar.
 

coffee ice cream with cacao nibs

recipe from The Vanilla Bean Blog
 

cherry & whiskey upside down cake

 Stiff Peaks

Whenever I read these words in a recipe I have a panic attack. I can never get stiff peaks to form. I'm not even sure what constitutes a stiff peak.

I made this cake for Trevor's birthday and I was able to form half of the required stiff peaks. That is, I successfully made homemade whipped cream. Whiskey whipped cream at that. I'm not a huge fan of whipped cream, but a little whiskey can make anything amazing.

Cherry & Whiskey Upside Down Cake

Recipe, nearly verbatim, from Endless Simmer

Almond Meal:
1.5 oz salted almonds
1/2 cup flour

Topping:
1 cup sugar
6 tbsp water
6 tbsp butter
9 1/2 oz cherries, stemmed, pitted, and halved

Cake:
1/2 cup almond meal
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teas baking soda
1/4 teas salt
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs, separated
1/4 teas vanilla extract
1/4 teas almond extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup whiskey

Whiskey Whipped Cream: 
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp whiskey

To make the almond meal, place almonds and flour in a food processor until the mixture resembles sand.

To make the topping, place sugar and water in a saucepan and stir until dissolved. Let the dissolved mixture come to a boil, and, using the handle, swirl the occasionally. Continue to boil until the mixture becomes a medium amber. Remove the pan from heat and add butter. Stir until combined. Pour the topping into the bottom of your cake pan and place the cherries cut-side down into caramel mixture.

To make the cake mix the almond meal, flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until combined. Beat the butter until fluffy (using a stand mixer, if you are so fortunate, but I did it by hand in a pinch). Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and beat until combined. Add half of the flour mixture, followed by the buttermilk, followed by the other half of the flour mixture. After each addition, beat until just combined.

Place the egg whites in a clean glass bowl. Beat until foamy and soft peaks form. The mixture should triple in volume. Slowly sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of sugar and mix until combined. Pour in the whiskey and beat until combined. Fold a third of the egg mixture into batter with a wooden spoon. Gently fold in the remaining egg mixture.

Spread the batter evenly over the fruit topping. Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

To make the whipped cream, place the wipping cream in a cold bowl and beat until medium peaks form. Slowly sprinkle the sugar onto the cream and beat to combine. Slowly pour the whiskey down the side of the bowl and beat to combine. Do not overbeat.

vanilla coconut ice cream with dark chocolate chips

I am not religious, but I have the overwhelming guilt and love of altruistic abstinence that comes with being raised Catholic. So, I celebrate Lent. This year, I gave up gluten and animal products.

I think I enjoy the challenge of not being able to have a lot of foods. It makes you try new and unusual recipes that you might not if you have an easier alternative. This ice cream was one of those recipes.

I had never cooked with real vanilla beans or coconut before. This was mostly due to being a starving student living in an expensive city. It turns out that these items are both expensive and difficult to work with. The vanilla wasn't so bad, but the coconut had to be pounded open with a hammer and nails. Yikes!

The result was worth it. Lovely, animal and soy free ice cream without the need for an ice cream maker.

Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate Chips

adapted from This Rawsome Vegan Life 

3 cups raw cashews, soaked in water for 3-4 hours
1 1/2 cups coconut meat
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup raw agave syrup
Seeds from one vanilla bean
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
Chopped organic dark chocolate, to taste


In a blender or food processor, blend all of the ice cream ingredients, except the chocolate until smooth. Once, you ice cream looks creamy, add the chocolate until just blended.

Place in a sealable container and freeze. Remove your ice cream and defrost for 20-40 minutes. Place back into a blender or food processor and blend again. Spoon back into container and re-freeze. Remove from freezer at least five minutes before serving.
 

orange carrot beet juice

I've started juicing again (not steroids). I've been trying to rise early and make juice for breakfast. This time of year I always feel a little downtrodden because I'm ready for fairer weather. Every time it snows is like a slap in the face. All I do is daydream about camping and running outside and swimming and friendship bracelets. Something about drinking fresh juice makes me feel like it should be warm outside. Maybe I can fool myself into thinking it's springtime.

Orange Carrot Beet Juice

2 oranges
4 carrots
1 beet 
Fresh ginger, to taste (I use around two inches)

Peel your oranges, beet, ginger. Carrots only need to be peeled if they aren't organic. The outer layer will contain pesticides in conventional carrots that should be removed. Juice and enjoy.

lettuce wraps with peanut sauce

As of today, I'm moving out of my mother's house. There are so many things I'll miss: television, sleeping in, ice skating, playing with my nephews, etc... What I won't miss is all of the junk food. It's been a constant battle between trying to be healthy and eating with the family. I'm looking forward to having complete control over my kitchen again.

For my last lunch with my mom, I made these Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce. They were easy and relatively healthy. 
 

Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce 

Sauce:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons natural creamy peanut butter
4 teaspoons soy sauce or Braggs
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Filling:
1 package of faux ground beef crumbles
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 thinly sliced green onions
3 tablespoons soy sauce or Braggs
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon Sriracha 
1 cup matchstick-cut cucumbers
1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
1 cup matchstick-cut red peppers
2 cups hot cooked quinoa
8 lettuce leaves 

To make the sauce, heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add minced shallot and saute for 2 minutes. Add water, peanut butter, soy sauce, and red pepper and whisk until blended. Bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in lime juice.

To make the filling, heat olive oil in a large skillet of medium heat. Add the green onions and saute for 1 minute. Add the faux ground beef and saute until cooked. Add soy sauce, ginger, sugar, and Sriracha and saute for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in cucumbers, carrots, and red peppers.

Fill each lettuce leaf with about 1/4 cup of quinoa. Top with about 1/2 cup of the filling. Drizzle with peanut sauce and serve.

maple buttermilk pie

It's a ridiculously beautiful January day. I had my breakfast on the back porch overlooking the lake. Only two days ago it was completely frozen over and I tried ice skating for the first time in years. Now it's melted and the grass is showing.

Part of my reasoning for moving to Michigan was to eventually open a pie shop with my fiancé. At this point, we need to completely rehab the space. He loves woodworking and building things, so that's his job. I have the hard job, practicing making pies so that we have an good-sized repertoire when we open.

This weekend I made a Maple Buttermilk Pie. I was expecting a strong maple flavor, but the results were surprisingly fruity due to the lemon zest. I think I would call the pie a Lemon Buttermilk, so as not to mislead people. Whatever you call it, it was tasty.

maple buttermilk pie

from 101 Cookbooks

Flaky Rye Pie Dough:
1/3 cup rye flour
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon fine grain sea slat
1/2 cup salted butter
1/8 cup cold water

Maple Buttermilk Filling:
Zest of one lemon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
6 egg yolks
1/4 cup flour
2/3 cup maple syrup
2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

For the crust, mix flours and sea salt in a food processor. Cut butter into 1-inch cubes. Add butter to flour mixture and pulse until pea-sized crumbs form. Add the water one tablespoon at a time until a ball forms, taking care not to overmix the dough. Turn the dough on a flour dusted cutting board and form into a 1-inch thick, flat disc. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a half hour up to three days.

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Roll out your pie crust on a flour dusted surface, flipping once or twice. Line a 9-inch pie pan with the dough. Cut around the edge of the dough with scissors, leaving a 1-inch rim of dough extending past the edges of the pan. Tuck the overhang under itself and flute using your fingers. Here's a nice reference video on fluting. Prick the crust a few times with a fork. Refrigerate the dough for 10 minutes.

For the filling, combine lemon zest, brown sugar, egg yolks, and flour in a mixing bowl. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. Slowly add the maple syrup, stirring the whole time. Then add the buttermilk, vanilla, and salt.

Remove the pie crust from he refrigerator and line with parchment paper. Fill the crust with pie weights or dried beans and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the weights and parchement paper and continue to bake for 10 more minutes.

Lower the oven temperature to 325°F. Allow the crust to cool completely. Fill with 2/3 of the filling. Move into the oven and add the remaining filling. Bake for about an hour until the filling is set. Allow the pie to cool completely. This is something you could make a day or two ahead of time and refrigerate, as it tastes great cold.

kale caesar salad

Food is the thing I think about the most. I don't mean simply thinking about what I want to eat for dinner or the next recipe I'm going to try. It's more of a never ending inner monologue about the ethics and health benefits of the food I'm eating. It's an effect of living in a society where food is a mass-produced commodity. We have so many choices about how we want to eat, that it causes an endless debate about what is ethical and what is healthy.

Prior to moving in with my mother, I rarely ate meat at home. I'm not comfortable with preparing it or with where most meat comes from. For the last month I have thrown my beliefs about food out the window, eating a variety of frozen meals and more meat than is ever necessary. Fortunately, my mother appealed to my vanity last week, telling me what an amazing cook I had become and asking me to make more meals. I agreed and now there is a plethora of healthy, vegetable based meals in my future. I started out last night with a Vegetable Tart with Gruyère & Fresh Thyme and this Kale Caesar Salad.

kale caesar salad

from Tartine Bread by Chad Robertson
 
Croutons:
4 slices of day old bread
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt
½ teaspoon herbes de Provence

Kale Caesar:
3 garlic cloves
6 olive oil-packed anchovy fillets
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 large egg yolk
Salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
1½ cups extra-virgin olive oil
2 heads kale, center stems removed
⅔ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

To make the croutons, preheat the oven to 400°F. In a bowl, toss the torn bread with the olive oil, a pinch of salt, and the herbs. Spread the bread evenly on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown and crisp, about 15 minute, flipping halfway.

To make the dressing, grate the zest from 1 lemon. Cut the lemon in half. Place the garlic, anchovies, and lemon zest in a mortar and pound with a pestle to make a thick paste. Add the egg yolk, a pinch of salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice and stir thoroughly to combine. Continuing to stir, pour in 1/2 cup of the oil drop by drop. The mixture should look smooth and creamy, a sign that you are building a stable emulsion. Continuing to stir, begin adding the oil in a slow stream. The dressing should thicken. Periodically stop pouring in the oil and add a squeeze of lemon. Taste the dressing and add more salt and lemon juice to taste. Add water, a small spoonful at a time, stirring to thin dressing to the consistency of heavy cream.

In a large bowl, combine the kale and croutons. Pour the dressing over the top and toss to coat. Add the Parmesan, toss again, and serve.