Strawberry Lime Basil Sherbet

August 25, 2010 was a very special day in our lives.  Very special.  I remember everything so clearly.  The blue skies, birds chirping, bright sun shining its rays down on us… the knock on the door by the delivery guy.  I will never forget that day – the day that our ice cream maker arrived at our doorstep.  I remember feeling excited – I would finally be able to make a dessert that Seth would love.  He never had much of a sweet tooth, except when it came to ice cream. And I felt powerful – the ability to make this sweet treat was now in my control – take that milk and cream!  Of course, once I realized I would have to wait a day to make ice cream, because the bowl of the ice cream maker has to be chilled, I was super disappointed.  Ever since its initiation by freezer, however, it has been one of the most beloved appliances in our kitchen.  I can’t even remember what life was like without it.   Our most recent concoction is this strawberry lime basil sherbet.  I wanted to take this fruit salad, whose flavors worked so well together, and make it into a cold ice cream treat.  It tastes fruity, yet unique, and is just perfect for summer.

Ingredients
½ cup sugar
¼ cup water
1/2 cup chopped basil
1 quart strawberries, hulled and chopped
3 cups milk
3 -4 tablespoons lime juice
1 ½ teaspoon lime zest

Instructions
To make the basil syrup: Place sugar, water, and basil in small pot.  Gently boil until the sugar has dissolved, about 8 minutes.  Take off heat and strain out the basil.  Chill. 

To make the sherbet: Use a blender (I used my trusty immersion blender) to puree the strawberries, milk, basil syrup, lime juice, and lime zest together.  Churn in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions.  I find that this doesn’t freeze particularly well, so if you do freeze it, you may want to take out the sherbet 20 minutes before you serve.

Day 195! Yemen~Ghraybeh (Shortbread and Pistachio Cookies) with Homemade Rose Water - Up Next, Zambia

 Maybe it's because of my Irish heritage, or perhaps it's the neighborhood I live in that was settled by the Irish in the 1800's, but when the opportunity came along to make a homemade still, I simply couldn't resist. But don't get too excited. I'm not making hootch, rather, I'm distilling rose petals from my garden to make rose water. Aside from the thrill of making this heavenly scented concoction, most Middle Eastern and Arabic cooking uses some form of rose water, orange blossom or jasmine water in all kinds of cooking. Seeing as roses are in bloom, and I'm cooking in Yemen, I had to give this a shot. The end product is not as "rosy" as commercially sold rose water, but pretty close! As for the cookies, imagine rich, crumbly shortbread, scented with roses and spiced with exotic cardamom ~ lovely. Lastly, a big shout-out to my friend, Lee at Cambridge Cooks for the kitchen visit and Sofra snacks!

Map Courtesy of Lonely Planet

Located in western Asia, Yemen occupies the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula and is bordered by Saudi Arabia, the Red Sea and Oman. Although Yemen is said to be one of the poorest countries in the Arab world, it is also home to some of the most beautiful architecture. The country's rich culture, once known as the "land of milk and honey", also claims the oldest city in the world in its capital city, San'a. Yemen is the only state in the Arabian Peninsula to have a completely republican government. Slightly over half of the country's population is Sunni, with the remainder being Shia.

Cuisine in Yemin is different from typical Middle Eastern cooking as it has Ottoman and Turkish influences, as well as Afghan, Moroccan, African and Arabian traditions. Chicken and lamb are the primary source of protein, with fish being eaten in the coastal region. Cheese, butter and dairy are eaten in moderation, but buttermilk, vegetable oil, ghee and clarified butter are used in cooking daily. Spices and seasonings often used include (but are not limited to)anise seed, fennel, ginger, honey, garlic, onions, chilies,rose and orange blossom water, sesame and poppy seeds. Tea and very strong coffee are enjoyed in restaurants and in homes.
I picked a variety of roses from my backyard

Some are domestic and some wild tea roses

I took the petals off the stems

All you need to make a still: fire place brick, metal or glass bowl and a large pot with a domed lid

Once water comes to a boil, dump a bunch of ice on the lid. The ice melts and condensation drips down into the bowl.

For the cookies: semolina, powdered sugar, flour, canola oil and pistachios

...and cardamom and roses <3

Pine nuts and almonds can be used as well as pistachios

Shape the dough into an "s", diamonds or wreaths

The first batch did not hold its shape, so I added a little more flour (indicated in recipe below)

These delicate cookies are heavenly scented and flavored with rose water and cardamom

Ghraybeh (Shortbread Cookies) Adapted from The Spice House

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup semolina flour
1 cup powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
1 cup clarified butter (ghee), softened or canola oil
2 teaspoons rose water
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 cup (approximately) shelled pistachios
1/4 teaspoon fine-grained salt
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Mix together the butter, sugar, and rose water until light and creamy. Sift together flours, salt and cardamom and stir into butter mixture until well combined. Chill dough for 30 minutes.

Form dough into grape-sized balls, then shape balls into wreaths, diamonds, "s" shapes, etc. (or leave round). Place a pistachio on each cookie.

Arrange cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 18-20 minutes, until cookies are dry to the touch and just starting to change color. Transfer cookies to a rack and immediately dust heavily with powdered sugar.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Blanched almond or pine nuts can be used in place of pistachios. Rose Water can be substituted with orange flower water or with whiskey or other flavors.

Ingredients:

Homemade Rose Water - Adapted from care2com

Be sure you have a brick and heat-safe stainless steel or glass quart bowl ready before you begin.

2-3 quarts fresh roses or rose petals
Water
Ice cubes or crushed ice

1. In the center of a large pot (the speckled blue canning pots are ideal) with an inverted lid (a rounded lid), place a fireplace brick. On top of the brick place the bowl. Put the roses in the pot; add enough flowers to reach the top of the brick. Pour in just enough water to cover the roses. The water should be just above the top of the brick.

2. Place the lid upside down on the pot. Turn on the stove and bring the water to a rolling boil, then lower heat to a slow steady simmer. As soon as the water begins to boil, toss two or three trays of ice cubes (or a bag of ice) on top of the lid.

3. You’ve now created a home still! As the water boils the steam rises, hits the top of the cold lid, and condenses. As it condenses it flows to the center of the lid and drops into the bowl. Every 20 minutes, quickly lift the lid and take out a tablespoon or two of the rose water. It’s time to stop when you have between a pint and a quart of water that smells and tastes strongly like roses.





© 2010-2012, What's Cooking in Your World? Sarah Commerford/All Rights Reserved

Pistachio Pesto Penne

I owe pasta an apology.  I’ve abandoned it for a bit.  I didn’t hate it!  But somewhere along the way, I just lost my desire for it.  It would sit there in their boxes on the shelf in the cupboard.  Just waiting.  And waiting.  Not being opened.  Just sitting there in their place in the pantry.  But one day recently, I realized I missed it.  And now I can’t get enough.  I’m so sorry to have abandoned you dear pasta.  Please forgive me.  I have no idea what I was even eating all those weeks – rice, perhaps?  I promise to never leave you like that again.  You come in a myriad of shapes and sizes, and go so well with all types of concoctions – tomato sauce, meatballs, cream sauces, olive oil…and pesto.  After trying you with this creamy pistachio pesto, I don’t know how I ever could have abandoned you!  Plus, who can turn down an opportunity for alliteration?

Ingredients
¼ cup pistachios, shelled and salted
¼ cup basil
¼ cup tarragon
2 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces pasta (I used penne)
1/3 cup reserved pasta water
1/3 cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions
To make the pesto:  Place pistachios, basil, tarragon, and garlic cloves in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse.  Slowly pour in the olive oil while the food processor is still running.  Set aside. 

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, and make the pasta according to the package directions.  Be sure to reserve 1/3 cup of the pasta water before draining. 

In a large sauté pan over medium-low heat, mix the pesto, reserved pasta water, heavy cream, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  Once everything has been heated, add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss to coat.

DIY Canning & Preserving 101

When I was growing up my mom grew her own vegetables and fruit, raised chickens, canned tomatoes and made everything from bread to soap. I have not quite followed in her footsteps, but now and again I take on a project or two. I've made orange marmalade and lately I've been making batches of tamales. I've dabbled in window box herb gardening and last year I bought a kit to make cheese.

I'm not alone. Activities like preserving, canning, DIY, gardening and even raising chickens are all surging in popularity. Whether it's a desire to get back to nature, or to just feel the sense of accomplishment that comes with making something to your own taste, these experiences can be deeply satisfying. If you're not sure where to start, or if you are looking to take the next step, there are plenty of good resources out there to get you going. Here are some of my current favorites:

Williams Sonoma recently launched Agrarian, which is designed to get you up to speed in various foodie DIY activities, preserving, gardening and more. The carefully curated line of products includes everything from guides and kits to make cheese, kombucha and sprouts to garden tools, planters and even deluxe chicken coops and beekeeping supplies. As you'd expect, Williams Sonoma has sought out the best quality and often most stylish products.

And there are plenty of exclusive products that you won't find anywhere else such as Beekman heirloom seeds and seed "bombs" and gorgeous Sophie Conran designed garden tools. Online you'll find how to guides and videos. This is a particularly great place to find a gift for someone who is at any level when it comes to gardening or DIY.

Hedonia blogger Sean Timberlake is the mastermind behind Punk Domestics, the go-to aggregator site for preserving, canning, cheese making and more. Instead of searching individual blogs, you can visit Punk Domestics and find posts on a wide variety of topics having to do with jams, jellies and preserves, pickling, salumi and charcuterie and even foraging. Head over to see the latest or dig in when you're ready to try something new. Let the links on the right hand for things like Drying and Dehydrating or Home Brewing do the research for you.


Here are some books on preserving and DIY I have used and recommend:

If it wasn't for Vanessa Barrington's book DIY Delicious, I never would have tried and succeeded in making corn tortillas. In addition to recipes for ingredients, Barrington also shares recipes for how to use your new creations such as spicy kimchi (hello!) and spicy soft tofu soup with kimchi. This is not a preserving book per se, but more about culinary DIY.

Jam it, Pickle it, Cure it and Can it, Bottle it, Smoke it are two books that cover a wide variety of projects you can take on at home. From easy ones like making chocolate hazelnut spread to more complicated ones such as smoking your own pastrami or making masa from scratch and everything in between (think vanilla extract, beef jerky, ginger beer, graham crackers, etc.) A number of the recipes in these books are also in a long out of print favorite of mine, Better than Store-Bought, which you can occasionally find online, but Karen Solomon's book are much more contemporary and hip.

In The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook Rachel Saunders creates jams with enticing fruit and floral combinations like rhubarb rose conserve with cherries, blueberry jam with mint, Italian prune and cardamon conserve, pear jam with rosemary and pine and boysenberry jam with lemon verbena. Need I say more?

Chef and restaurateur Paul Virant's handsome book The Preservation Kitchen includes recipes for pickles and relishes, jams and marmalades as well as bittersweet preserves specifically mostarda and aigre-doux (a kind of sweet sour vinegary preserve of fruit or vegetables) and fermented and cured foods in addition to pressure canned preserves. The second part of the book consists of seasonal recipes using the preserves. 

Home Made is a hard book to describe; it's got a little bit of everything, like preserving vegetables, making broth, herbal teas, cheese, ice cream, chocolate and mustard. The layout is amazing with lots of photographs, technique shots and even hand drawn illustrations. There are also tons of recipes that just use fresh ingredients.  The seasoned labneh balls in olive oil are particularly good. 

Put 'em Up and Well-Preserved are two great books on preserving, and include drying, freezing and dehydrating. Both have compelling recipes and easy-to-follow clear instructions. It's hard for me to say which of the two I like best, the major difference is that Put'em Up is all about preserving, whereas Well-Preserved focuses on small batch preserving and also includes recipes for using the preserves such as preserved zucchini in a shrimp and preserved zucchini salad.

More links:

National Center for Home Food Preservation
Canning Across America note the monthly canning Twitter chats
Canning: Recipes & Instructions from Epicurious
Preserving and Canning Food from Better Homes & Gardens
Karen Solomon Author and Preserving Expert
Food in Jars blog

Some of the books were provided as review copies

Bison Tacos with Avocado & Radish

American bison are an important part of the prairie ecosystem and after a decline almost to extinction around the end of the 19th century, today there are many ranchers working hard to bring them back. I enjoy cooking and eating bison (sometimes referred to as buffalo). The brands I've tried thus far have all been grass fed, lean, raised in a more sustainable manner and well, delicious. You may be able to find ground bison at your supermarket and it's pretty easy to use in recipes that call for ground beef. Bison steaks however are another story.

Because most bison is grass fed, it's leaner, like grass fed beef. Considered a highly nutrient dense food, it's lower in calories, fat and cholesterol than even chicken, it has 40% more protein than beef and is high in iron, omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin E. Without rich marbling, it needs more tender loving care. Wild Idea Buffalo recently sent me some samples of their products. Their ranch is located in South Dakota between the Black Hills and the Badlands National Park and their herd is raised without the use of antibiotics or hormones. I knew immediately what I wanted to try with the New York strip loin steak. An extremely lean piece of meat, I knew I would cook it quickly, searing to get some nice color and flavor, and serving it very rare. Because it is so lean, it's particularly good paired with something rich, like avocado.

I got my inspiration from a Martha Stewart recipe, Beef Tacos with Avocado and Radish Salsa. My adaptation is very close to the original. Here's what I did differently. I used bison instead of beef and I used a lot less of it! I rubbed the steak with oil and just sprinkled it with both cumin and chile powder. I used fresh jalapenos instead of picked ones and I added scallions. Most importantly I made my own tortillas. Please, do yourself a favor. Buy a tortilla press
and a big bag of masa harina (Maseca is a good and easy to work with brand) and never settle for store bought tortillas ever again.



Bison Tacos with Avocado and Radish (adapted from Everyday Food, Martha Stewart)

Makes 6 tacos

Ingredients

10 ounces bison strip loin steak
vegetable oil
chile powder
ground cumin
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced
4 radishes, diced
2 green onions, sliced
2-3 tablespoons cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, diced, more or less as desired
2 limes
pinch salt
6 small corn tortillas, preferably homemade

Instructions

Allow the steak to come to room temperature. Pat it dry with paper towels then rub it with a just enough vegetable oil so it is glossy, but not slick. Sprinkle all sides with chile powder and ground cumin. Heat a cast iron skillet. Sear the meat 3 minutes on the top and bottom and then another 2-3 minutes on the other two sides (loin is almost square shaped). Allow to cool 10 minutes then slice thinly.

Make salsa by combining the diced avocado, radishes, green onions, cilantro and jalapeno. Slice the limes in half and squeeze them over the salsa, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, gently mix then taste. Adjust seasoning as you see fit. Heat the tortillas, top with slices of steak and salsa.

Enjoy!

If you are interested in trying bison, you can receive a 20% discount by using the code Amy-Buffalo20 at Wild Idea Buffalo Store  through July 1st, 2012.


My thanks to Wild Idea Buffalo for sending me samples of their products to try.

Chewy Pistachio Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are the love child of Alton Brown’s “The Chewy” chocolate chip cookies and the Momofuko Milk Bar “Compost Cookies.”  Of course, like many children, they possess traits that neither parent can understand or account for, and toss out many of the notions their parents hold dear to fit their new world view.  In this case, that world view is to have a bunch of movie snacks together in one ever-chewy cookie form! Pistachio, pretzel, dark chocolate, and semisweet chocolate… a beautiful melody of sweet and salty.  These cookies do come with one rule, though.  You must drink them with a glass of milk.                      

Ingredients 
1 cup unsalted butter
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 ¼ cups brown sugar
2 ¼ cups AP flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground coffee
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pretzels
2 ounces chopped dark chocolate
½ cup salted and chopped pistachios
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup milk

Instructions
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.  In a medium bowl, sift the flour, salt, baking soda, and ground coffee.  In another bowl, mix the chocolate chips, pretzels, dark chocolate, and pistachios.  Pour the butter into the work bowl of a standing mixer or a large mixing bowl.  Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, then cream on medium speed (will take a few minutes).  Add the egg, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla extract.  Mix them until everything is well combined.  Slowly add the flour mixture.  Once that has been incorporated, add stir in the chocolate chip and pretzel mixture.  Chill the dough at least an hour.  Heat oven to 375.  Scoop the dough out in about ¼ cup-size portions.  Bake about 12 minutes, or until golden brown.  Cool on wire racks.  Pour the 1 cup of milk into a glass.  Dunk cookie in milk for 6-13 seconds before eating.  Enjoy.

Day 194! Vietnam ~ Vietnamese Summer Rolls with Nuoc Cham (Vegetarian) - Up Next Yemen

Tuyệt vời - That's as close as I can come to the Vietnamese translation for the word awesome. Vietnamese food is my very favorite Asian cooking style, as it relies on fresh, clean flavors and is much lighter than my close second favorite, Thai cooking. Plus the standard combination of mint, lemon grass and basil is just insanely, insanely sexy -- in an herby way. Without even thinking about it, I can tell you that  any time I'm lucky enough to get to a Vietnamese restaurant, I always order the Spring (Summer) rolls. I love the look and texture of the the rice paper wrappers, crunchy fresh vegetables, chewiness of the tofu, cellophane noodles and sweet/hot mix of the accompanying sauce. And of course, they're just so pretty. I've made won-tons, pot stickers and egg rolls before, but have never attempted these until today. All I can say is...dayyyam, these are slammin'. Working with rice paper took a little getting used to as it's super thin and very delicate, but after a couple of clumsy tries, I got it down. I hope you will too!

Map Courtesy of Lonely Planet

Vietnam is the eastern-most country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. Bordered by China, Laos, Cambodia and the South China Sea, this beautiful country boasts lush countrysides, mountains, a sparkling coastline and rolling rice fields. Having survived colonialism, communism and capitalism, Vietnam has finally come into its own and now considered one of the most spectacular countries on the earth to visit. The country became independent from China in 938, but was later colonized by the French in the mid 19 century. After the fist Indochina war, the French were expelled from the country, leaving Vietnam divided into south and north Vietnam. Following the Vietnam war in 1975, a communist government ruled the country until 1986 when market-based economic and political reforms took hold.

Cuisine in Vietnam is influenced by Chinese, French and Indian traditions. Dishes differ from region to region, but for the most part, fish sauce, shrimp paste soy sauce, rice fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables form the basis for this extraordinarily healthy food. Herbs such as lemon-grass, mint coriander and Thai basil leaves flavor and scent Vietnamese cooking. Unlike Chinese cooking that uses a fair amount of oil, Vietnamese cuisine uses far less oil and relies on fish, chicken, pork beef and seafood for protein. Known for beautiful, healthy vegetarian dishes (influenced by Budhist traditions and values), broths and soup-based dishes are also commonly eaten.


The basics: red leaf lettuce, cucumber, cilantro, mung beans, chilies and daikon

 Mint - the stuff that takes over my garden

 Julienned carrots and cucumbers

 Serrano chili for the Nuoc Cham sauce

 Rice paper wrappers (made in Vietnam)

 Working on a damp tea towel, lay the rice paper out, then put the lettuce leaf on first then layer the other ingredients - roll into a tight cylinder, tucking the ends in 1/2 way through.

 Slice on the diagonal and serve with sauce

Vietnamese Summer Rolls (Adapted from Williams-Sonoma, Asian Cookbook)

8 rice-paper rounds, (12-inches in diameter)
8 red-leaf lettuce leaves, stems removed
2 ounces cellophane noodles, soaked in warm water for 15 min. and drained
1 carrot, peeled and finely shredded
1/2 small cucumber, peeled and seeded, then finely shredded
1/2-lb. block extra firm tofu, cut into 16 slices, each 4-inches long by 1/4-inch thick
1/2 cup mung bean sprouts
Leaves from 1 bunch fresh mint
leaves from 1 bunch fresh cilantro

Working with 1 rice-paper round at a time, soak the round in warm water.

To assemble each roll, lay a lettuce leaf horizontally on the bottom half of the moistened rice paper. At the base of the lettuce place several strands of noodles, 1 teaspoon of the bean sprouts, and several leaves of mint and cilantro. Be careful not to over-stuff the rolls. Lift the bottom edge of the rice paper and carefully place over the noodles and other ingredients, then roll once to form a tight cylinder. Fold in the sides of the rice paper and continue to roll the rice paper and filling into a cylinder.

Place the prepared rolls, seam side down, on a platter and cover with a damp kitchen towel. The rolls can be held at room temperature for several hours before serving.

Just before serving, cut each roll in half at an angle. Serve with Nuoc Cham.

Nuoc Cham (condiment)


3 cloves garlic, chopped
1-1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 serrano chile, seeded and thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 tablespoon grated carrot
1 tablespoon grated daikon

Using a mortar and pestle (or mini food processor_), grind together the garlic and sugar until a paste forms. Transfer to a bowl and whisk in the fish sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice and 1/4 cup of water. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl and add the chile, carrot, and daikon. Makes about 2/3 cup.

© 2010-2011, What's Cooking in Your World? Sarah Commerford/All Rights Reserved