Poached Pears

I finally did it.  I poached pears.  Thanks to Chow for helping me to come up with a recipe using stuff I had on hand.

2 cups of port wine and 2 of cab
1 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 stick cinnamon
1 tbsp or so of whole cloves
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
4 firm Bosc or Anjou pears (about 1 pound)

Combine all ingredients except pears in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until sugar is completely dissolved. Meanwhile, peel pears, leaving the stems intact. Slice off the bottom 1/8 inch of each pear to create a flat, stable base.

Reduce heat to keep poaching liquid at a bare simmer and add pears, laying them on their sides so that they are almost completely submerged. Cook, turning pears occasionally so that they become saturated on all sides, until they are just tender when pierced with a fork, about 7 minutes.  Be careful when turning - if the pears are ripe, or once they start to cook they get very delicate and you can end up gouging them with your spoon as you try to turn them.

Allow pears to cool completely in the poaching liquid. Serve or transfer pears and liquid to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

To serve, I broke up half of a bar of dark chocolate into a small bowl, added 1/4 cup of milk and nuked for a minute.  I stirred, added more milk (another tbsp or two) until I had the consistency I wanted, then spooned the chocolate onto the plate and spread it around a bit, and nestled the pears on top.

Birthday Cocktails

I like to honor the Sandra Lee in me with a little birthday inspired Cocktail Time. . .
Last year, no wait, two years ago? we had the Candy Cane and the Sugarplum (which I believe was some sort of blueberry vodka based beverage). This year I'm not straying far from that and I think I'll do the Candy Cane again, but swap out the mediocre Sugarplum for my favorite bubbly drink, the Champagne Cocktail.
See, I loves me some blueberries, and I found BLUEBERRY BITTERS. Blueberry. Bitters. Y'all. I was looking for a recipe for bitters to see if I could make my own blueberry ones, when what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a link to some clever people that have done all the work for me. I am hoping and praying that this is delicious, but we shall see.
For those of you unfortunate enough to have made it this far in life without the pleasure of a Champagne Cocktail, let me break it down for you:

Drop a sugar cube into a champagne glass and douse it with a generous hit of bitters. Top with champagne and garnish with a lemon twist.

Seriously that easy and so yum. See how blueberry bitters could be awesome here? I do!

Now about that Candy Cane. . . I can't remember exactly what I did, but let's try this:

1 shot of Godiva white chocolate liqueur
1 shot of vanilla vodka
1 shot of peppermint Schnapps

Garnish with a mini candy cane (as the crushed peppermint candy rim I tried to go with was a bit of a nightmare).

I admit, it might not be equal parts of all three, but you can start there at least. Please keep in mind that while this is all milky delicious and candy tasting it is pure alcohol so don't go guzzling them down and then driving out to do your Christmas shopping.

Oh, and in honor of my roommate (who had never had one of these if you can even imagine) - maybe I'll also serve Snugglers. Should we rename them Snuggies to remain culturally relevant?
(BTW, Snugglers are hot chocolate with peppermint Schnapps). Might sound girly, but after a cold day of cutting down trees and stringing lights, they are just what the doctor ordered. As long as the doctor in question is Sandra Lee.

(it doesn't really kick off til 1:23, but I have no idea how to edit video, so, fast forward or something)

Ina does it again

Darn that Ina Garten for tempting me with nomtastic deliciousness yet again. Delightfully French, and maybe even somewhat healthy, a little, somewhere, if I try. But hey, French people are thin, so maybe it's okay.
Right?

Mustard Roasted Fish
4 (8-ounce) fish fillets such as red snapper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces creme fraiche
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons drained capers

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. (You can also use an ovenproof baking dish.) Place the fish fillets skin side down on the sheet pan. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Combine the creme fraiche, 2 mustards, shallots, capers, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Spoon the sauce evenly over the fish fillets, making sure the fish is completely covered. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until it's barely done. (The fish will flake easily at the thickest part when it's done.) Be sure not to overcook it! Serve hot or at room temperature with the sauce from the pan spooned over the top.

Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
4 to 5 pounds broccoli
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves (about 12 leaves)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.

Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil. Serve hot.

Honey Vanilla Fromage Blanc
32 ounces fromage blanc
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup good honey
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
Vanilla seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean nocoupons

Ripe stone fruit such as peaches, nectarines, plums
Berries such as raspberries and strawberries
Citrus fruit such as oranges, cut in segments
Raspberry Sauce (see below)

Stir the fromage blanc, cream, honey, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and vanilla seeds together in a medium bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To assemble, spoon the fromage blanc mixture into shallow bowls. Place the fruit artfully on top and drizzle the dessert with raspberry sauce. Serve with extra raspberry sauce on the side. I find that some people like it less sweet with just a drizzle of sauce while others prefer more sauce.

Raspberry Sauce
1 half pint fresh raspberries
1/2 c sugar
1 cup seedless raspberry jam
1 tbsp framboise liqueur

Combine raspberries, sugar and 1/4 cup of water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, jam, and framboise into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until very smooth. Chill.

ICE CREAM!!

Yowza - I wonder if this recipe works as well for other flavors? Because if so, omg, get ready for ice cream people because South Beach doesn't really allow for it, but I think I'd have a blast making it which means I won't really be able to eat it and will need to give it away. I can make vanilla, and strawberry (and then Neapolitan!) and peppermint and banana and banana/caramel/chocolate and salted caramel and lavender and EVERYTHING I HAVE EVER WANTED. Even if it's just the chocolate, think about the swirls I could add of marshmallow fluff or chocolate chips or fudge or nuts or minty things or raspberries. . . .
I still really want to try a rose water and pistachio ice cream to be enjoyed after a nice Moroccan feast - does that sound weird? Well I'm not the only one, okay? I mean, I must have tried those flavors together somewhere. Turkish Delight maybe?
Hello summer!!

Easy Chocolate Ice Cream
Makes 1 quart

If you plan to store the ice cream for more than a few days, place plastic wrap directly on its surface before freezing.

1 teaspoon instant coffee or espresso powder
1 tablespoon hot water
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped fine
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt
1 1/4 cups heavy cream, cold

1. MELT CHOCOLATE BASE Combine coffee (or espresso) powder and hot water in small bowl. Let stand until coffee dissolves, about 5 minutes. Microwave chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, and coffee mixture in bowl, stirring every 10 seconds, until chocolate is melted, about 1 minute. Stir in vanilla and salt. Let cool.

2. MIX AND FREEZE With electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip cream to soft peaks, about 2 minutes. Whisk one-third of whipped cream into chocolate mixture. Fold remaining whipped cream into chocolate mixture until incorporated. Freeze in airtight container until firm, at least 6 hours or up to 2 weeks. Serve.
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And look, we can even pair wine with our ice cream! Hell to the yeah!
Feel like you want to show me up with WINE ICE CREAM? Well, it's too late for that because I already know.
Thanks The Kitchn! Their blog on this (linked above) is very helpful in Americanizing the dastardly British original.

Almost Instant Sweet Wine Ice Cream
150ml sweet white wine , such as Orange Muscat and Flora
3 rounded tbsp caster sugar
284ml carton double cream
summer fruits to serve, such as blackberries , raspberries and redcurrants

1. Tip the wine and sugar into a bowl and whisk together. Gradually whisk in the cream until it starts to thicken and just hold its shape.
2. Pour into a rigid container and freeze until firm, about 3-4 hours. Serve in scoops with seasonal summer fruits splashed with a little more sweet wine.

461 kcalories (!!!!), protein 1g, carbohydrate 23g, fat 38 g (!!!!), saturated fat 21g (!!!!!), fibre 0g, salt 0.05 g

Creme brulee

I finally did it! I made a delicious creme brulee and it was delicious and wonderful and awesome and delicious. Hot damn I love vanilla. I halved Alton's recipe since it was just Quinn and I (thanks for the lovely photo PHBF). I served it with fresh berries and my mouth fell in love.

Crème Brulee

* 1 quart heavy cream
* 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
* 1 cup vanilla sugar, divided
* 6 large egg yolks
* 2 quarts hot water

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve with fresh berries or experiment with adding different flavors to the custard.

Speaking of Vanilla

I can't stop thinking about making my own vanilla extract since I saw it in a magazine. Then I can use the old pods for making vanilla scented sugar and then. . . . creme brulee. * drool *
I've only fallen for creme brulee in the last year or so, and man, I would eat it every day if I didn't know what was in it. In fact, I loved that I didn't like it since I'm such a dessertie - that was one thing I could always skip. Now I'm looking for seconds. Damn you palate!!
Check out this instructable for making your own extract.
Check out this recipe for creme brulee from Alton Brown.
Now make them and invite me over. I promise to make you some lavender/vanilla lemonade, I just have to work the recipe out a little. Stay tuned.

Vanilla

Vanilla may mean boring, but nothing beats a really good scoop of vanilla ice cream sometimes. Especially if it's on top of a warm brownie, covered in hot fudge and caramel. Take whatever innuendo you'd like there.
Those geeks over at America's Test Kitchen have just turned my little vanilla world upside down with another one of their tastings. The brand that I've always sort of treated as my go to - it's got natural ingredients! There are vanilla specks! It must be the best! - was eliminated in the preliminaries! Sorry Breyer's.
Seems that I'm going to have to hunt down some Turkey Hill Vanilla Bean or Edy's Dreamery ice cream. These brands have never been on my radar before, so hopefully I can actually find them (and remember what they're called the two times a year I actually pick up ice cream).
And now I TOTALLY want one of those apple cinnamon caramel crisps where the ice cream melts and then there is this delicious soupy stuff with bits of chewy apple and crunchy granola topping. . . . mmmm.