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Anyone else having fruit fly issues?
With all of the gorgeous summer produce out on the counter, it is understandable that fruit flies might find your kitchen an attractive place to hang out. I can tolerate a few fruits flies but just one single fly can drive Marco crazy bonkers.
I cannot remember where I learned this trick but it is cheap and super effective. Even a fruit fly infestation can be cured with these simple traps over the course of a few days.
Place some ripe fruit into a glass. I have had great luck with bananas, peaches and nectarines. A small amount of red wine mixed with some sugar also works.
Cover the glass with taught plastic wrap and use a rubber band to hold it in place. Poke one small hole in the top of the plastic wrap using a skewer or pencil tip. Set the glass in the area where you have seen fruit flies.
Sit back and watch (or in Marco’s case get on with life and stop obsessing). Flies are drawn to the scent of the fruit. They can get in but they can’t get out.
Fruit flies only live about 24 hours but they reproduce rapidly. After a few days, place the glass and all its inhabitants into your fridge or freezer. Once all the fruit flies have died in the chilled air, clean out the glass and start over.
I promise that you will be amazed at the effectiveness of this simple trap. Fruit flies be gone!
August 4th, 2010
Wolfgang Puck immortalized this recipe; it is an easy no-cook dinner for any hot and steamy summer night. I bought a rotisserie chicken and pulled the meat off. The dressing takes seconds and you can use many vegetable combinations: Shredded carrots, slivered Napa cabbage, snow peas, edamame, romaine lettuce and cucumbers are all great choices.
I had on hand some beautiful yellow tomatoes, an English cucumber, some scallions and cilantro. The heat comes from the dry mustard but it doesn’t linger long.
Chinese Mustard Vinaigrette à la Wolfgang Puck
2 tsp. dry Chinese or English mustard
2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tsp. low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup peanut oil
2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
Place the dry mustard, garlic and ginger in a small mixing bowl. Add the rice wine vinegar and soy sauce. Whisk in the oils.
Assemble your salad in a large bowl, topping with the shredded chicken meat and then sprinkle the sesame seeds all over. Pour on the dressing and toss well.
July 30th, 2010
A recent work project has me making ice cream! A recipe for homemade honey ice cream is offered below.
I wish I could use liquid nitrogen as it is far more dramatic. I don’t even know where to begin on this part of the lecture series as I was so mesmerized by the liquid nitrogen.
Harold McGee started off with a brief history if ice cream along with a sample of what would be considered the first ice cream. Click here to read his account and technique for making "instant ice cream." Dave Arnold’s raspberry concoction was made by pouring in liquid nitrogen. It was part of his quest to try and replicate Salep dondurma - or Turkish ice cream.
This unique frozen concoction has a secret ingredient that is illegal to take out of Turkey, it is so highly revered and impossible to reproduce commercially. To read more about it click here.
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In the course of my research, I rediscovered one of my favorite Saveur articles on the world of ice cream. It was published back in 2001. Coming up with the flavors and making them outstanding for a commercial package is harder than you think.
Ice cream always tastes unbelievably the best just after it’s been processed. Still gooey and nicely chilled, the texture is dreamy and no commercial ice cream can come close to the almost chewy texture.
Once ice cream firms up and sits in the freezer, it changes in flavor as well as in texture. I love my Cuisinart ice cream maker and once you make ice cream, like most things, it gets easier and easier and more fun to do as you become less intimidated by the process and more creative.
And if you don’t even want to bother with making the custard, Kim’s No Cook Vanilla from July 2009 is fantastic.
This recipe - however is slightly old school. It does require making a custard. I recommend a nice clover or star thistle honey. Creamed honey would also work nicely but anything darker would be a bit overbearing.
You can easily make this into cinnamon ice cream by replacing the honey with 1 cup of sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Serve it with the Mexican Chocolate Sauce featured a few weeks back.
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Honey of a Honey Ice Cream
It really helps to have a candy thermometer so that you don’t over cook the eggs.
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup honey
In a heavy bottom an heat the cream and milk and bring to almost a boil. In a another bowl whisk together the honey and the eggs. Using a ladel, slowly pour some of the hot milk mixture into the eggs while whisking.
Keep pouring until all the milk is gone and the eggs are "tempered". Return mixture to the pot and cook on moderately low heat until the thermometer reads 110 degrees. Stir constantly and do not allow the mixture to boil, this will cook the eggs. If you don’t have a thermometer then you can tell when the custard is ready when it coats the back of a spoon
At this point, remove from heat and pour the custard into another bowl (If you are nervous about having cooked the eggs, pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve). Allow to cool completely.
You can speed this process up by placing the bowl into a ice water bath and stirring occasioanlly to release some of the heat. I like to refrigerate my custard for a few hours before processing. Usually I make the custard the day before want to have homemade ice cream or at least in the morning.
Process according to your ice cream maker’s instructions. Once it comes right out of the ice cream maker, I think it’s perfect to eat. It is also the best consistency for making ice cream cookies, cakes and for filling roulades.
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June 18th, 2010
Schools out and strawberries are in. I had planned on finishing up a cupcake post but it is late and I have to get into the kitchen to cook up some jam. I am making two kinds: Traditional with reduced sugar and French-style from Mes Confitures.
If you are greater Portland flavorista, you can find Maxwell’s Farm Strawberries at Smaha’s Legion Square Market and Broadturn Farm has organic pick-your-own strawberries available now.
I LOVE Maine strawberries but the last few seasons were water logged, resulting in less than stellar berries. If the ones I picked up today are any indication, strawberries are going to be delicious this year.
For more ideas preserving this year’s strawberry harvest, take a peek at Aimee’s post over at Simple Bites. I am especially curious about freezing whole berries in a simple syrup and am planning on giving it a try.
Off to the kitchen for some crazy midnight canning.
June 15th, 2010
When the calender turns to June, it is time to start enjoying summer sips. A well made kir royale is one of my most favorite summer drinks. Made with black currant liqueur and champagne, a kir royale is as tasty as it is pretty.
I like to chill my creme de cassis because it doesn’t bring down the temperature of the champagne. You could also add a frozen raspberry or blackberry for color and added chilling.
For authenticity, kir royales are made with champagne. For savvy wine enthusiasts, cava, prosecco and other sparkling wines can be substituted for the French bubbly.
Classic Kir Royal
Makes 1
1 Tbsp. chilled creme de casssis
2/3 cup good quality, cold champagne (about 5 ounces)
fresh or frozen berries (optional garnish)
Add the creme de cassis to a champagne glass, top with cold champagne. Garnish with berries, if desired.
June 4th, 2010
I bought a bag of Mayan spiced cocoa from Savory Spice Shop a while back. In the winter I enjoy it prepared as hot chocolate. The heat from the chilies makes it especially warming on a cold, blustery day. Its unique blend of chilies, hazelnut powder, vanilla and cinnamon inspired this chocolate sauce.
I served it on on homemade cinnamon ice cream with cinnamon sugar palmiers. The palmiers recipe is from Martha Holmberg’s gem of a book on recipes made with puff pastry entitled Puff. You could also use gingersnaps or cinnamon shortbread cookies.
Mexican Spiced Chocolate Rum Sauce
½ cup unsalted butter, soft
1 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup Mayan cocoa
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tsp. Meyers rum (or any dark rum like Goslings. Captain Morgan’s would work too)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Heat the butter in a sauce pan; add sugar, cocoa cream and salt. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in rum and vanilla.
Serve warm. Refrigerate any leftovers.
June 1st, 2010
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