Wild Fennel Ice Cream

Wild Fennel Ice Cream

Modified from KCRW, Good Food Blog

3 cups organic heavy cream

3 cups organic whole milk

5-6 ounces wild fennel fronds, chopped  (yep, it is quite a lot)

10 organic egg yolks

1 cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon sea salt

Place the cream, milk and fennel in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan, and scald over medium heat.  Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and allow the mixture to steep for one hour.  Prepare an ice bath by mixing ice and enough water to cover in a container large enough to hold a separate container of ice cream base.  In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and salt until well combined.  Re-heat the dairy and fennel mixture, and bring to a rolling boil.  Strain out the fennel in a large bowl.  Pour the hot cream into the egg yolk mixture all at once.  Whisk until combined, and immediately pour the custard into a metal container and place in the ice bath.  Stir until the base is cold.  Place into an ice cream freezer according to manufacturer’s directions.

This recipe does not slowly temper the yolks or cook until thickened like many recipes.  The sugar keeps the egg yolks from scrambling and the boiling cream raises the temperature of the yolks to cook them sufficiently.

Key Lime-Coconut Pie

Key Lime-Coconut Pie

Chef Diana Temple

For one 9 in. pie:

Crust ingredients:

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup sugar

¼ cup toasted sweetened shredded coconut (optional)

4 tablespoons melted butter (1/2 stick)

For filling:

5 egg yolks

1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces)

½ cup key lime juice (have patience, these little guys are tedious to juice.  Roll them on hard surface first to loosen juice)

½ cup thick good quality coconut milk

1 teaspoon lime zest (best to grate this off the limes before you cut them!)

Pinch of salt

Meringue:

4 egg whites

6 Tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon cornstarch

Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the crust ingredients with your hands and press into bottom and sides of 9 in pie pan.

Whisk together the filling ingredients; eggs and milk first then other ingredients.

Pour into prepared pan and place in center of oven, bake approx. 20-25 minutes or until set.

Remove pie from oven and raise temp. to 400 degrees.

For meringue, beat egg whites until soft peaks form, add sugar, cornstarch, salt and beat until dissolved.

Spoon onto the hot pie using wooden spoon to create peaks.  Return to oven for 10 minutes or until peaks turn golden.

Garnish with toasted coconut if desired and lime slices.  Serve at room temperature.

Curried-Cashew Cauliflower

Curried-Cashew Cauliflower

1 large head Cauliflower

½ cup cashew butter (roasted) this can be made in a vita-mix with cashews and a little oil

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons curry powder

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Juice of one half of an orange (or about 3 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon orange zest (grate from orange before juicing it)

2 tablespoons of chopped roasted cashews (garnish)

1 tablespoon parsley, chopped (garnish)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Cut the cauliflower in large bite size pieces, discarding the middle tough part of the stalk, set aside.

Mix together all remaining ingredients except the last two that are for garnish

Spread the curry-cashew mixture as best you can on the tops of the cauliflower pieces as   you place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper

Place in the preheated oven for approx. 10-12 minutes or until a little tender (not too soft)

Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with the chopped nuts and parsley

Kabocha Squash Soup

Kabocha Squash Soup with Caramelized Apple and Crème Fraiche

Ingredients: (serves 6-8)

One medium kabocha squash

2 quarts vegetable or low sodium chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream

¼ cup honey

2 cinnamon sticks

2 star anise (optional)

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 large granny smith apple (or any green apple)

¼ cup crème fraiche

1 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Cut kabocha in half, remove seeds and place on a sheet pan with about ¾ in. of water.  Place in preheated oven for approx. 45 minutes or until soft.  Remove from oven and set aside to cool.  Scoop out the squash flesh and discard skin. Combine flesh in a large pot with the stock and c bring to simmer.  Remove from heat.  With an immersion blender, blend mixture until smooth. ( you can use a standing blender, but be sure to blend in small batches, and pulse gradually, holding lid securely with towel, as hot soup tends to expand) Place mixture back on stove and continue simmering for 15 minutes.  Add cream and continue to simmer slowly for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add honey, cinnamon sticks, curry powder and star anise. Allow to steep for one hour, stirring occasionally.  Strain out the cinnamon and star anise.

Peel apple, cut in quarters, core and cut each quarter in 4-5 slices.  Sprinkle the sugar among the apple slices and broil until golden brown on greased baking sheet.

Divide the reheated soup among 6-8 bowls, top with a dollop of crème fraiche and a few slices of caramelized apple.  You can also whisk in a few tablespoons of milk or cream to the crème fraiche and drizzle on top of soup to prevent it from sinking. Serve hot!

Avocado Mousse Pie

Avocado-White Chocolate Mousse Pie

For one 9 inch Springform Pan:

Crust Ingredients:

2/3 cup chocolate nibs (or bittersweet chocolate, chopped)

2/3 cup unsalted macadamia nuts (roughly chopped)

2/3 cup dried coconut (sweetened is fine, too, shaved or shred)

In a food processor, process nuts and chocolate until mealy, add the coconut and pulse a few seconds.

Line the pan with the nut mixture, patting evenly on the entire bottom of pan.  Bake for 8 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  Remove and set aside.

For the filling:

10 ounces white chocolate chips

2 medium ripe avocadoes (good buttery ones!)

6 egg whites

2 ½ cups whipping cream

2 tablespoons sugar

Pinch of salt

Melt the white choc. chips in a double boiler over med. heat until soft.

Place the avos in a food processor and add the melted white chocolate to this and process until creamy.

Remove from processor and put in a large mixing bowl.

Whip the egg whites until med. stiff, set in refrigerator.

Whip the cream until soft peaks form and add the sugar and salt and whip another 10 seconds.

Gently fold the egg whites into the avo-choc. mix.  Fold in the whipped cream saving about a ½ cup.

Spoon the avo mixture into the springform pan spreading from the inside out, evenly.

Top with the remaining whipped cream in decorative dollops.   Refrigerate for at least six hours or overnight.  Enjoy!

You can garnish with a few chocolate nibs (or shavings) and a couple slices of avocado!

Flavours of Cambodia and Laos

The Flavors of Cambodia and Laos

     Last Christmas our travels took us to the ancient areas of the Khmer Empire which after the middle ages, from the 10^th though the 13^th  centuries, stretched throughout Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia.  Today, the cuisine lives on in some of the most intense spice blends I have ever tasted.  Hannah, Benajah and Cheyenne (Benajah’s girlfriend), bopped along with us in our endless temple hunts via tuktuks, a motorcycle pulled cart.  Angkor Wat was only one of the many grand sites we saw, as we likened to the most obscure, such as Ta Som and Bayan.  It takes days to appreciate these temples, and our guide, Pho, was a good historian for three full days of adventure.  It was Pho who introduced us to Khmer food, and to his childhood life as a survivor of the Khmer Rouge. The stories unfolded over the slow rides in our tuktuk, (as the big tour buses blasted by us), and as we ate our first Amok, the Cambodian fish stew.  In Laos, Cheyenne and I attended a day long cooking class in an outdoor kitchen that was hidden in a dense jungle atmosphere.  Here I learned about the unique spice pastes. These recipes may seem daunting, but these ingredients are easily found in Asian markets across the U.S.  Yes, you can do it!

Khmer Curry Paste: (keeps in freezer for several months)

3 tablespoons oil

2 inches Galangal (or Ginger Root), peeled and sliced in shreds

1 inches Turmeric Root, peeled and sliced into shreds

6 cloves Garlic, chopped

3 stalks Lemongrass, inner part of bottom third only, chopped

4 small Shallots, peeled and chopped

10 Kaffir Lime leaves, finely sliced

2 teaspoons fish paste, finely chopped (optional)

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add all ingredients

and fry until golden brown.

 Transfer to a mortar or food processor and blend into a smooth paste.

 Khmer Curry:

       ¼ cup Oil 

        2 tablespoons Annatto Seeds

        1 lb. fresh firm fish such as sea bass, haddock, cod or snapper, cut in large 2 in. chunks

        5 fresh Kaffir Lime leave

        3 Carrots, peeled and sliced in rounds    

        1  Sweet Potato, peeled and sliced

        1 Onion, peeled and cut in 8thsablespoons Fish Sauce

        1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

         ¾ cup Green Beans, trimmed and cut in 1 ½ in pieces

         1  Asian Eggplant, sliced

         2  cups Coconut Milk  

         Spice Paste: 4 Star Anise Pods, 1 teaspoon Coriander Seeds, 1 cup dried red  finger length Chili Peppers, soaked in water for 20 minutes the drained, seeded and sliced thin

          3 Tablespoons Khmer Curry Paste

To make the spice paste combine the star anise and coriender seeds in a small skillet and toast them over med. heat until fragrant.  Transfer to mortar and pound them into a fine powder.  Add the soaked chilis, dried shrimp paste and the Khmer Curry Paste and pound into a paste.  Tranfer to a small bowl.

Heat oil in a wok or skillet over med. heat and add the annatoo seeds. When the oil starts to smoke and has a red color, strain it and return to pan, discarding the seeds.  Heat the oil to med. high heat and fry the fish until cooked through, just a minute or two, turning.  Remove and drain on paper towels.

Add the spice paste to the wok or skillet and fry until it is lightly browned and fragrant. Reduce the heat to med. and add the kaffir lime leaves, carrots, sweet potato, onion and sugar (and fish paste, if using).  Mix well and add a little water to moisten.  Stir fry for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are almost tender.  Add the green beans, eggplant and fried fish and cook another 5 minutes.  Add coconut milk, bring to a boil, and serve!

Flavours of Cambodia and Laos

                                                        

                                                          Khmer Fish Stew (Amok)

   There are many recipes for Amok, the national dish of Cambodia.  The combination of ingredients in this recipe also appears in soups and savory flans.  Amok in normally made with nonni leaves, which are famous for their medicinal properties. Swiss Chard is a good substitution.

Serves 4

3 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons Khmer Curry Paste (on previous recipe page)

1 lb. firm white fish fillet, such as sea bass, cod, haddock, or snapper

3 cups thinly sliced Swiss Chard leaves, bok choy or nonni leaves

2 cups coconut milk

1 teaspoon palm sugar or dark brown sugar

4 tablespoons fish sauce

Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat.  Add the Khmer Curry Paste and fry it until it is browned.  Add the fish and the Swiss chard leaves and stir-fry until the leaves start to wilt.  Add the coconut milk, sugar and the fish sauce and bring just to a boil. Serve immediately.