Kimchi Hot Dogs

On Wednesday night, I made kimchi hot dogs, which were totally inspired by Asia Dog and this guy.  Last week, with our napa cabbage and some kohlrabi, my friend made the kimchi, following David Lebovitz's recipe here.  The hardest part about the kimchi recipe, was finding the Korean chili powder.  Even in Korea Town, I had a hard time.  Fortunately, we stopped by M2M, near Columbia, and found it there.

Taste of Tea

On Sunday I watched the Japanese movie Taste of Tea.  As I watched the lengthy two hours and twenty minute film, I was so grateful that I had made Matcha Iri Genmaicha tea and green tea ice cream to go along with it.  Those were the only things that kept me from turning off the movie.  Don't get me wrong, there were parts of the movie I liked, but it was a little too slow, like is anything going to happen here?  Do people really lie around this much?  Anyways, below is the Green Tea Ice Cream recipe I made from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop.  If you have never had green tea ice cream, you must try it.  It has such an unusual earthy, creamy flavor.  This particular recipe has a surprisingly strong taste the first few bites, but once you got past those, the flavored mellowed and you could really enjoy the incredibly creamy texture.  I really couldn't get enough.

Ingredients for Green Tea Ice Cream from The Perfect Scoop, makes about 1 quart:

-1 cup whole milk
-3/4 cup granulated sugar
-Pinch of salt
-2 cups heavy cream
-4 teaspoons matcha (green tea powder)
-6 large egg yolks

Matcha (green tea powder).  You can find it at your Asian grocery store, or at House of Cha.

To begin, warm the milk, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan.  Pour the cream into a large bowl and whisk the green tea powder in.  This was much more challenging than I expected.  The powder likes to stay clumpy, so I used a spoon to break the clumps around the side of the bowl.  Don't worry if you still have some clumps, the warm custard will help dissolve the rest.  Place bowl over an ice bath, and place a mesh strainer on top of mixture.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks.  Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape everything back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula.  Pour the custard through the strainer and stir into the cream, then whisk it vigorously until the custard is frothy to dissolve the green tea powder.  Stir until cool over the ice bath.

Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight, and then freeze in your ice cream maker according to your manufacturer's instructions.

Matcha Iri Genmaicha is my favorite tea - tastes like popcorn!

Since the Takashimaya sadly closed in NYC (where the Tea Box was located), I would recommend checking out House of Cha in Lawrence, Kansas for your tea needs.  You can order a variety of Chinese and Japanese teas online and they are so sweet when you stop by their shop.

For other drinks, check out my Prometheus Springs review here.

Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream

Anytime I mention the yellow ice cream truck, aka Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream, people sigh deeply and say, "I love their ice cream...its sooooo good."  I think they even close their eyes while they talk about it.  I can't help it, but I roll my eyes.  One of the yellow trucks is a few blocks away from my office, so I have stopped by twice.  I will admit the truck is super cute.  It is a pale yellow that is soft and sweet, and the illustrations on the side of the truck always makes me slow down and ponder whether I should get a scoop.  On my first visit, I chose strawberry ice cream.  It was the middle of June - strawberry season, and I had very high hopes.  The most obvious problem I had with the ice cream was that there were no chunks of strawberries - it was all one smooth, light pink scoop.  WHAT?  Hello - show case your seasonal ingredients!  The other issue was that it just wasn't creamy enough.  The ice cream had a an icy and grainy texture, which surprises me because on their website they state the finished product contains 18 percent butterfat and 30 percent overrun, which is typical to premium standards according to Harold McGee in On Food and Cooking.  Overall, the strawberry ice cream had a nice, natural flavor, but I still walked back to work disappointed.

After I explained my first experience to friends, they were in shock.  Perhaps, I had chosen the wrong flavor?  In my opinion, there shouldn't be a wrong flavor, if there is - don't put it on the menu.  So a few weeks ago I went back in hope for the little yellow truck to redeem itself.  This time I chose an Earl Grey ice cream cone.  Okay, I know this is an untraditional flavor, but I wasn't interested in the hazelnut ice cream that everyone raves about.  The flavor was light, subtle, and quietly complex with hints of orange mixed with the tea.  Unfortunately, I still could not get past the icy texture.  This ice cream was even worse than the first.  There were actual small chunks of ice in every bite! 

Small strawberry ice cream cone - $3.95

So now that I have talked trash about Van Leeuwen's, I will give them props for using hormone-free milk and cream from farmers in Lewis County, New York.  Their disposable goods are 100 percent renewable too!  They use Bagasse, a fiber made from sugar cane husks for their cups and napkins, and they use corn husk for their drinking cups, spoons, and straws.  And on top of that, 1 percent of their profits go to Wildlife Direct, to protect the endangered Mountain Gorilla.  


So if you are in New York, I recommend going to the little yellow truck on 23rd Street and Fifth Avenue and paying $3.95 for a small cone (which is actually quite big) and decide for yourself.  Get the hazelnut or coffee ice cream, but I would actually recommend just making your own.  Van Leeuwen's has nothing on David Lebovitz!

CSA Week Ten

Hello!  Here is what I got today from my CSA:
-Beautiful heirloom tomatoes
-Corn
-Cherry tomatoes
-Cabbage
-Cucumbers
-Green Bell peppers
-Zucchini
-Fennel
-Basil
-Watermelon
-Peaches
-Dozen eggs

Last night I made David Lebovitz's Zucchini Cake with Crunchy Lemon Glaze.  I swear anything he makes is amazing.  The cake is super moist, and the finely chopped nuts create a nice texture throughout.  The lemon glaze by itself is very tart, and I felt like I should have added more sugar, but as it seeps into the cake it mellows out - so don't fear.  If you are in the mood for a "healthy" dessert or a breakfast treat, I would definitely try the recipe, and if you haven't checked out David's blog, click here.

Oatmeal-Raisin Ice Cream

I didn't think I would ever make an ice cream that I would like better than the Aztec "Hot" Chocolate Ice Cream, but this Oatmeal-Raisin Ice Cream from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop is a close call.  I made this ice cream a couple month ago, and I still can't stop thinking about it.  If you like oatmeal raisin cookies, you will love this ice cream.  There are about three steps to the ice cream, making the custard, making the oatmeal praline, and the plumping the raisins.  It is definitely worth the steps, because is seriously delicious.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Sorbet

Last week I made strawberry-rhubarb sorbet with the produce from my CSA.  This recipe is of course from my favorite book, The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz.  Although it was a refreshing treat for my hot and stuffy apartment, I couldn't help but wish I had made ice cream instead.

Here is the recipe for David Lebovitz's Strawberry Rhubarb Sorbet from The Perfect Scoop (makes about 1 quart):

-12 ounces of rhubarb
-10 ounces of strawberries, rinsed and hulled
-2/3 cup water
-3/4 cup sugar
-1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed

To begin, wash the rhubarb and trim the stem and leaf ends.  Cut rhubarb into 1/2-inch pieces.

Place the rhubarb, water, and sugar in a medium, nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the rhubarb is tender and cooked through.  Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

While the rhubarb is simmering, slice the strawberries.

Combine the cooled rhubarb and strawberries in the food processor until smooth.

Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to to the manufacturer's instructions.

Enjoy!

Coffee Ice Cream

I made this coffee ice cream from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop about a month ago.  It went so quickly, that I forgot to snap a photo of the finished product.  Below is the recipe:

Ingredients for David Lebovitz's Coffee Ice Cream:

-1 1/2 cups whole milk
-3/4 cup sugar
-1 1/2 cups whole coffee beans
-Pinch of Salt
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
-5 large egg yolks
-1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1/4 teaspoon finely ground coffee

Warm the milk, sugar, whole coffee beans, salt and 1/2 cup pf the cream in a medium saucepan.  Once the mixture is warm, cover, remove from the heat, and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.

Rewarm the coffee-infused milk mixture.  Pour the remaining 1 cup cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.  Slowly pour the warm coffee mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula.  Pour the custard through the strainer and stir into the cream.  Press on the coffee beans in the strainer to extract as much of the coffee flavor as possible, then discard the beans.

Mix in the vanilla and the finely ground coffee and stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

For another coffee treat, try this Chocolate Espresso Mousse Cake!

Cinnamon Ice Cream

As I mentioned in my previous post, I made cinnamon ice cream for Thanksgiving. I thought the ice cream would create a more special pie a la mode. It was packed with cinnamon, but it was not the type of flavor that would overpower the pies. This cinnamon ice cream came from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop. Yes, I know I am obsessed. This recipe required making a custard, which isn't as intimidating as I thought it would be, but still something that takes a little more time and awareness.

Here are a few tips from Lebovitz on how to make custard:

*Before getting started, prepare an ice bath to quicken the chilling of the custard. This means a lot of ice and a cup or two of water so the cubes are just barely floating.
*Heat the milk or liquid in a medium-sized saucepan on the stove using a nonreactive cookware, such as stainless steel.
*In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.
*The next step is to temper the yolks. This is a part where you need to be careful. Once the milk and is hot and steamy, slowly and gradually pour the milk into the egg yolks, constantly whisking so the egg yolks don't become cooked and you have eggy bits. David advises to remove the saucepan from the heat and ladle the liquid in whisking constantly.
*Scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan and then stir the custard over moderate heat using a heat-proof spatula or straight-edged wooden spoon. Cook, stirring nonstop, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Be sure to scrape the bottom while stirring. Do not let the custard boil!
*You will know the custard is done when it begins to steam and you feel it just beginning to cook as you scrape the spatula across the bottom of the pan. You can test it by running your finger across the spatula coated with custard: it is done when your finger leaves a definite trail that doesn't flow back together.
*You can check for doneness with an instant read thermometer; it should read between 170 and 175 degrees Fahrenheit.
*Immediately pour the hot mixture through the strainer into the chilled bowl of cream in its ice bath and stir. Once cool, refrigerate thoroughly.
*If your custard does boil or curdle, you can rescue it by blending it while it is warm with an immersion or standing blender.

Here are the ingredients for David Lebovitz's Cinnamon Ice Cream, makes 2 quarts (which is double the original recipe):
-2 cups whole milk
-1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
-2 pinches of salt
-Twenty 3-inch cinnamon sticks, broken up
-4 cups heavy cream
-10 large egg yolks

To begin, warm the milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon sticks and 2 cups of cream in a medium saucepan.Once warm, cover and remove from the heat, and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.
In the meantime, separate eggs and whisk egg yolks in medium bowl.Pour the remaining 2 cups cream and place mesh strainer on top. Prepare ice bath.Rewarm the cinnamon infused milk mixture. Remove the cinnamon sticks with a slotted spoon and discard them.
Slowly pour or ladle the warm mixture into the egg yolks, stirring constantly to prevent eggs from cooking. Then scrape the mixture back into the saucepan.
Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula.

Pour the custard through the strainer and into the cream. Stir over ice bath until cool.I needed to scrap the bottom more, but the custard still turned out fine.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Serve with alone or with your favorite fall pie.