Foodmomiac

Strawberry and Rhubarb SORBET!

Last year, Max had only one thing on his list for Santa Claus; A Real Ice Cream Maker. He didn't want toys, he didn't want candy. He just wanted the ability to make ice cream. An ice cream maker is exactly what Max woke up to on December 25, and now the whole family is reaping the benefits.

One of the best features of the model that Santa brought is the fact that it requires zero forethought. Most ice cream makers have a canister that needs to be frozen for 24 hours prior to making the ice cream. The model that Max received has a condenser, so it is always ready to go.

I am actually a much bigger fan of sorbet than of ice cream, so that is the latest obsession around these parts. Last weekend, we made rhubarb sorbet with the fresh rhubarb that we bought at the Green City Farmers Market. This weekend, we made strawberry sorbet. We had to use the strawberries we bought at Costco, as local berries are not yet abundant, but it was amazing, regardless. And when I put one scoop of each in a bowl? PERFECTION!

Rhubarb Sorbet (adapted from a recipe in the June 2005 issue of Gourmet)

2 pounds rhubarb stalks, cleaned and cut into one-inch pieces
1 2/3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Combine all of the ingredients in a very large pot and let sit for 30 minutes. Stir it occasionally. After the 30 minutes, turn the heat on to low, and cook the mixture for about 10 to 15 minutes.  You want the rhubarb to release about two cups of liquid, and will need to stir it frequently. Once the liquid is released, turn up the heat to medium and cook an additional 15 minutes, stirring frequently. 

Puree the mixture in two batches in a blender (be super careful, as hot liquid in a blender can be dangerous!). Put the puree in a medium bowl, and then place that bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice water. Stir this mixture occasionally for about 15 minutes until it is cold. (If you don't have tons of bowls laying around, I think you can probably just refrigerate the mixture for an hour.)

Once the mixture is cold, freeze it in your ice cream maker according to manufacturers' directions!

Strawberry Sorbet

Just go here and use this recipe - amazing.

Foodmomiac's Buttermilk Blueberry Peach Cobbler

I think my mom might have a heart attack when she sees another blueberry recipe on my blog, but this was too good not to post. And, Mom, I promise not to leave this up for two weeks. Really!

Our standard operating procedure has been to leave work at 4:30 so that we can be home by 5 and be able to cook and eat leisurely. Our increased workload has made this SOP untenable, for the time being, at least, so we have done a lot of takeout and restaurant eating. That said, last night I wanted to cook. So, even though we were home late, I made it work (as Tim Gunn would say).

Dinner was Chicken Noodle Casserole (egg noodles, leftover chicken from the grill, sauteed onion and zucchini, mayo, cream of mushroom soup, cheddar cheese). Everyone ate two servings, which is what happens EVERY SINGLE TIME I make a casserole with canned soup.

Following that success, I got cocky and motivated, and decided to play around with my tried and true peach cobbler recipe. It was a big success.

Foodmomiac's Buttermilk Blueberry Peach Cobbler

1 stick butter
4 peaches, peeled and sliced (use the peach peeling method described here)
1 cup blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup sugar (split into 1/3 and 2/3)
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt the butter and pour it into a 13x9 glass baking dish. Place the sliced peaches and the blueberries into a pot with the lemon juice and the 1/3 cup of sugar. Bring to a boil and boil for four minutes.

While the fruit is boiling, whisk together the flour, baking powder, remaining sugar and salt. Add the buttermilk and stir well to combine. Pour the batter somewhat evenly over the butter (do not stir or mix). Then, pour the fruit over the batter (again, do not stir or mix). Cook the cobbler for 40-45 minutes. Enjoy!

Apple Cake!!!

I have been threatening you guys with this recipe forever. So, here it is. And, it's so much better than apple pie. In fact, you might even want to make this for Thanksgiving. It's that good. My mom got the recipe from her old friend Joyce, back when I was in preschool. And, I have no idea who Joyce got the recipe from, so, sorry about that.

Also, this is the first day of NaBloPoMo. I will be posting every day. I am sure I will run out of things to say, so please tell me what you'd like to hear. Want a recipe idea? Want to see pics of me with big hair from my high school days on Long Island? Whatever you want, just ask. I'll do what I can.

Apple Cake

10 small apples, peeled, cored, and cut into small wedges
1/2 cup sugar (I substitute Turbinado sugar here, just because I can)
2 tablespoons cinnamon
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup orange juice (the secret ingredient)
4 eggs
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the apples, 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Let sit for one hour.

Combine the remaining ingredients and mix together very well. (You can use a mixer here - just do it for about 2 minutes.)

Grease and flour a bundt pan (I usually leave out the flouring part, but if you want to insure no sticking, you should probably not follow my lead here.) Pour a thin layer of dough into the pan. Follow with a layer of apples. Repeat until the dough is gone, but be sure that your final layer is dough. Drizzle the yummy apple/cinnamon juice from the apple bowl over the top. Bake for an hour an a half. Let cool and then remove from the pan.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: Unless you use teeny tiny apples, you will have leftover apples. This is a very good thing. Throw them into a saucepan, and cook them down until they are mushy. Smush them up even more with a wooden spoon. You now have the most delicious apple sauce ever. You're welcome.