Today, I’m off to New York! After last week’s Lemon Bomb cocktail using Meyer Lemon Sorbet, I’ve been fielding questions about my ice cream maker. Sometimes, the motivation needed is the promise of a great cocktail to branch out with a new tool in the kitchen.
I’m absolutely smitten with this ice cream maker from Cuisinart. It’s the biggest one on the market (2 quarts)- which means you can double your batch. The best part, it whirls your ingredients into blissful cold confections in just 25 minutes. One thing to note, while it’s churning away it is rather noisy, so it’s best to put this baby in a corner.
It’s been put to the test for sorbet, ice cream, gelato, and frozen yogurt—all of which have turned out smooth and creamy. I make sure to always store my machine insert in the freezer, that way it’s cold and ready to go when inspiration or a major craving hits.
If you have a garden, fruit trees or a stocked farmers market, it’s great to have the ability to churn fresh produce into something special. Any fruit that’s a little bruised or in abundance I throw into the Casa Rice frozen yogurt flavor of the week. You can even just puree your fruit with Greek yogurt and give it a whirl.
OK, I’m so ready for summer!
Ovals, diamonds and flowers…oh my! These Ateco cutter sets come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and have endless uses in the kitchen.
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In the midst of the daily hustle, I rarely have the luxury of stolen hours to lose myself between the pages. But I do indulge every night in bedtime reading.
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What I lack in natural botanical insight is made up for with these garden resources and a hefty dose of wonderful Santa Barbara weather.
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The official name for this tool is a Microplane Rasp Grater. It’s a little tool with a big name, but it deserves the title. If you cook at all and don’t have one, get one. I use one of these daily, they’re always in the dishwasher.
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My tea drawer selection ranges from the ordinary to extraordinary. Full disclosure: we reach for the ordinary way more than the extraordinary.
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Ah, it’s the little things in life, right?
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My first try with this new technique was ten lavender buds on a microwave-safe plate for five minutes on high—yeah, that was too much time. The kitchen smelled of burnt/fried greens, kinda like Barbie being roasted in a campfire.
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A big sharp knife slicing through a huge, tough, wobbly, oblong-shaped pumpkin can be downright intimidating. But the work is worth it, because kabocha squash is absolutely delicious.
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Our trees produced more figs than usual this year, so I tried my hand at drying some in the oven. It’s an easy, low-maintenance method with a sweet payoff.
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