Culinary Goods

So, this is essentially key lime pie but with lemons instead (I know there is no such thing as a key lemon, by the way). So anyway, it was awesome. I give it a 9, and this is probably my preferred lemon pie. Plus, it’s easy. Hooray! Crust 1 package graham crackers 2-3 Tbs. sugar 3-4 tbs. butter Put it in the pan and bake at 350 for 5-10 minutes. Then dump in the filling Filling 8 oz. Philadelphia brand cream cheese 1 can sweetened condensed milk 2 large egg yolks 1 cup lemon juice 1 Tbs lemon zest I make this in the food processor so that it is smooth, and then you bake it at 350 for about 25 minutes. The center might still be a bit jiggly. No worries. Cool it and add cream.

So, this is a re-creation of an ice cream we had in Hawaii with the Blairs, and this is even better than the original. Also, Lisa has created fantastic ice cream without using the traditional techniques (egg custard, etc.). It’s baffling, but it’s so very good. I am putting the changes below that I will make when I make it. 2 cups heavy cream I will do half cream half milk 2 cups normal cream 1 cup milk 2 eggs 1 1/8 cup sugar I will do between 1/2 and 2/3 cup sugar 1/4 tsp. salt I’m not sure Lisa added this, and I’m not sure I would to this particular ice cream since it has salty nuts in it 2 1/4 tsp. vanilla 1/2 tsp. coconut extract 3.5 oz. Lindt 78% chocolate bar, chopped 2 cups chopped macadamia nuts 1 cup shredded coconut She beats the sugar and the eggs, then adds in the cream, milk, and extracts. From there, she churns it and then adds in the nuts, coconut, and chocolate at the end.

I heart this ice cream. The recipe is from Lisa Blair, and it’s super easy because it somehow pulls off great ice cream without using any traditional methods. I give this a 9. 2 cups heavy cream 2 cups normal cream 1 cup milk I will do half cream, half milk for the 5 cups 2 eggs 1 1/8 cup sugar I will do between 1/2 and 2/3 cup sugar 1/4 tsp. salt 2 1/4 tsp. vanilla 1 box of thin mints 3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate, melted So, she beats the sugar and the eggs, whisks in the melted chocolate, adds the cream and remaining ingredients, freezes it, and then adds in the chunks of thin mint cookies.

This dessert is super easy, beautiful, and very, very rich. It’s like chocolate mousse. It’s completely wonderful though. The recipe came from the “Tartine” cookbook by Elisabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson, and it’s a great recipe. These get a 9. 2 3/4 cup heavy cream 3 Tbs. sugar (I did 2 Tbs) 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate 8 large egg yolks pinch salt I also added 2 tsp. vanilla Put sugar, salt, and cream in a saucepan and heat until almost at a boil. Pour this over the chocolate. Then, temper this with the egg yolks by pouring it in slowly and then pour this all into a big pitcher. Pour into 8 ramekins of about 6 oz size, and put them in a big roasting pan where you can pour water 3/4 the way up the side. Then, Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. They should be set on the edges, but wobbly in the middle.

So, this recipe came from the Tartine cookbook, and it is amazing. It’s the best version I’ve had, so I’m keeping this one. It’s a 9 for sure. Lemon Bars Crust: 1/2 cup powdered sugar I did 1/3 cup 1 1/2 cups (215 grams) flour 3/4 cup butter, room temp I also added about 1/4 tsp. salt Filling 1/2 cup (70 grams) flour 2 1/4 cups sugar I did 1 3/4 cup 1 cup + 2 Tbs. lemon juice Lemon zest, grated, from 1 small lemon I zested 2 large lemons and used all of it 6 large eggs 1 large egg yolk pinch salt So, essentially for the crust you whisk the powdered sugar and flour together, and then add the butter. You mix with the paddle attachment until a dough forms and then put it in a 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes, until deep golden brown. She says use pie weights, which I didn’t. Anyway, then you make the flling while it’s cooking. You sift the flour into a bowl, add sugar, and mix. Then, you add the lemon juice and zest. In a separate bowl you mix the eggs and ...

This is another recipe from the “Flour” cookbook. This one was great—probably my go-to from now on. I used my crust recipe and here is the filling: Blueberry-Lemon Pie 8 cups (1.2 kilograms) blueberries I used frozen 3 tablespoons cornstarch ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar I did about 1/3 cup ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon; or use zest of 2 lemons if you really like lemon) I did 1 lemon 1 egg, lightly beaten 2 tablespoons sanding sugar, pearl sugar, or granulated sugar Essentially, you take 2 cups of blueberries, put them in a pan, and add the cornstarch, sugar and salt. You cook this on medium for about 6 minutes, until it turns into a gooey mess. Then, you add the other berries and the lemon zest. You spoon it into the pie shell, and then put the top crust on that you brush with an egg and sugar I baked this at 350 for about 50 minutes and then turned it up to 400 to brown it. This took like 15 minutes. A good alternati...

So, I bought the book “Flour” by Joanne Change, and this was one of the recipes. This is good, but I’m not super impressed. I don’t think it’s the recipe, I just think I don’t like this bread as much as I should for the amount of sugar that’s in it. I think I am also going to start making sweet breads in my aluminum pans instead. This makes one bread loaf size French Lemon Poppy-Pound Cake 2 cups or 240 grams cake flour I measured out 210 grams of flour and then added 1/4 cup cornstarch 3/4 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 cup plus 3 Tbs. melted butter For the 3 Tbs., I did canola oil 1/4 cup heavy cream, room temp 3 Tbs. lemon zest (about 2 lemons) This took about 3 lemons for me 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon) 3 Tbs. poppy seeds 4 eggs 1 1/4 cups/250 grams granulated sugar I did 3/4 cup of sugar Lemon Glaze 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1-2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice Chang, Joanne. Flour: A Baker's Collection of Spectacular Recipes (pp. 71-72...

Although I don’t have a picture, this salad is bright and tastes very fresh and light. I give this a 7.5 John’s sister Marie brought this to a dinner, and it was fantastic. 6 oz. green beans 2 Tbs. roasted almonds 2 Tbs. shaved parmesan cheese 1 Shallot 1 Tbs. white wine vinegar So, you thinly slice the shallot and put it in vinegar. Then, you blanch the green beans for 2-3 minutes in boiling water, They will turn bright green and be slightly softened. Put them in a bowl of salted ice water. Then, you add the marinated shallot, some toasted almonds, and some evoo. Add salt and pepper. I might even add a bit of fresh garlic. You can find the recipe here: https://www.blueapron.com/recipes/fennel-spiced-steaks-with-garlic-roasted-potato-green-bean-salad