Kitchen Encounters

~Italian-Seasoned Caesar-Style Salad/Soup Croutons~

Not too big, not to small, not too hard, not to soft, buttery-rich and bold-flavored from plenty of black pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning, I make all sorts of croutons from scratch, and, while I often use firm-textured and rustic store-bought bread, I also make them using homemade bread, which I use my bread machine to bake.  Being the Caesar salad snob that I am, without exception, I always bake my own bread for my croutons.  Why?  Because, just like store-bought dressings, I take Ceasar salad-making seriously, and, that means: no short cuts.

Baking bread in the bread machine is my secret to...

... simple, straightforward & spectacular Caesar-style croutons:

1  pound loaf, 1/2"-cubed Bread Machine Herbed-Pizza-Dough Sandwich Loaf

2  sticks salted butter

1/2  teaspoon garlic powder

For the bread:

3/4 cup warm water

1  tablespoon olive oil

2 1/4  cups all-purpose flour

1  teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1  teaspoon each:  garlic powder, Italian seasoning blend and coarse-grind black pepper

1  teaspoon granulated dry yeast

~ Step 1.  Place all ingredients, in order listed, in bread machine.

Follow the instructions in your machine's manual for baking a 1-pound loaf of white bread.  Got questions?  Click on the the link provided above to get my directions and step-by-step photos.

~Step 2.  In a 12" skillet, melt the garlic powder into the butter over medium-low heat.  Adjust heat to medium-high and add the bread cubes.  Using two large, slotted spoons, tossing constantly until butter is all absorbed and almost-constantly thereafter, brown and crisp the bread, about 15-18 minutes, lowering the heat as necessary toward the end of the cooking process.  Remove the skillet from heat and allow the bread to cool in the skillet for about 1 hour, where it will continue to crisp up.  Use one of the slotted spoons to transfer croutons to a shallow bowl that has been lined with paper towels, then remove and reserve the smaller crouton bread bits for plate garnish.

Keep stored, uncovered & a room temperature, 4-5 days:

Make my Creamy, Garlicy & Peppery Caesar Dressing...

... & try my chilled gazpacho & gem Caesar-style-salad combo:

Italian-Seasoned Caesar-Style Salad/Soup Croutons:  Recipe yields 3 cups, fork- and mouth-friendly, croutons.

Special Equipment List: cutting board; serrated bread knife; 12" nonstick skillet; 2, large slotted spoons; paper towels

Cook's Note:  If you've never been a fan of your bread machine, it's time to take it out the closet, dust it off, and give it another whirl.  I've developed several foolproof recipes for bread machine bread, pizza dough and fruit preserves. To learn more, click hear to read ~ Bread Machine Basics & Melanie's Brioche Recipe ~. 

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2018)

~ Simply-Scrumptious 3-Ingredient Strawberry Sauce ~

Strawberry sauce.  Drizzled on pancakes or waffles for breakfast, atop strawberry ice cream for dessert, or, used to flavor a strawberry milkshake, it's hard to find a person that doesn't love this sweet condiment.  I'm not here to tell you it's hard or time-consuming to make strawberry topping from scratch -- it's not.  That said, it can be made even easier without any compromise to the end result.  As we all know, sometimes there simply aren't even enough minutes in the day to make everything completely from scratch.  I am here to tell you, if you've got store-bought or homemade strawberry preserves on hand, you're only one or two ingredients away from strawberry sauce:  fresh or frozen strawberries, and, some optional strawberry extract.

For my puréed strawberry sauce (yields 2 cups):

1- 1 1/4  pounds hulled and 1/4"-thick sliced fresh strawberries (1-1 1/4 pounds after hulling)

1/2  cup strawberry preserves, homemade or high-quality store-bought

1  tablespoon pure strawberry extract

~Step 1.  Slice (& weigh) the strawberries as directed, placing them in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade.  Add the preserves and extract to the work bowl.  Using a series of 10-12 rapid on-off pulses, chop the berries and incorporate the preserves.  

~Step 2.  Transfer the mixture to a 3-quart saucier or a 4-quart saucepan.  Over medium heat, bring to a steady simmer.  Continue to cook, stirring almost constantly, until mixture slightly-reduced and slightly-thickened, 8-9 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Transfer to a 2-cup food storage container, cover, and chill for several hours.  Keep stored in the refrigerator until it's gone.

Serve at room temperature or warmed in microwave:

Seriously Simple & Scrumptious Strawberry Sauce:

Simply-Scrumptious 3-Ingredient Strawberry Sauce:  Recipe yields 2 cups.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; 3-quart saucier or 4-quart saucepan; 2-cup measuring container w/tight-fitting lid

Cook's Note:  Happiness comes in many forms, and, for the better part of my life, it never occurred to me that strawberry shortcake, being the straightforward dessert that it is, has too many options.  I was wrong. This delicate, moist, almost-creamy cake, when used as the base for strawberry shortcake, ~ Luscious Lemony Strawberry Almond Coffeecake ~,  is, quite possibly the best rendition of classic strawberry shortcake you'll ever eat.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2018)

~ Old-Fashioned Very-Strawberry-Custard Ice Cream ~

When it comes to ice-cream, store-bought or scratch-made, of the basic big-three choices, vanilla, chocolate or strawberry, strawberry is my favorite -- it always has been, even as a child. In my hometown, their's a place, Heisler's Cloverleaf Dairy, which, in my opinion makes the best strawberry ice-cream known to man- or woman-kind.  Whether scooped into a bowl or onto a cone, it is always served at the perfect frozen-anything temperature.  It's rich, creamy, not-too-sweet and full of bold-flavored bit's of to-the-tooth-textured strawberries -- not nasty clumps of ice.

A bit about adding fresh fruit to ice-cream or frozen custard:

When making ice-cream or frozen custard, to keep any fresh fruit (which is mostly water) from turning into fruity bits and clumps of hard ice cubes, before adding it to the churning ice-cream base, it needs to be cooked in a manner that removes some of its water content and concentrates its flavor -- usually by simmering on the stovetop, sometimes by roasting in the oven.  

Occasionally, a recipe will instruct to macerate the fruit in alcohol, meaning sweetened, fruit-flavored brandies and fruit-flavored schnapps.  The food science behind this:  Alcohol has a lower freezing point than water, so, once added to the churning ice cream or custard, the fruit won't turn into fruity ice cubes.  I'm here to tell you this does not work perfectly.  You see, I long ago learned: While the maceration of fruit renders it soft and tender, most of its flavor gets leached into the liquid, leaving semi-flavorless and soggy fruit to add to the ice cream or frozen custard.

The difference between ice cream and frozen custard:

Frozen-custard and ice-cream  recipes are not created equal.  Sometimes the consistency is too soft, sometimes it's too dense, or worse, sometimes it's full of nasty ice crystals.  Some recipes are cloyingly sweet, and other times, there's simply not enough flavoring added.  Frozen custard and ice-cream are both emulsions with two components (fat and water) that need lots of encouragement to meld, by adding components that absorb water (sugar, starch and protein). 

Store-bought ice cream is made from milk or skim milk, or a combination of milk or skim milk with a bit of cream added, corn syrup or sugar, and flavorings.  Egg yolks are sometimes added, but are not required.  Ice cream is made in a machine that pumps lots of air into it while it churns, which yields a light mouthfeel.  It is federally defined as: a frozen dessert containing 10% milk fat. That said, the old-fashioned simplicity of making home-churned ice cream has been so convoluted by high-tech machinery (to insure its consistent, signature, hand-scoop-able texture), not to mention the additives, preservatives and stabilizers (for a long and palatable shelf life in the freezer), one couldn't reproduce it adequately at home, even if one was inclined to try.

Frozen custard is made from whole milk, or a combination of milk and cream, egg yolks, sugar and flavorings.  Egg-yolks are a requirement, and regulations require 1.4% egg yolks by weight. The higher fat content (from milk and/or cream) gives it a rich, luxurious taste.  Whether made in a hand-crank or commercial machine, frozen custard is churned at a slow pace, to incorporate little air, giving it its dense texture.  Because it melts almost on contact with the lips (similar to soft serve ice cream), it is best served immediately, directly from the machine it was made in.

A bit of rich & creamy frozen-custard history:

Frozen custard was invented on Coney Island, NY, in 1919.  Two ice-cream venders, Archie and Elton Kohr, discovered that when they added egg yolks to their home-made ice-cream base, they produced a richer, creamier, smoother ice cream.  On the first weekend they sold 18,460 cones. They had invented the precursor to our present-day soft-serve ice cream, with one exception: little air was pumped into their product.  As described above, true frozen custard is quite dense.  The mixture enters a refrigerated tube, and, as it freezes, blades scrape the frozen product from the sides of the barrel walls.  Unlike hand-scooped ice cream, the mixture stays in the machine, being discharged directly into cones or cups, on an as-needed basis, to be served immediately.

For my easy-to-make, foolproof strawberry-flavored custard-base:

2  cups heavy cream

2  cups whole milk

1  tablespoons vanilla extract

1  tablespoon strawberry extract

2  tablespoons firmly-packed cornstarch

8  large egg yolks

1 1/4  cups granulated sugar

1/4  teaspoon sea salt

For my puréed strawberry sauce (yields 2 cups):

1- 1 1/4  pounds hulled and 1/4"-thick sliced fresh strawberries (1-1 1/4 pounds after hulling)

1/2  cup strawberry preserves, homemade or high-quality store-bought

1  tablespoon pure strawberry extract

~Step 1.  Slice (& weigh) the strawberries as directed, placing them in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade.  Add the preserves and extract to the work bowl.  Using a series of 10-12 rapid on-off pulses chop the berries and incorporate the preserves.  

~Step 2.  Transfer the mixture to a 3-quart saucier or a 4-quart saucepan.  Over medium heat, bring to a steady simmer.  Continue to cook, stirring almost constantly until mixture slightly-reduced and slightly-thickened, 8-9 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Transfer to a 2-cup food storage container, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

~Step 3.  Place cream, 1 1/2 cups of the milk and extracts in a 4-quart saucepan on the stovetop. In a 2-cup measuring container, using a fork, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup milk and cornstarch.  Set aside.

~Step 4.  In a medium bowl, use the fork to whisk egg yolks, sugar and salt. Add the egg yolk mixture to the 2-cup container with the milk/cornstarch mixture.  Use the fork to vigorously combine the two mixtures.  Set aside.

~Step 5.  Heat the saucepan of milk mixture on the stovetop over medium heat.  Heat the mixture until almost steaming (not full-steaming, simmering or boiling), whisking occasionally, about 2-3 minutes.  Adjust heat to low.  While whisking constantly, gradually and in a slow steady stream, whisk the egg yolk/sugar/milk/cornstarch mixture into the almost-steaming milk mixture.  Increase heat to medium and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to thicken, about 2-3 minutes.  In the beginning, mixture will be foamy on top.  As foam subsides and when mixture begins to thicken, switch from whisk to a large spoon to stir.  Continue to cook gently until custard base is simmering gently, nicely-thickened, silky-smooth and ribbon like, about 3-4 minutes.

~ Step 6.  Remove saucepan from heat and immediately transfer custard base to a 2-quart food storage container.  Cover the surface of the custard base with a layer of plastic wrap, meaning: don't cover the container, lay the plastic directly on the surface of the custard (to prevent a rubbery skin from forming on the top).  Cool for 1-2 hours prior to putting the lid on the container and refrigerating for several hours to overnight.

~ Step 7.  Remove custard base and strawberry sauce from  refrigerator at the same time.  Once the base has been added to the chilled work bowl of the ice-cream machine (as described below) allow sauce to sit at room temperature.  

~Step 8.  From here forward, for the rest of this recipe, follow the directions that came with your ice-cream maker.  Because mine has a built-in freezing system, I pour all of the cold custard base into the stainless steel work bowl (which has been pre-chilled by the machine for me).  The lid goes on the work bowl and the machine gets turned on to churn for 1 hour - 1 hour, 10 minutes.

~Step 9.  Open lid of ice-cream maker.  As custard churns, working as quickly as possible, begin drizzling, with the aid of a teaspoon if necessary, the still-cold but nicely-softened strawberry sauce into work bowl, until all of the sauce has been gradually churned into the custard. Return lid to ice-cream machine and churn another 30 minutes, or until desired consistency is reached.

Scoop into a pretty bowl or favorite ice-cream cone...

... & enjoy your journey back to a kinder, gentler time.

Can you feel the rich & creamy strawberry dreaminess?

Old-Fashioned Very-Strawberry-Custard Ice-Cream:  Recipe yields 1 1/2 quarts frozen strawberry-flavored custard.

Special Equipment List:  cutting board; chef's knife; kitchen scale; food processor; 3-quart saucier; 2, 2-cup food storage containers; plastic wrap; 2-quart food storage container w/tight-fitting lid; fork; 4-quart saucepan; whisk; large spoon; ice-cream maker; ice-cream scoop

Cook's Note:  There's one more way to add fresh fruit to ice cream and frozen custard -- one that doesn't jump out at 'cha.  The concept eluded me for a long time, now, I do it often.  As discussed above, fruit needs to be cooked prior to adding it -- by simmering, sometimes roasting.  That said, adding leftover fruit cobbler or fruit pie, along with bits of the cobbled crust or pie pastry, works great too.     To learn more, read post ~ Have a Blackberry Cobbler Ice-Cream Kind of Day ~.  I scream, you scream we all scream for ice cream!

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2018)

~ Old-Fashioned Chocolate-Custard Ice-Cream Base ~

Rich and creamy chocolate ice-cream.  One dip or two, with or without bits of chocolate or  sauce swirled throughout, it's almost impossible to resist.  Kids love it, adults do too, and, I'm betting it's the favorite-flavor of at least one person in every family.  No banana split would be complete without a dip of chocolate, and, it's a requirement when making the perfect double-chocolate shake or malt too.  Whether it's firm scoops served in a bowl or swirls of soft-serve piled high atop a cone, the Summer heat is the perfect time to indulge in this cool and satisfying treat.

The difference between ice cream & frozen custard:

During June, July and August, we will all most likely eat more ice cream than we did during the past nine months.  In my kitchen, during the next three months, I'll be making more than I did during the past nine too.  Whatever flavor I've got churning, vanilla, chocolate or strawberry, everyone I know (myself included) will generically refer to it as ice cream.  That said, what I'll technically be making is frozen custard, and, if you make homemade ice cream, I'm betting you're most likely making old-fashioned frozen custard (or a version of it), too.  Read on.

Store-bought ice cream is made from milk or skim milk, or, milk or skim milk and cream, corn syrup or sugar, and flavorings.  Egg yolks are sometimes added, but not required. Ice cream is made in a machine that pumps lots of air into it as it churns, yielding a light mouthfeel.  It is federally defined as:  a frozen dessert containing 10% milk fat. That said, the simplicity of making old-fashioned ice cream has been so convoluted by high-tech machinery (to insure consistent, signature, hand-scoop-able texture), and additives, preservatives and stabilizers (for a long and palatable shelf life), one couldn't reproduce it adequately in the home kitchen, even if one was inclined to try.

Frozen custard is made from whole milk, or a combination of milk and cream, egg yolks, sugar and flavorings.  Egg-yolks are a requirement, and regulations require 1.4% egg yolks by weight.  The higher fat content (from milk and/or cream) gives it a rich, luxurious taste.  Whether made in a hand-crank or commercial machine, frozen custard is churned at a slow pace, to incorporate little air, giving it its dense texture.  Because it melts almost on contact with the lips (similar to soft serve ice cream), it is best served immediately, directly from the machine it was made in.

A bit of rich & creamy frozen-custard history:

Frozen custard was invented on Coney Island, NY, in 1919.  Two ice-cream venders, Archie and Elton Kohr, discovered that when they added egg yolks to their home-made ice-cream base, they produced a richer, creamier, smoother ice cream.  On the first weekend they sold 18,460 cones. They had invented the precursor to our present-day soft-serve ice cream, with one exception: little air was pumped into their product.  As described above, true frozen custard is quite dense.  The mixture enters a refrigerated tube, and, as it freezes, blades scrape the frozen product from the sides of the barrel walls.  Unlike hand-scooped ice cream, the mixture stays in the machine, being discharged directly into cones or cups, on an as-needed basis, to be served immediately.

For my easy-to-make, foolproof chocolate-flavored custard-base:

2  cups heavy cream

2  cups whole milk

1  tablespoons vanilla extract

1  tablespoon chocolate extract

1/2  cup firmly-packed cocoa powder

2  tablespoons firmly-packed cornstarch

8  large egg yolks

1 1/4  cups granulated sugar

1/4  teaspoon sea salt

~Step 1.  Place cream, 1 1/2 cups of the milk and extracts and cocoa powder in a 4-quart saucepan on the stovetop.  With the heat turned off, take a moment or two to thoroughly whisk the cocoa powder into milk mixture.  In a 2-cup measuring container, using a fork, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup milk and cornstarch.  Set aside.

~Step 2.  In a medium bowl, use the fork to whisk egg yolks, sugar and salt. Add the egg yolk mixture to the 2-cup container with the milk/cornstarch mixture.  Use the fork to vigorously combine the two mixtures.  Set aside. 

~Step 3.  Heat the saucepan of milk mixture on the stovetop over medium heat.  Heat the mixture until almost steaming (not full-steaming, simmering or boiling), whisking occasionally, about 2-3 minutes.  Adjust heat to low.  While whisking constantly, gradually and in a slow steady stream, whisk the egg yolk/sugar/milk/cornstarch mixture into the almost-steaming milk mixture.  Increase heat to medium and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to thicken, about 2-3 minutes.  In the beginning, mixture will be foamy on top.  As foam subsides and when mixture begins to thicken, switch from whisk to a large spoon to stir.  Continue to cook gently until custard base is simmering gently, nicely-thickened, silky-smooth and ribbon like, about 3-4 minutes.

~ Step 4.  Remove saucepan from heat and immediately transfer custard base to a 2-quart food storage container.  Cover the surface of the custard base with a layer of plastic wrap, meaning: don't cover the container, lay the plastic directly on the surface of the custard (to prevent a rubbery skin from forming on the top).  Cool for 1-2 hours prior to putting the lid on the container and refrigerating for several hours to overnight.

~Step 5.  From here forward, for the rest of this recipe, follow the directions that came with your ice-cream maker.  Because mine has a built-in freezing system, I pour all of the cold custard base into the stainless steel work bowl (which has been pre-chilled by the machine for me).  The lid goes on the work bowl and the machine gets turned on to churn for 1 hour - 1 hour, 10 minutes.

Scoop into a pretty bowl or favorite ice-cream cone...

... & enjoy your journey back to a kinder, gentler time.

Pinch me -- this is almost too good to be true.

Old-Fashioned Chocolate-Custard Ice-Cream Base:  Recipe yields 1 1/2 quarts chocolate-flavored frozen custard.

Special Equipment List:  2-cup measuring container; fork; 4-quart saucepan; whisk; large spoon; 2-quart food storage container w/tight-fitting lid; plastic wrap; ice-cream maker; ice-cream scoop

Cook's Note:  All frozen-custard and ice-cream base recipes are not created equal.  Sometimes the consistency is too soft, sometimes its too dense, or worse, full of nasty ice crystals.  Some recipes are cloyingly sweet, and other times, not enough flavoring is added.  Frozen custard and ice-cream are both emulsions with two components that need encouragement to meld (fat and water), by adding components that absorb water (sugar, starch and protein).  Meet my foolproof recipe for ~ My Old-Fashioned Vanilla-Custard Ice-Cream Base ~.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2018)

~ My Old-Fashioned Vanilla-Custard Ice-Cream Base ~

During June, July and August, we will all most likely eat more ice cream than we did during the past nine months.  In my kitchen, during the next three months, I'll be making more than I did during the past nine too.  Whatever flavor I've got churning, vanilla, chocolate or strawberry, everyone I know (myself included) will generically refer to it as ice cream.  That said, what I'll technically be making is frozen custard, and, if you make homemade ice cream, I'm betting you're most likely making old-fashioned frozen custard (or a version of it), too.  Read on.

The difference between ice cream & frozen custard: 

 

Store-bought ice cream is made from milk or skim milk, or a combination of milk or skim milk with a bit of cream added, corn syrup or sugar, and flavorings.  Egg yolks are sometimes added, but are not required.  Ice cream is made in a machine that pumps lots of air into it while it churns, which yields a light mouthfeel.  It is federally defined as:  a frozen dessert containing 10% milk fat. That said, the old-fashioned simplicity of making home-churned ice cream has been so convoluted by high-tech machinery (to insure its consistent, signature, hand-scoop-able texture), not to mention the additives, preservatives and stabilizers (for a long and palatable shelf life in the freezer), one couldn't reproduce it adequately in the home kitchen, even if one was inclined to try.

Frozen custard is made from whole milk, or a combination of milk and cream, egg yolks, sugar and flavorings.  Egg-yolks are a requirement, and regulations require 1.4% egg yolks by weight.  The higher fat content (from milk and/or cream) gives it a rich, luxurious taste.  Whether made in a hand-crank or commercial machine, frozen custard is churned at a slow pace, to incorporate little air, giving it its dense texture.  Because it melts almost on contact with the lips (similar to soft serve ice cream), it is best served immediately, directly from the machine it was made in.

Frozen-custard and ice-cream  recipes are not created equal.  Sometimes the consistency is too soft, sometimes its too dense, or worse, sometimes it's full of nasty ice crystals.  Some recipes are cloyingly sweet, and other times, there's simply not enough flavoring added.  Frozen custard and ice-cream are both emulsions with two components (fat and water) that need lots of encouragement to meld, by adding components that absorb water (sugar, starch and protein).

A bit of rich & creamy frozen-custard history:

Frozen custard was invented on Coney Island, NY, in 1919.  Two ice-cream venders, Archie and Elton Kohr, discovered that when they added egg yolks to their home-made ice-cream base, they produced a richer, creamier, smoother ice cream.  On the first weekend they sold 18,460 cones. They had invented the precursor to our present-day soft-serve ice cream, with one exception: little air was pumped into their product.  As described above, true frozen custard is quite dense.  The mixture enters a refrigerated tube, and, as it freezes, blades scrape the frozen product from the sides of the barrel walls.  Unlike hand-scooped ice cream, the mixture stays in the machine, being discharged directly into cones or cups, on an as-needed basis, to be served immediately.

For my easy-to-make, foolproof vanilla-flavored custard-base:

2  cups heavy cream

2  cups whole milk

2  tablespoons pure vanilla extract*

2  tablespoons firmly-packed cornstarch

8  large egg yolks

1 1/4  cups granulated sugar

1/4  teaspoon sea salt

*Note:  To make vanilla-bean vanilla-custard ice-cream base, use 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste (equivalent to the seeds from 1 vanilla bean). 

~ Step 1.  Place cream, 1 1/2 cups of the milk and vanilla extract in a 4-quart saucepan on the stovetop. In a 2-cup measuring container, using a fork, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup milk and cornstarch.  Set aside.

~Step 2.  In a medium bowl, use the fork to whisk egg yolks, sugar and salt. Add the egg yolk mixture to the 2-cup container with the milk/cornstarch mixture.  Use the fork to vigorously combine the two mixtures.  Set aside.

~Step 3.  Heat the saucepan of milk mixture on the stovetop over medium heat.  Heat the mixture until almost steaming (not full-steaming, simmering or boiling), whisking occasionally, about 2-3 minutes.  Adjust heat to low.  While whisking constantly, gradually and in a slow steady stream, whisk the egg yolk/sugar/milk/cornstarch mixture into the almost-steaming milk mixture.  Increase heat to medium and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until mixture begins to thicken, about 2-3 minutes.  In the beginning, mixture will be foamy on top.  As foam subsides and when mixture begins to thicken, switch from whisk to a large spoon to stir.  Continue to cook gently until custard base is simmering gently, nicely-thickened, silky-smooth and ribbon like, about 3-4 minutes.

~ Step 4.  Remove saucepan from heat and immediately transfer custard base to a 2-quart food storage container.  Cover the surface of the custard base with a layer of plastic wrap, meaning: don't cover the container, lay the plastic directly on the surface of the custard (to prevent a rubbery skin from forming on the top).  Cool for 1-2 hours prior to putting the lid on the container and refrigerating for several hours to overnight.

~Step 5.  From here forward, for the rest of this recipe, follow the directions that came with your ice-cream maker.  Because mine has a built-in freezing system, I pour all of the cold custard base into the stainless steel work bowl (which has been pre-chilled by the machine for me).  The lid goes on the work bowl and the machine gets turned on to churn for 1 hour - 1 hour, 10 minutes.

Scoop into a pretty bowl or favorite ice-cream cone...

... & enjoy your journey back to a kinder, gentler time:

My Old-Fashioned Vanilla-Custard Ice Cream Base:  Recipe yields 1 1/2 quarts vanilla-flavored frozen custard.

Special Equipment List:  2-cup measuring container; fork; 4-quart saucepan; whisk; large spoon; 2-quart food storage container w/tight-fitting lid; plastic wrap; ice-cream maker; ice-cream scoop

Cook's Note:  In order to keep fresh fruit (which is mostly water) from turning into fruity bits and clumps of rock-hard ice cubes, before adding it to the churning ice-cream base, it needs to be cooked in a manner that removes some of its water content and concentrates its flavor -- this is usually achieved by briefly simmering on the stovetop, or sometimes roasting in the oven.     To learn more, read my recipe for ~ Have a Blackberry Cobbler Ice-Cream Kind of Day ~.  Use the same recipe to make a peachy-keen cobbler version too.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2018)

~ Chinese-Style Tomato-Eggs: For Any Time of Day ~

The incredible, edible egg.  For centuries, the Chinese recognized how good the protein-packed egg is.  So much so, eggs are their symbol of the principals-of-life:  "yin" being the white, "yang" being the yolk.*  Eggs, colored or marbled, celebrate birth, restoration of good health, continued good-luck and/or future prosperity.  Dating back to ancient times,  eggs of any kind (chicken, duck quail and pigeon) were incorporated into meals all day long (fluffy scrambled tomato eggs, flan-like steamed eggs, omelette-esque egg fu young, wispy egg drop soup, vinegary pickled eggs, tea-flavored smoked eggs, etc.), with mushrooms and/or seafood being common additions.

*Note:  Yin and yang is a Chinese theory on the perspective of continuous change and balance throughout the life cycle. The theory is that all things in the universe, big or small, have an opposing force, and although they are opposing, they are extremely interconnected.  Sigh.

Tomato-eggs -- humble, home-style, Chinese comfort-food. 

Eggs stir-fried with tomatoes is a humble, home-style, Chinese comfort-food dish requiring minimal technique (similar to preparing American-style scrambled eggs, one wants to avoid rubbery, overcooked, or watery, undercooked scrambled eggs) plus few on-hand ingredients:  eggs, tomatoes, rice wine, salt, pepper, sugar, scallion, and, a bit of controversial ketchup. Over time, just like the bottle of soy sauce became a staple in the pantries of almost all American kitchens, ketchup earned its spot in almost all Chinese and Chinese-American kitchens.  Example: 

Sweet & sour sauce.  The first Chinese immigrants to the USA were mostly Cantonese, and, Canton, China is the home of the famous sweet-and-sour-pork dish eaten for Chinese New Year. With the Cantonese came their love for bright colors, bold flavors and fresh ingredients -- their sauce is a perfect balance of sugar, vinegar, chile pepper and ginger.  We Americans added ketchup, and, chuckle, it was so good, the Chinese adopted it.  If you've never tasted homemade sweet and sour sauce made with ketchup in place of food coloring, prepare to be wowed.

The tomato -- a relatively new ingredient to Chinese cuisine.

The tomato is a relative newcomer to Chinese cuisine, arriving via ports like Hong Kong in the latter 1800's -- less than 150 years ago.  The Chinese embraced them, especially the Cantonese who are known for stir-fries full of crunch-tender fresh vegetables.  Tomatoes were easy to grow, producing fruit almost year round and were/are a great source of much-needed vitamins A and C -- important to a big land-mass country with an even bigger, mostly-poor population. As a tomato-lover, it's no surprise they added fresh tomatoes to soups, salads, stir-fries (like tomato-beef), egg, rice and noodle dishes.  Over the decades, China became one of the world's largest producers of American-style ketchup and tomato paste, with both beloved products being used to make some of their wonderfully tangy, mild, hot, sweet and sour sauces.

For the eggs (one serving tomato-eggs) & the stir-fry:

3  large eggs, preferably at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4  teaspoon white pepper

1  tablespoon Chinese rice wine

2  tablespoons sesame oil, divided

4-6  tablespoons thinly-sliced scallions, white and light green part only

1/2  cup 1/2"-3/4" seeded tomato pieces (about 3-4  2"-round fresh, firm, Campari tomatoes, seeded)

For the ketchupy slurry:

2  teaspoons cornstarch

1  tablespoon water

2  tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2  teaspoon sugar 

~ Step 1.  In a small bowl, using a fork, whisk ingredients.

~ Step 2.  In a small bowl, using a fork, vigorously whisk the eggs, salt, pepper and rice wine together.  Set aside.  Slice the scallions and set aside, then, dice the tomatoes (as pictured), then, set tomatoes aside.

~ Step 3.  Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 10" nonstick skillet over medium-high - high heat. Add the scallions and stir-fry stirring constantly, until the scallions are softened but not browned, about 30-45 seconds.  

~Step 4.  Briefly rewhisk the eggs and pour them into the skillet.  They are going to start to firm up around the edges almost upon contact.  Continue stirring until the the eggs are lumpy, tender and just cooked through, about 1 minute.  Transfer eggs to a plate and briefly set aside.

~Step 5.  Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to skillet.  Add the chopped tomatoes and stir-fry until tomatoes are softening, about 45-60 seconds.  Reduce heat to medim-low.  Briefly rewhisk and pour the slurry to the skillet.  Cook, stirring constantly, until bubbling  and thickened, then, amazingly, completely absorbed by the tomatoes, about 15-30 seconds.

~ Step 6.  Return the eggs to the skillet and stir, just until the eggs and the tomatoes are combined and the eggs are reheated through, 30-ish seconds.  Serve immediately, garnished with a tomato rose if you are so inclined.

Humble & home-style?  Yep.  Extraordinary & exquisite?  You bet.

This dreamy & divine dish is hard to unwrap your lips around:

Chinese-Style Tomato-Eggs:  For Any Time of Day:  Recipe yields 1 large or 2 smaller servings.

Special Equipment List:  fork;  cutting board; chef's knife; 10" nonstick skillet; spatula

Cook's Note:  For another quick-to-make Asian egg dish, but one that requires a special technique and a special pan, leave it to the Japanese to turn a plain omelette into a work of neatly-rolled edible art that's as good tasting as it is pretty to look at. "Tomago" means "egg" in Japanese and "yaki" means "to grill or grilled". Tomagoyaki is essentially:  the scrambled egg of Japan.  They eat them for breakfast, pack them into bento boxes for lunch, and, serve them alongside other foods, like sushi. ~ Tamagoyaki:  A Fried & Rolled Japanese Omelette ~.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2018)

~ Hong Kong's Cantonese-Style Tomato-Beef Stir-Fry ~

Sit down in any Chinese western-style restaurant in China, or, in any Chinese-American restaurant in the USA and peruse the menu.  Allow me to point out, there will be just as many, or almost as many beef options as there are poultry, pork and seafood choices.  Beef will priced accordingly too -- right up there with seafood, meaning more expensive than poultry and pork. This would lead anyone with an enthusiasm for Chinese fare to conclude:  the Chinese must eat a lot of beef.  They don't.  In fact, most Chinese diners prefer pork to the stronger flavor of beef.

The tomato -- a relatively new ingredient to Chinese cuisine. 

The tomato is a relative newcomer to Chinese cuisine, arriving via ports like Hong Kong in the latter 1800's -- less than 150 years ago.  The Chinese embraced them, especially the Cantonese who are known for stir-fries full of crunch-tender fresh vegetables.  Tomatoes were easy to grow, producing fruit almost year round and were/are a great source of much-needed vitamins A and C -- important to a big land-mass country with an even bigger, mostly-poor population. As a tomato-lover, it's no surprise they added fresh tomatoes to soups, salads, stir-fries, and, egg, rice and noodle dishes.  Over the decades, China has even become one of the world's largest producers of American-style ketchup and tomato paste, with both beloved products being used to make some of their wonderfully tangy, mild, hot, sweet and sour sauces.

Where's the beef?  Chinese vs. Chinese-American beef dishes:

In China, quality beef is a luxury for the working class.  That's mostly due to environmental circumstances.  China can't afford to dedicate large parcels of land for cattle grazing and roundups.  They've got a huge population to feed, and land as a commodity is best used to grow grains and vegetables.  It also explains why beef is somewhat more prevalent in the less-populated northern regions of China, but, even at that, cows and oxen in China mostly earn their keep as beasts of burden -- they're not what's for dinner tonight, unless it's an old, retired animal.  

America is the land of high-quality beef, and we began transitioning many of China's pork dishes to beef when soldiers began returning home from World War II (at least as early as 1948).  Due to our public's dissatisfaction with the wartime rationing of red meat, this transition from pork to beef was almost immediate -- red meat in the USA was considered the prime source of energy for the working man, and, its mere presence on a dinner plate with a starch and a vegetable, the definition of a proper meal.  Chinese-American restaurants were quick to pick up on this.

Not to be confused with pepper-steak, meet tomato-beef:

For the beef and tomato stir-fry:

2-2 1/2 pounds flank steak, thinly sliced as directed below

1  tablespoon garlic paste

2  tablespoons ginger paste

2  teaspoons coarsely-ground peppercorn blend (120 grinds)

1/2  cup tomatoey-stir-fry sauce, to use as marinade, from recipe below

2-3  tablespoons sesame oil

1 1/2  cups  large, 1"-diced green bell pepper 

1 1/2  cup large, 1"-diced sweet onion

1  pound slightly-under-ripe and firm, 1" tomato chunks (ripe tomatoes of any size, cut into 1" wedges, each wedge cut into 2-3 1" chunks), error on the side of larger chunks rather than smaller ones

lo-mein, ramen or, steamed white rice, for accompaniment

For the tomatoey-stir-fry sauce:

1/2  cup high-quality unsalted vegetable stock (Note:  beef stock may be substituted, but vegetable complements tomato flavors better.)

6  tablespoons soy sauce

4  tablespoons ketchup

2  tablespoons  Chinese rice wine

2  tablespoons brown sugar

2  tablespoons firmly-packed cornstarch

In a 1-cup measuring container, stir all ingredients.

~Step 1.  Using a large chef's knife, cut the flank steak, with the grain, in half lengthwise.  Holding the knife at a 30° angle, cut both halves, with the grain, into very thin, 1/8"-1/4" strips.

~ Step 2.  Place the beef strips in a 1-gallon food storage bag.  Add the garlic paste, ginger paste and coarsely-ground peppercorn blend.  Give the stir-fry sauce a thorough stir and add 1/2 cup of it to the bag of sliced beef.  Seal the bag and squish the meat around until thoroughly coated in the sauce.  Set aside to marinate*, 30-60 minutes at room temperature, or, 8-12 hours/overnight in the refrigerator.

Note:  A common misconception is:  to marinate is to tenderize.  It doesn't work that way.  In the food world, marinades for proteins act as flavorizers, not as tenderizers, meaning:  the longer you marinate, the more flavor will be infused into the beef.  If you are pressed for time, even 15-minutes will go a long way to flavoring the finished dish.  Moral of the story:  The tenderness of the protein being cooked is dependent entirely upon knowing the proper cooking method.

~Step 3.  In a 12" nonstick wok, stir-fry pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium-high -- just enough to coat bottom and/or sides of pan you're using.  Add the beef, along with all of its marinade. Using a large slotted-spatula, stir-fry/sauté the beef strips until lightly-browned around their edges and a bit pink-tinged towards their centers, about 2 1/2-3 minutes maximum.  Use the slotted spatula to transfer steak to a medium-large bowl, allowing all of the excess juices to drizzle back into the skillet.  Do not overcook the beef strips.

~Step 4.  Add the bell pepper and onion to the beef drippings remaining in skillet.  Stir-fry/sauté for about 1 1/2-2 minutes.  Do not overcook the peppers and onions.  Error on the side of undercooking them.  Using the slotted spatula, transfer and toss the veggies into the the bowl of beef, allowing those flavorful drippings to remain in the skillet.  

~Step 5.  Add the tomato chunks and continue to stir-fry/sauté until just beginning to soften, about 45 seconds to 1 minute.  Using the slotted spatula, transfer the tomatoes to the beef mixture in the bowl (once again, allowing all of the excess juices to drizzle back into the skillet).  Do not overcook the tomatoes.  Do not toss the delicate tomatoes into the beef mixture just yet.

~Step 6.  Thoroughly stir and add the remaining tomato-stir-fry sauce to the juices remaining in pan and stir until the sauce is bubbling, glistening and nicely-thickened, about 30-45 seconds.  

~Step 7.  Transfer the thick tangy sauce over the beef and tomato mixture, then toss, like you would a salad, until beef and veggies are evenly coated. Serve atop steamed rice or tossed into lo-mein or quick-cooking ramen and serve immediately. 

Serve tossed into lo-mein or quick-cooking ramen...

... for an easy weeknight tomato-beef chow mein dinner.

Hong Kong's Cantonese-Style Tomato Beef Stir-Fry:  Recipe yields 4-6 servings.

Special Equipment List:  1-cup measuring container; cutting board; chef's knife; 1-gallon food storage bag; 12" wok, stir-fry pan or nonstick skillet; large slotted spatula

Cook's Note:  Sweet and sour pork is one of the most well-known Chinese dishes in the world, especially here in the USA. Marinated, crisply-fried cubes of pork, and, stir-fried bell peppers, onion and pineapple unite at the end of the cooking process when they get tossed together in a perfectly-balanced sweet and savory, ginger-laced ketchup-based sauce.  Click here to get my recipe for  ~ A Chinese Cantonese Classic: Sweet & Sour Pork ~.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos Courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2018)