I Got The Ice Cream, and You Don't Got None... Until Now

Making your own ice cream is easy. That is if you have a good machine and follow a few simple techniques, which I will do my best to describe for you. As with any of my blogs or recipes, feel free to ask questions.

DON'T SKIMP
Start with fresh ingredients. Ice creams are generally made with whole milk, cream, eggs, and sugar. Fresh ingredients = tasty, creamy goodness. Anyone can buy ice cream. If you're going to make it, do it right. You won't be disappointed.

BE CONFIDENT
Read through the recipe a few times and measure out all of your ingredients before cracking an egg or turning on a burner.

BEFRIEND YOUR ICE CREAM MAKER
Read the instructions for your ice cream maker. I use a Cuisinart Automatic ICE-20 Series. It is incredibly simple to use, and produces a good result. This machine requires that I freeze the freezer bowl overnight. The bowl contains a cooling liquid between a double-insulated wall to create fast & even freezing. It's kind of like a coolant/ice pack in a bowl form. When you pour in your custard and switch on the machine, the bowl turns, moving the custard through the mixing arm so your ice cream freezes evenly. Depending on your recipe, and the machine you use, you can have ice cream in less than an hour (about 30 minutes for preparing the custard, and 30 minutes for freezing). Some recipes can use extra time in the freezer once the mixing is done, so it's best to make your ice cream a day in advance, or in the morning for that night's dessert.

TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL CUSTARD
Nearly all ice creams begin with the preparation of a custard. This requires more patience than ingredients, but if you take it slow, you should be able to kick some custard booty.

GET ORGANIZED
Find the right saucepan for the job - a 2-4 quart pot with a heavy bottom is best. Have a whisk and a spatula on hand. If the handle of your pot gets hot, have an oven mitt nearby. You'll need a medium-sized mixing bowl, and a large sieve or fine strainer (not a colander). You can get by without a sieve, but I find them handy to strain out any lumps. You should also have a container handy for freezing your finished product. I like to use large yogurt cartons. I eat a lot of yogurt, and make a lot of ice cream, so this works out nicely.

COOL IT DOWN
You also need to set up an ice bath to cool your custard before you can freeze it. Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with several inches of ice water. Set a smaller metal bowl (one that holds at least 1-1/2 quarts) in the ice water. Before you start your custard recipe, pour 1 cup of the cream into the smaller bowl (the one sitting in the ice bath). This way, when you add in your hot custard later, the cold cream will help cool it down faster. Set a fine strainer or sieve on top of the bowl. You will be straining the hot custard in a few minutes.

A Basic Custard Recipe (aka Vanilla Ice Cream):

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk

1 vanilla bean (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
3/4 cup granulated sugar 
pinch of salt
5 large egg yolks (save the whites! I have a great recipe for chocolate cookies. Or make an omelet!)

In a medium saucepan, mix 1 cup of the cream with the milk, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Warm the cream mixture over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and tiny bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan, 3 to 4 minutes. If using a vanilla bean, cut the bean down its length with the tip of a knife. Turn the knife over, and using the back of the knife, scrape out the seeds. Add both the seeds and the bean to the hot cream mixture, cover it and let it sit for 10 minutes. If you're using vanilla extract, pour it into the chilled cream and give it a stir.

Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl.

NOW FOCUS. IT'S ABOUT TO GET INTERESTING.
Rewarm the cream mixture over medium-high heat until tiny bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan. Do not walk away from the stove. This happens very quickly. In a steady stream, pour half of the warm cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling.

Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook over LOW heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heatproof rubber spatula until the custard thickens slightly (it should be thick enough to coat the spatula and hold a line drawn through it with a finger), 4 to 8 minutes. An instant-read thermometer should read 175° to 180°F at this point. Don’t let the sauce overheat or boil, or it will curdle. Immediately strain the custard into the cold cream in the ice bath.

Cool the custard to below 70°F by stirring it over the ice bath. Refrigerate the custard until completely chilled, at least 4 hours. Then freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (Make sure to take out the vanilla bean before freezing).
Transfer the just-churned ice cream to an air-tight container, and freeze for at least 4 hours or up to 2 weeks.

There. Wasn't that easy? Now that you can make this, you can make just about any flavor you want.
Check back here for more recipes, tips, and ideas. And look over on the right for some helpful references.

Chicken Empanadas & Guacamole

This is Paula Deen's empanada recipe. I chose it for my class because it uses prepared refrigerated pie dough (easily purchased at most grocery stores). You can make your own pie dough (or various empanada doughs), and also make different fillings. This filling is pretty simple to prepare, and can be made ahead of time. Unbaked empanadas can be frozen and baked at a later date.

GET IT TOGETHER

3 cups chopped, cooked chicken (see preparation below; make a day ahead, or at least 1 hour ahead)

8 ounces jalapeno jack cheese, shredded

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts

Water

PREPARE THE CHICKEN

Remove 5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs from their package; rinse in cool water, and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle lightly with olive or vegetable oil. Heat a large frying pan and add the chicken. Cook the first side on medium heat, until the chicken is brown on the bottom and starts to cook around the sides. Flip the chicken, turn the heat down to medium-low, and cook until the chicken feels firm at the thickest part (about 4-5 more minutes). Remove the chicken from the pan and allow to cool on a plate. If using the next day, store the cooled chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator until needed.

PREPARE THE EMPANADA FILLING

Preheat oven to 400'. Lightly grease a baking sheet (or line with foil).

In a large bowl, combine the chicken and next 7 ingredients. Unroll 1 pie crust onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 15-inch circle. Cut out rounds, using a 3-inch cookie cutter (or a glass). Re-roll dough as needed. Repeat procedure with remaining pie crusts, making 12 to 15 circles total. Arrange 1 round on a clean, flat surface. Lightly brush the edges of crust with water (if you don't have a brush, use your finger). Place 1 heaping teaspoon of chicken mixture in the center of the round. Fold the dough over the filling, pressing the edges with a fork to seal. Repeat with the remaining rounds and chicken mixture. (Up to this point, the recipe can be made ahead and frozen for up to 1 month). Arrange empanadas on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

GUACAMOLE
If you have one, use a molcajete. Otherwise, use knives to chop the garlic & onion, and a fork to mash the avocado.

2 large avocados, peeled and seeded
2 cloves of garlic, mashed or finely chopped
3 tablespoons onion, finely diced
1/2 a lime
salt & pepper
cumin (about 1/4 teaspoon)
diced tomato (about 1/2 of a tomato)

Combine the avocado, garlic and onion in a bowl. Mash the avocado, but leave it somewhat chunky. Stir in lime juice, and season with salt and pepper, and cumin to taste. Top with diced tomato and serve. Refrigerate leftover guacamole in a tightly sealed container. A layer of plastic wrap pushed down onto the guac will help keep it from getting brown. Store up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Vegetarian Chili & Jalapeno Cornbread

This chili recipe is easily altered, depending on what you have around. Make more, make less (if you can), or change the types of beans and vegetables. The cornbread is a variation on a recipe I found on a cornmeal package. I prefer finely ground cornmeal for a really soft bread. The cheese helps make it moist and extra delicious.

CHILI

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cups chopped onions

1 2/3 cups coarsely chopped red bell peppers (about 2 medium)

6 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 15- to 16-ounce cans black beans, drained, 1/2 cup liquid reserved

1 16-ounce can tomato sauce

TOPPINGS
Chopped fresh cilantro

Sour cream

Grated Monterey Jack cheese (or whatever you prefer)

Chopped green onions

Preparation:

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell peppers, and garlic; sauté until onions soften, about 10 minutes. Mix in chili powder, oregano, cumin, and cayenne; stir 2 minutes. Mix in beans, 1/2 cup reserved bean liquid, and tomato sauce. Bring chili to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until flavors blend and chili thickens, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle chili into bowls. Add toppings if you wish. Serve with cornbread (recipe below).

JALAPENO CORNBREAD

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups cornmeal (fine grind, like Arrowhead Mills brand)

1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

2 cups milk

6 tablespoons butter, melted

4 tablespoons honey or sugar

2 cups grated pepper jack cheese

2-4 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped

Preheat oven to 400’F.

Grease a 9x13" pan with oil or butter.

Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in one bowl.

Combine eggs, milk, oil/butter (melted), honey/sugar in a separate bowl. Beat well.

Combine all ingredients, until just moistened. Stir in the jalapenos and most of the cheese (leave a little aside to top the batter before baking).

Pour batter evenly into prepared pan.

Sprinkle remaining cheese over batter, and bake approximately 20 minutes, until edges are golden and center is set (springs back to the touch).

Cool bread in pan(s) at least 10 minutes before serving. Wrap leftover bread (once cool) in plastic and store at room temperature up to 3 days.

Lost in Chocolate Weekend

Chocolate in San Francisco may sound like old hat, but the double-dipped weekend of the International Chocolate Salon and Chocolate Cookie-Themed SF Food Wars proved to be anything but.

Reasons for attending a luxury chocolate trade show are as vast as the offerings to be found there. Vendors hope to increase product awareness, while event goers from seasoned food critics to wide-eyed children basically want to taste something yummy. Walking toward Fort Mason’s Festival Pavilion I imagined a ride down the creamy river in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, mug in hand, paddle cast aside.

Spotting celebrity chef Elizabeth Falkner of Citizen Cake and Orson Restaurant, made the day for at least one young pastry chef. Hilda Casey of Beaux Gateaux and Confections by Kay Dillon gasped as Falkner walked up to their table. “She is the sexiest chef out there.” Perhaps this sighting brought luck to the first-time event goers. Kay’s beautiful handmade chocolates won an award for Best Gift Set.

Amidst the sea of chocolate were several well known Bay Area companies. The popular, Kika’s Treats, of San Francisco, won prizes across the board. Bridge Brands, also of San Francisco, sponsored the next day’s SF Food Wars Chocolate Cookie Competition by donating 2 pounds of dark chocolate for each competitor to use in their entry.

Day 2: Of Course You Realize, This is Food Wars…

Having paced myself the day before, I was now ready to eat and judge 20 different chocolate cookies at SF Food Wars. Unlike the Chocolate Salon, where you can pick and choose your samples, a participant of SFFW must try all 20 samples to truly vote democratically.

Maybe it was the sugar. Maybe it was the house music pumping away in a dark club on a Sunday afternoon. Maybe it was the stream of chocolate that tied it all together. But after sampling 20 chocolate sugar bombs within about 15 minutes in that environment, I was ready to jump ship. SFFW is a good time with a good cause (proceeds benefit the SF Food Bank), but I look forward to future events with more diverse themes, the next being brunch.


Eating food and writing about it is a tough job…
Wait, no it isn’t.

‘til next time…