I Scream, You Scream...

For most of my life, I never knew it was possible to make ice cream. The prevailing philosophy in my mother's kitchen is, "why bother making it when you can just buy it?"  As a consequence, a gallon of Schwan's mint chocolate chip was far and away the most exotic thing in our deep freeze. Of course, I was a big fan of that ice cream and would eagerly await the one day of each week when the Schwan's truck would stop at our door.  More often than not, my mom didn't want to buy anything and made us hide from the Schwan's man ("Ssshh! Pretend we're not home!"), but occasionally we would get lucky and end up with a stash of frozen treats. Choco tacos, ice cream sandwiches, drumsticks... these were my formative experiences with ice cream.

Recipe: Perfect Roasted Potatoes

Whether they're fried, baked, mashed, or roasted, I think potatoes are the ultimate comfort food.  My longstanding love affair with potatoes stems from my mother, who derives no particular joy from cooking but will make an exception when it comes to potatoes. I remember eating a lot of baked potatoes as a child, but occasionally - and this was a real treat - we'd have them tossed with dried rosemary and roasted until the skins attained a satisfying crunch. Other than peas (yes, really), I think roasted potatoes were my most often-requested dish growing up.

Recipe: Homemade Popcorn

OK, everyone. It's time for a pop quiz... literally!

Raise your hand if you eat microwave popcorn. Don't lie. Do you make it at work? Do you eat it while you watch movies at home? Wait... is there a box in your kitchen cupboard RIGHT NOW? There is, isn't there?

Homemade popcorn is my favorite snack. It's simple, healthy, and almost as fast to make as the microwave variety. Of course, you'll have to give up that gritty, chemical-tasting "butter" that clings stubbornly to your fingers, but you can add almost anything else you like: savory spices, parmesan and herbs, sugar and salt... and you don't even need special equipment. All you need to make your own delicious popcorn is is a heavy lidded pot, a little oil, and some good quality popcorn.

Recipe: Chiles Rellenos stuffed with Picadillo and Queso Fresco

There seems to be a lot of confusion over the proper terminology for the dish I'm about to describe. Is it chile relleno? Chiles relleno? Chiles rellenos? To tell the truth, I don't really know. My high school foreign language experience was limited to four years of German, so I'm far from an expert on proper Spanish conjugation. Mexican cooking, on the other hand, I can handle.

There are just as many variations for making chile rellenos as there are for spelling the name. I've had chile rellenos stuffed with beef, chicken, pork, or just cheese, and I've tasted batters ranging from a soft eggy coating to a crisp fish-and-chips style crust. I'm not a big fan of the fried-egg batter; I like my chiles rellenos to have a light coating with a just a little crunch. The recipe below has a light, crispy crust that comes from whisking the egg white separately, then combining with the yolk to make the traditional egg batter. Dipping the chiles into the flour twice gives you the desired crispiness, while the whipped egg whites keep it from being too heavy.

My favorite chiles rellenos are stuffed with picadillo, a stewed meat dish that usually includes nuts and raisins. I had canned pork from the meat locker in my pantry (occasionally my saving grace on busy weeknights), which I combined with homemade queso fresco, tomatoes, onions, garlic, golden raisins, walnuts, and spices.  You can stuff chiles rellenos with just cheese, but I like a more substantial filling if I'm making them as a main dish.

Recipe: Chiles Rellenos stuffed with Picadillo and Queso Fresco 4 large poblano peppers

1/4 cup walnuts

1/2 of one onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 lb cooked, shredded pork

1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco

1 peeled, diced tomato

1/3 cup golden raisins

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp cayenne

For Batter:

1 cup corn masa flour (you can use all-purpose if you like, but corn flour tastes much better)

Salt and pepper

2 eggs, separated

For Salsa:

2 tomatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 of one onion, sliced thinly

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp cumin

2 jalepenos

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Juice from 2 limes

Blacken the chiles and jalepenos by placing them directly on the burner of the stove, turning them frequently until the flesh is evenly charred and blistered. Place chiles in a plastic ziploc bag for 5-10 minutes - this will make the skin much easier to peel.

Once the chiles are cool, peel away the blistered skin and make an incision in each, starting just under the stem and ending about halfway down the length of the chile. Cut out the seeds and membrane from the inside with a paring knife, then scoop out any remaining seeds with a spoon. Be careful not to tear the chiles; they will be very delicate.

For salsa, toast 1 tsp cumin in saucepan until it begins to smoke, then add onion, 1 tbsp olive oil, and garlic. Cook until onion begins to brown. Add the rest of the ingredients except the jalepenos and simmer over low heat. Meanwhile, seed and chop the jalepenos. Add them to the pan and continue to simmer until salsa thickens slightly.

In a saute pan, toast walnuts with a little cumin until fragrant. Add the onion and garlic and cook for five minutes, or until the onion softens.

Stir in the shredded meat, tomatoes, raisins, nuts, and spices. Saute until meat mixture is dry, about 10-15 minutes, then remove from heat.

Stuff chiles with cheese, then with meat mixture.

Secure the slits with toothpicks - this will keep the filling inside the chiles while frying. You can remove the toothpicks before serving, so don't worry if this isn't very pretty!

Mix flour with salt and pepper. Dredge each chile in flour, then set aside on a plate.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, stir egg yolks just until combined. Gently fold yolks into whites, then transfer into a shallow container. Dip floured chiles into egg mixture, then into flour mixture again.

Keep all chiles on a plate until ready to fry.

Heat 1-2 inches of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. If you do this the non-scientific way like me, you can test the oil temperature by dipping a dry toothpick into the skillet - if the oil bubbles around the toothpick, it's ready.

Fry chiles two at a time, turning frequently, for a few minutes each. Chiles are done when the crust is flaky and golden brown.

Drain chiles on paper towels, then remove to a warm oven until all are finished frying.

Serve warm, topped with salsa and crumbled queso fresco.  Serves two as a main course, or four as an appetizer.

Recipe: Make Your Own Queso Fresco

I'd like to make a confession: I'm addicted to cheese. Doesn't matter if it's hard, soft, or blue. I love it all. Gruyere, Manchego, Emmental, Brie... the mere utterance of one of these words makes my mouth water. Given my strong affinity for cheese, I decided it was high time I made my own.

Queso fresco, the crumbly cheese that's a staple in Mexican food, literally means "fresh cheese." It's quick and simple to make - the only ingredients you'll need are milk, vinegar, and salt. Get the best quality milk you can find; since the recipe has so few ingredients, the milk's taste will be amplified when it turns to cheese.

At the end of this process you'll have a cup or two or cheese on your hands, and well over a quart of whey. While most people drain the whey down the sink, it can also be refrigerated and used later to make ricotta cheese. You can even substitute it for the water when cooking pasta or bread. It's full of nutrients and protein, so go ahead and save it if you're so inclined.

Queso Fresco
2 quarts very fresh milk
1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt or sea salt
3 tbsp white vinegar
cheesecloth

Combine milk and salt in a pan and slowly turn up the heat to avoid scorching. Once milk is at a boil, immediately turn the heat to low and stir in the vinegar. The milk will start to curdle; gently stir with a wooden spoon for a couple of minutes until curds are fully developed.

Strain milk into a cheesecloth-covered strainer with a bowl underneath to catch the whey.

Squeeze any remaining liquids out of the cheesecloth.

That's it! The cheese is basically ready to eat now, but if you prefer, you can press it to make it more firm. To do this, squeeze out all liquid and shape the ball of cheese in a bowl, then cover with weighted plates and dishes to press the cheese.

Above: my makeshift cheese weights.

Store cheese in a closed container in the refrigerator.

Cocktail Hour: Rhubarb-Ginger Infused Vodka

After a particularly overzealous shopping expedition at the farmer's market, I found myself with quite a lot of rhubarb on my hands last week.  Having exhausted many of my best recipe ideas, I decided to try my hand at a rhubarb vodka infusion.   

Though strawberry and orange seem to be the most often-used complementary flavors for rhubarb, ginger is a little more unexpected and will give it a nice bite. This is one infusion I've never tried before, so I'm quite eager to see how it turns out.

Depending how tart the final product is, I think it would work nicely as a summer martini with champagne.

Rhubarb-Ginger Infused Vodka

1 pound rhubarb, cleaned and chopped into 1-inch segments

1 tsp fresh sliced ginger root

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 - .75 liter bottle of vodka

In a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine rhubarb, ginger, and sugars.  Pour vodka over and swirl to combine.  Seal the jar, making sure that the lid is airtight.

Leave jar in a cool, dark place for at least two weeks, swirling every couple of days to help the sugars break down.  When vodka is infused to desired level, strain the solids through a strainer, pressing on rhubarb to extract as much liquid as possible.  After passing through a metal sieve, strain again through coffee filters to catch any remaining solids.

Pour vodka back into the bottle and refrigerate.

Recipe: Rhubarb-Raspberry Bread Pudding

It was only a couple of years ago I realized that I liked bread pudding.  Up until then, something about the name had put me off; perhaps it made me think of that oft-served school lunch staple, rice pudding (shudder). 

The first time I actually tried bread pudding was in New Orleans, at Nola.  The first bite was a revelation - a billowy, soft custard with a syrupy glaze and just a hint of crunch.  It was like nothing I'd had before, and I couldn't believe I'd gone so many years without really knowing what the dish had the potential to be.  I never looked back - I've been baking bread puddings ever since.

In the winter months, my favorite recipe is a pumpkin bread pudding with brown sugar caramel. As pumpkin isn't exactly a summer staple, I decided to give a rhubarb and orange pudding a try.  The following recipe is loosely based on this one from Bon Appetit - I was missing some of the ingredients and wanted to refrigerate overnight, so I adapted as written below.

Starting with good bread is essential.  I made my own brioche for this one, but any stale, rich bread will do.

Rhubarb-Raspberry Bread Pudding
1 cup seedless raspberry preserves
1/2 cup orange juice
2 lbs rhubarb, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup raspberries
1 tbsp orange zest
3/4 cup brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 recipe homemade brioche cut into 1-inch pieces (or substitute a loaf of thick egg bread)

Whisk preserves and orange juice in a saucepan over medium heat.  When dissolved, add rhubarb , raspberries, and orange zest.  Cook until rhubarb is tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Pour mixture through a strainer set over a large bowl. Press on solids then allow to drain, about 15 minutes.  Reserve solids; at this point, sauce can be refrigerated.

Combine sugar, eggs, whipping cream, milk, and vanilla in a mixer.  With a wooden spoon, stir in the bread cubes and rhubarb solids, then pour the enture mixture into a greased 9 x 13 pan.  Press down on pudding with a wooden spoon to evenly distribute through the pan. Cover with foil and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.

When ready to cook, take the bread pudding out of the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350 F.  Sprinkle the top of the pudding with a little brown sugar, then bake 30 minutes covered.  Uncover the pudding and bake for 15 more minutes, or until pudding is puffed and golden.

Meanwhile, take syrup out of the refrigerator and check for tartness - depending on your preserves and orange juice, you may need to whisk in up to 1/2 cup of sugar. Bring syrup to a boil and reduce to 1 cup, about 10 minutes.  Keep warm.

Serve puddings topped with warm syrup and whipped cream or (my favorite) ice cream.  Makes 16 servings.