SPEEDY ICE CREAM

SPEEDY ICE CREAM

From mid-May to early October, I’m a frozen food addict. Ice cream, sorbet, popsicles, frozen watermelon—during heat waves like we had this weekend, I could subsist (and have in past lives) entirely on coconut popsicles without a second thought. (When, for instance, one’s salary as a young wee thing makes air conditioning a luxury out of reach, replacing solid food with popsicles is an adequate solution. Consult your physician before attempting this non-medically supported diet plan.)

Now I’m fortunate to have an ice cream maker, which gets a lot of use during the warmer months. It’s not in the holy trinity of useful appliances (mixer, food processor, immersion blender), but it’s close. My beef with homemade ice cream, other than its somewhat questionable nutritional value, is the cooling time for a thickened base. If you make a traditional custard with eggs, the time it takes to cool from 170° to between 40 and 45°, the optimal churning temp, can seem interminable when the outdoor temperatures are almost as high as the custard’s. Even a sorbet made with simple syrup needs a goodly amount of chill-time.

Over the last two weeks, I’ve experimented with a quick-and-dirty no-heat ice cream base. You can use granulated sugar, maple syrup, or (best) an infused simple syrup that you’ve made in advance. Freezing your fruit helps, too. Purée everything in a blender, strain it through a sieve if you’re feeling fussy, and then churn immediately. Now, you should know that this kind of ice cream is best on the day it’s made. Leftover, it can be too icy: it doesn’t have adequate binding properties to hold up for long in the freezer. But the potential flavors are almost endless: it’s easily made dairy-free, and with so little time spent in prep, you can make a new flavor every day. So far I’ve made two kinds of blueberry—which is a great fruit to try, since it has a lot of natural pectin. The pectin keeps the ice cream smooth and thick without any additional thickeners. I’ve also used cucumbers instead of fruit for a cucumber-mint spin: highly recommended as the final note of a steamy day.

Here’s a basic formula for 1 1/2 quarts:

1 cup chopped fruit, frozen if possible

3 cups milk (I use So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk for some vegan guests, but 2% cow’s milk is great too)

1/2 cup to 1 cup sugar or simple syrup, to taste (for the cucumber-mint variety, see recipe below)

1/2 cup Greek-style plain yogurt (optional)

Blend together with a blender or immersion blender until smooth. Strain through a sieve, and pour immediately into an ice cream maker. Churn until frozen according to manufacturer’s directions.

Cucumber-Mint Simple Syrup

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup warm water

Skin peelings from 1 unwaxed cucumber

Handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped

Heat the sugar and water in a saucepan over high heat. When the sugar dissolves and the syrup begins to burble, reduce the heat and let it thicken for 2 to 3 minutes. When the syrup is thicker and somewhat slow-moving in the pan, add the cucumber peelings and mint. Stir, and let infuse off the heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain and cool completely. This is an excellent addition to iced tea or cocktails.

Stay cool out there,

Kristen

image via here

THE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE THAT COULD

THE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE THAT COULD

My brother and his girlfriend hooked me up with one of the best Christmas presents ever: Babycakes Covers the Classics, a new cookbook from the fabulous gluten-free vegan East Village bakery in NYC. I’ve been so excited to bake with it.

But before I dive into that, I’d like to share three important lessons I’ve learned so far on my gluten-free vegan baking escapades:

1. Plan ahead. Never wait until the night before to buy all of your supplies, because the store will be out of a necessary ingredient, which is exactly what happened to me last night.
2. Don’t substitute ingredients or try to adjust recipes. Follow them exactly as they appear. My brownie baking fiasco. Need I say more.
3. Get an oven thermometer because most ovens are surprisingly off in temperature. This noteworthy tip I learned from reading the introduction of the Babycakes cookbook. Last night, I preheated my over to 325 degrees per the recipe, but the thermometer said my oven was actually 400 degrees. Big difference. No wonder I’ve been burning stuff.

Now that that’s out of the way, on to the recipe. To start, I chose the Chips Ahoy! recipe because it was a.) very easy, and b.) I’ve been craving chocolate chip cookies for a really long time now. Can’t tell you the last time I had one.

Things started off a bit rocky. I broke rule number one and waited until last night to buy ingredients and my local food co-op, Weavers Way in Chestnut Hill (a great store, I might add), was out of arrowroot. What the heck is arrowroot, you ask? Well, I had never heard of it either, so I looked it up. Basically, arrowroot is a pure starch that is used as a wheat flour replacement for gluten-free baking.

But since I was on deadline, I decided to break rule number two and substituted the arrowroot with teff flour. After all, the recipe only called for a ¼ cup arrowroot and I figured it wouldn’t make a big difference. Teff flour is also a wheat flour substitute, and I still had a lot left over after using it to make those bad brownies, so I gave it a whirl.

And I got lucky. While I don’t know what the cookies are supposed to taste like, I think these turned out really good. The texture is somewhat grainy, and they seemed a bit dryer, but the flavor was great. They aren’t nearly as rich or sweet as regular chocolate chip cookies, but I really like that. If you ask my mom, she’ll tell you that as a child I used to always ask for my chocolate chip cookies to be made without the chocolate chips, but in this case I think you need the chips to help balance out the cookie.

I was so proud of my cookies that I decided to bring them into the office this morning and share them with my colleagues. Overall, everyone seemed to like the cookies, or at least they said they did:

“Um, these are good! Just a slightly different taste, though they still feel indulgent. I probably wouldn’t know they were gluten free if you didn’t say so.” –Jennifer Leczkowski, Managing Editor

“The second and third bites were better. I think I just needed to have my palate awakened. The texture reminded me of the more rich butter-laden cookies from gourmet stores, but not as overpoweringly sweet. It was surprisingly delicious.” –Geoff Stone, Editor

“I love it. This might be my new go-to cookie!” –Jennifer Kasius, Executive Editor

Here’s the recipe:

CHIPS AHOY!

1 ½ cups oat flour

1 cup Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Flour

1 cup vegan sugar

¼ cup ground flax meal

¼ cup arrowroot

1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons melted refined coconut oil or canola oil

6 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1 cup vegan gluten-free chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, flax meal, arrowroot, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt. Add the coconut oil, applesauce, and vanilla and stir with rubber spatula until a thick dough forms. Stir in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.

Drop the dough by the teaspoonful onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 ½ inches apart. Bake for 7 minutes, rotate the baking sheets, and bake for 7 minutes more, or until the cookies are golden brown and firm. Let stand on the baking sheets for 15 minutes before eating.

Makes 36

Recipe excerpted from Babycakes Covers the Classics © 2011 by Erin McKenna, Clarkson Potter Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc.

Enjoy!

- Caroline

YOU CAN TAKE YOUR HOLIDAY TREATS AND…

YOU CAN TAKE YOUR HOLIDAY TREATS AND…

The worst part of the holiday season is the treats. I say this not because I’m watching calories or really concerned about putting on a few—that’s half of the fun of the holiday season, right? I say it because, thanks to my food allergies, I can’t enjoy them.

They are a constant tease, especially around the office. Over the past week or so, every time I walk into the kitchen at Running Press my senses are overwhelmed by caramel popcorn, chocolates, nuts, and cookies of every size, shape, and flavor. This morning there was even a cheesecake sent to the office from one of our vendors. They all make my mouth water and I contemplate, well, what if I eat just a little bit? Bad idea. Consequences are much worse than a couple minutes of pure bliss while indulging on some sugary, gooey, wonderfulness.

So what’s a girl with a sweet tooth to do? Vegan gluten-free baking attempt, round number two.

This time I picked a much easier recipe from Terry Walter’s cookbook, Clean Food. And I’m so glad I tried baking from her cookbook again after my Brownie Baking Fiasco. These Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies turned out perfect, and only took 30 minutes to make. I might just be able to get the knack of this vegan baking thing after all.

Oh, and guess what? I fully intend to be selfish and eat these cookies all by myself. Bah humbug.

- Caroline

Here’s the recipe, should you wish to make your own:

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip (or Raisin) Cookies

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup unbleached white flour or brown rice flour (I used teff flour)

¾ cup shredded unsweetened coconut (I couldn’t find this and used sweetened instead)

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¾ cup maple syrup

½ cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped toasted walnuts (skipped these, not really a walnut fan)

½ cup semisweet dark chocolate chips (or raisins)

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, coconut, cinnamon, and salt. In separate bowl, whisk together syrup, oil, and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir until evenly combined. Fold in walnuts and chocolate chips or raisins. Press dough into equal-size balls, place onto parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven—and do your best not to eat them all in one sitting!

Makes 2 dozen.

Recipe courtesy of Clean Food © 2009 by Terry Walters, Sterling Epicure.

WHEN A PUBLICIST LOVES AN AUTHOR, AND HIS FOOD

Chef Bradley Ogden's Winter Vegetable Salad (recipe below).

WHEN A PUBLICIST LOVES AN AUTHOR, AND HIS FOOD

Being a book publicist can be a tough gig, but what makes my job rewarding is when I’m paired up with a delightful, motivated author whose book is timely and appealing to TV producers and editors at magazines, newspapers, and websites. Chef Bradley Ogden is one such author. Gracious and unpretentious, he has been a joy to work with. And he has a sense of humor.

Here’s a recent phone conversation:

Me: “This is Caroline.” (This is how I always answer the phone. I rarely say “hello.”)

Bradley: “Hi, it’s Bradley.”

Me: “Oh, hi. Umm, Bradley who?”

Bradley: “You have another boyfriend named Bradley?”

Me: (embarrassed) “Oh, sorry, no…I didn’t realize it was you!”

Incase you’re wondering, my boyfriend’s name is Kenny.

Anyhow, his book, Holiday Dinners with Bradley Ogden, is, as you can imagine, perfectly seasonal and the media just can’t get enough of it. They all want a piece of Bradley: a vast improvement over the working hours spent chasing down and digging up leads and spinning, spinning, spinning…

So with this in mind, I’d like to share one of my favorite recipes from his book. While the book isn’t vegan, this recipe is, and just reading over the ingredients makes my mouth water. Try it out. You’ll thank me.

-Caroline
@carolinebrown

WINTER VEGETABLE SALAD

Colorful and sweet root vegetables, earthy mushrooms, and fragrant herbs will make everyone want to eat their vegetables.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

8 pearl onions, peeled

1⁄4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

8 baby carrots

4 baby parsnips, peeled

12 baby asparagus spears

4 baby red beets

8 baby golden beets

10 ounces shiitake, chanterelle, morel, or cremini mushrooms, stems discarded, wiped clean, and sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 1 teaspoon)

1 small yellow onion, chopped (about 1⁄2 cup)

2 cups vegetable stock (page 193)

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1⁄4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

1⁄2 cup baby arugala, for garnish

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400°F. Fill a large bowl with ice water. In a small roasting pan or baking dish, toss the onions with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and add 4 tablespoons of water. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 10minutes; set aside.

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and the carrots, return to a boil, and cook until the carrots are bright orange and crisp-tender, 1 to 2minutes. Remove the carrots with a slotted spoon and immediately transfer them to the ice bath. When the carrots have cooled to room temperature, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel–lined plate.

Repeat with this process with the parsnips, asparagus, and beets. Use a paper towel to rub off the skin from the beets; then cut into quarters and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet until thin wisps of smoke appear; add the mushrooms, cook for 1 minute; add the garlic and onion; cook for 1 minute longer. Add the stock and sherry vinegar; simmer until the mixture has thickened and lightly coats the back of a spoon. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the pearl onions, cooked vegetables, parsley, tarragon, and arugala; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Recipe courtesy of Holiday Dinners with Bradley Ogden © 2011 by Bradley Ogden, Running Press, a member of the Perseus Book Group.

Photo © 2011 by Jeremy Ball

A VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE BROWNIE BAKING FIASCO

A VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE BROWNIE BAKING FIASCO

For my first vegan-gluten-free baking adventure, I decided to take on brownies. And not just any brownies, but brownies that claimed to not only be gooey and delicious but also packed with nutrients. This proved to be a big mistake.

I regret this first attempt for a couple reasons. Most notably, because the recipe I chose was one for a more advanced baker, and I was in over my head. But also because these were the most expensive gosh-darn brownies I’ve ever made—the obscure flour I had to used cost me $15 alone. I also had to visit three different grocery stores to find everything I needed, the last being Wegmans about a 30-minute drive from my home (and actually where I should have just bought everything to begin with to save the hassle).

I also altered the recipe, because I realized that I didn’t have the right size baking pan (said to use 8 x 8 inch pan; I only had an 8 x 13), so I might have screwed everything up right then and there. I also don’t own a full-sized food processor, which the recipe said to use to combine all of the moist ingredients (dates, banana, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and applesauce), so I just used my mini food processor to do the dates and banana then mixed everything else together by hand, before adding the dry ingredients (teff flour, almond meal, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt).

So anyhow, the brownies ended up tasting like chocolaty-banana-ish mush. Not satisfying whatsoever. I had originally intended to bring them into the office and have my colleagues give feedback, but was too embarrassed. They are sitting in my kitchen feeling neglected, destined to go out with the trash tonight.

To be fair, I must stress that I can’t really blame the recipe I used for my disappointing brownies. I even hesitate from telling you what cookbook I used because I’ve eaten many things from it and can attest that when made by someone who actually knows what they are doing, the food is quite good.

But I also believe in transparency and don’t want to keep secrets from my dear readers, so apologies Terry Walters, I promise to make something really good from one of your gorgeous and well-done cookbooks, Clean Start or Clean Food, in the future.

(Pssst, Mom…Some good Christmas gift ideas for me would include some baking pans and a food processor. Just sayin’…)

Best,

Caroline

@carolinebrown

Zesty Lemony Soup and More

Zesty Lemony Soup and More

This weekend was a busy one of errands and laundry, but I found time for a couple of good food excursions. One, I will give you the secret to good chicken soup. (Or vegetable soup—works fine for either.) I can usually take or leave basic chicken soup, but this zesty trick has made a lover out of me. First make your soup, any way you like. When you’re about 15 minutes from eating, add a big handful of tiny pasta—I used acini di pepe—plus a peeled, cored, and finely diced apple and the finely chopped zest from one lemon. (Just use a thin knife to peel off long pieces, avoiding the white pith as you can, then chop.) Simmer gently until the apple is soft and the pasta is just done. Whisk together the juice of a lemon and 1 egg (or 2, if making more than 4 servings), then temper it with a ladle of hot broth, whisking quickly so it doesn’t scramble. Pour the whole lot into the pot, stirring quickly. Your goal is not egg drop soup; it should look as though you just added a cup of luscious, naughty cream to your otherwise healthy soup. (This technique is from a Greek soup called avgolemono.) Taste and add more lemon if you like.

Now! You’ve saved some calories for dessert, yes? I’ll tell you about part one of my project this week:  to make a passable petit four—but vegan, and without soy or tree nuts—for a friend’s High Tea (her daughter has allergies). I started with a highly recommended petit four tutorial from VeganYumYum (the génoise recipe was attributed to Bryanna Clark Grogan). I used soy-free Earth Balance and rice milk. This was probably THE best white cake I’ve ever made: light as air, sweet but not too, and had some nice elasticity. I laboriously sliced through sections, slapped on some apple jelly I had in the freezer, and tightly wrapped each mini layer cake. Step 2? Visit a cupcake-making friend in D.C. on Friday, and foist the decorating on her.  I’ll share the outcome next time.

-Kristen

Image via here.

THE CONFUSED VEGAN

Pictured here: Vegan Holiday Kitchen (Sterling Epicure), Vegan Diner (Running Press),
Simple Vegan! (Hearst Books), and a turkey.

THE CONFUSED VEGAN

I’ve never really liked cooking. I can get by okay in the kitchen, but I can’t honestly say that I enjoy it. On the other hand, I love eating. In fact, before I’ve finished my breakfast, I’m usually thinking about what I’d like to have for dinner.

The challenge is, I can’t eat all that much. I’m basically a vegan, but I eat meat, which I realize makes no sense at all. You could call me a confused vegan. I eat vegan-ish because I’m allergic to eggs and dairy. Oh, and I’m also very sensitive to wheat, among a laundry list of other food allergies and sensitivities, but I’ll spare you. I’ll hold on to that until writers block sets in for a future blog post. It should fill a full 300 words.

Anyhow, cooking really good food without wheat, egg, or dairy (that includes butter, too) is highly difficult. It also proves to be a real pain when you’re out to eat. Yes, I am that annoying friend at the dinner table who drives the waiter nuts with all these special requests for my entrée order. And dessert? Forget it. Unless there is a good sorbet or fresh fruit on the menu, I’ll drown my envy in an extra glass of wine while my dining companions devour something delicious.

So what I’d like my blog to be about is my adventures in attempting to cook really good food (gulp) and seek out restaurants that cater to my food limitations. I’m also going to try my hand at vegan baking, because I desperately miss cookies and cupcakes. This should be a fun, entertaining ride.

(Craig: I can expense my meals as market research for this blog, right?)

See you next Thursday. Same time same place.

Best,
Caroline
@carolinebrown