Ham Sandwich Indicted!

A work in progress: take the ingredients of a White Russian (Kaluha, vodka, cream), combine in an iSi canister and squeeze into a cup with about 1/4 c. of liquid nitrogen. Result: frigidly cold White Russian ice cream in about 30 seconds. 

Clearly, I am a woman possessed. Or bored. Or one with too much cream, strawberries, and basil on her hands. Using the same techniques I used for the Rhubarb-Rosemary Ice Cream, I threw together this batch of deliciousness with my last remaining strawberries and a big handful of basil.  I'm pretty sure this is what summer tastes like. Strawberry-Basil Ice Cream Ingredients : 3 cups or so strawberries, sliced 1 c. sugar (divided--3/4 and 1/4) 1 c. water 1 1/2 c. heavy cream 1 1/2 c. whole milk 10-12 basil leaves 2 tbls. corn starch 2 tbls. cream cheese 1. Combine strawberries, 3/4 c. sugar, and water in a saucepan. Cook on medium-high heat until strawberries are soft, and a syrup is starting to form, skimming off foam. (About 5 minutes.) Puree mix in blender/food processor.  Place strawberry puree in fridge, stirring occasionally until cool--about two hours. (This time around, I popped it in the freezer and stirred occasionally, cutting the cooling time down to about 30 ...

Holy damn, I've invented a new flavor! Ok, not really invented, but after scouring the internet (ie, going through the first three Google pages) for "rhubarb rosemary ice cream" and finding Rhubarb-Rosemary Creme Brulee and Rhubarb Rosemary Affogato as the closest thing to ice cream (aside from the several rhubarb crisps-with-rosemary ice cream), I'd like to think that I'm the first to throw these two taste sensations together in an ice cream. If I'm wrong, feel free to let me know. (but in the meantime, I'm going to relish my 'originality.') Want to know how to make it? Of course you do...it's amazing! The herbal rosemary plays really well with the sweet-sour rhubarb, and eating it is a multi-sensory experience as the rosemary aroma hits your nose before you even get the ice cream in your mouth. It's summery, sophisticated, and sweet, but with just a tinge of savory. Make this and impress your friends/loved ones/complete strangers...

It seems that, especially with summer approaching, Columbus is in full blown, can't-get-enough, want-to-see-you-every-night love with ice cream: Mozart's Cafe & Bakery is expanding into the frozen delights biz , Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream has a cookbook coming out in June and her stores are popping up like post-rain mushrooms (a walk up in German Village! an outpost in Chagrin Falls!), and even local criminals want a piece of the action. So of course, the Ham Sandwich had to try her hand at crafting her own delicious treats. Thanks to my sister and brother-in-law, who got me the ice cream maker attachment for the KitchenAid for Christmas this past year, I've been able to try my hand at a few flavors. And just for the record, while Jeni's is phenominal , and those giant chocolate shards in Graeter's are divine, there is something amazing and deeply satisfying about eating a bowl of your own handcrafted and hand-flavored ice cream. Having just finished batc...

Last week, I had the absolute privilege of cooking a surprise 5th Anniversary dinner for my friends Scott and Christina. Scott emailed me about a month ago with this idea, and I was happy to be of service. The challenge for this dinner was that it had to be gluten and dairy free...which, being a girl for whom butter and flour are their own food groups, gave me slight pause. However, after some research, and discussion with Scott, I realized wouldn't be that hard--tamari to replace soy sauce, potatoes instead of grains, and lots of veggies (which are quite abundant right now). Also, Scott said that Christina had eyeballed some bison tenderloin at the North Market , so the main was easily decided. Bison! How exciting--I'd never cooked bison before! Up first, the salad course: A sugar snap pea and english cucumber salad . It was dressed with a simple walnut and lemon juice dressing, the walnuts being crushed to a paste, and blended with the lemon juice, walnut oil, and fresh d...