What is the future of publishing?

LOL, how would I know?!

But maybe one thing might be more independently published books, which I am down with if they are all as beautiful as Lark, Cooking Against the Grain by John Sundstrom, chef/owner of Seattle’s Lark restaurant. The cookbook was funded through Kickstarter and produced entirely in Seattle, taking the whole local movement up a notch. The book is beautiful to the extreme, in fact, it is more beautiful than most of what is coming out of the major publishing houses in our country. So there’s that. I think the secret to that beauty is, in part, a singular, very personal vision. Lark tells the story of a way of cooking and interacting with the earth that draws you in and makes you want to be a part of it. It is comprehensive, not only including recipes, but also ways of dealing with ingredients and sourcing food.

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When life gives you mangoes, make mango sorbet.

That’s what I did a few weeks ago when the hype-person for Mangoes (these jobs!) sent me a box of them in the mail. In terms of things you can find waiting near your front door after work, it was pretty good. I haven’t worked much with mangoes. I eat them, occasionally. The “tropical” fruits remain a little bit of a mystery to me. They are never local, here in Chicago, and every time I buy one I feel slight guilt and confusion. Do they have a season? Are there better times to eat them? I only buy them in winter, when there is no local fruit of any kind.

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Burnt Orange Ice Cream.

Do I really need to say anything else?

Okay, I will anyway. Those of you looking for bright and shiny orange sherbet, look elsewhere, this isn’t the recipe for you. This recipe is all about the dark side of citrus. Heat is involved—caramel, to be precise. Anyone who liked the blood orange tart will like this ice cream. Friends of Grand Marnier will agree that this is one special scoop. Bryan declares this one of the best ice creams I have ever churned, and I completely agree. It is deeply flavorful and completely complicated. You’ll keep stealing another spoonful hoping to understand the flavor, but it remains elusive. It is a great recipe and I encourage all of you to make this now. Those of you without an ice cream maker, what are you doing without an ice cream maker?! Have you been reading this blog? Trade in your microwave.

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Sweet corn ice cream is weird.

I wasn’t sure I should share this recipe with you, because it is so unusual. But it is also wonderful and the adventurous among you might just love this ice cream like I did. So, here I am. The thing you need to remember is that sweet corn ice cream tastes like sweet corn. Don’t fool yourself into thinking this is going to taste like anything other than corn. I know that sounds obvious, but as prepared as you might be, the first bite is shocking. Delicious, but shocking. It is confusing that it is so creamy and so cold. A couple of bites in and you find yourself thoroughly enjoying it. read more+++

It was so hot here last week.

Chicago experienced the hottest weather we have had in years. 97 degrees. It was kind of miserable. Streets were buckling, people were smelly and public transportation was a bit of a nightmare. I understand the environmental concerns regarding air conditioning, and I feel guilty every time I turn it on, but on days like those I am so grateful for the cool air filling our apartment—and for paletas. read more+++

January is the land of resolutions and good intentions, so I thought I would start off the month with a recipe that is relatively guilt-free. I have become a huge fan of panna cottas for entertaining. They are ridiculously easy to make and can be prepared hours (or days!) in advance. read more+++

In recent years several small producers of ice cream and sorbet have popped up in Chicago. Folks dedicated to small(ish) production and local, seasonal ingredients. They are good, and certainly way ahead of anything you might buy at the supermarket. One of them is truly exceptional: Snookelfritz Ice Cream.

This ice cream with a funny name is made in Chicago by Nancy Silver (not to be confused with Nancy Silverton), who has worked as a pastry chef both in Chicago and Los Angeles. The lady is serious about her ice cream and the product reflects her passion. Her ice cream is different than any other I have tasted— fresher, more delicious, and more complex. It tastes like someone, not something, made it. It is the only ice cream that I like better than my own (wink!).

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I’m crazy for concord grapes. This is the third recipe I have posted involving this autumn staple. If you haven’t tried one of these recipes, you are missing out. They are among my favorite recipes ever. I started with a grape tart that was pure heaven. I thought I couldn’t do better, until last years grape foccacia—which blew my mind. This sorbet rounds out the trio and is a delicious and intensely flavored sweet treat. read more+++

It is officially ice cream season in the Midwest and I have been churning a batch (or two!) a week since summer started. One of the most wonderful discoveries is this recipe for Framboise Lambic Beer Sorbetto that comes courtesy of the Ciao Bella cookbook. I’m not a huge fan of sweet beers and so framboise lambic never had much appeal to me as a drink, but in the context of dessert it is another thing entirely. This sorbet is packed full of bright tasting raspberries and the beer gives it a complicated finish that is really satisfying.

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