A refreshing summer dessert

As I referenced in an earlier post, summer is almost over and we've got to make the most of it. At least for now though, succulent, juicy berries are still available in the stores. So, to kick off the start of the weekend, I made a light dessert for dinner last night.

Reminiscent of the ice cream floats that I'm sure we all loved from childhood, I made a sparkling lemonade float that was topped with strawberries and mascarpone ice cream. (Credit for this combination and the recipe go to Emily Luchetti, one of my favourite dessert cookbook authors.) The mascarpone ice cream, being perfumed with a vanilla pod, was essentially a creamier, more luxurious version of vanilla ice cream and provided the perfect contrast to the slightly tart and tangy taste of the lemonade. Refreshing, yet indulgent at the same time.

Mascarpone ice cream
From this book

4 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp kosher salt
2 cups mik
1 1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
1/2 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise with seeds scraped out
1 cup mascarpone cheese

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and the salt. Cook the millk, cream, vanilla bean, and the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until almost simmering. Slowly pour the liquid into the egg-and-sugar mixture, whisking as your pour. Return the cream-and-milk mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant plastic or wooden spatula, until the custard reaches 175F and lightly coats the spatula.

Strain the custard into a clean bowl, discarding the vanilla bean, and cool over an ice bath until room temperature. Whisk in the mascarpone. Refrigerate the custard for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. If necessary, whisk the ice cream base to combine. Churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. Freeze until scoopable, about 4 hours, depending on your freezer.

Another easy mid-week dinner

As I referenced in a previous post, simplicity rules the day in my kitchen when it comes to cooking mid-week dinners. However, simple doesn't mean having to sacrifice on flavour. One of my go-to authors for quick, easy, yet absolutely delicious food is Aussie's number one celebrity chef, Bill Granger. I have yet to visit any of his restaurants, though its on my list of to-dos if I make it over to Australia. I have, however, tried a fair number of his recipes and they've all turned out great. My sister is a fan as well.

Last night's dinner was again one of the staples in our household -a caramelized salmon inspired by the flavours of Vietnam. It literally takes no more than 15 minutes to cook, but served with rice and a side of greens (I used kai lan), its a perfectly wholesome meal.

As an aside, it was M who bought me this cookbook for Christmas last year. I guess you could say that it was a stroke of genius on his part. Since this is one of his absolutely fave dishes, for M, it is the gift that keeps on giving. M, if you are reading, Christmas is coming up again, make your choice wisely!

Caramel Salmon
From this book

1 tbsp vegetable oil
800g salmon fillets, with skin
1 red onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
3 tbsp dark soy sauce
115g (1/2 cup) soft brown sugar
3 tbsp fish sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp lime juice

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the salmon in two batches and cook each bath for a couple of minutes until lightly browned. Turn over and cook the other side for 1 minute, then remove from the pan.

Reduce the heat to medium and add a little extra oil to the pan, if needed. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the soy sauce, sugar and fish sauce. Return the salmon to the pan and cook for 1 minute, or until the sauce is rich, dark and syrupy. Sprinkle liberally with black pepper and stir through the lime juice.

Serve with steamed rice, with a little sauce drizzled over the top and lime wedges.

Serves 4

Inexplicable cravings

Its been about 7 months since I left home and moved to the UK. Not so long considering the fact that when I first left to go to college, I ended up staying away from home for 10 years. So I find it very strange that this time, I'm developing cravings for foods that remind me of home so soon - even ones that I don't usually eat!

Just this weekend, I had baked pineapple tarts - my favourite sweet treats from back home. Yesterday, I had an inexplicable craving for char kway teow (fried rice noodles), one of the most popular hawker dishes in Singapore. What's inexplicable about this particular craving is the fact that in all my life, whether in Singapore or out, I have never ever ever ordered a plate of char kway teow. Its just not something I've ever really enjoyed. Part of it probably has to do with its reputation as one of the more unhealthy hawker foods you can eat (Not so hard to understand when you realize that the dish was traditionally cooked with lard). Despite all this, when planning what to cook for dinner last night, it was all I could think about. So, I gave in to my cravings and whipped up a batch and for a momentary 15 minutes, I felt like I was home.

Char Kway Teow
Adapted from Shiok!

4 tbsp vegetable oil
1½ tbsp crushed garlic
1 Chinese sausage, very thinly sliced
250g fresh prawns, peeled
350g kway teow (fresh rice noodles)
75g choy sum
3 eggs
3 tbsp ketjap manis or thick dark sweet soy sauce
1 tsp light soy sauce
1-2 tbsp chili sauce
3 tbsp water

Heat oil in a wok over high heat and fry garlic for 1 minute, until golden and fragrant. Add Chinese sausage and prawns and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

Create a well in the center of the wok and crack in the eggs. Stir well - they should set pretty quickly.

Add choy sum, kway teow, soy sauces, chili sauce and water and stir vigorously for 3 to 4 minutes until well mixed. Noodles should be moist and aromatic. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary and serve hot.

Serves 4

TGRWT #5: Waiter, there's chocolate in my pasta!

Who would have thought? Pasta and chocolate go well together! I was a skeptic at first but given that the assignment for TGRWT #5 (They go really well together) was to find a chocolate and meat recipe, I decided to ignore my misgivings and try out a meat sauce recipe that i found in this book, one of my favourite books on one my favourite foods in the world - chocolate.

Besides the addition of chocolate, this pasta sauce was otherwise much like any other bolognese sauce, albeit a hearty one with the addition of pinenuts and raisins as well. It took a relatively short amount of time to cook and soon M and I were sitting down to dinner. Since I hadn't told M in advance that I was planning to try this recipe, I told him that I wanted him to taste the pasta and guess what special ingredient I had added to the sauce. Unfortunately, the cocoa nibs that I put in a small side dish for garnishing the pasta was a dead giveaway. He guessed chocolate. After asking him if he could actually taste it though, he confessed that if he hadn't seen the nibs, he wouldn't have thought there was chocolate in the pasta.


Tasting the pasta for myself, I had to agree with him. The first sensation of flavour that I got when I took my first bite was the lingering aroma of the red wine, and although the sauce was sweeter and slightly thicker than most bolognese sauces, I wouldn't have guessed there was chocolate in there either. Despite not being able to pick out the chocolate flavour, we both agreed that the chocolate added to the richness of the sauce. If you get a chance to make it, I'd highly recommend garnishing with cocoa nibs - they add an interesting texture to the dish.

Giuliano's sweet and savory meat sauce with chocolate
From bittersweet

1 medium red onion
3 celery stalks
2 medium carrots
1 medium garlic glove
10 sprigs Italian parsley, leaves only
4oz pancetta
3 to 4 tbsp olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
11/4 dry red wine
1 cup drained canned Italian tomatoes, or 3/4 cup tomato puree
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup raisins
2 tbsp pine nuts
3/4 ounce bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tbsp sugar
1 pound dried or fresh tagliatelle or other egg pasta
Cocoa nibs, crushed with a rolling pin or coarsely chopped (optional)

Finely chop the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and parsley. Dice the pancetta. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil. Add the chopped vegetables, parsley, and pancetta, and saute slowly over low heat for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are translucent and beginning to brown. Add the ground meat and stir it into the sauteed ingredients with a fork or wooden spoon. When the meat is no longer pink, add the wine and simmer to evaporate it, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, unless using puree, pass the tomatoes through a food mill.

When the wine has evaporated, add the tomato puree to the pan. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and simmer slowly for about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the dolce-forte: Combine the wine vinegar, raisins, pine nuts, chocolate, and sugar in a small bowl; set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

When the sauce is ready, stir in the dolce-forte and simmer 5 minutes longer. Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper, and add additional vinegar or sugar if necessary.

Cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve some of the cooking water, then drain the pasta. Pour a little sauce into the bottom of a serving dish and top with the pasta and the remaining sauce. Toss the pasta and sauce together, moistening it with a little of the reserved pasta water if necessary. If you like, pass a bowl of cocoa nibs at the table to sprinkle over the pasta.

Green tea delight

M is a big ice cream fan and truth be told, so am I. As such, our ice cream maker is probably one of the best investments I ever made. Besides, ice cream is one of those desserts that really doesn't take that much work to make but that never fails to impress guests. Maximum reward for minimum effort, what more could you want?

One of my favourite flavours which I have never been able to get quite right is green tea ice cream. Until today, that is, thanks to a recipe that I first saw on Kuiadore, a food blog written by the enormously talented Joycelyn. I think the addition of white chocolate in this recipe adds depth and richness to the green tea, making this an incredibly luxurious way to finish off any dinner.

For us, it was a perfect way to end a perfect weekend.