Tag Archives: recipes

  • Coconut Ice Cream With Dark Chocolate Sauce

    October 8, 2012

    32 Comments

    Coconut Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate Sauce.

    It’s funny how the “rules” often seem to go out the window when it come to dessert. We try to have the garden and seasons guide our cooking, but sometimes we want coconut….and chocolate. They are not local, and we don’t even know if they are in season- but they sure taste good.  And this ice cream recipe is one of the best we have ever made. This coconut ice cream has deep flavor and creamy texture…and it is easy to make.

    This recipe is so easy because the ice cream is “Philadelphia-style”. Philadelphia-style ice creams omit the traditional egg-based custards and simply combine cream, milk, sweeteners and flavors. Philly-style ice cream often has brighter flavors and is usually lighter in texture (this means you can eat more). The downside of this style of ice cream is that it sometimes freezes harder and needs to soften a few minutes extra before service. And let’s face it- no one wants to wait extra time for their ice cream. But this recipe has none of those problems because of a secret ingredient, cream of coconut.

    If you are unfamiliar with cream of coconut you may know it by its most common brand name, “Coco Lopez”. Cream of coconut is sweetened coconut cream and the basis of quality Pina Coladas (yes, we will have a post). Coconut cream is basically the cream that floats to the top of the coconut milk. Good stuff and much denser and richer than coconut milk. The cream of coconut brings rich coconut flavor and a smooth texture that rivals any custard-based ice cream. Cream of coconut is widely available in most supermarkets, but you can also find it at many liquor stores (that Pina Colada thing, again). Just be sure to get cream of coconut and not coconut milk, as the coconut milk is not rich enough by itself for ice cream.

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  • Weekly Cocktail #31: The Sidecar

    October 5, 2012

    9 Comments

    The Sidecar Cocktail.

    There are few more “classic” cocktails than the Sidecar. A simple, but delicious, combination of brandy, Cointreau and lemon juice, the Sidecar is a very easy cocktail to enjoy. Everything else about the drink, however, is not so simple.

    As is often the case with “classic” cocktails, the history, ingredients and proportions are all hard to pin down. The Sidecar was “probably” invented after World War I in “either” the Ritz Hotel in Paris or the Bucks Club in London and “likely” named after the sidecar on a motorcycle. That clears up everything.

    And when we get to the proportions of the ingredients of the Sidecar, the picture doesn’t come into focus either. Some recipes suggest equal proportions of the brandy, Cointreau and lemon, some go very heavy on brandy and light on lemon, and some follow a 2:1:1 formula. Cocktail geeks writers spend a lot of time on this stuff (a quick Google search will give you more on the subject than you will ever need), but they do get the benefit of “testing” the recipes. We suggest a starting point of 2 ounces of brandy to 3/4 ounces each Cointreau and lemon juice.

    While there is less confusion about the base ingredients of the Sidecar, there is room for experimentation. Brandies vary widely, but most recipes suggest a VS or better Cognac or Armagnac (we like Armagnac). But even among brands, the flavors will vary and may require changing the recipe slightly for your tastes. You can also experiment with other triple secs or Curaçao to replace the Cointreau. We like Pierre Ferrand for a slightly drier flavor. But the Cointreau does work very well. And you may, or may not, want to add sugar to the rim of the glass. We like the drink either way, but the sugar rim is pretty and you can do it ahead of time and impress your guests.

    As for the flavor of the Sidecar, the brandy, sweet orange and lemon flavors all blend into a light citrus sip with just enough sweetness to keep you coming back. You get all the flavor of the brandy, but without any rough edges. The Sidecar is an easy drink to enjoy, even if you don’t often drink brandy. The only problem with the Sidecar is that they are almost too easy to drink and you could get into a little trouble after a few. That is something all the historians seem to agree on.

    The Sidecar:

    Ingredients:

    • 2 oz. good Cognac or Armagnac
    • 3/4 oz. Cointreau (substitute quality triple sec or Curaçao)
    • 3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
    • Sugar, for rimming glass (optional)

    Assemble:

    1. Run a wedge of lemon around the edge of the glass and then rotate the edge of the glass in the sugar. Shake off any excess and let dry for a few minutes.
    2. Meanwhile, combine all the liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake thoroughly and strain into the sugar-rimmed glass (if using). Serve.