Time for the yearly bump - Daiquiri Ice Clone (Baskin-Robbins)

The fireflies are out, it's hot and humid, so it's the perfect time for some light and refreshing Daiquiri Ice.

Original Daiquiri Ice Clone-Baskin-Robbins

This is my most popular blog post and something I'm fairly proud of.

If you're a fan of tart, lime flavors and sorbet, check out the original post below. Oh, despite the name, it's not alcoholic.

Though i may see how it works if I put it in a blender with rum.

Improv recipe: Vaguely Spicy Veggie Chickpea pasta

Hi

One of my best, easiest, improvs. I made it with chickpeas I cooked the day before, but don't do that-use canned.

Read through the recipe once to get your ingredients.

Put pot of water on to boil with salt.

Crush clove of garlic in another pan with 2 T butter and turn heat to low.

Get small bag mixed raw veggies-broccoli and cauliflower, and break up the bigger pieces into bite sizes. Add to garlic, add large pinch of salt, and stir.

Chop up half a red bell pepper and toss in. Turn to medium high and stir once.

Open up can of chili ready tomato diced the one with the spices.

Stir veggies, fump tomatoes and liquidd in. Stir.

Break spaghetti into thirds, add each third to boiling water, stir after each third.

Stir veggies, add can drained chickpeas, stir, turn to low, cover.

Cook until pssta is done, about 8 minutes.

Last few minutes of pasta, uncover veggies and stir. You want them bright and crisp, not muddy and mushy.

Turn off hear on veggies and add large pinch or two of whole cumin.

Drain pasta.

To serve, pasta in bottom of powl, top with veggies. Tilt a bit more juice from the pot if you like. 

Top with a little bit of shredded mozzarella and fresh ground pepper.

Stand Back! I'm Going to Try Science! Part 1

(Hat tip to XKCD)

I got a new cook book for Christmas, The 4-Hour Chef by Tim FerrissThere's a lot to unpack (a lot), which I'll come back to in another post. But for now, i want to talk a bit about the Molecular Gastronomy section.

The preferred term these days is "Modernist Cuisine," because some mad scientist chefts have ruined it for everyone by focusing on technique over flavor or product. It's that one guy on the cooking reality show that automatically goes for the sous vide machine even though the challenge is a cold salad.

 I have dabbled about in these waters before. There is a lot you can do without fancy tools. Cooking things at very low and slow temps, or using  a pressure cooker for example. I once cooked a steak with hot tap water, a cooler, and a blow torch. Good times.

I havevalways wanted to do more, especially with chemicals (insert evil laugh here).

Two recipes caught my eye. The first was a bacon-infused bourbon. The second was a bloody mary gel in a celery cup. I decided to combine the two.

The trickiest part of the recipe was finding the gelling agent. Instead of using gelatin, it uses Agar-Agar, which comes from seaweed.

I found mine at the health food store, but you might also find it in an Asian foods store. 

One is more powdery, the other is grainy, like Kosher salt. If you get the grainy stuff, like i did, be prepared to stir for  a little while to make sure it dissolves completely. Or, you might try putting it in a grinder. 

Stay tuned for more from my kitchen laboratory, and, if all goes well, the recipe.

Update: It's alive. And damn delicious.