Searching4Zen

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  • Toasted Coconut Ice Cream

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    Ingredients 1 cup sugar 2 ½ tsp. cornstarch Pinch salt 1 cup whole milk ¾ cup whipping or heavy cream, I would substitute cream of coconut instead 2 large egg yolks ½ cup chilled evaporated milk, I would substitute powered milk 1 cup chilled unsweetened canned coconut milk ¼ cup sweetened coconut flakes, toasted; more […]

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  • Caramelized Banana Pudding

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    Ingredients ¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar, divided 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided 6 medium bananas (yellow but not yet browning) 3 Tbsp. cornstarch ¼ tsp. kosher salt 2½ cups half-and-half, divided 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1½ tsp. vanilla extract 1½ cups sour cream 15 graham crackers Instructions Place rack in bottom third of oven; […]

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  • Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Caesar-ish Dressing

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    Ingredients 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 2 garlic cloves, finely grated, for me I doubled this amount 2 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more ⅓ cup plus 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for grill 6 Tbsp. mayonnaise ¼ cup chopped cornichons […]

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  • Cream Cheese Ice Cream

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    Author’s Note While cream cheese ice cream has a lovely tang that goes with, um, everything, you’ll want to make this ice cream for its texture. Dense, rich cream cheese replaces some of the cream in this recipe. In doing so, you replace the water in the cream with so much milk protein that the […]

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  • Salted Crème Fraîche Caramel Ice Cream

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    Author’s Note Salted caramel is a new standard, and there is hardly an ice cream shop without their spin on this flavor. This version is finished with crème fraîche, which adds a bright dimension to the wonderfully deep flavor of the caramelized sugars. This recipe also features a dry caramel, whereby the sugar is added […]

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  • Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream

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    Ingredients 1 batch of Basic Custard Base I whole vanilla bean or 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract Instructions Follow the instructions as laid out in the Basic Custard Base Ice Cream except for the following changes if you are using a whole vanilla bean: After you have boiled the dairy and sugars (step 2) you Infuse the […]

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  • Basic Custard Base for Ice Cream

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    This basic custard base is my adaption of the blank slate custard ice cream as proposed by Dana Cree the author of “Hello, My Name is Ice Cream: The Art and Science of the Scoop“. Her book, which I strongly recommend, provides a lot of the science and reasoning as to why this base is […]

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  • Pasta With Blistered Cherry Tomato Sauce

    12 minutes
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    Author’s Notes Cherry tomatoes are almost always sweeter, riper, and higher in pectin than larger tomatoes at the supermarket. All of these factors mean that cherry tomatoes are fantastic for making a rich, thick, flavorful sauce. Even better: It takes only four ingredients and about 10 minutes, start to finish—less time than it takes to […]

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  • Best Summer Tomato Gratin

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    Ingredients 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 6 ounces crusty baguette, cut into ¾ inch cubes (4 cups) 3 garlic cloves, sliced thin 3 pounds tomatoes, cored and cut into 3/4-inch pieces 2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1 ½ ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (¾ cup) 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil Instructions Adjust […]

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  • Pasta and Fresh Tomato Sauce with Chile Pepper and Basil

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    Ingredients 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed with garlic press 2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil table salt 1 pound pasta (see note) Instructions Heat 2 tablespoons oil, pepper flakes, and garlic in […]

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