Basil Chip Ice Cream

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Danguole| 17 Comments

I had a very serious conversation with the family at Easter dinner…  About our favorite ice cream flavors.  It seems every human being is obligated to have one, but if you asked me about my mom’s go-to, I really wouldn’t know.  Turns out, she doesn’t know either, and none of us has a definitive one, really–what might have been a simple Q&A in other families became us just naming flavors.  Yeah…  I’m related to these people.

I should also add that we were eating ice cream.  Before eating cake.  Again–these people are definitely my people.

However, I think my maybe-favorite, the one I would pick if you held a gun to my head (which you wouldn’t do, because that’s dumb) is mint chip.  There is so much to like: the freshness, the balance of sweet with bitter dark chocolate, the crunch…  I am a fan.

But why don’t we branch out today?  You may not think of basil as dessert-appropriate, but why not?  Mint is only used in desserts because we’re used to it.  There are so many other green, fragrant, delightful things that grow in the dirt on our planet.  Let’s play with them.

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Posted in Dessert, Spring, Summer, Vegetarian

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Strawberry-Tarragon Gimlet

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Danguole| 11 Comments

Meet the cocktail that was inspired by a sandwich…  A sandwich I never even ate.  (Someday I’ll make sense, but that day is not today.)

See, I’m a fan of a local cheese shop/deli.  Somewhat masochistically, I read their Facebook updates on what they’re serving for lunch, even though I cannot get there during the day because of dumb logistic reasons.  Occasionally, their lunch creations involve strawberry-tarragon jam.  (…And brie–ugh, told you.  It’s downright painful and I don’t know why I do it to myself.)

So what’s a girl to do?  Oh, I don’t know.  Let’s try pouring gin on strawberries and tarragon.  It’ll be fun–I promise.

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Posted in Drinks, Entertaining, Spring, Summer

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Shaved Asparagus and Ham Salad with Dill

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Danguole| 2 Comments

So, as it turns out, I’m pretty good at being totally behind and somehow also ahead at the same time?

I don’t have an Easter recipe for you, although I think that pork chops with rhubarb sauce are perfect casual Easter dinner material, that this orzo salad would make a great side, that you should take cheese puffs everywhere, and that Easter is the perfect time to kick off ice cream season.  I also–and this is what I mean by being kind of ahead of things–have an idea for your leftovers.  Ham, specifically…  Alongside lots of fresh, crunchy vegetables.

With all due respect to bagged greens, there is so much more fun to be had with salad.  I’m pretty sure almost any vegetable can be turned into a base for salad, whether raw, roasted, steamed, shredded, sliced, shaved…  The possibilities are, well, not endless (endful?), but close.  So let’s play with vegetables.  (And PORK.)

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Posted in Healthy (?), Main courses, Meat, Salad, Sides, Spring

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Lemon and Vanilla Bean Rice Pudding with Blueberry Compote

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Danguole| 12 Comments

I swear, sometimes I can’t handle the excellence that is this time of year (I’ll be saying the same thing again in six months–mark my words).  The daylight, the jacketless afternoon walks to the coffee shop, the daffodils and tulips everywhere, and the impulse buys of mint-green shorts at Target (I REGRET NOTHING).  So good.

Now, the downside to this time of year (well, this time of every odd-numbered year) for me is that I’m working a lot.  By “a lot,” I mean 80 hours a week, sometimes.  I try not to talk about it too much, just as I try not to talk about the weather, for the same reason: it’s boring.  ”You’re busy?  Oh really?   FASCINATING.”

But, I wanted to give you a heads up.  In case you wondered why I’m not posting as much–because if you like this thing enough to wonder, I owe you an explanation, and probably dessert.

Such as…  Comforting dessert.  Creamy and somewhat rich, but zingy and fruity at the same time–because I like you THAT much.  True facts.

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Posted in Dessert, fruit, Spring, Vegetarian, Winter

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Banana, Hazelnut and Cinnamon Scones

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Danguole| 11 Comments

Spring Forward…  You have cost me one whole episode of Teen Mom 2.  Thanks?  I guess?  I mean, I’d be mad if I were doing something valuable with my time.  Like baking scones.  If you’d taken these away, we might have to have capital-w Words.  Maybe all-caps WORDS.

Ah, spring forward.  The controversy!  Morning people and night people: it takes all kinds.  We can’t all do everything at once; that’d be madness.  Like baking.  Some of us get down with night baking, some of us wake up naturally with the sun, drink some green juice/chamomile tea/virgin blood (I don’t know how you people operate, forgive me) and bake up breakfast goods at an appropriate time.

Either way, we will have scones.  Tender, slightly sweet, dotted with heavenly banana chunks and toasty hazelnuts.

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Posted in Baking, banana, Breakfast, Vegetarian, weekend

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Pasta with Peas, Lemon and Mint

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Danguole| 8 Comments

Sometimes I forget about the joys of pure, unadulterated, simple carbs.  No talk of protein, fiber, the glycemic index, or–even worse–gluten, just starchy goodness.  I love wholesome, hearty brown grains as much as humanly possible (pretty sure), but there’s no substitute.  You know what I’m talking about–apples are good, oranges are good, but they’re not the same.  Let’s stop pretending.

Also, it’s spring.  It’s time to reawaken those taste buds with bright, delicate flavors like lemon, and peas, and what’s that–fresh mint?

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Posted in Main courses, Spring, Vegetarian

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