Experiment: Coconut Cream Sorbets
When the weather turns hot, I start thinking of icy cold desserts, and this summer is no exception. I have ice cream on the brain these days, which got me to thinking about how to make a sorbet reminiscent of tropical “umbrella” drinks…something fruity, icy cold (and nonalcoholic for my summer pregnancy).
I found a recipe on Allrecipes that uses cream of coconut and lime juice and I thought that it would adapt to other tropical juices as well. So I tried two batches, one Persian lime and one pineapple, and I made the sorbet mixes in a blender bottle for easy cleanup. We tasted the sorbets right after they were finished and again after they had sat in the freezer for 24 hours, and we decided that the sitting period was important. Read more
Experiment: Jamaican Jerk Chicken
We both enjoy jerk chicken, but we’ve never made it, so with the summer grilling season upon us, it just seemed like a good time to give it a go. Boy, do we feel silly for not trying it before now! It’s really, really simple—you just marinate and grill. I used only one habanero instead of the recommended two simply because they are so devilishly hot. Call me a wimp, but I’m pregnant and those things will eat me alive. Even with only a tiny bit of habanero and no seeds, the marinade was very flavorful.
The recipe calls for seven to eight pounds of chicken, enough for a small party. For just us and the boys, we grilled two large chicken breasts on the bone and used only one-fourth of the marinade. Read more
Experiment: Filled Chocolate Easter Eggs
Four years ago my good friend artist Nancy DeJesus offered to pick up some of her father’s filled chocolate Easter eggs for anyone who was interested. She was going to see her family out of state and could bring the eggs back with her. Since her father is a retired chocolatier and confectioner, I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity. I ordered some of the peanut butter-filled eggs and waited with anticipation to see how good they would be. I was not disappointed. The rich chocolate and creamy peanut butter filling inspired me to never go back to the mass-produced peanut butter eggs that you find in stores.
Every year since then, I think about the eggs and wonder if I’ll get to order some of those creamy, chocolaty treats, but chance has not met opportunity. So this year I decided to take matters into my own hands and kitchen. Other than making Buckeyes and other simple chocolate candies at Christmas, I’ve never attempted couverture. I had much research ahead of me. Read more
