Ugly Fruit

flirting with vegan sweets

2011-07-23T09:49:00.004-05:00

Don't get me wrong, I love butter and eggs as much as the next girl, but when I saw this vegan recipe for almond jam thumbrints I couldn't help but be curious. I've been looking for a linzer-like cookie recipe for awhile (Jon? Are you listening? Where's that excellent xmas cookie recipe of your mom's you made?!! Still waiting! ;) and this one intrigued me.

Plus? They sound healthy! Bonus, no? No refined white sugar (you use apple juice and maple syrup), oat and barley or whole wheat flour, and chock full o' nuts.

This recipe was also dead easy. A two bowl-er and clean up was no sweat.

I ran out of raspberry so decided to make a full palette of delicious fruit flavors.

Not quite a 'thumbprint' per se but it gets the job done.

Aaaalmost ready. Best part is...the dough can be eaten worry free!

Almond Jam Thumbprint Cookies (originally posted on readymade.com)
- 2 1/2c. raw whole almonds
- 1 1/2c. oat flour
- 1 c. barley or whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 t. baking soda
- 1/2 t. fine sea salt
- 1 c. pure maple syrup
- 1/4 c. apple juice
- 1/4 c. canola oil
- 1 t. almond extract *
- fruit preserves of your choice

1. Preheat oven to 325F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whiz almonds in a food processor until fine, leave some chunky bits for texture.
3. Mix dry ingredients in medium large bowl
4. Whisk maple syrup, apple juice, oil and extract in a smaller bowl.
5. Add wet ingredients to dry, stirring to combine well.
6. Wet hands (as often as needed!) to roll dough into ping pong sized cookie balls.
7. Use the back of a wooden spoon to create a well for the jam, be careful not to poke thru the bottom.
8. Pipe jam into cookie wells. I used ziplock bags with the corners cut off.
9. Bake 25 minutes, remove cookie sheets to cookie rack, cool and enjoy!

WARNING!!! Do NOT nibble these until the jam has completely cooled or YOU WILL BE SORRY!!!! Don't say I didn't warn you ;)

* original recipe called for 2 tsps of extract but I don't like a heavily fake almond flavoring

You know it's summer when....

2011-07-22T11:05:00.010-05:00

- Going outside is like stepping directly into a steam bath and you begin to 'glisten'

- Art shows and summer storms are inevitable (just got back from the Midsummer Festival for the Arts in Sheboygan WI)

- It's so hot you don't want to eat. Even ice cream makes you think twice

- Straws make everything better, ie - more festive

- Stone fruits are FINALLY in season!

I just whipped up a pitcher of roasted peach lemonade - aka - the lemonade so nice I had to make it twice (in the same week)!

(image copyright The Naptime Chef)

I stumbled across this recipe a little while back and pinned it to go back to later. I am SO glad I did. The cousins loved it and that was made with some seriously unripe peaches. Fresh lemonade is always a treat but adding the rich buttery flavor of roasted peaches makes it truly something special. The lovely color, the fuzzy velvet jackets slipping off of the warm peach flesh, the complex scent and flavor. Hands down a winner. Right up there next to Madame Claudia's Strawberry Vanilla Lemonade.

As fuzzi-mom and I were leaving town my aunt tipped us off to a truck full of peaches. Seriously. There's a company (Tree Ripe) that trucks up fresh peaches and citrus directly from the South and sells them in various parking lots primarily in WI and IL. Milwaukee's Menards just happens to host such a truck. We split a 25lb box of peaches because...

1 - there was no more room in my car!

(packing for my show in sheboygan, not totally loaded yet, lucky decides he's going too!)

2 - it was soooo hot that we were worried the peaches might die before we got them home

They are amazing! The ones we've been getting at the grocery stores have been a little lackluster and tasteless this year. Kinda wishing we had bought a whole box. I've never made a peach pie but these little babies are inspiration enough! Or, it may be time to make a batch of Late Summer Cupcakes again....hmmmm...mmmmmmm.

Roasted Peach Lemonade

(original post here) - I've done a little tweaking to taste, as can you - we like our 'nectar-like'

4 lemons or ~ 1c. freshly squeezed lemon juice (and pulp!)

1/2 c. + 1 T. sugar

6 c. water (or water and ice if serving immediately)

4 peaches

- Preheat your oven to 400F

- Halve the peaches and remove stones

- Lie the peach halves skin side down on a baking sheet and sprinkle tops with 1T. sugar

- Roast peaches ~25 min., remove, then let cool.

- While peaches are roasting prepare your lemonade (squish lemons, mix with sugar and water)

- After your peaches have cooled a bit, peel the skin off and process in a blender with ~1c. of the lemonade.

- Mix lemonade and peach mixture together, add ice if desired, sip and enjoy!

12 for me, none for you!

2011-04-19T21:58:00.007-05:00

And so it begins. The holiday that's full of eggs, matzo, and more eggs. Yes, folks, it's Passover time again. The first seder was last night and full of fantastic traditional foods - the brisket, the fried matzo, the charoset, etc. I had hoped to try out a new recipe involving berries, chocolate sponge cake and marscapone (yum!) but a few hours before I re-read the recipe and noticed it said make 24 hrs in advance (oops!) So there was matzo crack :D and a passover apricot bar. Today was a chance to try something new...flourless fudgy chocolate walnut cookies, totally Passover friendly. And they are suuuuper delish. This is going to be a year round favorite, I can tell.

This recipe from food&wine.com is perfection as is. I usually feel a need to tamper with a recipe but I really enjoyed this from the get go. I might be uber decadent and throw in some chocolate bits next time. This is a perfect chewy browniesque dessert bite, enjoy!

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups walnut halves (9 ounces)
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. Position 2 racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

Spread the walnut halves on a large rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 9 minutes, until they are golden and fragrant. Let cool slightly, then transfer the walnut halves to a work surface and finely chop them.

In a large bowl, whisk the confectioners' sugar with the cocoa powder and salt. Whisk in the chopped walnuts. Add the egg whites and vanilla extract and beat just until the batter is moistened (be careful not to overbeat or it will stiffen). Spoon the batter onto the baking sheets in 12 evenly spaced mounds.

Bake the cookies for about 20 minutes, until the tops of the cookies are glossy and lightly cracked and feel firm to the touch; shift the pans from front to back and top to bottom halfway through.

Slide the parchment paper (with the cookies) onto 2 wire racks to cool completely before serving.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Full Metal Jacket Potato Soup

2011-02-03T20:51:00.004-06:00

In hindsight I wish I had plated this better, but I was too hungry to consider hunting for a pretty bowl ;-p This loaded baked potato soup is the perfect antidote to a winter day. This recipe is full bodied and delicious. I think I'd tweak it a bit in the future but give it a whirl this way - check out the original recipe here at Smitten Kitchen.

Baked Potato Soup
Serves 6

1 head garlic
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium leeks, white and light green parts halved lengthwise, washed, and chopped small
5 to 6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (I used 5 cups; add the extra cup after pureeing if you’d like a thinner soup)
2 bay leaves
Table salt
2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup sour cream
Ground black pepper

- Rinse the head of garlic to remove any outside grit or dirt. Cut the top third off the head and peel any loose papery skins off the bottom two-thirds. Pop out a bunch of the garlic clove tips and mince them.

- In a large, heavy pot melt the butter over medium heat. Add leeks and cook them until soft (but not brown), about 5 minutes.

- Add the minced garlic and cook another minute. Add the larger part of the garlic head (whole, not chopped), broth, bay leaves and 3/4 teaspoon salt.

- Reduce heat and simmer until garlic is very tender when pierced with tip of knife, 30 to 40 minutes.

- Add potatoes and continue to simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

- Discard bay leaves. Remove garlic heads. Add sour cream to soup and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper to taste.

- (ugly fruit suggestion - remove some chunks of potato, then blend remainder, then add potatoes again) Using immersion blender, process soup until chunky-creamy, leaving lots of potato texture intact. (Alternatively, transfer a portion of the potatoes and broth to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.)

- Serve with whatever makes you happy on top, or nothing at all. Suggestions - shredded cheddar, fake-o's, sour cream, chives, etc.

Tofu or Not Tofu...*

2011-01-28T20:40:00.006-06:00

This recipe is too good not to share. It appeared in my inbox awhile back from Chow and it's been my favorite go to veggie recipe ever since. I admit I'm pretty new to tofu and this is the best kind - chewy/crispy on the outside, squishy on the inside. I prefer to barely cook the peapods so they stay fresh. The sauce is amazing - spicy, sweetish from the mirin, savory from the garlic and shallots. Hope you enjoy it too.

Spicy Peapod & Sesame Tofu Stirfry

- 1/4c. soy sauce
- 2T. mirin or dry sherry
- 1T. sugar
- 2t. cornstarch
- 1t. rice vinegar
- 3/4t. red chile flakes
- approx. 2T. oil or more (to fry with)
- 1lb. firm tofu, patted dry, cut into big cubes
- 3 medium shallots, thinly sliced
- 4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1lb. peapods, ends cut off
- 1T. white sesame seeds

1. Whisk together first 6 ingredients, set aside.
2. Heat oil over high til it smokes, add tofu, cook on each side until brown ~3 min. Remove to plate and set aside
3. Reduce heat to medium (change oil if necessary. I like to add a little sesame seed oil). Cook shallots and garlic til brown. Add peapods and seeds - cook til done.
4. Add tofu and sauce, cook until thickened (you can add more water if you like it 'saucier'). Serve immediately over steamed rice.

Serves about 4

*sorry billy s., but it was too good to pass up ;)

Dread Bitter Pine Nut Syndrome

2011-01-18T22:31:00.005-06:00

Aaaarghhh! So I've had this nasty bitter taste in my mouth for the past several days. No matter what I eat, no matter how many times I brush/Scope, it's there. Ruining meals and snacks alike. I finally decided to google my symptoms and make sure I didn't have some unusual and deadly disease. The first several listings all pointed to pine nuts as the culprits. Not just any pine nuts....specifically pine nuts from China. I just rushed into the kitchen to check out the country of origin on my Melissa's pine nuts...lo and behold...Cina. Drat. Most of the sites say this phenomenon lasts anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. I think Melissa's might be getting a phone call....

Pine Nuts Left a Bitter Taste in My Mouth
Beware of Pine Nuts from China
Bitter Taste After Eating for Days - Caused by Pine Nuts?
Pine Nut Syndrome

ICM's Winter Wonderland

2010-12-24T21:57:00.002-06:00

Ice cream in the snow? Yes, please. This past week was eggnog ice cream at Goldie's in Prairie City, Iowa. You can see my previous post about Goldie's here. The eggnog was phenomenal. The fuzzi-'rents and I stopped there last week on they way to pick up Lucky from doggy daycare in Runnells. It was so good I finished the whole thing (hence the less than gorgeous photo of the above ice cream phone).

In fact, it was sooooo good that we went back for a full 1/2 gallon of it the next day. I had gotten a holiday thank you from Goldie's for being on their mailing list and used it towards the half gallon. I was wondering if the soft serve would lose something in translation when frozen solid. But by dog! It was just as good. There's still most of it left...but not for long. Mwhahahaha!

Rockin' the Soups

2010-12-24T20:21:00.008-06:00

This has been an awesome week for soup. I have been ON! and no clue why ;) The first one was the best batch of tortilla soup I've made to date. Recipe to come. The second was a Zesty Vegetarian Tomato Soup, served with a nice chicken caeser salad.

Disclaimer...I never really cared for tomato soup. My parents always used to have it when they made grilled cheese for the family. I seem to remember some friends in college dipping their sandwiches in ketchup. And it was good. So next time I was home I decided not to pass on the Campbell's tomato soup. And I enjoyed it. Then I discovered tomato basil bisque while in Switzerland. Swooon. And Amy's organic chunky tomato bisque when I returned home to the US.

I've tried a few attempts at tomato soup deliciousness and have been not so impressed. But the recipe I hacked this week was ALL THAT AND A BOWL OF SOUP! I'm even throwing in my bonus parmesan wafers. They look impressive, are super easy and really add some oomph to any tomato soup. Enjoy and let me know what you think.

Zesty Vegetarian Tomato Soup
yield enough for 3 medium to good sized bowls

1 - 28oz. can whole tomatoes
~1 T. tomato paste
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 - 1 clove of a shallot, minced
1 T. butter + olive oil
1 - 14.5oz can veggie stock
vodka
red wine
basil leaf
cayenne pepper

Sweat onions, shallots and garlic in butter/oil mix til clear. Add tomato paste. Deglaze pan w/ vodka and reduce. Add can of tomatoes including the juice and veggie stock. Add a glug of red wine, basil and cayenne pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes. Cool, blend to desired consistency. Return to pot, heat and serve with parmesan wafers.

Parmesan Wafers
makes 8

1.5 c. coarsely grated parmesano reggiano (4 - 5 oz.)
1 T. flour

Put rack in middle of the oven preheat to 350F. Line baking sheet with non-stick paper. Make 4 mounds (about 3 T. each) and spread until they are 4-5" rounds. Bake until golden - about 10 minutes. Cool on the sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to wire rack using a wide spatula. Repeat. Can be made 2 days in advance and kept in airtight container at room temperature.

Cookie Cravings

2010-12-24T19:41:00.004-06:00

Every once in awhile I get a craving for Subway's white chocolate chip chocolate cookie. Oh, heck. Who am I kidding? I often get cravings for many different types of cookies. But the Subway one is a killer.....I can't often find them at my local sandwich shop...so I decided to try and make my own.

After copious internet searching (2 minutes on google) I found out that most of Subway's (and many other restaurants) cookies are made by Otis Spunkmeyer. I found a 'copycat' recipe for my beloved cookies. I tried the recipe as is (except only made a half recipe just in case they turned out truly heinous...and added some regular chocolate chips as well. I just can't help tinkering!!!) and will try to tweak it a bit next time. It might also be helpful to have real deal cookie near by for a blind tasting. According to my tastebuds these cookies were a little overly sweet, maybe I'll use salted butter next time, less sugar or a bit more salt. The texture seemed ok. We'll see how they hold up over the next day or so.

Almost Subway's White Chocolate Chip Chocolate Cookie Recipe
yield 1 and 1/2 dozen cookies

1 c. butter, softened
2 c. white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. flour
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. white chocolate chips
2/3 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F (175C)

In a large bowl cream butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then the vanilla extract.

Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a different bowl. Stir into the butter/sugar mixture.

Fold in chocolate chips and drop by rounded teaspoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 - 10 minutes (I left them in the full 10 minutes) until set. Allow to cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes then move cookies onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Second Saturday Soup n Bowl

2010-12-12T18:22:00.010-06:00

This 'Second Saturday' was spent reuniting with the CCFA crew in Corning, Iowa. The gallery has been hosting monthly show openings and this month they decided to try something a little different. The soup n' bowl event featured homemade soups in handmade bowls by Paul Koch of Prairie Fired Pottery.

There were 5 different soups to choose from - salmon chowder, seafood chowder, beef and noodle, chili, and beef stew. Beth's salmon chowder was a new recipe and had many separate elements come together in new ways. Rick's beef stew was a total hit and the first one to be polished off by the public. It was kind of zingy with giant chunks of potatoes and veggies...and paprika? In fact, they were all amazing (yes, I managed to sample almost all of them ;) and the bowls we took home are fantastic mementos of the event. Wish I had thought to bring my favorite onion soup, Jon's butternut squash soup, the hawayedge chicken soup or chile corn chowder. Next time....Actually, it may be time for a soup exchange...Iowans???

I was there not only as a spectator (and soup slurper) but in an officially official capacity as well. Studio fuzzishu offered blown glass ornament make and take sessions. It was fun to see the range of people who tried their hand at glass working and catch their enthusiasm and delight. I love offering people the experience of doing something they've never done and having them go home with an original piece of art and feeling of accomplishment.

It was a great time...until fuzzi-mom and I were packing up to leave. Winter decided to make itself known again with a major white-out blizzardy type thing. We (foolishly) decided to brave it, since I was scheduled to teach at the Des Moines Art Center today. There were times during the grueling, white-knuckle-inducing, normally 3o minute drive to Creston where the road was literally invisible. So? A hotel. And lots of kitschy tv movies (Sundays at Tiffany's with Alyssa Milano, anyone?) But alls well that ends well, we're back in Des Moines now and gearing up for a week of ornaments and probably more soup! ;)

Holy Overhaul, Batman!

2010-12-09T18:32:00.000-06:00

Yes my friends, it was more than time. The old Ugly Fruit was getting kind of wrinkly and funky smelling. It was time to give the old girl a new coat of paint. White printing on black backgrounds was so 2005. Please feel free to leave feedback on the (hopefully!) new and improved Ugly Fruit aesthetic.

...Now I just have to figure out how to add the old header. I really liked it :(

Gobble Gobble Hey!*

2010-12-09T18:08:00.004-06:00

Many families have passed down Thanksgiving traditions, my family's tradition is a recent one. I've started a new tradition, we use the holiday as a chance to try out new recipes on my captive audience...I mean, family. ;) Sometimes they're great, sometimes not so great. Then there are the few recipes great enough to hold on to year after year. Like Rachel-pi. Here's a list of the Thanksgiving 2010 recipes.

Rosa made a lovely Norwegian Mountain Bread. Oatmeal, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds? Yum. I simply had to try the recipe. You can find her recipe for this hearty loaf here. I also made a HUUUUGE pot of maple butternut squash soup with chef/friend John's recipe.

One of my favorite Thanksgiving recipe finds is this whole cranberry sauce (we also always make the Ocean Spray cranberry relish as well). This sauce is spiced, hearty and complex with bold fruit flavors. You can also make this recipe your own by varying the ingredients.

Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

12 oz. fresh cranberries
1 c. sugar
1 c. water
1 c. dried fruit chopped
1 c. pecans, chopped
1 cap rum
1 orange, peel - process
1 apple, peel - dice
1 pear, peel - dice
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Boil sugar and water til sugar dissolves. Reduce to simmer, add all ingredients. Cover and simmer for approx. 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, let cool to room temp. and serve.

Here's a keeper! Super delicious and super easy. Two of our favorite 'supers'. ;) Everyone loved this recipe, I hope you do too.

Herb Bubble Bread (Taste of Home Mag. - Oct/Nov 2010)

1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
3/4 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1/4 tsp. dill weed
1/8 tsp. each dried thyme, basil, and rosemary - crushed
1/4 c. butter, melted
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 loaf (1 lb.) frozen bread dough, thawed

In a small bowl, combine cheese and seasonings. In another bowl, combine butter and garlic, set aside.

Divide dough into 16 pieces. Roll into balls. Coat balls in butter mixture, then dip in cheese mixture. Place in a greased 9"x 5" loaf pan.

Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about an hour. Bake at 350F for 22-26 min or until golden brown. (cover loosely with foil if top browns too quickly). Cool for 10 min. before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm.

Lucky waits for me to take my eye off of the turkey for just a quick minute.

This year we tried something new with the bird...baking it breast down. Juiciest white meat ever!
Read the complete how-to article here.

There was stuffing, two kinds of cranberry sauce, sauteed green beans with carrots, mashed potatoes with chives, cilantro lime rice (recipe to come...one of these days), and turkey (of course!) with gravy. I'm saddened by my gravy attempts. I'd really love to find a great recipe. Any suggestions? Dinner was great....but let's not forget dessert!

We tried this cheesecake recipe a year or two ago and it was one of the ones good enough to hold on to. This holiday is not only about giving thanks but sharing. So, from my kitchen to yours...

Cheesecake Factory Style Cheesecake (this is two blended recipes...I can't recall which at this time)

crust
1 1/2 c. gingersnap cookie crumbs
1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 c. pecans, processed
1/2 c. packed golden brown sugar
about 4 1/2 Tbsp salted melted butter (or more)

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 9 1/2" springform pan. Bake about 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely.

filling
1 c. sugar
3 (8oz.) pkgs cream cheese, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 can (15oz.) canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice

Combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Mix until smooth with an electric mixer. Add pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Beat until smooth and creamy. Pour filling into pie crust and bake 60 minutes until top darkens but is still slightly jiggly. Remove from oven, allow to cool to room temp., then refrigerate. Serve w/ whipped cream.

*My apologies to the Ramones. ;)

Bang!

2010-11-22T21:55:00.000-06:00

Kiriel, of The Papillon Pantry, nailed it again! This pineapple bleu cheese soup is fantastic and totally 'fall-like', a perfect blend of sweet and savory. Like a liquid version of my bleu cheese and pear puffs with balsamic reduction syrup (recipe to come...one of these days).

I used my much loved Maytag Blue Cheese (mmmm Maytag Burgers) - that fuzzi-mom and I picked up at the Winter Farmer's Market - but I think it might have been a touch too strong. Next time I'll look for something a little less sharply flavored. Otherwise, the soup was smooth and flavorful. Kudos to Kiriel!

Pineapple and blue cheese soup
Re-post of Original Recipe by Kiriel of The Papillon Pantry

2 small onions
30g butter
60g blue cheese
480g pineapple (I was in a pinch so used drained pineapple in natural syrup)
2 cups chicken stock

Dice the onions finely and sweat in the butter until they go clear. Chop the pineapple into pieces (if using fresh pineapple make sure you remove the hard core) and add to the butter. Sweat until the pineapple has absorbed the butter and softened.

Blend the pineapple in a food processor or blender. Add the chicken stock and return to the pan. Simmer for about half an hour to give the pineapple more time to soften. Crumble in the blue cheese and remove from the heat. Stir to blend the cheese in but don't over stir - you want to discover lovely little nuggets of cheese as you eat.

Is this Heaven?

2010-11-13T11:33:00.000-06:00

No, it's Target!

Yes, Target is carrying America's new 'IT' dessert. And I have to tell you, I was kinda thrilled to see them there. After being back in the States for almost 3 years I've missed all of my little European treats.

According to NPR's All Things Considered, chow.com, and the Times of London this sweet little French confection will soon be toppling cupcakes from the top of the trendy treats tower. And the Times is not shy to tell you why this is a blow to macaron enthusiasts everywhere.

I've been to Paris. I've had macarons from the Master (Pierre Herme). I can see where the Times is coming from....they state that Starbucks, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's (I didn't see them at Des Moines' newly opened venue) and even McDonald's in Paris (a McAroon if you will) are carrying them. In an effort to fight back mediocrity in the sweet treat department Pierre Herme will be releasing a cook book entailing his 30 years of creativity and techniques. What do you think? Will you go out and try to make them for yourselves? Or go grab some at your local Tar-zhay?

Return of the ICM!*

2010-07-03T17:34:00.002-05:00

It's summer. In Iowa. That means HOT! It also means a search for the best locally produced ice cream. It is still the ICM's goal to make it to Le Mars, Iowa and eat...I mean check out the Ice Cream Museum. For realsies. But for now we'll have to be satisfied with tastings a little closer to home.

On the list? Moo Roo (they raise cows and wallabies, is Iowa not trippy?) in Waterloo. Heyn's and Whitey's in Iowa City. And Wilton Candy Kitchen (one hundred and fifty years...and counting! the oldest continuing ice cream parlor in the US) in Wilton, IA.

This week we happen to be near Prairie City. Goldie's has been mentioned quite a few times in conjunction with the phrase 'excellent ice cream'. We passed it on the way to IL last time but didn't stop.

(unprepossessing small town cafe...a totally hidden gem)

Oh man, I wish we had! The butterscotch fuzzi-mom and I tried last week was AMAZING!!! Not too cloyingly sweet, subtle rich burnt sugar flavor and a 'small' cone that can easily satisfy two. Not surprisingly, I dragged my brother and his friend, Nikhil, back this week when I heard the featured flavor was papaya.

(Heh, Nikhil ordered a large. Guess he missed hearing me say how big the small was.)

Next week? Kiwi. How I missed pear and cranberry I'll never know. But I now have a flavor forecast through the end of the year. And trust you me, we'll be headed back several times. My current pick for favorite Iowa ice cream. Now all it needs is eyeballs ;)

Goldie's Ice Cream Shoppe
304 West 2nd Street
Prairie City, Iowa 50228

515.994.3190

Two (of three) of My Favorite (Panera's) Things

2010-04-27T21:49:00.000-05:00

Mmmmm, way better than whiskers on kittens! One of the comforts of being back in Des Moines is the ready access to some of my favorites. It's also one of the most dangerous things! Panera's is my go to for the world's best onion soup (shhhh, don't tell the French!).

The other two favorites? A frozen caramel and a four cheese egg souffle. I am LOVIN' the cheesy egg souffle. Savory, light and fluffy, all wrapped in a sweetish puff pastry.

I've tried a hacked version of this recipe to disastrous results. As soon as I find a decent one I'll be happy to share. Until then, if you are in the Des Moines area let me know...we'll grab one of the above* :D

*or a cinnamon crunch bagel. Lucky and I love them good.

fuzzishu and fuzzi fruits

2010-04-25T21:05:00.000-05:00

This past Friday Studio 402 (fuzzishu + MRW studio) had our first annual open studio. In addition to oodles of fantastic art, in my humble opinion ;), there was some tapanade with bite, garlicky hummus, incredibly rich chocolate, and the unveiling of a deeeelish white sangria. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Studio 402 Sangria

4 (750mL) bottles white wine
1 L. bottle ginger ale
1/2 c. peach schnapps
1/2 c. brandy or cognac
1/4 c. sugar
assorted fruit cubes - peaches, mango, strawberry, kiwi, apple, starfruit, orange

Cut assorted fruit into cubes and place them in a bowl. Pour schnapps and cognac over fruit then sprinkle with sugar. Refrigerate at least 30 min. Add wine and ginger ale. Refrigerate several hours/overnight. The longer it soaks the better it tastes. I used a sweet white wine. You can use a dry wine if you prefer

IceCreamMonster strikes again!

2010-04-24T20:54:00.000-05:00

I haven't been doing much cooking (except for that delicious Emeril Jambalaya!) or blogging lately...but I do follow bites and pieces of the foodie community. When I read how the Ben & Jerry's Flourless Chocolate Cake flavor was tough to find I HAD to hunt it down.

So today I trekked to our local SuperWalmart (the only place that is carrying this limited edition flavor) to snag myself a carton....or two. ;) I'm happy to report it's as delicious as anticipated. It's like the chocolate fudge brownie ice cream but awesomer. The cake pieces are not quite as chewy as the brownie chunks. I failed to find the 'chocolate frosting ribbon' but it was delicious despite that fact. I plan to do another more extensive tasting tonight and add to this review. Until then....

Keeping my Finger in the Pot...Not Literally, That's Gross

2008-09-19T23:47:00.000-05:00

Today pulled a shift over at Electric Burrito. It's been months and I forgot how hectic and crazy things can get in a kitchen. 20 orders in an hour is an awful lot for the inexperienced (read: me). It was nice to stick my fingers back into the cooking game. I've missed it.

The next week will be food oriented as well. Marty is catering the Corning All-Grad banquet for Homecoming. Over 150 guests are expected and in addition to teaching RiNGS classes on Friday and Saturday at the gallery, I will be helping prepare food late Friday night and serving the catered small(-ish) Class of '68 lakeside bbq Saturday night. All before whisking off to Altoona Sunday for a private RiNGS class. What can I say? I am a gal on the go ;)

If you happen to be in the SW Iowa area this weekend feel free to stop by, say hi, grab some amazing food and learn how to make a silver ring. Not a bad weekend plan eh?

....aaaaand we're back.

2008-05-15T23:35:00.000-05:00

sort of. sporadically. oh the tales i have to tell about helping to cater events here in town. events with hundreds of people. intimate events with only a few couples. bacon wrapped almond stuffed dates with maple zabligon and fried chicken 'n fixin's made in a garage. but those tales will have to wait. so many new exciting things* have happened that i look forward to sharing but people, i am TIRED. bone tired. i have been on my feet for 12 hrs straight, cooking, prepping, chopping and frying over at my friend J's new restaurant the electric burrito (www.electricburrito.net). sorry i am too lazy to even make the link. today was the opening day and it was utter madness. in a town with one pizza hut, one subway and one breadeaux pizza it is something of a black sheep. a delicious jalapeno flavored black sheep. mmmmm sheeeeeeep zzzzzzz...um, where was i? yes, tired. exhausted. i will try to take photos and update again in the near future but i'm guessing we'll be slammed again tomorrow. so please, if you are near corning iowa drop by, say hi and order an electric burrito and margarita!

as J says...peace, love & salsa

*other new exciting things involve my first wholesale show in las vegas with my jewelry (see http://fuzzishu.blogspot.com), a huuuuge line up of summer shows, a total amazing new line of work and at least a splash page on my website - www.fuzzishu.nu what can i say? i am a busy girl!

Au Revoir Switzerland...Hello Iowa!

2007-07-07T10:05:00.000-05:00

After my lovely trip to Interlaken with Mr. X it was time to go. Mom came the next day to visit and help me carry a kitty home, but I duped her into helping me sell off or pack all of my belongings. I don't know if you've ever left a place you'd come to love but it is so difficult. I was incapacitated by tears at almost every turn and everything became a 'last'. Last drink with friends, last fondue, last visit to the Globus.... We finished just under the wire (we celebrated),

the regie came the morning we left and ok'd the place, we rushed for the airport to make the earlier flight. Gizmo, whacked out on kitty drugs, bit me hard enough to make me bleed in the taxi, the turbulence between Geneva and Zurich was terrifying. The pilot missed our landing and your humble narrator almost became a runway pancake. Shudder. Then we had to do it all again to Chicago, another harrowing tale. Suffice it to say, we made it home in one battered but sound piece.

After a short respite at home, I packed my newly purchased old car and headed off to make my fortune...wait wait...no, face my future? anyhow headed off to my new locale. I think you might all like it. Far different from Geneva but special and stunning in it's own way. I'm on the search for foodies, so if you know of any in SW Iowa or surrounding areas, please, don't hesitate to contact me.

BYOC*, News and About Me...a little late.

2007-06-08T04:30:00.000-05:00

Big news. Ugly Fruit is moving. Ok, well actually, no, the blog is staying right where it is. I, the IceCreamMonster behind Ugly Fruit, am moving. Time to leave the green green grasses of Switzerland for a new, different, smaller place. Yes, I am moving back to Iowa.

Quick background....even if it is a bit late......
Most readers (those who don't know me in real life) may not know (as I've been pretty hush hush personally speaking here) that I've been living in Europe for 3 years now. Some time studying in Milan and the rest of the time in Switzerland working as a watch designer. It's been a fantastic experience and I love Geneva all the way to the bottom of my little curled toes. However, it is a time of flux and change. Big things. New things. Exciting things. Scary things.

I have left my full time, monthly salaried, 5 weeks of vacation a year job in the heart of Europe to go back to the US (a little sigh) to be a starving artist, I mean, independent jeweler. And as sad as it is to leave, I am so excited for what the future holds, as well as being near my family again rather than visiting only once a year, endless books in English, and being able to find Pace picante salsa and baking powder at 11pm at the grocery store. For every perk of going there is some longing in leaving. I'll miss my daily fresh croissants and endless bread choices at Migros. The amazing view, no matter where you go and tiny jaunts across the lake in little yellow boat. My fantastic fanatic foodie group and the belly bulging taste tingling dinners we had. So much. Big sigh.

So, where does all of this intro lead us? To the party I threw this week, a BYOC* if you will. I had 3 bottles of champagne, 2 rose, and too many reds and whites to mention and what with the international move and all it was well past time to try and finish them all.

BEFORE

That's where everyone else came in. Despite the freakish tsunami like storm there was a good turn out and my foodie friends (Kiriel and Rosa) didn't fail to delight with the offerings they brought.

AFTER

Ever since England I had been dying to try my hand at the mushroom pate I had tasted. This soiree was the perfect opportunity. This is not one of the most attractive dishes, hence the lack of photo, but it is incredibly delicious and vegetarian (not vegan) friendly.

Mushroom Pate (found somewhere on the internet and changed a bit)

4 T. olive oil
3 C. (about 3 large onions) chopped onion
3 cloves garlic minced
1 lb. mushrooms sliced
1 t. fresh thyme chopped
1/2 t. fresh rosemary chopped
1/2 t. fresh sage chopped
1/2 C. herbed bread crumbs
1/2 C. Parmesan cheese
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
2 C. ricotta cheese
salt and pepper to taste (I also added a gratuitous amount of garlic powder)

Saute onions and garlic in oil until onions are soft. Add mushrooms and herbs and continue to cook until the mushrooms begin to release their juices. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the bread crumbs.

In a food processor, combine the Parmesan cheese, cream cheese and the ricotta cheese. Process until combined. Add the cooled mushroom mixture and process until the mixture is pureed smooth. Add salt and pepper (and garlic powder) to taste.

Butter a 2 qt. mold and put a piece of parchment on the bottom. Pour in the mushroom mixture. Tamp down to remove any air bubbles.

Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes at 400°F. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Cover the top with a piece of wax paper and place weights on top. Refrigerate at least 24 hours.

To serve: Remove weights, peel off wax paper and blot any excess surface juices. Turn out onto a platter. Serve with crackers and fresh veggies.

*BYOC - Bring Your Own Cheese...in this case I supplied the booze and wanted people to bring a few nibblys to balance it out. Also, FYI, if you ever want a super good turn out for any sort of event....FREE BOOZE...but you already knew that ;)

Apple of my...Nahhhh.

2007-06-06T18:13:00.000-05:00

Hello bloglings. You may ask, why are you posting so late! (or early, depending on how you look at it) If you were noticing the time stamp at all, that is. Well, I have a penchant for starting complicated recipes much later than I really ought to. I started with the recipe below at a decent hour, figuring that baking apples before onions was a good idea. But I didn't plan on the hour and fifteen minutes of baking on the onion dish! You might think that those two dishes make for strange bedfellows but let me digress......

This past winter E came to visit (see grapefruit risotto post here - link coming), shortly after he returned to NY he passed along a recipe from the time he spent in Japan. I've been holding on to this recipe awhile and meaning to make it. Today I followed the advice, not of the mythical messenger, but rather the major shoe manufacturer and 'just did it'. See photo essay below (note: I will add a photo of the final product tomorrow when there's sunlight again. The photos after dark all turned out crap.)

It's a very simple recipe, make sure to slice your apples thin as can be for maximum coverage.

Every thing can be mixed by hand, which is a nice change from all of those 'whip for 10 minutes on extra high' recipes. Mmmm, yogurt.

Use your creativity to cover the bottom layer of batter in fun and unique patterns!

I had planned to decorate the top with a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar but thought better of it and decided to try the recipe as is. The batter is delicious*, light, tangy, full of promise. The cake baked beautifully, toasty brown on top and springy to the touch. Although it's by all means a good and decent cake, it lacked something for me. If I were to make it again I would think about substituting the apples with something a little more hardcore....like apricot jam and dried apricot bits. Something to liven it up and give it some color. The cake ends up being a little more dense than I usually go for (I am a light and fluffy or thick and moist sort of cake lover), in fact it reminds me a bit of mochi and some of the more glutinous dessert offerings out there (rosa, hal and al, this recipes for you!) Do try it and let me know what you think.

Japanese Green Apple Cake

2 C flour
1 C sugar
1/2 C veg. oil
1 t baking powder
2 eggs
1 C plain yogurt
2 tart green apples

-Preheat to 350F
-Peel apples and slice as thin as possible
-Mix oil, eggs and sugar in bowl.
-Add yogurt to mix and continue mixing, then add baking powder and flour gradually.
-When well mixed (batter will be quite dense), spread half of the batter on a round baking dish that has been thinly coated in
butter and flour along the bottom/sides.
-Cover the batter w/ apples, overlapping slightly.
-Cover apples w/ remaining batter.
-Bake ~50 mins or until golden brown.
-Let sit until cool/lukewarm (gives the batter a chance to come together a bit)

The experiment I was sitting up and waiting to cool will be posted on tomorrow. It's 2.30 am practically and the foodblogger is tired! You'll just have to be delightfully surprised later ;)

*I know, I know. Bad blogger! Don't taste batter using raw eggs! You've been dually warned.

Pre Star Dining

2007-06-03T06:15:00.000-05:00

Last night Mr. X, sharing a passion for good food and good restaurants, kindly invited me to the opening night of a new top notch restaurant, L'Auberge des Groulines.

The restaurants is located about 40 minutes outside of Geneva, in the French countryside. This idyllic location, while rather hidden, provides dinners with a sense of adventure (and accomplishment to find it!) as well as majestic views of the Jura and surrounding mountain ranges.

L'Auberge, while brand new, is very promising. Well situated, well decorated, and fine food served in a well presented manner. Mr. X believes they may be presented with a Michelin star within the next few years. We were feeling adventureous and declined to look at the menu. Chef Patrick Lozach surprised us with a very complete tasting menu. Without further ado....dinner is served.

The experience started off with a small aperitif, a Kir Royale Framboise for me and a Champagne for him.

The mise en bouche was a promising start for the rest of our meal. The small zucchini flower was the perfect packaging for a summer vegetable and baked egg mixture and was accompanied by a zingy grape tomato and olive oil. It was very cool in the mouth and had a good texture, it was wonderfully flavorful but not overwhelming. A tastebud teaser to lead into the next dish.

This 'pressed vegetable' dish was like 'eating a garden'. Chef Lozach continued with his summer vegetable theme and seems to cook in an almost Italian manner (Italian in the sense that the food tastes like what it is. Each item is fresh and bursting with it's own natural flavor), rather antipasti like. The pressed vegetables included were thin layers of zucchini, eggplant, tomato and a small rucola sidesalad adorned with parmesan wafer.

The next dish to tickle our tastebuds was a poisson cru presse dish. Let me mention we also had a bottle of white wine from the center regions of France but I can't recall just now what it was, other than a fine accompaniment for our fresh and light dinner. This dish, while similar in technique to the last one (perhaps presented too closely with the last one to be of the same technique?) was a strange but not unwelcome mix of flavors. There were two layers of fish, salmon and tuna I believe, topped with small sprigs of white and green asparagus. Hidden inside were small diced bits of zucchini and the plate was decorated with an herby yogurt sauce and orange marmalade drop as well as a thin-as-can-be fried sheet of phyllo hiding a ginger paste core. This was Mr. X's favorite dish of the night. I am sticking to the mise en bouche as mine.

Things started to heat up a bit with these tiny bites of rouget surrounded by a baby eggplant stuffed with herbed mashed potatoes and baby zucchini stuffed with mushrooms all topped with crispy fried shoestring onions and tomato peel. It was a well plated dish, very visually appealing and quite tasty as well. The blend of bitter vs. salty vs. tangy was very well balanced and the surrounding olive oil with tomoto and chives was delicious.

The filet de sandre (pike perch?) was rather bland. Summer veggies again made an appearance with some green beans, tomatoes, a slice of zucchini and a baby carrot. The sauce was quite good but in my opinion not enough to make up for the fish. I do offer this disclaimer though, as a born and bred landlocked midwesterner I am not the world's most definitive guru on all things fishy. Where I grew up fish came one of two ways....as a stick or in a can. I'm slowly getting better about it but just saying...

By the time the cheeseplate came around I was practically full til bursting, only the thought of dessert kept me going. The plate featured reblochon, comte, abondance, and bleu de gex varieties of cheese and was accompanied by a fine whole grain and nut roll. Mr. X ended up with most of my cheese, as I said, I was holding out for dessert.

At last, the part of dinner all restaurants really ought to serve first! Dessert wrapped up our meal neatly by finishing up the light and refreshing summer fare (even if the weather didn't suitably reflect the season). A variation on a strawberry shortcake sort of dessert, ours highlighted June by using fresh blueberries, raspberries, strawberries cherries and red currants winking from the whipped like jewels. All of this was loosely sandwiched by two sable type cookies, the only thing I disagreed with. As a light summer dessert it would have been night to see them use some light pyllo sheets like in one of the earlier dishes or perhaps a fluffy meringue cookie like they do in Gruyere.

All in all it was a fantastic experience and a taste of things I shall not forget for sometime. Especially as it was their first night of service and instead of the 5 people they had been planning on there seemed to be a full house with a melange of languages and types of customers. The service was prompt and attentive, the dishes creative and varied, and although quite a bit for me, it was a good amount of food not too much like some tasting menus can end up being. Thank you to Mr. X for inviting me and to the staff of L'Auberge des Groulines for this enjoyable evening.

L'Auberge des Groulines
Juvigny
74100 Annemasse

+33 450 37 03 96

Extra! Extra! Jersey Dairy Delivers!

2007-05-27T11:59:00.000-05:00

There was good news for the Geneva branch of the International Ice-Cream Council today, as Jersey Ice Cream announced that a shipment had been successfully transferred from the tiny Island to Switzerland.

Speaking late last night Ross Belhomme, 24, a spokesman for the Company chortled, "We have successfully transported a carton of authentic banoffee* Jersey Ice-Cream to the Alpine state. The Ice-Cream, which is made using the finest milk from the finest Jersey cows, for that authentic creamy flavour long associated with Jersey Ice Cream, seems to have held up ok and
we hope the defreeze was limited by the cold temperatures experienced during flights"

Belhomme, clearly wishing to milk the situation, further blurted "we hope that this delivery will improve relations with our continental based cousins, and feel this is a strong example of the synergys created by our record investment in Ice-Cream Mobility Solutions.." (Ed - read Airplane)

A spokesman from the Iowa based Ice-Cream Review Select Sub Committee merely commented that the news was "delightful".

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The IceCreamMonster is pleased and greedy enough to solicit other ice cream samples from around the world. A 'Best Ice Cream Ever' list is to come.

*For those of you nonBrits and nonAussies, banoffee is a mix of banana and toffee flavors found primarily in candies and sweets in other English-speaking countries.