Wednesday, August 11, 2010

hooray for mango sorbet

Before the blistering summer sun melts away, before the leaves start to turn and the school buses start to run, you must make this recipe.
In fact I command you to make this recipe.
(Please?)
I got the idea to make this from a coworker who brought in some mangoes to snack on. They were sweet and fresh and delicious and I thought: this could easily be the most refreshing frozen concoction.
It is.
I am an ice cream girl myself, but sometimes there is a craving for icy cold slush.
The flavor of this sorbet is nothing gourmet or extravagant. It isn't about 12 ingredients and 5 different tastes hitting your tongue. One spoonful of this sorbet and you get nothing but fresh, bright, beautiful, sweet refreshing mango. It screams out MANGO! to your tastesbuds.
(Yes, I have sat on the beach eating this sorbet. And yes, it was as heavenly as it sounds.)
But you really need the blistering summer sun to tempt you, to make you want to make this. Which is why I say hurry!
Unless you're lucky enough to be a South Florida resident in which case you can probably enjoy this up until Christmas.
True story: I wore shorts last Christmas Day. I'm not proud of that.
But back to the sorbet (and mango-picking).

Mango Sorbet
To pick a ripe mango! Pressing on it should leave a slight indentation and the smell should be of this sugary, saccharine sweet mango. In the second batch I made the mangoes weren't as sweet-smelling, but it tasted just as amazing. Do make sure about that indentation, though. You want them soft.

3 ripe mangoes, peeled and diced
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c water
2 T lemon juice

1. Place mangoes in blender.
2. Heat up water and sugar until sugar dissolves. Add to mangoes.
3. Add in lemon juice and puree until smooth.
4. Pour through a sieve to make sure no bit of skin or pit made its way in.
5. Cool completely.
6. Pour into ice cream maker and churn 20 minutes.

Throw in a couple of tablespoons of tequila and swap the lemon juice for lime juice and I'm thinking mango margarita sorbet is your next favorite recipe.

Monday, August 9, 2010

the makings of a great pizza

I am a pizza purist at heart. But I'm growing older and I think my taste buds are saying "No, no! you're not really a pizza purist. You want change! You want more!".
And so now I love nothing more than a bunch of crap on a pizza. Well, not exactly crap, but you know.
Like wednesday night out at my friend's house. Dinner came in the form of a pizza dough and random roaming vegetables in her fridge.
It was incredibly delicious. I do not lie.
The movie on the other hand? Not so much.
And the bit where her puppy ate a frog? Oh, that was a hoot.
But back to the pizza: Take note. Take action.
First: a little compromise (and a bit of blur). San Marzano tomato sauce and basil pesto.
And then a good bit of cheese.

Followed by tomato slices and chicken.
And then some caramelized onions. And bacon. And asparagus. And some broccoli.
And just for the hell of it: how about a snow of parmesan right on top?
Hel-lo divine.
450F for about 10 minutes. 375F for maybe 15-20 more. Surprisingly, with all the goodness on top, it is not hard to eat a slice. It wilts down a good bit, but that does not make it any less fabulous.