Thai Coconut and Valhrona Chocolate Gelato

No recipe this time, though my previosly-posted recipe for chocolate ice cream could be a nice substitute for those not within close distance to a gelateria. I have also provided pictures that you are free to drool over, (watch out for your keyboards).

The menu at Dolcezza always warrants a shameless, yet understandable request for several samples of flavors as varied as Avocado Lime, Lemon Opal Basil, Black Plum or Chili Pepper. This is truly just a sample as the daily offerings are close to 20.

If you happen to be in Georgetown or Dupont Circle, this Argentinian Gelateria is the place to get your sweet fix on. Also on sale: awesome churros, with or without a center full of dulce de leche.

Light, Rich and Creamy Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream

I was craving a homemade dessert that I could keep on hand for a while and to help me beat the waning DC heat. So naturally my mind fell on ice cream. I only had two eggs left in my fridge, which posed a bit of a problem as I usually make my ice creams with 4-6 egg yolks. However, I had recently read an article in the New York Times about egg-less ice creams. And so I thought that I could try to apply that theory to this recipe. Of course I couldn't help myself so I added 2 eggs, including the whites. I think that was enough and I'm glad I did it.

Traditionally in a gelato, there is no cream added. This allows it to be lower in fat than traditional, American ice creams. However, my lack of eggs necessitated the addition of heavy cream in order to allow for the proper creaminess and mouthfeel of the frozen dessert. And I think that allowed for the perfect balance of cream to egg to milk and a dessert that came out at the perfect consistency right out of the freezer, as opposed to having to let it sit at room temperature in order to allow it to be scoop-able.

In my haste and excitement, I didn't freeze the freezer bowl completely, and so it was churned in a half frozen bowl for about 30 minutes. I then poured it into a pyrex bowl and stuck it in the freezer overnight, fearful that I would awake to a block of solid custard. But the result was light, airy, smooth and better than I could have hoped for.

Ingredients

2 C whole milk

1 C heavy cream

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

1/2 C bittersweet chocolate chips

1/2 C nutella

1 T olive oil

Method:

Make the custard base using milk, cream and eggs, by heating the milk and cream to 170 degrees, adding 1/2 cup of the heated milk to the eggs, then adding that to the sauce pan and heat for another 10 minutes, at the point right before it simmers. Melt the chocolate chips with the nutella and olive oil, then add to the custard base and chill. 

When cool, add the mixture to an ice cream maker and churn according to the machine's directions. Chill in the fridge for another 2 hours, then serve.

Nutritional Information (1/2 cup portion)

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 77 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 217 Calories from Fat 102

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 11.4g 18%

Saturated Fat 8.8g 44%

Cholesterol 38mg 13%

Sodium 34mg 1%

Total Carbohydrates 25.6g 9%

Dietary Fiber 1.2g 5%

Sugars 23.7g

Protein 3.2g

Vitamin A 4% • Vitamin C 0% Calcium 7% • Iron 6%

Nutrition Grade C

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Easy Like Sunday Morning

So after yesterday's cooking marathon, I decided to keep today easy. Breakfast was french toast with some left over pane bello bread, topped with caramelized bacon (chopped up bacon pieces braised with brown sugar), the strawberries with balsamic vinegar and the plum-strawberry compote from yesterday.

After a little frisbee (throwing around a little bit so I could practice my flick and my back hand), we went over to Dolcezza for some gelato. Mike got strawberry and cream and I got mango habanero lime and avocado honey lime, and it was soooo good. If you happen to be anywhere in the Wisconsin Ave. vicinity, I urge you to go.

Anyways, when we got back to my apartment I heated up some leftover pizza for Mike and decided to make fried rice for myself, saving any leftovers for lunch during the week. The great thing about fried rice, or any kind of stir fry dish, is that it is great for clearing the fridge as it allows you to throw in any vegetables or meats that you want to get rid of. So here is my fried rice baseline recipe. It's more of a thai flavor, but leave out the fish sauce and add some chinese five spice and it'll be just like the fried rice you could get in Harbin or Chengdu.

Fried Rice
Ingredients:
3 C white rice, cooked
1 T vegetable oil
a dash of sesame oil
1 t ginger, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 poblano peppers, diced
4 Asparagus stalks, chopped into small pieces
1 handful leaf spinach, sliced
1 egg, whisked
8 cooked shrimp, diced
4 oz beef, sliced (4 oz is about the size of the palm of your hand)
1 T fish sauce
2 T soy sauce
1 t chili paste
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of lime zest
dash of sesame seeds (to top when serving)
lime wedges

Method:
Place the oils in a large pan or wok over med-high heat. Add the the ginger and garlic. When fragrant, add the onion, peppers, asparagus and spinach and cook for 3 minutes, then add the egg and allow to set.

When the egg is set, break up the mixture and top with the shrimp, beef and rice. Then add the fish sauce, soy sauce, chili paste, cayenne pepper and lime zest, mixing together until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Allow to sit over the heat for 1 more minute, then take of the heat, serve and top with the sesame seeds and lime wedges.


For dinner, we'll be doing beef burritos with the left over beef tenderloin, and the guacamole and black beans from yesterday, along with a cilantro-garlic-rice mixture. Move over, chipotle.