Audrey

No-churn pumpkin pie ice cream

October 12, 2015October 12, 2015by AudreyLeave a Comment

Finally, it’s fall! Even if it doesn’t feel like it here in Texas. To cope with the remaining heat until the weather catches up with the season change, I have created an easy pumpkin pie ice cream recipe that will hold you over. Sweet, creamy, spicy and salty; this recipe incorporates a graham cracker crust into the pumpkin base to add some texture.

Also, this ice cream is a no-churn recipe, so anyone could make it at home without hassle. In a rush? You can simplify this recipe even more – I have included some alternate steps to shorten the process.

Ingredients

2 cups whipped cream, whipped into stiff peaks
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup pumpkin purée
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons pre-mixed pumpkin pie spice (or 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp each of ground nutmeg and ground cloves)
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (or 4 whole graham crackers broken into bite-sized chunks if you follow the alternate steps)
3 tbs melted butter
1 tbs sugar (for the crust)

Step 1: If you choose to make the accelerated recipe, skip this step. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a bowl. Pour and press the mix into a greased baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until the mix solidifies. It will still be soft, but should hold together. Once it is cooled down, break the crust into small chunks.

Step 2: Fill a large saucepan with about 2-3 inches of water. Heat it on high until it is boiling. In a separate heat-safe bowl, mix the egg yolks, cup of sugar and spices. Whip the egg mix with a whisk until frothy. Stir in the pumpkin purée. Place the bowl over the boiling pan – you are going to use the steam to gently cook the egg mixture. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. After cooking, rest the bowl in an ice bath to cool down.

Step 3: Take the bowl of whipped cream, cooked egg mixture, molasses and graham cracker crust (or graham cracker chunks if you skipped the first step). Fold together the ice cream base in long, gentle swoops until the mixture is homogenous. Pour it into a container and freeze overnight.

*If the mixture is hard after initially taking it out of the freezer, let it sit out for 10 minutes, and use an ice cream scoop heated in boiling water.

Recipes

Crispy chive pancakes

October 10, 2015by AudreyLeave a Comment

Here is the chive pancake recipe I hinted to last time! Like I said in my last France post, I will launch a series of French inspired recipes, so I know this Asian-inspired post may come as a surprise. However, when I got home, I was a bit tired of all the French food I had enjoyed while traveling. So, my next few posts will not touch on that French-themed series at all.

In fact, after this, I have a pumpkin pie ice cream post already shot for you, followed by a sweet potato mochi recipe.

That being said, I am currently developing recipes for the French food series, so if there is anything I should try out, tell me and leave a comment below!

As for today’s post, this is a great appetizer or snack that comes together in about 30 minutes. Subtle in flavor, this recipe takes traditional asian ingredients and creates a crispy pancake that satisfies any junk food cravings.

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp roasted sesame seeds
1 cup roughly chopped fresh chive
1/4 cup vegetable oil (for cooking)

Step 1: Mix all above ingredients until you achieve a uniform ball. Separate the ball into 4 – 6 pieces. (You can make them bigger or smaller depending on your preference) Roll the individual pieces into balls.

Step 2: Take two sheets of wax paper, and put one of the dough balls in between. Using a rolling pin, or a long cup if you do not have one on hand, roll the ball into a thin disc. You want it to be about 1/3 of a centimeter thick. Repeat the process for each of the pancakes. Set the pancake aside, and use extra wax paper in between the pancakes to keep the dough from sticking as you roll the rest of the recipe.

Step 3: Heat up a tablespoon or two of cooking oil in a pan. Use a paper towel to evenly distribute the oil in a thin layer. Add a bit more oil to the pan to make up for what may have been absorbed. The key to crisping up the dough in this recipe is not holding back on the cooking oil here. When the oil is well heated, you can throw a little clump of dough in the pan to see if it sizzles to check this, place the disk in the pan. Be careful to not tear the dough when you separate it from the wax paper.

Step 4: Let the pancake cook off on one side, let the bottom crisp up and turn a spotted golden brown. The dough may puff up a little. When the bottom is done, flip over and repeat the process for the other side. Repeat for the rest of the pancakes.

Step 5: Enjoy! This dish is good with a side of soy/vinegar sauce.

Food For Thought, Travel

Back in Paris (well, kind of) and visiting Versailles

September 13, 2015October 25, 2016by Audrey1 Comment

I’m back with another France post. Like I mentioned in my last post, I am publishing my France trip series a little late since I got sick while I was on vacation. So, I am currently in Texas while writing this. However this post focuses on my days spent at the latter end of my trip. My friend and I centered ourselves around Paris and Versailles.

Photographed above is Palais Royal. This was one of my favorite places to hang out when I studied abroad as my preferred study café was near there. However, this area is also a very popular location for photo shoots – in fact, if you look into the background of the photo, you will see the crew of a photoshoot taking a selfie. You can probably see the photographic appeal of Palais Royal, with all of the striped columns. If you ever visit, look for the railing in the ground. You can see it in the midground of the photo. If you look through the railing, you will see that the columns extend underground. There’s your fun fact for the day.

Of course, if you visit Paris, Versailles will be a tempting day break away from the city. It is a quick 20 minute ride away, not to mention that it is also a cheap trip. If you take the RER, one of Paris’ commuter trains, the round trip will only cost around 8 euro. Sasha and I have both already been here, so we decided to only come for the gardens as visiting the interior of the castle can take hours of waiting in line.

Fortunately for us, the gardens were free that day. There was also an art exhibit taking place, which would explain the circular mirror in my second photo.

*Also, one more fun fact, there was a bit of breaking news while I was abroad. It was announced that part of the palace grounds would be turned into a luxury hotel. So if you ever want to sleep like royalty, that’s now a possibility. What are your thoughts on that?

For our remaining days in Paris, we spent most of our time wandering around the city. The main photo in the mosaic was a goat cheese salad I made for my friend. Since she is vegetarian, it was a bit hard to find food that she could eat in the city, so we spent a good amount of time eating in. With that being said, it was incredibly fun to cook over there and eat on my host parent’s terrace. Photographed is a goat cheese salad with strawberries and balsamic dressing. I also found a loaf of fig bread that we used to dip in the leftover dressing.

The photo at the top right corner shows one of my favorite foodie hot spots in Paris. When I was abroad, a friend of mine took me to this café and bakery as it was her favorite place to take a pause and have a coffee or tea. I have since adopted it as my favorite as well. It’s on Rue de Rivoli and sits almost a block or two from the Louvre. Why was it our favorite café in the city? Because it’ s cheap. Well, at least for the neighborhood it is in. You can stop in for a snack and mint tea for under 10 euro. The staff is also very friendly.

Lastly, on my Instagram, you guys might have seen that I visited Père Lachaise cemetery and Parc Buttes Chaumont. The photo on the bottom left corner of the mosaic was my snack while wandering the park. Chouquettes are airy puffs of pastry topped with crunchy chunks of sugar. I will also be recreating this recipe in a future blog post – I just need to figure out how to get my hands on the sugar sprinkles as I have yet to find something similar in the US.

Well, that’s it for my travel posts. I already have some recipes lined up for publication for you guys – one being a flakey chive pancake. However, I will announce that I will launch a series of French-inspired posts influenced by the foods I ate while on vacation. I did hint at it a little, but here is the official notice for it. Anticipate it!

Food For Thought, Travel

Giverny and Rouen | Visiting Monet’s garden and eating my way through Normandy

September 11, 2015October 25, 2016by Audrey1 Comment

So this is a belated post. I am currently back in Texas. However, at the end of my trip I caught a bad cold, so I decided to push back blog posts until I got better.

Which brings us to now! Yay. Ok, so with that being said, the next two posts will be France-themed. Like I mentioned on my last post, I travelled around Paris and some northern French cities last week with a college friend. This post will be dedicated to the time spent in Giverny and Rouen, France. Both cities are north of Paris, and are easily accessible by train (Giverny was about 30 minutes away and Rouen 45).

The main reason we decided to get out of Paris was because we (my friend Sasha and I) wanted to see some of the smaller cities and get a more authentic French feel out of our vacation. While Paris is beautiful, all of the architecture is the same due to Napoleon’s order to have the entire city rebuilt in the 1800s. Because of this, the city can feel monotonous if you have been there before. I really wanted to see some of the countryside and some medieval architecture. Which brought us to Normandy.

Monet lived in Giverny and used his house and garden for a good amount of his subject matter, the waterlily series being one example. When we found out how close Monet’s garden was to Paris, our side trip was decided then and there.

I figure my photos of the garden are pretty self explanatory – they were gorgeous to say the least. However I also had a bit of a food nerd moment while I was touring Monet’s house. You guys can probably tell that I am an avid cook. So when I saw this gorgeous kitchen, I had to photograph it. Aside from the kitchen, his house was beautiful. There was an entire room dedicated to displaying his paintings.

We stayed in a neighboring town called Vernon and slept in an adorable Airbnb there. We had what I assume was a renovated carriage house or storage house. We also had shared use of the owner’s garden. Pictured above is her cat (named Truffe).

I took advantage of the host’s patio table. Sasha and I were pretty exhausted after walking around Giverny, so we spent the afternoon in the garden playing with Truffe, sipping tea, and eating pastries. The next morning we departed for Rouen.

The photo on the left is one of the few I had of Rouen’s old architecture. The city’s “old” district is full of timbered buildings and hidden churches. There was also a surprising amount of street art – one example can be found on my Instagram. The photo on the right was actually taken in Giverny – there is an awesome garden restaurant next to the Giverny Foundation. It ran like a cafeteria of sorts, you pick up little wooden or paper trays of food and then find a seat outside where you can eat amongst the flowers.

Photographed is a mussel, leek, and fish bake; a beer brewed in Normandy (the cleanest tasting beer I have ever had – it’s made by La Richard Coeur de Lion if you ever come across it); and a rhubarb tart. I will soon be experimenting with a recipe for a similar leek/fish bake as that was one of the best meals I had while on vacation, anticipate the post for it.

Well that’s it for this post! The next one will focus on our travels specific to Paris and Versailles.

Food For Thought, Travel

I’m back in Paris!

August 30, 2015October 25, 2016by Audrey1 Comment

So for those of you that are new to the blog, I’ll first start off by saying that I studied abroad a year ago. For four months, I lived, studied, and interned in Paris. I came back home to the States knowing that I would come back one day.

However I did not think this day would come so quickly. I am traveling from a college friend and for the next couple posts, I will show you guys what we have seen and eaten around Paris. (Also, just because I cannot bring my camera everywhere with me, you can also follow me on Instagram (@audperki) where I will keep my account frequently updated as I travel.)

We plan on traveling for a little over a week, and we will also hit up Monet’s garden in Giverny, and Rouen. This trip has been planned for months and I am so excited to show you guys our adventures. So far, we haven’t done much as we decided to not push too many sights in too little time. However, I have assembled some photos as a teaser to show you guys what is to come.

*Shout out to my host family who not only let us stay with them, but also gave us breakfast on the patio this morning. It was such a sight to wake up to. On the left is chestnut paste, some crackers to eat with tea (at least I do), a baguette, and a sampler of plain and chocolate croissants.

A close up of the croissants because why not.

The Luxembourg gardens.

Lastly, a haul of groceries we picked up at the market street where I used to go to school. On the left is fig bread – which I was told was sweet and salty, canelés – which are rum custard cakes, some fruit and vegetables and a roll of goat cheese.

Food For Thought

s’mores cupcakes

August 15, 2015by AudreyLeave a Comment

This is less of a recipe post and more of an idea post. I am sure you guys have heard of this cupcake before. The s’more cupcake, an easy frosting hack that was popularized on Pinterest as an easy 2-minute solution for lazy bakers. I wanted to use this blog post as an excuse to try the baking hack out and give you guys my take on it.

(For those that want the actual chocolate cupcake recipe, you can find it here. I used one from Sally’s Baking Addiction. (I love her blog, especially when I am looking for something more technical.))

When I made these cupcakes, I had them in mind for a family outing and I wanted them to pop and make a good impression. That idea aside, I can be a fairly impatient cook. This is perfect for people similar to me because this cupcake topping is incredibly easy and takes 2 minutes tops to achieve. In fact, take your eye off of your cupcakes and they will be ruined – it’s that fast of a process.

On most Pinterest posts, you will see this as a two step project. Place the marshmallow on the cake. Then, put it in the oven heated to its broil setting. However here are a couple tips on how to prevent your cupcakes from turning into a Pinterest fail.

Flatten the marshmallow first. This is especially helpful if you want the top of the cupcake to look like it was iced and not just topped with a generic marshmallow. I initially struggled with having a weirdly, partially covered cupcake. I wanted it to look like I had iced everything and then toasted the top. You can achieve this look by flattening the marshmallow into a rectangle, and then laying it flat onto the top of the cake. This way, the heat will hit more of the marshmallow directly, creating an even melted and toasted look. To help things along after the cakes are done toasting, press the melted marshmallow further into the cupcake and it will create a “spreaded” look.
Since the key to this recipe is broiling the marshmallow tops, it is important that you do not walk away from the oven. It takes less than a minute for the marshmallows to toast and seconds for them to move from toasted to completely burned. Be ready with oven mitts and make sure to remove them the moment they have a nice golden brown crust.

Lastly, I have a tip to take this idea to the next level. I liked adding a chocolate drizzle and sprinkling of graham cracker crumbs. The only difference that separates you from having cupcakes that look they came from a boutique is that last minute spent on decorations. Take an extra 30 seconds and melt some chocolate chips. Want to be even more fancy? Microwave a graham cracker for a few seconds to make it soft. From there, you can take a small cookie cutter and cut out some cute shapes and use them to top your cupcakes.

Recipes

30 minute Kheer, an easy summer refresher

August 12, 2015by AudreyLeave a Comment

So I will start this post off with the fact that Texas is at it’s peak heat (at least in my opinion). Now, it’s pretty well known that Texas is hot in the summer. However, now we are hitting triple digit temperatures.

To combat that, I plan on using this recipe that I developed. Kheer – or Indian rice pudding, is an easy, cheap and utterly refreshing dessert. Unlike traditional puddings, kheer is on the liquidy side, so it leaves you feeling cooled when you are done eating it. Also, one of the key ingredients of this pudding is cardamom. A sweet and citrusy spice, cardamom lends this dessert an exotic kick that blends perfectly with the milk. Just to add a little texture, I mixed in some sliced almonds to cut through the soft, almost mushy rice.

On one last note, in this recipe, I used a special type of rice that has already been pressed and flattened into a thin flake. You can use any type of rice for this, but in my case I had this on hand and thought it would break down nicely in this dish.

Ingredients:

4 cups milk
1/3 cup flattened rice, or 1/4 cup of any other type of rice
1/4 cup sugar, you can add more if you wish after this dessert is chilled
1 tbs ground cardamom powder (Try to find this at a Indian grocery store as this spice can be heavily overpriced in non-specialty stores.)
A few tbs to taste of sliced almonds or crushed pistachios

Step 1: Mix all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil while constantly stirring. It is essential to keep the milk moving over the heat or the fat in the liquid will burn.

Step 2: When the milk is at a heavy boil, reduce the heat to medium, stirring occasionally. Cook 15 to 20 minutes until the rice is fully cooked and starting to fall apart. You want the rice to be pretty soft and mushy as that will help thicken the milk slightly.

Step 3: When the kheer is fully cooked and has a texture similar to thin oatmeal, pull the pan from the heat. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Then, store the kheer in the fridge to cool fully. You want this ice cold.

Step 4: Serve with more nuts sprinkled on top.

Recipes

Apple tart with oil based, vegan crust

July 15, 2015July 15, 2015by AudreyLeave a Comment

I’m back guys! Sorry for the minor delay. In this post, I am going to show you guys a simple, but beautiful apple tart that uses an oil-based crust.

I made this tart with the idea that it would be similar to a French alternative, the tarte aux pommes. In the French version, there is a layer of apple compote that glues the apple slices to the crust. However I didn’t like how mushy it could be. So I mixed the French and American style pies to make this result. Similar in appearance to a tarte aux pommes, this recipe has the texture of traditional apple pie. Crunchy, chewy and juicy, this is a pretty dessert to make if you have a few spare apples on hand.

Also, in case you guys have never used an oil-based crust, it is very similar to the traditional alternative. Only this one is more on the crumbly side. If you want an easier crust recipe – this is a good option since you just press it into the mold. (Original crust recipe from King Arthur flour.)

Ingredients

Crust

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I threw a little whole wheat flour in too)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 to 4 tbs water

Filling

3-4 apples, sliced thinly with the skin on (the skin helps give visual interest/texture)
3 tbs sugar
2 tbs butter, cubed (optional)
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Glaze

1 tbs orange marmalade or apricot preserves
1 tsp lemon juice, orange liqeur or water

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Mix all of the crust ingredients in a large bowl until you achieve a large ball. Press into an ungreased pie dish or tart pan. Prick the bottom of the pan with a fork to create vent holes.

Step 2: Mix the sugar, apple slices and cinnamon in a bowl. The apple slices should be a couple millimeters thick. Layer them in a flat, even spiral around the base of the tart pan. Place a few cubes of butter on top of the apple slices. Bake around 40 minutes until the crust is flakey and the apples start to shrivel up and soften. If the crust browns too fast, cover it with a layer of foil.

Step 3: When the tart is fresh out of the oven, rest it on a cooling rack. While it is cooling, microwave the orange marmalade so it liquifies, then add the juice/liqueur/water to thin it out. Using a pastry brush, dab the marmalade mixture over the surface of the apples. This will keep the tart from drying out.

Recipes

Fried rice with Chinese sausage and thin sliced egg

June 30, 2015by AudreyLeave a Comment

This probably is one of my favorite recipes. While a lot of fried rice is more of a mix of ingredients that are stirred together, I am going to show you guys a less traditional recipe. I’m also going to incorporate some small nuances of Vietnamese cuisine in this recipe since this is how my mother makes it.

I don’t know if you guys have ever heard of xoi, but it is a Vietnamese rice dish. Sweet sticky rice is often piled up with a variety of toppings like crumpled mung beans, coconut, sesame seeds, Chinese sausage or fried garlic. It can be made both sweet and salty (sometimes both) and it features sticky rice. Unfortunately when I had a xoi craving come up a while back, I did not have any sweet rice on hand. But I did have short grain, glutinous rice that would lend a similar texture. With that idea in my head, I decided to simplify the average xoi recipe into an easy fried rice recipe you guys could work with. Now on to the recipe!

*You can find all of these ingredients in an Asian grocery store, but if you have trouble finding Chinese sausage, bacon would work well instead.

Ingredients

2 whole Chinese sausages, sliced
3 eggs, scrambled with a little water
2-3 cups cooked white, short grain rice (you can change this amount if you have a strong carb craving)
2 whole green onions, sliced, soaking in mix of 1 tbs sesame oil and 2 tbs vegetable oil
sprinkling chopped cilantro for garnish
sprinkling fried garlic for topping

Step 1: Heat a large frying pan on high. Add a good amount of oil, brushing the pan with a napkin to ensure there is an even coat of oil. When the pan is hot enough, add the scrambled eggs, rotating the pan to create an even, thin layer of egg. Reduce the heat to medium and place a lid on the pan so that steam can cook the surface of the eggs. Cook until they are solid.

Step 2: Roll the eggs up in the pan and place on a cutting board. Cut into thin, half-centimeter thick ribbons. Use your fingers to shake the rolls so the ribbons separate and fluff up. Set aside.

Step 3: In the same frying pan (you don’t need more cooking oil for this step), cook the sliced Chinese sausage on high until they release their own oil and crisp up. Scoop the sausage out of the pan and into a plate, set aside. Keep any remaining oil in the pan, it will be used to season the rice.

Step 4: With the pan still heated, add the rice. Use chopping motions with a wooden spoon to separate the rice and cover the individual grains in a thin layer of oil. This motion will prevent you from squishing the rice, keeping the grains whole. When the rice is warmed and slightly toasted, add the oiled green onion. Stir the onion in and remove the pan from the heat.

*quick tip, the oil in the green onion helps wilt the leaves and mellow their sharp flavor.

Step 5: Now its time to assemble the plates. Put a bed of rice at the bottom of the serving dish. Top with the egg ribbons, Chinese sausage, cilantro and fried garlic.

Recipes

Shrimp and grits with kale and cilantro purée

June 28, 2015June 28, 2015by AudreyLeave a Comment

Comfort food time! Only this time I made it (semi) healthy. Though honestly, in the food blog world, anything with the addition of kale makes a dish healthy.

However this time I took things to the next level. In case you guys haven’t heard of shrimp and grits before, it is a common food in the south that mixes creamy grits and grilled shrimp. In this recipe, I overload the grits with cheese and I top the dish with a drizzle of lemon cilantro purée to lend a little acidity. Last, I gave the shrimp a smokey dry rub of chili powder and cumin to help mellow everything out.

Now on to the recipe!

Ingredients

1 cup instant grits plus enough water (according to the package instructions) to cook it
1 cup cheese
1 cup defrosted frozen whole, raw shrimp (the bigger the better for this – no one wants wimpy shrimp for this kind of recipe)
1 bunch kale, washed and torn into bite sized pieces
1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
juice and zest of one lemon
1-2 tbs low flavor olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Blend the cilantro, lemon juice and zest and olive oil in a food processor until you have a smooth liquid. Add more olive oil as needed to help the blending process along. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Cook the grits according to package instructions, I made it in the microwave. Add the cheese. If the grits are too thick, thin it out with a little milk until the grits have the thickness of mashed potatoes.

Step 2: Preheat a large pan on high. In a large bowl, rinse the raw shrimp in water. This will remove any excess fishy taste or salt. Drain the water from the bowl and pat the shrimp with a paper towel.

Mix the defrosted shrimp with the chili powder, cumin and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook until they turn pink and are firm to the touch. Push the shrimp to the side of the pan and add the kale. Season the kale with salt and pepper. Cook until the kale develops a deep green color and softens slightly.

Step 3: The plating! Start with a healthy dollop of grits. Make a small indent in the middle of the grits to make room for the toppings. Then, add the kale on top and then top with a few of the shrimp. Drizzle a tablespoon or two of the cilantro sauce.

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