Recipes

[AZGiantFan]

 I'm guessing that some of you already know this recipe but I just learned about it and it has been an instant hit among my family.  Best of all it is very easy to make, takes about 10 minutes, and offers limitless options.  It is no-churn ice cream.

Take a pint of heavy cream out of the refrig and whip it to soft peaks.  You can whisk by hand, use a handheld mixer, use a stand mixer, or a stick blender.

One you've beat the cream into soft peaks, beat in one 14 oz. of condensed milk (fun fact, by law in the US & Canada, "condensed" milk is sweetened and "evaporated" milk is unsweetened).

This is the base of the ice cream, which you can now flavor any way you want.  Here are some I've done:

1) Coffee.  2 Tbs. of instant coffee dissolved in hot water.  Cool in refrig, and then fold into base.  Variation:  break up some Bishoff, or other brand cookies, and fold them in for cookies and coffee ice cream

2) Cookies and cream:  2 Tbs of vanilla then break up some Oreos and fold it all together

3) Creamsicle: 2 Tbs vanilla, then let a can of frozen orange juice concentrate partially defrost and then swirl it into the base

4) Mint cookies and cream.  Similar to 2, but Creme de Menthe in place of the vanilla and use mint Oreos for the cookie part.

My next version will involve 2 Tbs of vanilla, dark chocolate chips and broken up Chips Ahoy cookies.

Once you've done the flavoring, pour the mixture into a Tupperware container, snap a lid on, and put it in the freezer for about 6 hours.

The versions with vanilla naturally have some alcohol from the vanilla extract.  If not using vanilla try to use a liqueur with matching flavor like in #4.  I've been thinking about a version with Amaretto flavoring (2 Tbs) and crushed toasted almonds.  If you're not using vanilla and don't have a matching liqueur, just use 2 Tbs of vodka (the cheap stuff is fine).  The alcohol, whether from vanilla, liqueur, or vodka lowers the freezing temperature slightly which improves the texture.  And if you use the vodka you won't taste it.

If you've never made this, give it a try.  A lot of bang for minimal time and effort.  If you have made this, what flavors have you made?

And feel free to post your own favorite recipes on this thread.

[LennG]

Sounds yummy, but a lot of work when I can just go to a Cold Stone and get some of the best ice cream I have ever eaten. My favorite is cheesecake with a mashed brownie. 

I do most of the cooking in our house and my darling wife does most of the desserts. We have many favorite recipes. Being of Jewish descent, we have several great 'Jewishy' recipes that, to us anyway, are mouthwatering and hopefully, when we are gone, our children will still be making them. Don't know if this was exactly what you were looking for?

I do make an incredible banana bread that most people rave about.




2 eggs
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
4 very ripe bananas mashed well
1/2 cup milk ( whole milk works best)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt,
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups flour
Here's where you need to be original
I used to add a cup of chopped walnuts as they keep things moist, but I am not a huge walnut person, so I add a cup of chocolate chips, a cup of cinnamon chips, or just add a tablespoon of cinnamon to the recipe. whatever you feel you like and it will work as long as it isn't adding more liquid to it.

I always mix the batter by hand for about 4 minutes until it is all smooth and wet.

I used to use two smaller glass loaf pans to make it, not I use one large loaf pan and it comes out so much better.

If using the 2 small loaf pans cook for maybe an hour at 350.
If you use the larger pan, I start by setting the timer for 60 minutes at 375 and then take it from there. Usually, the middle isn't set yet and I usually have to cook it for 1- minute or more. Insert a long toothpick into the center and if it is still sticky, you need to cook it more.

Let it cool, remove it from the pan let it cool some more, and then slice in nice thick slices.

YUM

I took a pix of it a while back and now it does tend to come out a bit larger and yummier

[Sem]

I'm guessing that some of you already know this recipe but I just learned about it and it has been an instant hit among my family.  Best of all it is very easy to make, takes about 10 minutes, and offers limitless options.  It is no-churn ice cream.

Take a pint of heavy cream out of the refrig and whip it to soft peaks.  You can whisk by hand, use a handheld mixer, use a stand mixer, or a stick blender.

One you've beat the cream into soft peaks, beat in one 14 oz. of condensed milk (fun fact, by law in the US & Canada, "condensed" milk is sweetened and "evaporated" milk is unsweetened).

This is the base of the ice cream, which you can now flavor any way you want.  Here are some I've done:

1) Coffee.  2 Tbs. of instant coffee dissolved in hot water.  Cool in refrig, and then fold into base.  Variation:  break up some Bishoff, or other brand cookies, and fold them in for cookies and coffee ice cream

2) Cookies and cream:  2 Tbs of vanilla then break up some Oreos and fold it all together

3) Creamsicle: 2 Tbs vanilla, then let a can of frozen orange juice concentrate partially defrost and then swirl it into the base

4) Mint cookies and cream.  Similar to 2, but Creme de Menthe in place of the vanilla and use mint Oreos for the cookie part.

My next version will involve 2 Tbs of vanilla, dark chocolate chips and broken up Chips Ahoy cookies.

Once you've done the flavoring, pour the mixture into a Tupperware container, snap a lid on, and put it in the freezer for about 6 hours.

My wife and I watch a cooking show out of Canada on YouTube called Glen and Friends. They're currently airing different ice cream variations of this exact recipe.

[AZGiantFan]

My wife and I watch a cooking show out of Canada on YouTube called Glen and Friends. They're currently airing different ice cream variations of this exact recipe.

I watched at least 20 YouTube videos, including that one to come up with my final version.  Glenn and friends was the video that tipped my off about the effect of alcohol on the texture.  And it really isn't a lot of work at all.  I just made a batch last night and it took me less than 15 minutes from starting to assemble the mise en place to popping the ice cream into the freezer. Assembling the makings took longer than making the ice cream. This is the batch flavored with vanilla, broken up Chips Ahoy cookies, and dark chocolate chips.  My kids are coming over for dinner and this is desert.

I've also enjoyed Glenn and Friend videos where he makes recipes out of really old cookbooks, although I've never tried to make any of them.

[AZGiantFan]

Sounds yummy, but a lot of work when I can just go to a Cold Stone and get some of the best ice cream I have ever eaten. My favorite is cheesecake with a mashed brownie. 

I do most of the cooking in our house and my darling wife does most of the desserts. We have many favorite recipes. Being of Jewish descent, we have several great 'Jewishy' recipes that, to us anyway, are mouthwatering and hopefully, when we are gone, our children will still be making them. Don't know if this was exactly what you were looking for?

Looks yummy, although I'm not much of a banana bread guy.

I'm not Jewish, but my years in NYC gave me an appreciation for Jewish food, particularly Jewish Deli food.  We had a pretty good Jewish-style deli in Denver that was featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.  Not a true NY Jewish deli, but when you live outside NY you have to content yourself with decent approximations of delis, both Jewish and Italian, pizza, and bagels.  Do you ever make Potato Latkes?  I'd love to see the recipe, if you do.

My younger daughter and I are the ones that both continue and revive some of our ethnic (Polish) specialties.  She is a master pierogi maker and makes copious amounts for our holidays.  My mom taught my wife, and the kids helped, so that thread was kept alive.  Recently I got a grinder and we are reviving making kielbasa, which my Babci (grandmother) and Mom made every year when I was growing up, but no one took it up before my mom passed.  We've done one batch so far and I think we pretty much got the taste.  They wouldn't be a fit for you because they are made from pork.  Now I need to get a smoking capability set up so I can smoke the next batch.

I've also done some refrigerator charcuterie, and am putting together a drying chamber from a beer cooler for more serious charcuterie.  My first projects for the drying chamber will be making bresaola from an eye round of beef, and Burisma from beef tenderloin.

I get what you're saying about sometimes something can be too much work when you can just go buy it.  That happened to me when I made home-made fresh mozzarella.  It wasn't so much a lot of work, but the yield from a half gallon of milk was small (about 8 oz.) and it wasn't all that good.  It was a 'quick' version.  But then I watched a video of the real method and it was too complicated compared to just buying fresh mozz.

I don't put the ice cream in that category, though, because from the moment I got out of my chair thinking "I better make the ice cream for tomorrow" to when I was putting the mixture into the freezer was literally (used properly) less than 15 minutes, with the only real work being the whipping of the cream with a hand mixer.

As to my intentions for the thread, I've noticed in pictures folks have posted that many members, with me near the top, have obviously eaten a lot of good food in our time.  So, I hope this thread becomes just a place for talking about food, sharing recipes, sharing resources we've found, etc.  Like most threads it will be self-defining or maybe peter out for lack of interest.  We'll see.  Thanks for sharing your banana bread recipe.

[LennG]

 I was sort of talking tongue in cheek about the ice cream being too much work. I LOVE to cook and would always make my own to any store-bought anything. I chop and cook my own veggies rather than buying store brands. Even today, one local store had a big sale on corn on the cob. Traditionally, I usually love to buy these at a farm stand or farmer's market, but this sale was good, so I bought 20 ears and steamed them to store away (freeze) from when it is harder to get fresh. For sure, a lot more work, but having a sort of fresh corn off the cob whenever you want, is worth it. We have a huge freezer and I do this all the time when things are on sale or I just have an abundance of something. My wife still makes bread about once a month and nothing can beat homemade bread. I mentioned this in our sandwich thread about a great grill cheese on nice thick slices of homemade dill bread.

I'm in the middle of making soup for sinner right now, but I will post the recipe for potato latkes either tonite ot tomorrow.

[LennG]

 I promised the OP that I would include my recipe for the old standard of Jewish cuisine, the Potato Latke.

My recipe is different from many in that I personally do not like the potatoes grated as many recipes call for. I find this makes the Latke very crisp and if not cooked perfectly, a bit hard to chew. I prefer to fine-mince the potato in a food processor, not to the point of being a sort of puree, but just more chopped potato instead of grated.

Second, the type of potato you use makes a huge difference. Again, most recipes call for Russett potatoes as they are a bit drier, but my personal choice are Yukon Gold, the best potato for anything. There is a bit more water when the potatoes are ground up, but I drain some of that out before and when the uncooked potatoes are in the bowl, if water forms, I again try and drain it out as best as one can.

So, depending on how many people you are cooking for (when I make these, the entire block could eat and we would still have leftovers). But most recipes call for

4-5 nice size potatoes--peeled
1 average size onion
I add about 1/4 cup of flour
3 large eggs
salt and pepper to taste

Cut the potatoes into cubes and sort of mince or chop them in a food processor. It is good to have a lot of bits and pieces
Empty in a bowl and then do the same for the onion but a bit finer chop.
Mix together, add the eggs, flour, and flavorings and mix well with a large spoon.

Get yourself a nice size frying pan (I use a 12 incher), coat generously with oil (we prefer Canola)
Drop by large heaping spoonfuls into the pan. Again this is a preference as to how large or small you want them to be.
I make mine sort of oval shape about 3 inches long and about 2 inches wide.
Fry well on one side and they flip and do the other side. A panful is usually about 5 latkes and it will take about 10-15 minutes to get that crisp outer coating and nice soft inside.
Put them on a paper towel to drain a bit and then dig in.
With all potato latke recipes, they are their best right out of the pan. If you have to store and then reheat them, they lose something, like the original crispness.
Most people eat these with sour cream or apple sauce and after you do enjoy a few, you will have to diet for a week.

[AZGiantFan]

Wow, those look delicious.  Sadly, I can't eat anything with onions any more.  Which is a shame, because I love onions.  I might play around with these to see how they do without onions.  Thanks for posting the recipe!

[LennG]

 You can definitely eliminate the onion, which is more for flavoring than texture. Try some onion powder.
Myself, I LOVE to cook with Dill. I could add that to almost anything I cook. I tried Dill in my Latkes one time and my family complained. I thought they tasted great but the complaint was--as we say in the Jewish way of life--TRADITION. No changing solid recipes top experiment. I hope, that when we are gone, others in my family will make certain dishes and consider them tradition, so they never can change.

[AZGiantFan]

You can definitely eliminate the onion, which is more for flavoring than texture. Try some onion powder.
Myself, I LOVE to cook with Dill. I could add that to almost anything I cook. I tried Dill in my Latkes one time and my family complained. I thought they tasted great but the complaint was--as we say in the Jewish way of life--TRADITION. No changing solid recipes top experiment. I hope, that when we are gone, others in my family will make certain dishes and consider them tradition, so they never can change.

I'm thinking of trying them with shallots in place of onion, as my system tolerates them better.  I'm also thinking about adding my own seasoning spin, a grind or two of nutmeg, as nutmeg has always been a family favorite in any kind of potato dish.

I made simple chocolate ice cream last night.  I used 3 Tbs of Ameretto and 5 Tbs of 100% cocoa powder.  It had great texture conibg out of the freezer and it was very chocolaty.  I didn't get much almond flavor from the Ameretto so I may have to use some almond extract and some crushed almonds if I want to get chocolate-almond.

[Ed Vette]

Taught the niece to make fresh pesto. Use all fresh ingredients and salt and pepper to taste. Basil from the garden. This will change your life.

Take note to the apron.




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[Sem]

Very cool Ed. Although I'm not a fan of pasto, I think it's great that you're passing down recipes to your niece. And I would imagine fresh from the garden makes it even better.

* Love the apron!!

[DaveBrown74]

We are huge fans of pesto - fantastic with either chicken or pasta (mainly spaghetti for me), or the two together. We have also made a fusili pasta salad with pesto and sun dried tomatoes that is delicious for lunch. 

Though we have made our own pesto before, I will confess to also buying it in the store sometimes as I have a good place that does a great job with it that doesn't charge an insulting price.

[jimv]

Ed. I LOVE the apron!!!  

[Ed Vette]

Ed. I LOVE the apron!!!  

I recall that Rich bought it for me many moons ago!