Clearly Mai Tai

Wow, it’s already two weeks into 2018 and I haven’t posted on this blog in months! It’s not that I haven’t thought about you. I’ve taken pictures and jotted down ideas, but nothing seems to have actually made it to posting stage.

Let’s not stay mad. It’s a new year and I have an amazing cocktail recipe for you.

It’s amazing not just because it tastes great, but also because of how it looks. Who ever heard of a tiki drink that’s crystal clear? This clarified mai tai tastes just like the old favourite, but is mellower with a creamier mouthfeel, and looks so much classier than its cloudy cousin.

Bread and Butter Ice Cream

Bread and butter is one of those things that’s so simple, yet so amazing. I’ve had the conversation with my mother-in-law before – we could probably survive on bread and butter alone for the rest of our lives. It’s something you can never resist at a restaurant no matter how much food you know you’re going to get after.

Korean Corn Chip Esquites Nachos

You can thank my friend Rachael for this recipe. She first introduced me to these corn chips and I was instantly hooked. You’ve never had a corn chip like this before (unless of course, you’ve had these). They actually taste like fresh, sweet corn! That’s why I immediately wanted to use them in a fresh corn recipe.

Grapefruit Amaretto Shandy

Though September is right around the corner, the weather would have you believe its midsummer.  The sun beats down onto sweaty foreheads.  Hot, humid people fan themselves with whatever they can find. 

The only thing keeping everyone from cowering inside air conditioned houses is that cold glass in their hand.  The condensation drips down onto sandaled feet.  The cool liquid soothes hot lips. 

This is that cold drink.

Bolo Bao (Pineapple Bun) Ice Cream

The bolo bao or pineapple bun is a confusing pastry.  Mostly because there’s no pineapple in it at all!  The Chinese bakery we get ours from actually specifies this on the sign, probably so that customers don’t complain about the lack of fruit filling.  It’s actually called a pineapple bun because the crunchy, yellow topping that sits on each bun kind of, maybe, looks like a pineapple… if you squint. 

I love bolo bao – that sweet, dense pastry.  My favourite are the ones filled with coconut.  So clearly, I made it into an ice cream.

The Crumble Pie (aka Two For One Pie!)

I’m one of those weird people that actually likes the pie crust more than the filling.  Especially when it’s this all-butter version.  When I’m eating a slice, I usually get rid of that annoying fruit first and then enjoy my crust and ice cream.

Most people don’t share my crust love, but they love crumble.  Enter the crumble pie.  Part pie, part fruit crumble, it’s the best of both worlds.  Another bonus: you get two pies out of one crust recipe because you don’t have to worry about top crusts! 

Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream

I’m coming back with a bang!  The kitchen is mostly done but completely functional, and this is the best thing I have ever made.

I was trying to judge whether that’s an exaggeration, but I actually don’t think I say it a lot.  So please, please try this.

It’s basically an oatmeal cookie in ice cream form.  The idea came to me when we were eating ice cream one day (duh) and wondering why they have chocolate chip cookie dough, cookies and cream, but nothing oatmeal cookie-like.  Clearly an oversight. 

Corn Creme Brulee

Corn 1: “Can I tell you something?”
Corn 2: “I’m all ears!”
Corn 1: “I feel like I’m putting on a lot of weight.”
Corn 2: “Nah, you’re just a little husky.”
Corn 1: “Aww shucks, you’re too nice.”

Was that too corny?  I’m not even sorry.

Mix And Match Pesto

I always have leftover greens.  I buy a bunch of parsley, use a few stems and then watch the rest go bad.  I buy a box of arugula, because of course it only comes in giant boxes, use some in a salad, and then the rest just sits there forgotten in the fridge.  

Strawberry Rhubarb Cream Pie (With Candied Pistachios)

We were getting strawberries and rhubarb in our veggie bag again this week.  Last time I had made a strawberry rhubarb crumble pie for our camping trip.  Everyone loved it!  I was going to make another one of the same, but if you’ve learned anything through this blog, I don’t usually like doing that.  And then Alex found this blog post from Bellwoods brewery.  They had a new dessert on their menu to pair with their Omerta beer: a strawberry rhubarb shortcake with cardamom-scented pastry cream and candied pistachios.  

That sounded so so good.  

Gin And Tonic Popsicles

I love popsicles.  I can pretty much eat one of those boxes of 30, No Name, orange, purple, and pink popsicles in a couple of days.  I have perfected the art of breaking them in half without breaking off the top. 

Watermelon Julep

Is it a little late to be posting watermelon cocktails?  No way.  I am not bound by calendar rules!  It’s summer somewhere right?  This is for my friends in Australia and New Zealand!  

Roasted Tomato Tart

You have not experienced a tomato until you've sliced into one that you've just picked, still warm from the sun.  Unfortunately, we only had one ripe tomato, so we supplemented with others that we got in our weekly vegetable delivery.  I didn't think growing my own food would make such a difference, but the flavour of this tomato was so different than the others.  You could really tell. 

Fresh Strawberry Scones

I’ve been thinking about the future a lot lately.  It’s scary and exciting.  Where will we be a year from now?  I’ll hopefully be (almost) done my PhD.  Will I have a job lined up?  What kind of job will it be?  Will we be planning a move to a different city?  Or maybe buying a house in Toronto.
  

Roasted Banana Ice Cream

I love eggs.  I like them fried, poached, soft-boiled.  I like runny yolk creating a sauce for fried mushrooms, pasta, or potatoes.  They give baked goods their texture, they create fluffy meringue bases for frostings, or pavlovas, or marshmallows.  I love eggs.

Mangoconut Shortcakes

I’ve been doing some mathematical modeling at work over the past couple of months. Sometimes math is a nice break from wet lab work.  The logic is relaxing.  Things are predictable.  At the same time, I’ve had to remember things that I learned in calculus in undergrad.  Partial differential equations, asymptotic analysis, limits.  I made my brain reach.
  

Lemon Cream Pie Sundae

A couple of weeks ago I posted this cold berry pie and the perfect pie crust recipe.  You may have noticed that the pie crust recipe makes two crusts, but the pie only requires one. What do you do with the extra crust?  

Plum Clafoutis

Time seems to go by so fast.  One minute we’re grabbing at the first strawberries of the season, the next we’re knee deep in stone fruit.  Too soon apples and pumpkins will make their way into our recipes.  We have to make the most of everything while we can.  Fruit is a good metaphor for life.  

Pineapple Sorbet

My brain is sea of thoughts that never stops.  A jumble of emotions and ideas.  A mishmash of memories and inklings.  Organized thoughts are impossible, that’s what lists are for.  I write and erase and rewrite so that these posts are at least coherent, if not eloquent.  Some days it takes longer than others. 

Strawberry Rose Ice Cream

Summer is the season of love, wedding season.  My own wedding anniversary is coming up in August.  I can’t believe it’s been almost a year already.  And although a year of baking for my husband probably means I wouldn’t fit into my wedding dress anymore, it’s all been worth every second.