The Feathered Nest

The softer side of MaisonBisson

Summer Infatuation May 23, 2009

TowerGirl @ 2:40 pm
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Dessert 

I am one of those who tend to believe that there is nothing better than chocolate. This applies especially to ice cream. A simple scoop of vanilla covered in hot fudge or good old Hershey’s chocolate sauce is hard to beat. It has been my steadfast companion for many years. However, I may have found a new crush. I am calling him StrawBlueBarb Compote. He is a flirt. He is starts off sweet but there is a tangy bite to him. He is complex and a little naughty. I am smitten and I can’t get enough. This morning I smeared him all over my buttermilk pancakes. I am obsessed.

To taste my crush yourself, just follow these simple steps.

You will need:

  • a pint of strawberries
  • about 5 stalks of rhubarb
  • a cup of blueberries
  • 3/4 cup of sugar
  • 2 teaspoons of cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla
  • 3 tablespoons of triple sec

Step-by-step:

  1. Remove the tops and quarter a pint of strawberries.
  2. Take about five stalks of rhubarb, not too thick, and cut into half inch pieces.
  3. Set aside about about a cup of blueberries.
  4. Then in a heavy bottomed sauce pan, place 3/4 cup of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch. Whisk then together.
  5. Put it all the berries and rhubarb and mash it all up a bit.
  6. Then add in a teaspoon of vanilla and 3 tablespoons of triple sec.
  7. Turn the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb reaches desired doneness. I went about 18 minutes.
  8. Let it cool a bit so you don’t burn your tongue and then find something (or someone) to pour it on.

I just clandestinely savored a cool spoonful from the fridge. Don Henley’s Boys of Summer swirls through my head. Don’t tell chocolate.

 

Vicar’s Delight August 26, 2007

TowerGirl @ 11:23 am
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Vicars Delight.

Hot weather demands cool drinks. Lemonade is fine for the kids, but adults need a pitcher of something more entertaining.

  • 2 parts Vodka
  • 1 part Orange Juice
  • 2 parts Lemonade
  • dash Lime Juice

Prepare in a pitcher with ice and share. Adjust quantities to taste.

Enjoy safely.

 

Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookie and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Sandwiches August 5, 2007

TowerGirl @ 12:21 pm
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Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookie and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Sandwiches.

So once again, my husband called on my assistance with a Friday Food Fiesta challenge. This week’s theme was cookies and biscuits. I scoured my pantry, but alas, like Old Mother Hubbard, my cupboards were practically bare. The one interesting thing I did have was a bag of Hershey’s white chocolate chips. So, between my meager rations and a quick trip to our town’s tiny market for butter, I cobbled together the ingredients needed to make the chocolate, white chocolate chip cookies on the Hershey wrapper. The only alteration I made to the recipe was to substitute my favorite Ghiradelli cocoa powder for the Hershey’s that they suggested.

However, at MaisonBisson we are not satisfied with mere cookies. When I called Casey to let him know I made the cookies he responded with those three little words: “ice cream sandwiches!” Sometimes that man can be an absolute genius! I e-mailed a list of ingredients for him to pick up on his way home and let my cookies cool.

When Casey came home he brought with him a gallon of Bryer’s Vanilla Bean ice cream, chocolate sprinkles, and mini chocolate chips. We stirred up the ice cream to soften it, placed a nice scoopful on a cookie, pressed another cookie on top, and rolled the edges in the sprinkles or the chips. We wrapped each sandwich in a square of aluminum foil and let them rest in the freezer. We ended up with about twenty sandwiches. Friends stopped by and helped us polish off some of them but the others remain in my freezer taunting me. They are really very delicious and very easy to make.

Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookie and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Sandwiches.Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookie and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Sandwiches.

 

Celebrate Independence Day With A Drink July 4, 2007

TowerGirl @ 12:35 am
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Strawberry Daiquiri.Ok, the truth is that at MaisonBisson we celebrate all holidays with a drink. Since we take cocktails quite seriously, I wanted something very pretty for the little Fourth of July soiree we were having. I have found that the secret to a perfect strawberry daiquiri is using frozen strawberries. I also use lots of crushed ice and a ripe banana — it adds a nice creaminess. I garnished with whipped cream, blueberries, and star fruit.

It’s an easy and delicious recipe.

  • 2 cups crushed ice
  • 1 cup rum (light or dark depending on your preference)
  • 2 cups (a 16 oz tub) of frozen strawberries (thawed)
  • ripe banana

Combine all ingredients in a large blender that can crush ice. Blend, pour, and garnish.

Warning – this is a delicious drink and goes down really easy. If you are not careful you could find yourself standing by the bonfire and singing Yankee Doodle Dandy in your birthday suit.

Strawberry Daiquiri.

 

Cold Cucumber Soup July 1, 2007

TowerGirl @ 12:23 pm
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Cold Cucumber SoupMy beloved husband went off on a Boy’s Adventure Weekend. This left me with the entire house and kitchen to myself. When this happens, I become a bit like a mad scientist left alone in my laboratory. So, it was just me, the cats, and that most dangerous invention, Food Network. After some house work, chick flicks, and visiting with my parents, I spent an hour putting away laundry and watching Emeril. He made a great looking cold cucumber soup and I just had to try it. It’s been over 90 degrees and very humid in New England, something we are not used to, and this dish seemed like the perfect antidote to the sweltering heat.

I woke up on Sunday and went off to my local market and raided the produce section. I had decided that a nice salad nicoise would be the perfect accompaniment to this dish. I also picked up a bottle of my current favorite cheap wine, the pinot grigio produced by Twin Fin (available from Wine.com). I headed home and got cooking. My plan was to have a lovely late lunch waiting for my husband when he returned from his manly outing. I find its important to remind him of the comforts of home.

The soup was a blast to make because it required no cooking. It gave me the opportunity to spend some quality time with my beloved food processor. I altered the recipe a bit by using only one jalepeno, I’m a wimp when it comes to spicy foods. The final product was lovely, cool and refreshing. I think that next time I make it I’d like to add a citrusy note, maybe lime juice, I think it would give it a little something extra.

To make the presentation special, and because I am big geek who loves to make things look pretty, I decided to serve the soup in a couple of our martini glasses. I garnished with chives from my garden and snipped a couple of the chive blossoms as well. When my husband returned home, all sweaty and smelly, I first sent him to the shower. Then, we settled down to this perfect summer lunch and laughs about his camping misadventures. Then I sat and sipped my wine and watched him clean up the kitchen, a perfect Sunday afternoon.

Cold Cucumber Soup