It's so hot I'm melting

[Try Anything Twice]

Laying very, very still in front of a fan and berating myself for not working on all the things I actually should be doing if only it weren’t so hot.

 

[evennow]

Laying very, very still in front of a fan and berating myself for not working on all the things I actually should be doing if only it weren’t so hot.

Maybe this will help.

I live in the desert (really), and it will be over 100 degrees for months so without AC I would die...yet again!

 

[Try Anything Twice]

Oh to have AC. I may need to invent a need and go grocery shopping.

 

[nicky wire's legs]

Oh to have AC. I may need to invent a need and go grocery shopping.

baklava!

 

[Try Anything Twice]

baklava!

Agreed! Baklava makes everything better!

 

[g23]

The mercury is rising again, and seemingly half of my state is on literal fire, so I'm making no churn Elote ice cream from a recipe for sweet corn ice cream that I modified slightly. I'm aiming for sweet/savory/slight spice. I'm curious if it will work or not, but I don't see why it shouldn't.

 

[firstodie]

It'll be nice to attend to all the things I've put on hold once the weather cools.... then again, I might not bother.

 

[Try Anything Twice]

The mercury is rising again, and seemingly half of my state is on literal fire, so I'm making no churn Elote ice cream from a recipe for sweet corn ice cream that I modified slightly. I'm aiming for sweet/savory/slight spice. I'm curious if it will work or not, but I don't see why it shouldn't.

That sounds absolutely amazing! I’ve been on a huge Elote kick this summer.

 

[g23]

That sounds absolutely amazing! I’ve been on a huge Elote kick this summer.

It was too sweet, and the mouthfeel was off due to the addition of 2 tablespoons of fresh grated parmesan crumbs. It had a really pure corn flavor, that came through incredibly well, and the addition of Tajin completed the flavor profile, but the sweetness between the condensed milk and the corn was just toxic.
I'm probably going to repeat the experiment the right way, with an ice cream churn, where the sugar is more easily controlled. I think with the natural sweetness of the fresh corn, that I would probably reduce the sugar by half in the recipe.

Edited to add- We have an ice cream truck that comes through the neighborhood on hot days, and the nice fella who runs it also sells elotes for three dollars! So the kid can get an ice cream, and I get an elote out of the deal. I'm pretty ok with this!

 

[Try Anything Twice]

It was too sweet, and the mouthfeel was off due to the addition of 2 tablespoons of fresh grated parmesan crumbs. It had a really pure corn flavor, that came through incredibly well, and the addition of Tajin completed the flavor profile, but the sweetness between the condensed milk and the corn was just toxic.
I'm probably going to repeat the experiment the right way, with an ice cream churn, where the sugar is more easily controlled. I think with the natural sweetness of the fresh corn, that I would probably reduce the sugar by half in the recipe.

Edited to add- We have an ice cream truck that comes through the neighborhood on hot days, and the nice fella who runs it also sells elotes for three dollars! So the kid can get an ice cream, and I get an elote out of the deal. I'm pretty ok with this!

I’m thinking reduce the sugar a lot, too. And maybe microplane the parm so maybe it will dissolve in easier? I think you’re really into something and want the recipe once you work out the kinks. Maybe post it in the cooking thread?

A big city block away I have an ice cream stand called Mexicone and they sell awesome Elote. And the most amazing mango smoothies I’ve ever had. Secret it a little fresh pineapple and coconut milk. It’s far too convenient.

 

[g23]

I’m thinking reduce the sugar a lot, too. And maybe microplane the parm so maybe it will dissolve in easier? I think you’re really into something and want the recipe once you work out the kinks. Maybe post it in the cooking thread?

A big city block away I have an ice cream stand called Mexicone and they sell awesome Elote. And the most amazing mango smoothies I’ve ever had. Secret it a little fresh pineapple and coconut milk. It’s far too convenient.

I didn't necessarily want the parm to disappear, because cheese can work really well in ice cream. Especially Bleu, oh dear gawd...
I think I'll go lighter and finer with the parm next time, but I still want the presence to be known, just not so heavy.

Cooking has been a real chore lately with the heat. Most days, as lazy as it is, I've been doing takeout, a lot of salads, or cooking dinner first thing in the morning and sticking it in the refrigerator. We've been right around 100 F for what feels like forever, and the last few days the smoke from all of the wildfires has made everything hazy and heavier. The only thing left that's green on my property are my sunflowers, because I water them every day. Even the leaves on the tree have an orange tint to them now.

Oh! But here's a recipe for you to throw into the churn-

2 pints half and half, 3-5 oz of soft bleu cheese (depending on your tastes, I go heavy) 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup ripe black cherries, pitted and halved, a squeeze of lemon + a little zest, and a few twists of white peppercorn from the mill.

 

[caramel sea salt]

I like the heat. I took Big & Smelly (my dogs) swimming. They love swimming. All day, every day.

 

[nicky wire's legs]

I like the heat. I took Big & Smelly (my dogs) swimming. They love swimming. All day, every day.

our border collie loooooooved swimming. you had to keep him on a leash whenever there was water around, even if it was a block away, because if he caught sight of it he'd just take off straight for it, through traffic or whatever. we got him a little kiddie pool for our backyward and he would spend hours splashing around in it, barking at every splash he made.

 

[Peppermint]

I didn't necessarily want the parm to disappear, because cheese can work really well in ice cream. Especially Bleu, oh dear gawd...
I think I'll go lighter and finer with the parm next time, but I still want the presence to be known, just not so heavy.

Cooking has been a real chore lately with the heat. Most days, as lazy as it is, I've been doing takeout, a lot of salads, or cooking dinner first thing in the morning and sticking it in the refrigerator. We've been right around 100 F for what feels like forever, and the last few days the smoke from all of the wildfires has made everything hazy and heavier. The only thing left that's green on my property are my sunflowers, because I water them every day. Even the leaves on the tree have an orange tint to them now.

Oh! But here's a recipe for you to throw into the churn-

2 pints half and half, 3-5 oz of soft bleu cheese (depending on your tastes, I go heavy) 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup ripe black cherries, pitted and halved, a squeeze of lemon + a little zest, and a few twists of white peppercorn from the mill.

G23, since you sound like an ice-cream aficionado, I'm thinking I need to pick your brains. Much as your recipes above sound lovely, alas I cannot eat cream or sugar. So I've been experimenting with a sugar-free concoction using eggs, very thick coconut milk and fresh raspberries. It was a little light on flavour, but given it's been so hot here it was okay to eat all the same. But the biggest problem was the ice crystals. I don't have an ice cream maker and in theory you're supposed to be able to mash out the lumps of ice as long as you keep breaking them up during the freezing process. I did it loads of times over a couple of hours but it just didn't work. Thoughts? Is there a manual way to do this, or is it impossible without a machine? And might the use of non-dairy cream be a factor?

 

[caramel sea salt]

our border collie loooooooved swimming. you had to keep him on a leash whenever there was water around, even if it was a block away, because if he caught sight of it he'd just take off straight for it, through traffic or whatever. we got him a little kiddie pool for our backyward and he would spend hours splashing around in it, barking at every splash he made.

Aww, you must be missing the little guy a lot. <3

I never really wanted dogs, mine sort of found me - Big was an abandoned pup and Smelly was a stray that basically showed up at my house, so I took care of them - but I am so glad that I have them now. They are our bundles of joy and I'd be very sad if they weren't around anymore.

 

[g23]

G23, since you sound like an ice-cream aficionado, I'm thinking I need to pick your brains. Much as your recipes above sound lovely, alas I cannot eat cream or sugar. So I've been experimenting with a sugar-free concoction using eggs, very thick coconut milk and fresh raspberries. It was a little light on flavour, but given it's been so hot here it was okay to eat all the same. But the biggest problem was the ice crystals. I don't have an ice cream maker and in theory you're supposed to be able to mash out the lumps of ice as long as you keep breaking them up during the freezing process. I did it loads of times over a couple of hours but it just didn't work. Thoughts? Is there a manual way to do this, or is it impossible without a machine? And might the use of non-dairy cream be a factor?

I would need to play around with non dairy recipes to get a feel for how they react with typical methods, but one thing that may help if you're getting ice crystals is to add some xanathan gum, which is kind of a chemical trick to get the creamy texture/cut down on iciness. It's the same stuff Starbucks uses in frappucinos to give them the texture and keep them smooth. You can buy it on Amazon, and it isn't spendy. It should fit within your dietary parameters too.

 

[Peppermint]

I would need to play around with non dairy recipes to get a feel for how they react with typical methods, but one thing that may help if you're getting ice crystals is to add some xanathan gum, which is kind of a chemical trick to get the creamy texture/cut down on iciness. It's the same stuff Starbucks uses in frappucinos to give them the texture and keep them smooth. You can buy it on Amazon, and it isn't spendy. It should fit within your dietary parameters too.

Ah, nice idea but sadly I can't tolerate it, it upsets my stomach. They put it in some coconut milks so I'm familiar with it (the one I use is very pure - just coconut and water).

 

[g23]

Ah, nice idea but sadly I can't tolerate it, it upsets my stomach. They put it in some coconut milks so I'm familiar with it (the one I use is very pure - just coconut and water).

Aw butts. There would be a few things that would act in a similar way. I think some sort of mild binding agent could solve it.

 

[Peppermint]

Aw butts. There would be a few things that would act in a similar way. I think some sort of mild binding agent could solve it.

Interesting. Such as? Has to be non-starchy/carby though. (I know, I know. Awkward or what?)

 

[g23]

Interesting. Such as? Has to be non-starchy/carby though. (I know, I know. Awkward or what?)

My mind immediately goes to Guar gum. I've never really had to cook for dietary consideration.

OH! Or avocado! It sounds weird, but it's pretty neutral in ice cream.