The Lush Chef

I'm definitely a whiskey gal, but come summertime, I crave gin and tonics.  With the recent opening of The Chestnut Club in Santa Monica and their menu of gin and tonics, I've been inspired to experiment a little at home.  The June/July issue of Saveur also had a whole slew of gin and tonic recipes, and this Spanish-inspired "Los Gintonic" caught my eye.  I always have plenty of Fever Tree's Bitter Lemon tonic in the fridge and this recipe happened to call for that, along with dry vermouth and a little lemon zest.  I especially love the crushed ice, which makes it feel truly summery.  Simple, refreshing, and potent — just what a gin and tonic should be.  I'll be making these all season long...

Los Gintonic
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz gin (I used St. George Botanivore Gin)
• 1/2 oz dry vermouth (I used Dolin's)
• 3 oz Fever Tree's Bitter Lemon tonic water
• Strip of lemon zest

- In a shaker filled with ice, add the gin and dry vermouth.
- Shake, shake, shake and strain into a glass filled with crushed ice.
- Top with the bitter lemon tonic and garnish with a lemon peel.

Libations used: 1/2 cup white wine...
Libations left over: Pretty much the whole bottle, so serve with dinner...
This past Sunday, the summer rain was falling, so it was a perfect night to cook.  I knew when I headed over to the Farmers' Market in the morning that I was going to pick up some fresh corn, those little Sun Gold tomatoes that taste like summer in a bite, and basil – all the flavors of the season.  I had no idea what I was going to make, but how could one go wrong with these three ingredients?  I ended up finding a Martha Stewart recipe for Striped Bass with a corn, tomato, onion, and jalapeño relish cooked in a white wine sauce, with chopped cilantro and basil stirred in.  I picked up a whole Striped Bass at Santa Monica Seafood and had them fillet it for me (I really need to learn how to do this on my own, but hey, they at least give you the bones to make stock!). For the wine, use a dry white.  I used Fess Parker's Parker Family Reserve, a white blend of Chardonnay and Viognier. This is a great lazy Sunday or weeknight dish that comes together quickly.  The fish is pan-seared for a few minutes and then finished off over the relish as the vegetables cook.  It may have been raining, but I felt like the sun was shining as I devoured this.

Striped Bass with Tomatoes, Corn & Basil - serves 4
Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 4 Striped Bass fillets, skin on (about 5 oz each)
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 jalapeño or Serrano pepper, with ribs and seeds removed, and thinly sliced (I actually used a whole jalapeño)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Fess Parker's Parker Family Reserve)
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 ears of corn, husks and silk removed, and kernels scraped off
• 1 heaping cup of cherry tomatoes quartered or Sun Gold tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup chopped basil
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil (it should be shimmering and smoking).
- Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Place the fish in the skillet, skin side down, and cook for about 4 minutes (less if it's a thinner cut).
- Turn fish over and cook for another minute (it shouldn't be cooked through).
- Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, stirring and cooking until tender and browned for about 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the corn, tomatoes, jalapeño or Serrano into the skillet.
- Add the wine and water and place the fish on top of the mixture.
- Cover and cook for about 4 minutes, until the fish is just cooked through.
- Transfer the cooked fish, skin side up, to shallow bowls or plates.
- Stir the basil and cilantro into the veggie mixture and spoon around the fish.

It's been a pretty long time since I've made ice cream, and a close friend of mine recently asked me to teach her how to make it, so that got me thinking again about all the wacky, boozy flavors I could try out.  My go-to recipe book is Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home.  Not only does she have the basics, but she has some pretty innovative flavor combinations.  I scanned through the book, searching for something with rum, and landed upon a Celery Ice Cream with rum-soaked golden raisins.  I've had the pleasure of doing PR for an amazing, new boutique rum company, called Selvarey, and they've been racking up awards for their premium Panamanian White and Cacao rums upon launching.  So look forward to plenty more rum recipes on this blog, lushes!  I wasn't much of a rum fan before, but they've changed my mind completely!  Needless to say, these golden raisins ended up getting soaked in their White rum.  I opted for using celery seeds in the ice cream base, as I really didn't want to wait 4-12 hours for celery leaves to steep.  If celery ice cream sounds weird to you, don't knock it before you've tried it.  Look, ma! I'm getting my vegetables! The boozy raisins and bits of chopped candied ginger sweeten this slightly savory ice cream up, and it's got a great, light flavor that's perfect for the summer.

Celery & Rum Raisin Ice Cream - makes 1 quart
Ingredients for the rum-soaked raisins:

• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 Tbs rum (I used Selvarey White)
• 1/2 cup sugar

Ingredients for the ice cream:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 Tbs plus 1 tsp cornstarch
• 3 Tbs cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 Tbs light corn syrup
• 1 large bunch of dark green celery leaves, finely chopped OR 1 tsp celery seeds lightly pounded in a mortar and pestle
• 2 Tbs finely diced candied ginger

Instructions for the rum-soaked raisins:
- In a small saucepan over high heat, add the water, rum, and sugar and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
- Pour the syrup over the raisins in a heatproof bowl, and let the mixture sit until cooled to room temperature before putting it in the fridge (the raisins will last for about a month refrigerated).
- Drain the raisins and add to the chopped ginger.

Instructions for the ice cream:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 2 Tbs of the milk to make a slurry (it helps thicken the ice cream), and set aside.
- In a medium, heatproof bowl, whisk the cream cheese and salt together until softened.
- In a large pot (at least 4 quarts) over medium-high heat, add the rest of the milk, along with the cream, sugar, and corn syrup, and let it boil for 4 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the slurry.
- Bring the mixture back to a boil and cook, stirring with a heatproof spatula, until the mixture is slightly thickened (about 1 minute).
- Remove from heat.
- Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese mixture until smooth.
- Stir in the celery leaves or seeds.
- Fill a large bowl with plenty of ice (or ice packs) and cold water.
- Position a gallon-size Ziploc freezer bag in the bowl and pour the mixture in there.
- Seal it up and submerge it.
- Let the mixture stay in the ice bath for about 30 minutes, adding more ice if necessary (I like to pop the bowl in the fridge too).
- If you're using celery leaves, you'll need to let the mixture steep for about 4-12 hours in the fridge. You'll then need to strain out the leaves before putting the base in your ice cream maker.
- Pour the mixture in your ice cream maker and spin, according to the instructions, until thick and creamy.
- Pack the ice cream into a storage container, layering in the raisins and candied ginger as you go.
- Press a sheet of parchment paper directly against the surface and seal with an airtight lid.
- Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until it's firm (about 4 hours).

Libations used: 1 Tbs amaretto...
Libations left over: None, but make yourself a Whiskey Sour...
I typically prefer to bake when I have a party, dinner, or outing to attend and need to bring something.  But sometimes, I'm just in the mood to bake for the pure satisfaction of it.  I've always found baking incredibly relaxing, and it's a great time for me to just clear my mind, boot up the Spotfiy playlist, and churn out some tasty treats to share with friends.  One of the recipes I always made with my mom growing up was Melting Moments cookies.  They're a recipe from our friend and the mother of some fabulous kids I babysat in my teens (they're all in college now and graduating!).  It's an incredibly simple cookie, and has a ton of butter (yes!) and confectioner's sugar in it to give it that melt-in-your-mouth quality.  For the frosting, I typically use regular flavoring extracts, but for this one, I decided to booze it up a little with some of my homemade amaretto.  Because, why not? I'm the Lush Chef!  The amaretto gives the frosting a much lighter touch than a regular extract, so it's not overly sweet.  Use any food coloring you like and top with sprinkles to jazz it up. I made a light pink frosting and topped with rainbow sprinkles!
Amaretto Melting Moments - makes 2 dozen
Ingredients for the cookies:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients for the frosting:

• 1/4 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 Tbs milk
• 1 Tbs amaretto
• Food coloring (optional)

To make the cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 300.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer on low speed, add all of the cookie ingredients and thoroughly mix combine.  This may take a bit, but you want the mixture to be on the creamy side.
- Roll the dough into 1 inch balls, and press a little flat onto a cookie sheet.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, and wait until they've cooled to frost.

To make the frosting:
- In a medium bowl, add the butter, confectioner's sugar, and milk, and mix.
- Add the amaretto and food coloring, and stir.
- If the mixture is too loose, add more confectioner's sugar.  If too thick, then add more milk or amaretto.
- Frost the tops of the cookies and decorate to your heart's content!

Looking for a reason to justify having a drink?  Then add veggies to it. Your mom can't argue with that!  Liquor.com recently posted a few cocktails featuring spring peas, and since I had been picking up tons of snap peas at the market recently, I couldn't want to try one.  I opted for the Green Giant, because not only has this cocktail now replaced my bad memories of icky frozen Green Giant peas, but it has satisfied my spring and summer gin kick.  I used the earthy and spicy St. George Terroir Gin with Dolin's dry vermouth (one of my favorites).  As I sat enjoying this beautifully green and spring-inflected cocktail before dinner, my friend Louis suggested I used some of his Miracle Mile yuzu bitters.  I unfortunately didn't have any on me, so I opted for celery instead — why not add more vegetables to the mix?  It's a fun way to bring out a little more of the vegetal, grassy, and herbal flavor in the drink.  And also, everything is better with bitters.
Green Giant
Ingredients:

• 4 sugar snap pea pods, broken in half
• 8-10 tarragon leaves
• 3/4 oz simple syrup
• 2 oz gin (I used St. George Terroir Gin)
• 1/2 oz dry vermouth (I used Dolin's)
• 3/4 oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 2 dashes celery or yuzu bitters (I used Miracle Mile), optional

- In a shaker, add the snap peas, tarragon, and simple syrup, and muddle.
- Add ice, gin, dry vermouth, lemon juice, and bitters, and shake.
- Fine-strain into a chilled glass filled with crushed ice.
- Garnish with a couple of snap peas and tarragon leaves.

Last weekend I had a couple of picnics and a wine tasting to attend, but only one day to really make anything.  I had spied this recipe for Fennel and Semolina Cake on Tasting Table a few weeks ago, and loved how it paired fennel with the fennel and anise-inflected Pernod.  Cake with absinthe?  Yes, please!  Next time I make this, I definitely need to use a larger fennel bulb, and I'll probably add less rose water to the fennel syrup.  Rose water is just so overpowering to me and 1 Tbs seemed like too much to me.  I also don't think you need to soak the cake with an entire 1 cup of syrup (I used a little less).  Plus, that leaves more fennel-flavored syrup for cocktail making and shaking!  Regardless, my friends enjoyed this unusually savory and sweet, and incredibly moist cake to end our various cheese and hummus-filled picnics.  I also used a finer semolina flour, as that was all I could find, and it ended up giving the cake a really lovely texture.

Fennel & Semolina Cake - serves 10-12
Ingredients for the Fennel

• 3 Tbs fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs Pernod
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tbs fennel seeds
• Pinch of salt
• 1 large fennel bulb, sliced about 1/8-inch thick with the core left intact
• 1 tsp rose water

Ingredients for the Crust

• 4 Tbs unsalted butter, melted
• 6 Tbs light brown sugar

Ingredients for the Cake

• 2 cups whole milk Greek yogurt
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 1/2 cups semolina flour
• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• 5 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp fennel pollen
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, melted and then cooled to room temperature

- Pre-heat the oven to 350.

To Prepare the Fennel
- In a small saucepan over high heat, add the lemon juice, Pernod, water, sugar, fennel seeds, and salt and bring to a simmer.
- Cook until the fennel seeds become tender (about 15 minutes).
- Strain the syrup into a medium bowl, discarding the fennel seeds.
- In a medium saucepan, add the syrup and bring to a simmer.
- Add the fennel and cook, covered, until tender (about 20 minutes).
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fennel to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and arrange in a single layer to cool.
- Transfer the syrup back into the same medium bowl and add the rose water.
- Measure out 3/4 cup of syrup and reserve any remaining for cocktails!

To Make the Crust
- In a 8x11 baking dish, drizzle the melted butter and sprinkle the light brown sugar evenly to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Arrange the fennel slices on top in a single layer.

To Make the Cake
- In a medium bowl, add the yogurt and milk and stir to evenly combine.
- In a large bowl, add the semolina flour, sugar, baking powder, fennel pollen, and salt, and stir to evenly combine.
- Add the yogurt and milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- Add the butter and stir.
- Pour the batter into the baking dish.
- Bake until golden brown (about 40-45 minutes).
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Run a knife around the edges of the cake and then cover the baking dish with a large cutting board.
- Carefully invert the cake onto it, and using a toothpick or wooden skewer, poke holes all over the cake.
- Slowly pour the reserved syrup all over the cake and let it soak in for about 30 minutes before serving.