Last night I was having some friends over for a FOS date, plus an excuse to have someone to watch Glee with. Having three guests also gave me the delightful opportunity to make my Ice Cream Cake.
Ice Cream Cake, Part 2
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Author Archives: Anna Papoutsakis
Old Pics from My Catering Days
I came across these pics this morning, and I’m glad I found them. I used to have them all up on an MSN spaces site, but I lost the content when they migrated over here to Word Press (I had so rarely used the site at that point, I don’t even know if I knew how to log in anymore).
In any case, here’s some fun stuff I used to do. Pardon the photo quality, many of these 2003/2004 cell phone pics.
Quick Cheesecake Brownies
Whenever I want to bring a homemade-esque dessert to an event and I want to do it in a pinch, I revert back to semi-homemade tactics and make cheesecake brownies. They are ridiculously easy, versatile, and best of all, taste phenomenal.
Now the reason I say semi-homemade is because I prefer boxed brownie mix over making brownies from scratch. Not to say that brownies from scratch are difficult, but for some reason I have always preferred the taste of Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines in my mouth (that’s what she said, anyone?). Plus, we’re talking about doing stuff in a pinch.
To make the browines, you follow the recipe on the box as indicated. Pour the batter in your pan, and set aside, do not bake immediately.
For the cheesecake topping you’ll need:
- One 8 ounce block or container cream cheese, softened
- One cup sugar
- One egg
- A teaspoon or two of vanilla
- OPTIONAL – Your desired flavoring or coloring – a liqueur, food dye if you’re feeling festive, syrup such as butterscotch, etc.
Cream the sugar and cream cheese with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer until smooth. Mix in egg, vanilla, and optional flavorings. Spread the mixture over your brownie batter. You may either marble topping in swirling around with a knife, or you can smooth it on top to keep it a separate layer. Bake according to brownie package directions. It’s that easy!
An example of green cheesecake brownies I made for a Jets-themed party. All it took was a few drops of green food coloring in the cheesecake mixture.
Ice Cream Cakes
I have been longing for an occasion to create an ice cream cake lately, particularly one with Carvel-style crunchies. In doing some research here on the interwebs, sources say Carvel crunchies can be made with their flying saucer cookies (like chocolate wafer cookies) and magic shell.
Now, I being psycho, did my research and a side-by-side comparison of ingredients in the Flying Saucer cookies, the cookie crumb topping from Blue Bunny Chocolate Lovers Ice Cream Sundae Cone (another favorite of mine in terms of crunch), and Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers. All of them had similar ingredients such as enriched flour, cocoa, sugar, and everyone’s favorite heart stopper (literally), partially hydrogenated oil.
Having done my research, I feel pretty good about putting one of these bad boys together, along with some other ice cream novelties I’ve been wanting to create at home but haven’t had a reason beyond this blog to do so. Continue reading
S’mores Complicated
Despite the defense on the website, I would LOVE to know why this is necessary…is it that hard to maybe FORAGE when you’re in the woods?
An ancient Greek formula?
I’ve stumbled upon this seasoning blend on more than one occasion:
As a Greek woman, I am kind of offended. The label claims this to be an Ancient Greek formula, yet according to the company’s website it is produced in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. Because nothing says Greek like a landlocked state in the southern United States? The product is also described as “a unique blend of 13 ingredients that is good to use on anything you would normally salt and pepper.” So….why do I need it? I really don’t need to say anything else.
Aldi
I must be living under a rock, because I just discovered Aldi’s supermarkets about a month ago. I was running some errands in East Rutherford and stumbled upon it.
I enjoy hitting up new food stores I have never been to. Some have the power to scare me, like Hackensack Market on Passaic Street here in Hackensack, while others, like the International Foods Warehouse at National Wholesale Liquidators in Lodi, is a pleasant surprise. I also love a good bargain that doesn’t require me to spend hours poring over circulars and/or clipping coupons. Aldi fell into the pleasant surprise category.
When I walked in the first time, I was taken by how no-frills the layout is. There is little to no advertising and most items are just on palettes and sold straight out of cases. Then I looked at the items and felt like this was the place that 80’s sitcoms used to shop for generic anti product placement goods.
The quality is surprisingly good, though. It is an excellent store for stocking up your pantry with pastas, rices, spices, cereals, crackers, etc. There are some fresh items, too, but they make me a bit more wary.
If you decide to check these stores out, a few things to be wary of. To keep overhead low, they charge for shopping bags and there is a system in place to bag your groceries, so it’s best to bring your own bags. Bring cash if you do not have a debit card, as credit cards are not accepted. You’ll also need a quarter to secure a deposit and unlock a shopping cart.
The German based company is also the parent company to Trader Joe’s, another favorite of mine. They have been operating stores in the United States since 1976. Who knew? Overall, I’m a fan, and look forward to going back.
The Dinner Party – Beurre Blanc
The sauce is boss. I totally stole that from Sweet Baby Rays, but for real, Beurre Blanc is some serious business. And by serious, I mean it contains two of my favorite things – booze and butter. You can’t really go wrong. Except if you’re concerned about your arteries and long term health. But hey, we’re dealing with technique and hopefully eating in moderation, so a little won’t hurt you. Continue reading
The Dinner Party – Roulade Style Chicken stuffed with Pesto, Proscuitto, and Fontina
This chicken roulade recipe is an oldie but goodie from my catering days at Fine Catering by Russell Morin. I’m not sure how much I’ve deviated from the original, but this is what I remember about how to make this dish. Continue reading
The Dinner Party – Basil Pesto
When someone hears the word “pesto,” they usually think of basil pesto. While basil pesto is perhaps the most popular variation of the sauce, the term pesto is actually a generic term referring to anything made by pounding (think pounding using a mortar and pestle, not pounding to make babies or something else stemming from wherever your dirty mind is going).
Tonight I’m making pesto to serve as part of the filling for my chicken roulade. I use the following ingredients – fresh basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and if needed, some lemon juice.
Since it’s January, basil isn’t exactly all over the place, but you can still find fresh. I lucked out this afternoon and found it for $1.99 a bunch at the International Foods Warehouse at National Wholesale Liquidators in Lodi.
The slideshow below walks you through the steps to make the sauce.
The Accidental Chef 
