basil ice cream.

any herb with milk, butter, sugar, eggs & whole cream is bound for the up and up. i mean.. how can you go wrong? and....there is something amazing about basil that is just plain ol' fancy pants.. (still on the fancy trip..) and yet grounding in an italian boot with your heels in the soil and you just don't care kind of way. this calls for clear skies and sparkling sun kind of weather...which is what i had the day i experimented with one of my clients ice cream makers... this recipe is originally from gourmet which came to me from a blog called 17 & baking... yep, you got it.. the young ones know how to bake it and make it....put aside....

2 cups of milk

1/2 cup of sugar (in 2 (1/4) batches)

1/4 cup chopped basil

pinch of salt

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup of whole cream

combine basil, milk, 1/4 sugar in medium saucepan...boil for a second

and put on simmer for about 30 minutes...with top half on, half off...

like phantom of the opera.

mix egg yolks with sugar for about a minute

after 30 minute sauce pan cools...blend it. then stir a mellow stream of the

blended mixture into the eggs mixture...mix it a bit then put it back in the sauce pan.

stir it. stir it constantly & consistently until you begin to see this...a film

over your wooden spoon...and yes, stir with a wooden spoon please.

then strain it into a stainless steel bowl in a ice cube bath.

light of a heart found itself here.. i did nothing to induce this perfect image of

how i was feeling :)

once it's cooled... place in ice cream maker (which is completely frozen inside), add whole cream

and churn, churn away! check in with it after about 15 minutes.. then 20.. then 25..

creating the thickness you want... then place in the freezer in glass container until

ready to serve with GOLDEN RASBERRIES... this combo = lethal love.

here it is... another vacation on a spoon. enjoy and let me know how it goes!! see you soonxxx

sweet.

introducing... the first renaissance mama product! there is nothing like a little sprinkle of fancy around the kitchen to not only get inspired but to stay inspired in your kitchen!! it's all about what you have to create beautiful meals....and i love fancy... especially in glass jars on the counter. you can use this lavender sugar for pancakes, tea, coffee, cakes, confections... anything you want to put sugar in and add a little something special. these sweet cuties were inspired (word of that day) by the talk i did at belly sprout last week...christy funk (owner, mama, amazing hostess of fullerton) invited me to her sweet eco baby & mama boutique to share what i am up to with renaissance mamas. it was beautiful to start the conversation there... we sat in a circle & shared about how we 'do it', what our kitchen culture is, how we eat & what it's all about.... cooking for our families and/or wanting that....fighting the food marketers, the convenience stores, the sugar in everything (not this fancy sugar of course), the freezing in plastic etc... searching for a spine in (our lack of a) culture to support living well, eating well & consciously consuming...to create memories from scratch & feed our babes local & alive foods.....and of course i had to bring something fancy... so i did... let's keep talking, cooking & learning from each other...see you soonxxx

black & beautiful.

welcome to the black rasberry... have you ever seen this before? it was a first for me... yes, blackeberries, blueberries, and all the other dark berries out there... but black rasberries?!?! for one thing... you do not want to be the one picking these incredibly delicate honeycomb like art pieces as they grow on stems covered in little sharp thorns...i mean...a ton of thorns.... tiny, prickly, protectors of paws and the like... anyway my sweet farmer jose (the only berry farmer) at south pasadena's market on thursday afternoon had these a month ago & they were to die for... i mean it... that's why i bowed down to his pickers (if that is the right term) and tasted one... i closed my eyes and went to a place only a black rasberry can take you... it was amber love, lavender fields, stained glass sacred, something fierce...there was no baking needed with this little bad boy... just steeping in this rare moment....i needed nothing else but to watch my son's teeth turn blacker and blacker with each one that popped into his sweet black & beautiful mouth. see you soonxxx

great yams.

simply roasted sweet potatoes...i love that you can make a geometric art piece on some parchment paper with olive oil and dill look like a 70's art piece... or at least i think it looks like some trendy architecture piece from eames & wrights time (maybe i have been in the kitchen too long?).. these babies are so easy to make and they can be a sweet addition to any meal (quinoa & lentils OR skirt steak & bhutanese rice)...massage them with love, olive oil (or any oil you like) & sea salt (fleur de sal or kosher salt)....i am into using dill these days....it does not over power the taste & it adds a different flavor to it....i am also on a bit of a mini-mission to make dill a bit more trendy than it's usual stint with salmon & capers...bake on 350 or 400 for about 30 - 40 minutes... start checking them around 25 minutes as everyone's oven is different...and enjoyxxx

heaven.

i LOVE this photo and wanted to share it with you... it gives me that inside smile as it's definitely a piece of my heaven...i have a few clients going away on their summer vacations this week and during our last time in the kitchen we were creating their lists of what to take with them (they are renting homes for a week or two)... we started with glass pitchers, big wooden bowl, big all-clad sauce pan, basic pantry list, wooden spoons, bread knife.... and a few more things depending on where they are renting etc...and with all that said...bring your desire to cook with flexibility, humor, & fun.... gather your family around to help bring all the pieces together because love in the food (no matter how it's cooked) is what makes it so good! relax, eat & enjoy...xxx

summer salad.

ok... so much has happened since the last time we shared...for starters.. we are now in august which is a huge shocker in terms of how fast the time is flying..... i mean are you feeling this and yet....there is still time to create something sweet, green & delicious for the liver chi... here is a very mellow arugula & dandelion salad with pistachios & strawberries...the dressing is simple with 3 ingredients...macadamia nut oil or flax seed oil (or both), rice vinegar & a citrus of your choice... i used a juicy tangerine for this one. the sweet of the strawberry inspires the peppery taste of the arugula & the slight bitter love coming from the dandelion. when it's bathed in a simple sweet dressing.. it feels doable, light & perfect for a hot summer day. more to come....and soon tooxxx

sweet chamomile.

this is a simple, fancy, not too sweet but oh so sweet tea cake that once you taste it you can't help but fantasize about earl grey or mango ceylon or oolong or.... and the list of teas this cake could go to the party with is long... and so so good. i found this tear out in my magic box or recipes from a sunday ny times mag, december 17, 2006.... it's a great one to have in your reperoire. a precious & lovely tea cake.

the ingredients are in the pic above & the rest is... oven on 320, toast those almonds in a pan for a bit & then place them in the cake pan. in a food processor grind the tea, blanched whole almonds* (i bruised the skin under my nail ... i guess that's the nail bed? peeling these almonds that i soaked over night.. let's just say it was a labor of love), sugar & a large pinch of salt. if this mixture seems dry... add 1 egg white to form a bit of a paste..other wise add the white at the end of processing. transfer paste to your mixer with a paddle attachment. add 1 yolk & 1 egg .. beat on medium-low for 1 minute. add another egg and beat for another minute. ass the last egg and the lemon zest and beat on medium for about 5 minutes. using just a few stroked fold in cornstarch & baking powder with a runner spatula until mostly combined. pour in melted butter a bit at a time, folding in gently. do not overmix! pur batter into cake pan, bake for about 40 minutes... let cool for about 3 minutes & turn in over on a plate you love...let it fully cool & dust with confectioners' sugar.

enjoyxxx& let me know what you think!

*you can soak almonds over night or for 4-6 hours as it will help get the peel off if you are going this hand peeling route.

summer.

HALLELUJAH!!! look at what a beautiful summer it is already!!! the figs, squash blossoms, all the stone fruit, the lavender... i am so overwhelmed with gratitude for all of these amazing alive foods!!! i have been cooking up a storm with lavender...sage...dill... and all together roasting veggies and some stone fruit in there.. a white nectarine... or chard with figs... try sprinkling some pistachio nuts or pine nuts... and you have a fancy, local, summer fiesta.... the wooden spoons are an homage to my kitchen...if you have a little space in your kitchen... maybe the space behind your sink or somehwere that is lifted above the counter if possible... put some things there you love & begin your altar...it's your space begin to honor it....

RM idea:

summer drink.....in a clear vase or a big ball jar....(or go buy something you love) add water, some ice, mint leaves or basil leaves, whole strawberries...leave out with some sweet juice glasses...don't wait to get to the spa to experience some cozy love in your own kitchen. more to come... see you soonxxx