As per the great knowledge source Wikipedia, foodies are amateurs who simply love food for the consumption, study, preparation, and news. Kyle and I certainly meet the first criteria…we love consuming! But in an effort to fulfill the other three, we continued on our “Foodies in Training” journey Sunday night with installment #2.
On the menu this time was Cedar-Plank Salmon, Spicy Pasta Salad with Smoked Gouda, Grape Tomatoes and Basil and for dessert, Lemon Gelato.
The salmon was fun. I got to pull out the unopened cedar planks that were given to us as a house warming gift no less than 5 years ago. (No, we weren’t stuck in a rut food-wise!) The recipe came from an old Real Simple magazine and seasoned the salmon with brown sugar, thyme and a little cayenne pepper.
My salmon fillet wasn’t as big as what the recipe called for, so I cut the time down but I think I should have been watching it even more closely. Kyle thought it was great, but I thought it was a bit dried out and I should have taken it off the grill about 3-4 minutes sooner than I did.
Next we discover why I’m not a real food blogger, pho-tog-ra-phy skills! Let’s take a moment to admit that these photos are crap, but until I get a light studio or we start eating our foodie meal in the daylight, you may need to mentally prepare yourself for a bit of visual agony here. I’ll try to do better next time, I promise…
This was the Spicy Pasta Salad from Pioneer Woman. There was nothing actually wrong with the salad itself. I love Gouda and grape tomatoes. The dressing was just tangy enough and the brilliantly green basil added just the right flavor. It would have been great at a backyard BBQ or a picnic while camping, but it was not the thing to pair with Cedar-Plank salmon. I should have done a warm side…totally my fault…it brought the whole meal down in my book. Gol dang it!
Luckily, the meal did not end on a sad note. We cleared away the plates and brought out the star of the night, homemade lemon gelato, the William-Sonoma recipe is below. It was heavenly! We even learned a bit about gelato (going for the “study” points here) vs ice cream. Gelato has a lower fat content than ice cream, which in turn gives it a more intense flavor (less fat to coat your mouth means that lemon flavor can really hit home!) There’s also less overrun (air) mixed into it, so it’s denser than ice cream. And one last thing, it served at a slightly warmer temperature than ice cream to keep it creamy. Gelato has a higher water content than ice cream so freezing it solid would create ice crystals, making it grainy instead of smooth. And now you know… 
So for the overall rating of the night…Kyle and I differed. He really liked the salmon and gave the night a 7.5. I thought the salmon was dry, the pasta was definitely the wrong choice but the gelato almost made up for the other sins, so gave it a 6.
Here’s looking to next week…tri-tip.
Recipe type: Dessert
Author: Williams-Sonoma
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 10 hours
Total time: 10 hours 30 mins
Serves: 12
The brisk, refreshing taste of lemon is always welcome after a meal. In this velvety ice cream, creme fraiche contributes richness and a flavor reminiscent of cheesecake.
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 lemons
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream
- In a nonaluminum saucepan, combine the half-and-half and cream. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest of 1 lemon in long strips. Add to the cream mixture. Place over medium heat and bring just to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, grate the zest from the remaining 2 lemons. In a food processor, combine the sugar and grated lemon sest and process until well mixed. In a bowl, combine the egg yolks and lemon sugar. Whisk until pale and smooth. Slowly whisk in the hot cream, then return the mixture to the saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture visibly thickens and coats the spoon, about 4 minutes. Do not allow it to boil or it will curdle.
- Remove from the heat and stir for 1 minute. Let cool for 15 minutes, then whisk in the creme fraiche. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 8 hours.
- Strain the mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. To serve, scoop the gelato into serving dishes. Makes about 1 1/2 quarts.
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