And...back to Pearwise! Apologies for the very long hiatus, but other things have been taking up my time. Let's try this again and see how it goes.
For quite some time, I've wanted to make the Michigania Mint ice cream I made today. It's been an adventure many steps in the making. To start, you need to know (as many of you already do) that I've spent some part of almost every summer of my life at Camp Michigania, the University of Michigan's alumni family camp on Walloon Lake in northern Michigan.
Step one in our journey occurs at camp when I was probably 7 or 8 years old, just beyond the furthest boats in this photo. Somebody pointed out to me then that wild mint grows on the shore by that dock. Every year I've picked a few leaves of that mint and smelled it, almost as if to be sure it was still there and verify that it really is mint.
Ok, now fast forward from my that scene in my childhood to a dinner in 2005 with a few friends. We were at Tapawingo, which has since closed but at the time was one of the best restaurants in northern Michigan, located an hour or so from camp. It was an astoundingly good meal, and one of the desserts we had was a wild mint ice cream made with local mint. It was an amazing ice cream and I decided then that I needed to make something similar.
At some point since then, I realized that the mint by the boat dock was probably similar to the mint used in the Tapawingo ice cream. I decided I could probably pick a bit of it to make ice cream, but -- for a variety of logistical reasons -- it just never happened. For most of those years, I went someplace else after camp, so couldn't really store the mint until I got home. And so forth. It never happened, but I still had the goal.
Finally, in 2016, I realized that I was going directly home from camp and could finally make the ice cream. So yesterday morning after breakfast, I picked the tops off of some of the plants. (For those concerned, I only took a few leaves off of any given plant so as not to destroy them.) I put them in my cooler in some water for the ride home.
This morning, I bruised and chopped the mint (to release its oils) and steeped the chopped leaves and stems it in a mixture of heavy cream (2 cups), milk (1 cup), sugar (3/4 cup) and vanilla (1/2 bean). I brought the mix to a near boil and steeped it for about an hour, and then cooled it in a plastic container for most of the day. Then I froze it in my ice cream maker and just gave it a try. Super yummy! I'm not sure it's up to the Tapawingo standard, but I'll take it for sure.
p.s. Some may be curious about why I went with a Philadelphia-style (i.e., not an egg-based custard) ice cream here. The reason is that, with flavors that are steeped (as opposed to, say, mixing with pureed fruit or melted chocolate), I think you can get a stronger flavor. This is because you typically steep prior to mixing with the egg yolks so a greater proportion of the liquid actually has flavor.
pearwise
A place for discussing interesting foods and flavors.
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Friday, July 25, 2014
Lemongrass Sugar Cookies
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Lemongrass Plant |
When I went to buy flowers and herbs to plant on my patio, though, there it was: a lemongrass plant at the local nursery in Chicago. It looked different from Asian lemongrass in that the stalks were thinner and more like regular grass. And when I rubbed the leaves, there wasn't much of a lemon-y scent. But I figured I'd try it and bought 2 plants.
As the plants grew, the stalks grew a bit thicker; though they're still not nearly so thick as typical Asian lemongrass. I picked a stalk just to see if it was even viable and...sure enough, it had a very strong lemongrass scent. I used it in the syrup for last week's Flying Tuber cocktail, in fact. And I had lots more plants to use, so I thought about what to do with it.
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Lemongrass and sugar in food processor |
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Completed Cookies |
I mixed that with the butter and proceeded with the recipe as described in the book. (This same technique would work for any cookie recipe that's fairly mild in flavor.)
The cookies were good. They didn't overpower with lemongrass flavor, but definitely had a bit of kick to them. The flavor was more subtle than I expected, and kind of hung in the background. It could possibly benefit from some citrus zest or maybe even ginger or another aromatic to make it pop. As I think about it, I might try mixing some lemongrass into a ginger snap recipe. Hmmmm... stay tuned!
Monday, July 14, 2014
The Flying Tuber: A Party Cocktail
I was recently faced with a minor challenge. My sister proposed that we throw a surprise party to celebrate our uncle's recent 50th birthday. Ok, no problem. I'm always game for prepping food and drinks. The challenge was that she wanted to do it at Camp. "Camp?" you may be wondering. "Aren't you a little old for camp?" Well, in our family and some others, the generic "camp" means Camp Michigania, which is the University of Michigan Alumni Association's family camp on beautiful Walloon Lake in northern Michigan. For an embarrassing number of years, our family has spent a week there each summer with more-or-less the same people doing more-or-less the same things every year. It's a reliably amazing week, but I digress.
The challenge this presented was that we had to do the party with no refrigeration apart from a couple coolers and a nearby ice machine shared by 200 others, and no kitchen or cooking equipment at all. (Food at camp is served in a common dining hall and prepped by a kitchen staff.) One of my tasks was to come up with a cocktail that could be made en masse and served from a giant drink cooler. This presented further challenges. I have pretty high standards for myself, so wanted to make something that I'd be proud of and that people would enjoy. It also had to be something that our uncle, who is not a big drinker and enjoys beverages on the sweeter side, would enjoy. I also wanted it to be potent enough to feel like a cocktail, but not something that would wipe anybody out before dinner at family camp.
The easy part was coming up with the name. Our uncle loves to pull people behind his boat on giant inflatables, often creating waves with his wake and launching the tubers into the air. "Tuber" also has the delightful double entendre of referring to certain root vegetables, such as potatoes. Thus, it had to be a vodka-based drink [1].
With a name and liquor settled on, the next challenge was to come up with something that could be made in a big batch using relatively shelf-stable ingredients. The drink gradually took shape during a walk on a Lake Michigan beach with my friend Amy. (Whether you are concocting cocktails or not, I recommend such a stroll.) Vodka and cranberry juice are a natural pairing, of course. Lemon vodka and cranberry would have a nice tartness that could be balanced out by some sort of sweetener. Lemon also plays extremely nicely with ginger, and ginger can easily be steeped to make a spicy and sweet simple syrup [2] that can serve as the base for ginger ale. This set of ingredients seemed like a good starting point.
I then got the ingredients and did some testing with my neighbors. We agreed that it could use a bit of sweetness and maybe a bit more alcohol content. We decided to add some Triple Sec, which was a clear win. It played perfectly with the other ingredients and added some sweetness.
Almost everything was shelf stable, except the syrup. For that, I made it at home and froze it overnight in a plastic pitcher. It took about 2 days to melt in my cooler (with some ice), which was just in time for the party!
The recipe we settled on was:
1 part Absolut Citron
2 parts cranberry juice
1 part ginger-and-lemongrass-infused simple syrup
1/3 part triple sec
I'm happy to report the drink was a hit. I used 2 750 ml bottles of Absolut and almost all of it was gone after an hour or so. It was sweet enough to be enjoyable by everybody. Not dangerously potent at all. But the ginger syrup gives it a bit of a bite that keeps it, in my mind, respectable. This could also be made stronger with more vodka or maybe a ginger liqueur (like Domain du Canton) instead of the syrup. For our purposes, though, it was perfect.
[1] Yes, I know most vodka isn't made from potatoes these days. Just give me credit for the cleverness and move on, ok?
[2] Note that I used the linked recipe, but I added a couple stalks of fresh lemon grass with the ginger.
The challenge this presented was that we had to do the party with no refrigeration apart from a couple coolers and a nearby ice machine shared by 200 others, and no kitchen or cooking equipment at all. (Food at camp is served in a common dining hall and prepped by a kitchen staff.) One of my tasks was to come up with a cocktail that could be made en masse and served from a giant drink cooler. This presented further challenges. I have pretty high standards for myself, so wanted to make something that I'd be proud of and that people would enjoy. It also had to be something that our uncle, who is not a big drinker and enjoys beverages on the sweeter side, would enjoy. I also wanted it to be potent enough to feel like a cocktail, but not something that would wipe anybody out before dinner at family camp.
The easy part was coming up with the name. Our uncle loves to pull people behind his boat on giant inflatables, often creating waves with his wake and launching the tubers into the air. "Tuber" also has the delightful double entendre of referring to certain root vegetables, such as potatoes. Thus, it had to be a vodka-based drink [1].
With a name and liquor settled on, the next challenge was to come up with something that could be made in a big batch using relatively shelf-stable ingredients. The drink gradually took shape during a walk on a Lake Michigan beach with my friend Amy. (Whether you are concocting cocktails or not, I recommend such a stroll.) Vodka and cranberry juice are a natural pairing, of course. Lemon vodka and cranberry would have a nice tartness that could be balanced out by some sort of sweetener. Lemon also plays extremely nicely with ginger, and ginger can easily be steeped to make a spicy and sweet simple syrup [2] that can serve as the base for ginger ale. This set of ingredients seemed like a good starting point.
I then got the ingredients and did some testing with my neighbors. We agreed that it could use a bit of sweetness and maybe a bit more alcohol content. We decided to add some Triple Sec, which was a clear win. It played perfectly with the other ingredients and added some sweetness.
Almost everything was shelf stable, except the syrup. For that, I made it at home and froze it overnight in a plastic pitcher. It took about 2 days to melt in my cooler (with some ice), which was just in time for the party!
The recipe we settled on was:
1 part Absolut Citron
2 parts cranberry juice
1 part ginger-and-lemongrass-infused simple syrup
1/3 part triple sec
I'm happy to report the drink was a hit. I used 2 750 ml bottles of Absolut and almost all of it was gone after an hour or so. It was sweet enough to be enjoyable by everybody. Not dangerously potent at all. But the ginger syrup gives it a bit of a bite that keeps it, in my mind, respectable. This could also be made stronger with more vodka or maybe a ginger liqueur (like Domain du Canton) instead of the syrup. For our purposes, though, it was perfect.
[1] Yes, I know most vodka isn't made from potatoes these days. Just give me credit for the cleverness and move on, ok?
[2] Note that I used the linked recipe, but I added a couple stalks of fresh lemon grass with the ginger.
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Pandan Macarons

That out of the way, I can tell you about my trip to one of the great Vietnamese markets on Argyle in Chicago last weekend. There are a few of these markets, and I must confess they are growing on me. At first I found them a bit depressing because they lacked the teeming sidewalk activity and amazing tropical fruit selections in places like Toronto's amazing Chinatown. As I've explored the markets here, though, I've discovered that each has its strengths.

It also happens that I had made some macaron shells a couple weeks ago that were sitting in the freezer. (I've gotten better at these since my initial attempt, just for the record.) By a fortunate coincidence, the shells were green. (Interestingly, macaron shells typically contain no flavorings; it all comes from the filling.) So I decided to make pandan macaron filling.
To do this, I started with this recipe from a blogger. When I juiced the pandan leaves (using a blender) as described, though, the liquid that I got tasted very grassy and didn't have a strong flavor at all. I was afraid it wouldn't fully flavor the filling. I wanted more flavor. So I first used a technique often used in Asian desserts which is to steep a few pandan leaves (tied in a knot) in hot liquid. In this case, I used the coconut milk in the recipe. I also added a little bit of bottled pandan paste, which added green color.

Sunday, January 26, 2014
Meyer Lemon and Dried Strawberry Scones

Last week I made macarons with Meyer lemons (which were pretty tasty), but this only used 2 out of the 4 that come in a bag. So I had more to use. And I also had some very tasty (and tart) sweetened dried strawberries that I picked up when traveling recently. This combination of two sweet-tart flavors seemed intriguing, so I decided to try them together in a scone for brunch this morning.

One of my favorite scone recipes for modifying with additions, though, has been one from Alice Medrich's Pure Dessert. Her book is all about bringing out simple flavors from natural grains and sweeteners, so it's a bit ironic that the recipe works so well with additions. But it really does. It's also a unique scone recipe because she replaces some of the flour with stone-ground corn meal for a bit of coarseness and crunch. That coarseness seemed like an asset in this context.
Using her recipe as a starting point, I made a few simple modifications. I didn't have any buckwheat flour (which she calls for), so I used whole wheat instead. Plus I zested one of my Meyer lemons and mixed the zest into the sugar for the batter, and added about 3/4 cup of dried strawberries into the batter. I also used the juice of the Meyer lemon to make a thin powdered sugar glaze to lightly coat the tops.
The result was tasty, with some sweetness and tartness coming from both the lemon (glaze and zest) and the strawberries in their occasional bursts, and crunchiness from the corn mean. There's not a lot of sugar, so they weren't too sweet. I'd make them again, I think.
Here's the recipe (modified from Pure Dessert, by Alice Medrich):
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1.5 cups (6 oz) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup stone-ground corn meal
1/3 cup sugar (mixed with the zest of 1 Meyer lemon)
2.5 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut in pieces
3/4 cup sweetened dried strawberries.
Whisk the egg with the milk and cream; set aside.
In a stand mixer with the paddle, mix the dry ingredients thoroughly and then add the butter a few pieces at a time. Mix at medium-low speed until the butter is broken down into small (pea-sized) pieces, but is still clearly visible. Stir in the dried strawberries.
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and fold together with a rubber spatula until all the dry ingredients are just moist.
Gather the dough together, press any loose pieces into it, and put it on a floured surface (or Silpat). Press it into a disk about 3/4" thick. Slice into 8 wedges. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Place each wedge on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 425 F for 10-13 minutes, until golden brown.
Prepare a glaze of 2-3 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice and 1 cup powdered sugar. Brush over the scones once partially cool.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Early Morning at Warorot Market

On my most recent trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand, I spent most of the days cycling with a relatively early-morning start. As the best food markets often happen in the morning, this mostly precluded wandering around food markets (though we did stop at one in a village one day on our bikes). I wanted to spend more time in a market, though, so I made plans to do so on my last day, before my noon flight.




The sun wasn't yet visible, but the sky was starting to get lighter. Monks were walking around, and seemed to be leading small groups of people in some sort of prayer or offering ceremony. Vendors were now setting up in full force, with boxes and crates being moved around everywhere, trucks and motorbikes being unloaded, and stall doors being opened or uncovered. I walked past the fruit and flower vendors, and back into the market building. In this room there was a veritable sea of butchers. The next room was all about fish, fresh and dried. There were some people behind a fence (seriously) chopping coconuts.







Sunday, November 24, 2013
A White Guy Makes Idlis
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Tiered idli steamer |
One thing worth writing about, though, are idlis, which I made for brunch this morning. I discovered idlis when visiting my sister in Singapore a few years ago. To refresh your memory, idlis are small, puffy, steamed pancakes made from a combination of rice and lentils. They are popular in South India, where they are typically served with chutneys and sambar (a soupy vegetable curry with lentils) for dipping. They are both healthful and delicious. When I was last in Singapore I bought a special idli steaming pan to replicate the experience at home, which I've played with a few times.
The first thing I learned about making idlis is that there are roughly a zillion different recipes, and the goal is for them to be very soft. If you google, you'll find a ton of different recipes, mostly involving skinned urad dhal (black lentils) and at least one product made from what seems to be a discrete type of rice known as "idli rice" (available as rice, rice flour or idli rava), plus maybe a few fenugreek seeds. Some also have puffed or flaked rice. Each recipe also promises idlis as soft as your grandmother's, and much softer than those awful idlis you get at <insert restaurant or grocery store here>.
You'll also realize that these recipes were mostly written by and for people who have grandmothers that actually made idlis. They tell you to put everything in your "wet grinder," to use salt "as necessary," to wait until the batter has risen "enough," and that the temperature should be about 30 C (86 F) for things to work out. But...what if you don't know what a wet grinder is or how much salt is necessary, have no idea how much rising is enough, or live in Chicago and it's November?
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Making sambar to serve with idlis |
So I did more research. I found lots of recipes, but the most helpful description was in Sandor Ellix Katz's amazing new book The Art of Fermentation. He points out that idli batter is fermented using microbes naturally present in the ingredients and allowed to rise, and steamed once it is visibly rising (but before it is done rising so that the nutrients are not exhausted). Helpfully, he also notes that recipes vary widely in the ratio of lentils to rice, but this mostly just affects flavor and reflects the relative market prices of each item. Idlis can be made with ratios ranging from 1:4 to 4:1. And he says that, in colder temperatures, it can take up to 48 hours for the fermentation process to get going.
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Idli batter |
After some more googling, I found a recipe that seemed to have good ratios (2 cups idli rava, 3/4 cup urad dhal, 7-8 fenugreek seeds) and to break the process into fairly understandable steps. First, I soaked the idli rava and urad dhal plus fenugreek seeds, in separate bowls overnight. Then I drained the water from both bowls and combined the wet dhal, fenugreek seeds and idli rava in the food processor. I ground them until the batter was smooth, and poured it into a large bowl. I then put the bowl in a warm spot to rise overnight.
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Empty idli steamer. |
After 10 minutes or so, the idlis were ready. They look and feel fairly firm when ready, and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center. They were pretty good. And I suppose softer than my grandmother's, so a win?
To serve alongside the idlis, I made sambar and cilantro/mint chutney from Maya Kaimal's Curried Favors. This makes for a tasty and hearty meal that is -- as my friends today pointed out -- a nice alternative to heavier, egg-laden fare that is so often served for brunch.
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