Recent Fussings-About

In the past few weeks I've tried a few new (and I think exciting) flavors of frozen stuff, including iris sorbet and a Breckenridge Vanilla Porter ice cream (using, well duh, a locally brewed vanilla porter), but since scoops of ice cream aren't exactly photogenic, you'll just have to believe me.

I also came up with a new plated dessert, peach panna cotta with blueberry sauce and coriander sable (sah-BLAY... a very delicate, crumbly cookie; adding coriander was my idea but I think it works). I was looking for a simple plating that the pantry cook could manage without too much stress:

I also got a wicked new silicon mold and used it for my interpretation of strawberry shortcake: pound cake base, strawberry mousse exterior and a basil custard insert that, I gotta say, was delish.

I'm still working on the plating (shown above with a balsamic syrup) but for now I'm very happy (for once!) with the balance of flavors.

Here's a cross-section of the little guy showing the custard insert:

It's still a work in progress, but for now I'm just tickled pink, no pun intended, over my new molds. Hey, it's a tax-deductible work expense!