Roasted Strawberry Ice cream

I know I have mentioned this enough on the blog, but I’ll say it again for the ones who are here for the first time – V is not a sweet tooth kind of guy. I have managed to turn him a bit but still the dessert devotee in me doesn’t think it’s enough. He is quite the health freak and the kinds who doesn’t need dessert to conclude a meal. I, on the other hand, have been known to actually eat a meal so that I do not feel guilty for having just desserts on my plate. Probably that’s why I am constantly struggling with my weight, while V actually exercises to gain weight! Some guys do have all the luck!

But, V does have a weakness. Its strawberry ice cream. That he will buy even when I am not there. Something he will eat without me having to emotionally blackmail him to eat it so that I dont feel guilty of taking a bite myself.

So, it was only obvious that I had to learn how to make at home a dessert that he enjoys so much. It also gave me a chance to inaugurate the ice cream maker for this season.

I have tried both eggless ice cream recipes and recipes with yolks and while eggless recipes are not bad, I have realized the creaminess and taste you get with a recipe that calls for making a custard with the yolks first and then churning the ice cream is far more superior than when it is an eggless recipe.

I adapted the recipe from this ice cream recipe I got off allrecipes.com. I followed the advice of a few reviewers who decreased the amount of cream listed in the original recipe and also followed the steps that one reviewer had listed since it eliminated the need to strain the custard, and also eliminated the possibility of the yolks turning into cooked egg bits, which I am always afraid I will do.

And because roasting strawberries is my new obsession, what with the local grocery store having such sweet deals on strawberries and the ease of doing so, I decided to adapt the recipe to make a Roasted Strawberry Ice cream. And believe me when I say, we have a winner here.

So silky, smooth and oh so flavorful- not trying to toot my own horn, but this is even better than store bought strawberry ice cream. This remained creamy and soft till the very end. I took it for one of my friends and her daughters. The daughter, a five year old, after tasting it said that even though she preferred other flavors, this was “deeelicious”! And I couldn’t agree more- it sure is delicious- again sorry for blowing my trumpet but a fact is a fact.

On another note, I visited one of my favorite antique stores today.

I love antique stores with their quaint things that hold so many years of memories in them. Of course they are a food blogger’s paradise, making me giddier than a kid in a candy store when I am in one. I am a sucker for vintage flatware for food photography with its beautiful patina that has a story in them that adds to the character of a photo (as if someone has used the spoon or fork for many years and will continue to do so- it might gross someone else out, but for me its like re-living someone else’s memories while making my own).

While browsing through the stuff, I chanced upon this book of poems, and thought it would be fun to pick it up. At $2 it didnt hurt to buy it. Plus, it had a rugged, used cover that attracted the photographer in me.

Now, I am not a very poetry kind of person, and always had a tough time understanding the deeper meaning of a poem when I was in school, but as I am getting older (and wiser in some respects), I am getting better at appreciating some of the words.

Flipping through the pages, I found quite a few poems that I liked but one of the best was the one I found on this folded piece of paper which probably the peson who originally had the book must have kept in the book. The poem is called “The world is mine” by Tunnyson Guyer. It reminds us to be grateful for all the small things we take for granted. 🙂 It’s a nice thought and one that you will enjoy while feasting on this ice cream!

 

Today upon a bus I saw a girl with golden hair;
She seemed so gay, I envied her, and wished that I were half so fair;
I watched her as she rose to leave, and saw her hobble down the aisle.
She had one leg and wore a crutch, but as she passed–a smile.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine;
I have two legs—the world is mine.

 

Later on I bought some sweets. The boy who sold them had such charm,
I thought I’d stop and talk awhile. If I were late, t’would do no harm.
And as we talked he said, “Thank you, sir, you’ve really been so kind.
It’s nice to talk to folks like you because, you see, I’m blind”.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine;
I have two eyes—the world is mine.

 

Later, walking down the street, I met a boy with eyes so blue.
But he stood and watched the others play; it seemed he knew not what to do.
I paused, and then I said, “Why don’t you join the others, dear?”
But he looked straight ahead without a word, and then I knew, he couldn’t hear.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine;
I have two ears—the world is mine.

 

Two legs to take me where I go,
Two eyes to see the sunset’s glow,
Two ears to hear all I should know,
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine;
I’m blest, indeed, the world is mine.

 

Note:

In case you do not own an ice cream maker , see the intsructions here to make your own ice cream at home

And since I have been a little crazy about GIF images lately, I thought I would do one for this post as well. Since I don’t know how to use photoshop to make GIF images and actually rely on gifninja.com, please excuse the quality .

It also shows a little (or maybe I just need an excuse to put the GIF) on how I shot the second shot in this post – the towering scoop shot. I took 5 scoops of ice cream before hand and froze them separately on parchment paper. Two were extras, just in case something happened to the three main ones. Before shooting, I placed a stand in light pink cloth, and with the camera on the tripod, adjusted the settings of the camera till I got it right. When ready to shoot, I placed one scoop, and released the shutter. Then I carefully placed the other on top of the first and repeated the same and so on and so forth. When shooting ice cream it helps to freeze your props also sometimes so that the ice cream takes a little longer to melt. I didn’t need to do so, because it wasn’t as hot in the house that day.

And here it is my new GIF image obsession.