Scooping up some pleasure

Ice-cream sandwiches: a classic summer treat. Fun, cool, refreshing.

So what if it's not summer? Sometimes a woman just needs something fun, a pick-me-up.

Chilled creaminess jammed between cookies is among the yummiest of snacks, a snack for all seasons. This includes flu season, which seems to have descended upon these parts. Flu time is precisely when one craves the sort of sandwich that's comforting, and soothing to the throat.

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Ice-cream sandwiches

Ingredients:

• ice-cream or frozen yogurt (vanilla works best)
• 2 wafers (try Dare "Simple Pleasures" Chocolate Thins)

Gear:

• butter knife
• foil wrap

Directions:

1. Use knife to smear one wafer with ice-cream. Make filling approx 3/4 inch thick.
2. Plop second wafer on top, forming the sandwich.
3. Run knife around sides, filling any gaps and smoothing uneven edges
4. Wrap sandwich in foil.
5. Place in freezer for a couple of hours.
6. Unwrap, and enjoy.

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For me, it's the contrasts that make this snack super. Crunch vs. smooth; crumble vs. cream; chocolate vs. vanilla.

Also appealing is the simplicity. Prep is a breeze and eating with fingers is liberating.

Should you wish something fancier, you can always serve these sandwiches on a plate, topping them with berry sauce. I go for raspberry, in the President's Choice brand (remember, I'm in Canada), but any high-fruit sauce will do. Be sure to dine with your finest cutlery.

Tip: When preparing more than one — always a fine idea; they'll keep — I wrap each sandwich in its own piece of foil, then pile them all into a freezer bag. Individual wrapping keeps the sandwiches less messy. Plus, there is a certain delight in each person unwrapping her own treat.

Overnighting at Cape Race

This past weekend we tripped down the Southern Shore of the Avalon penninsula (Newfoundland, Canada). Via some slapdash planning and perhaps a little fate we ended up at Cape Race, where we spent the night in our tent.

FYI, Cape Race is the site of the first wireless station in the province (1904), and the only land-based location that received the Titanic's distress call (1912). The place is predictably barren — moonscape-ish in certain spots — and notoriously windy.

After a cozy sleep and breakfast, we chatted with the lighthouse keeper, who was quick to inform us that the nighttime temperature had hit -7°C (about 19°F). Then we set out for a morning walk, north along the coast, as far as Clam Cove.

Didn't carry much gear aside from water bottles, a water filter and snacks, which were pre-selected to provide the full spectrum of protein, carbohydrate and (largely healthy) fat. Here's the breakdown: 

• homemade mix of nuts and seeds
• dark-chocolate-covered almonds
• pistachio nuts (in the shell)
• figs (dried)
• date paste (cut into cubes).

My fave among these snacks, by far, were the pistachios — although I'm not judging simply on the basis of taste or nutrition. You see, after scarfing down said nuts, we improvised games with the empty shells. I'm talking target shooting (well, flicking), spitting for distance, boat races in a meltwater stream, and other such sophistocated events.

Proof positive that snacks aren't merely a matter of pragmatics. They're fun, too.

Taking it up a level

Was searching for an hors d'oeuvre to bring to my sister's birthday party, when Eureka!, I came across this recipe for strata. I found it in "The Best of Fine Cooking" magazine, the "Breakfast" volume.

Uncomplicated concoction. And fun to make. Tasty, too, with a lovely texture.

I'm pleased to report that Birthday Girl also found the strata to be tasty. Plus, a bonus: The recipe provided enough leftovers for several small meals over the following week.

Oh, to give my strata the appearance of a fancy hors d'oeuvre, I cut it into bite-sized cubes and nestled each one in a (paper) muffin cup. Spread out on a serving platter, they looked positively elegant.

Assorted notes: 

• Fresh asparagus is tough to find around here, so I usually go with tinned. Tinned is easier anyway. For one, it's pre-chopped.
• The recipe called for ham, but as I'm not a fan (the salt, the nitrates, the fat), I left it out. You could easily unveggify this recipe, though. Bacon would make a suitable addition.
• I am a fan of wholegrains, so instead of going with the requisite white bread, I subbed in twelve-grain. In the same vein, I went with canola oil in place of butter.
• I used 2% milk and a blend of cheeses: cheddar, mozzerella and Monterey Jack.
• White mushrooms were called for, and I used 'em. They worked out fine. But I'd still suggest going with your favorite variety.

Asparagus and mushroom strata

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 4 oz mushrooms
• 6 green onions
• 1 lb aspargus (tinned)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 3 cups cheese (shredded)
• 9 large eggs
• 2 3/4 cups milk
• 1 lb twelve-grain bread
• black pepper (freshly ground; to taste)
• 2 Tbsp chili flakes

Directions

1. In oiled frying pan, lightly saute mushrooms, garlic and green onions.
2. In large bowl, whisk eggs with milk, pepper and chili flakes.
3. Cut bread into 1" cubes. Spread bread evenly over bottom of glass baking dishes (oiled; one 9x13" and one 8x8").
4. Top bread with half of egg mixture, then half of cheese, then half of mushroom mixture, then half of asparagus. Repeat.
5. Press down, so bread is submerged in egg mixture. Cover with plastic. Refrigerate 4 hours (minimum).
6. Remove from fridge. Allow to warm to room temperature.
7. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, cover with foil, then bake another 20 minutes.
8. Remove from oven. Cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

Too cheesy? Never (Part 2: Icing on the cake)

For decorating the cheesecake, I — well, my trusty companion, Fred — made a glaze by combining dark chocolate and whipping cream. (The step-by-step is below.)

Applying the glaze was simpler still. In keeping with my belief that being creative in the kitchen doesn't require stockpiling the latest and fanciest gear, we improvised a cake-decorating bag — simply by snipping one corner off of a plastic sandwich bag.

Because precision is hardly required, our decoration bag required no specialized couplers or metal tips. We just kept the snipped opening small (about one-third the diameter of a pencil).

From here, the to-do is easy: Once the glaze has cooled somewhat, spoon it into the bag. After that, simply squeeze ... and doodle your glaze across the face of the cake.

Now, the glaze recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 oz dark chocolate
• 4 oz whipping cream

Directions

• Place chocolate pieces and whipping cream in microwaveable bowl
• Heat in microwave oven (at 50% power) in 1 minute intervals, stirring in between, until completely melted
• When chocolate and cream is completely melted and mixed, spoon it into decorating bag
• Squeeze icing over the cake ... with flair.

In answer to a snacking S.O.S.

To help overcome a recent bout of foul weather, a friend bestowed an upcoming party with a "sunshine" theme. I loved the idea, but was undecided about what dish to bring.

Not exactly a life-threatening situation, but I did send out a mild distress call. Fortunately, another acquaintance jumped to the rescue with this suggestion of watermelon-feta skewers.

I confess that it was the watermelon that hooked me — sounded refreshing and totally fit the theme. Made me happy simply marching my platter over to the party, held this past weekend.

Coincidentally, "S.O.S." applies in a second way. This dish offers a brilliant combo of sweet (watermelon), oily (pesto) and salty (feta).

Here's how I made it.

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Watermelon-feta skewers

Ingredients:

• watermelon
• feta cheese
• basil pesto
• olive oil
• pepper.

Gear:

• toothpicks
• knife
• cutting board

Directions:

1. Cut watermelon (seedless, if available) into 1-inch cubes.
2. Cut feta into similarly-sized cubes.
3. Thread toothpick through watermelon cube, then through feta cube.
4. Arrange skewers on platter and garnish: 

• spoon approx 1/2 teaspoon basil pesto onto each skewer, primarily on watermelon section
• drizzle with olive oil
• sprinkle with fresh pepper.

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I am happy to report that these turned out great. So summery. And so quick to prepare.

Besides that, watermelon is one of those smart choices. It is rich in lycopene (an anti-oxidant), plus a good source of potassium and vitamins A and C.

Tip: For step 3, it's best to jab the feta while it's on the cutting board. It's much more likely to crumble if held in your fingers.

Another tip: Don't limit yourself to the red-colored flesh. The inner rind — white or light green — may be less tasty, but it's no less edible. On top of that, it holds many of the nutrients.

Too cheesy? Never

The ultimate-frisbee gals decided to celebrate the birthday of a team member, a notorious chocolate lover. So we held a surprise party for her, just last week.

Of course, we decided the party should be chocolate-themed (admittedly, not exactly a selfless decision on our part). My contribution was a chocolate cheesecake.

BTW, instead of settling for the familiar "Death by ..." moniker, I dubbed the event "Birth by Chocolate" ("Death" hardly seemed fitting, not for marking the anniversary of a birth). 

Anyhow, everybody brought a chocolate item, most of which were lovingly homemade. Shockingly — [insert gasp here] — the event served as supper for some of us.

(Remember, kids, we're professionals. Don't try this at home.  ;‍-‍) )

For the cheesecake, I used a recipe from Nigella Lawson, the famed cookbook maven. Here's the link to the recipe.

Note that for my cake base, I omitted digestive biscuits and cocoa. Instead, I used chocolate wafers.

Next time, I'll tell you how I went about decorating the cheesecake.