Things I've learned so far this Summer: sipping on a glass of crisp and fruity Riesling makes hot days without air-conditioning worlds more bearable. Fish sauce is an excellent and surprisingly subtle addition to everything from sweet-leaning salads to simple weeknight pastas. It's my go-to "secret" ingredient of choice these days. Oh, and you can make a granita out of (nearly) anything liquid. Riesling spritzer granita, anyone?
San Francisco Summer weather is notoriously fickle; brisk and gray, with temperatures rarely peaking above 70 degrees, our city's weather has even been the fodder of a rather infamous saying: "The coldest Winter I ever spent was a Summer in San Francisco." That said, every once in a while we're blessed with a warm streak, and almost as if overnight, the parks fill near to the brim with crowds picnicking and basking in the ephemeral rays of sunshine.
While I'm hardly one to pooh-pooh the pleasant weather, there is a marked downside. It's almost unheard-of to have air conditioning (or heat for that matter) in this mild-weathered city, so when temperatures occasionally spike, the interior of my apartment, and many of my peers', quickly becomes oppressively hot. Now, rather than let my inner Oscar the Grouch qualities shine forth, I choose to be proactive and indulge in a variety of frozen treats and frosty beverages — it's only practical, right?
With its ease of preparation and delicate texture, granita is perfectly primed for my strategy of cooling from within. It's the perfect treat to prepare on the sort of Summer's day more suited to lounging by the fan than whiling away the hours in the kitchen. While it's not an instantaneous pleasure, the actual active time is negligible — about two minutes every hour or so until it's ready, and the results are more than worth the minimal effort. Keep reading for the low-fuss recipe.
On a recent trip to the grocery store, I caught sight of something new to the produce aisle: red currants. I'd never seen fresh red currants, and I was enamored by the dainty clusters of berries, each reminded me of a brilliant garnet cabochon. Needless to say, I brought a carton home — despite having no idea what to do with them.
After some preliminary tasting and research, it became clear that although it's possible to eat red currants out of hand, reducing them in sugar helps round out their piquancy. Ultimately, I blended their slightly tannic flavor with raspberries in a granita creating the perfect ending to an Indian Summer day. Learn one great application for red currants when you read more
Granita
A grainy sweetened ice that's flavored with fruit puree, coffee, or wine. A granita is a traditional Italian dessert and can vary widely in texture based on its freezing method. Those produced in a gelato machine have fine ice crystals, while another technique that combines freezing and scraping will give you a coarser, crystalline texture. Still others have a slushy consistency and are served as drinks. For a simple, elegant finish, try topping a fresh fruit granita with orange or lemon zest.
To round out my celebration of National Chocolate Day (really, who does make these things up?), I've decided to share with you a great, light chocolate treat. I found this in a book I picked up at a garage sale called 365 Delicious Low-Fat Recipes. Now, I'm usually not one to count my calories (I've decided if it tastes good I'll eat it, now if I could only learn moderation...), but this recipe is so simple and tasty, that you won't even realize it's low-fat. To learn how to make yummy Chocolate Ice, read more
