Recipes

Summer is just around the corner, and to me, nothing says summer like good old-fashioned strawberry ice cream. This recipe comes from The Homemade Pantry (Clarkson Potter, April 2012) by Alana Chernila, and while it does require an ice cream maker, I’d imagine anyone who has ever had a wedding registry would be willing to share theirs — as long as you give them a taste of this delicious ice cream! It will take just a little while to throw together, and after a few hours in the fridge and 20 minutes of churning, you will have your very own homemade strawberry ice cream.

Italians love the involtini concept—something filled and rolled. In this recipe from The Tuscan Sun Cookbook (Clarkson Potter, March 2012), Frances Mayes and her husband Edward Mayes experimented with this idea, since they had a nice firm and gigantic eggplant in their kitchen. For this dish, choose the brick-shaped part-skim mozzarella because it has less moisture. For beauty, tie the involtini with chives. Enjoy!

Today is National Chocolate Chip Day–and that is surely a cause for celebration. Who better to provide a recipe than the self-described “Guru of Ganache,” pastry chef Marcel Desaulnier. His recipe for Caramel-Banana-Chocolate Chip Ice Cream was published in The Cakebread Cellars American Harvest Cookbook by Dolores Cakebread and Jack Cakebread (Ten Speed Press, 2011).

In Cindy’s Supper Club (Ten Speed Press, May 2012), author Cindy Pawlcyn gives us this recipe for Oysters with Irish Soda Bread and Guinness Stout inspired by her holidays in Ireland.

These Chicken Paillards with Pancetta and Sage from In My Kitchen by Ted Allen are an easy way to wow a crowd, without any fuss. Delicious, flavorful ingredients (who doesn’t love pancetta?) and simple preparation make this an idea dinner party dish. With just a baguette and some salad on the side, you’ve got yourself an amazing meal!