Among the many blogs and contests that my husband follows as an illustrator is a website called Illustration Friday. Each week this site puts out a new topic and challenges artists to illustrate and submit their interpretation of it. One winner is chosen every Friday. There's no real prize for winning, except the glowing satisfaction that you did, and of course your illustration receives the honor of being displayed on their website for all the world to see, which is pretty cool in and of itself when you're trying to gain recognition for your work and make a name for yourself. But I imagine that, even if you don't win regularly, it's still a good thing to participate in because it keeps you drawing, keeps you stretching your skills and your creative ways of thinking.
Recipe: Peach Gelato
Well, this past Friday's topic was "dessert". And here is the winning image:
Cute, huh? It was submitted by Joanna Pass, a self-taught (impressive!) artist from the UK.
Jake had intended to submit a piece for the "dessert" theme, but things got crazy this week, and he didn't finish it in time. Still, I'll show you the unfinished illustration because I like it and it makes my mouth water for ice cream.
There was more he wanted to do with it, of course, but even as is - the way the chocolate is running down into the strawberry scoop, which looks so creamy you can almost smell its fruity sweetness - doesn't it make you nostalgic for those special summer visits to the ice cream parlor as a child?
I love ice cream, but lately I've been all about some gelato. (I think it started with my trip to San Francisco's North Beach, where the Italians make it right!) Gelato is, of course, very similar to regular ice; from what I understand, the main differences can be attributed to a few differing ingredients and to the fat content, but it's the texture that makes the difference to me. Mmmm...You just have to try it for yourself to understand - which is why I'm giving you just such an opportunity!
Originally, I thought I would post a recipe for chocolate gelato, or vanilla - one of the traditional flavors featured in Jake's illustration. But come on. It's September. And everybody knows September means the end of summer - which equates for me with the end of peach season. Therefore, to help you say a last farewell to hot days, blue skies, and lightweight cotton sundresses - here you are, a recipe for peach gelato. You don't even need an ice cream maker for this one. So, my advice? Go sit out on the back porch, close your eyes, listen to the birds cooing in the trees, and savor all the sweetness between the spoon and your tongue as the last of summer melts away...
Recipe: Peach Gelato
Total time: 20 minutes, plus 2 1/2 hours freezing time
Servings: 6 to 8
Note: This technique, which skips the ice-cream machine, was taught by Sicilian chef Ciccio Sultano, singled out by Gambero Rosso as one of Italy's great young chefs, when he cooked at Valentino last year as part of their 30th anniversary celebration. It couldn't be easier, but the fresh peach flavor is astonishing. The texture should be somewhere between soft-serve ice cream and dense, chewy traditional gelato. Depending on the sweetness of your peaches, you may want to add more sugar.
Servings: 6 to 8
Note: This technique, which skips the ice-cream machine, was taught by Sicilian chef Ciccio Sultano, singled out by Gambero Rosso as one of Italy's great young chefs, when he cooked at Valentino last year as part of their 30th anniversary celebration. It couldn't be easier, but the fresh peach flavor is astonishing. The texture should be somewhere between soft-serve ice cream and dense, chewy traditional gelato. Depending on the sweetness of your peaches, you may want to add more sugar.
3 pounds peaches, peeled and pitted
1/4 cup sugar, or more, to taste
1/2 cup mascarpone, crème fraîche or yogurt
1. Cut the peaches into very small pieces. The smaller you cut them, the faster they will freeze and the finer the final texture will be. Arrange the peach pieces in a single layer on a rimmed cookie sheet and freeze solid, about 2 hours.
2. Put the frozen peach pieces in a food processor with the sugar and grind briefly. Add the mascarpone and pulse until the mixture is smooth.
3. Empty the food processor into a small container and freeze again, 20 to 30 minutes, before serving. If the ice cream freezes solid, simply process it briefly again before serving.
Each of 8 servings (using mascarpone): 143 calories; 2 grams protein; 21 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 7 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 18 mg. cholesterol; 8 mg. sodium.
1/4 cup sugar, or more, to taste
1/2 cup mascarpone, crème fraîche or yogurt
1. Cut the peaches into very small pieces. The smaller you cut them, the faster they will freeze and the finer the final texture will be. Arrange the peach pieces in a single layer on a rimmed cookie sheet and freeze solid, about 2 hours.
2. Put the frozen peach pieces in a food processor with the sugar and grind briefly. Add the mascarpone and pulse until the mixture is smooth.
3. Empty the food processor into a small container and freeze again, 20 to 30 minutes, before serving. If the ice cream freezes solid, simply process it briefly again before serving.
Each of 8 servings (using mascarpone): 143 calories; 2 grams protein; 21 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 7 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 18 mg. cholesterol; 8 mg. sodium.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Recipe provided by Los Angeles Times/Food
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Your comments make me happy.