And That's Entertainment...

Ah yes, entertaining. We are all recovering from the holidays and possibly the last thing we would like to do is have a boat load of people over, eating your food, drinking your wine, breathing your air. Yes, it takes me a while to recover after the holidays. I just want to hole up and do nothing. Absolutely nothing. This malady can lead to isolation and 12 cats. Luckily I have three kids that force me outside to do something other than work. Then I start to get that itchy nagging feeling that.... I MUST HAVE A WINE AND CHEESE PARTAY!

The good ole fermented party. It is the perfect way to ease back into life and talking to other adults. It has to be quick and it has to be easy. I have found that just unwrapping, uncorking, untwisting stuff out of their packaging, plating beautifully plus some good tunes will equal a great time with little effort. Getting people liquored up and stuffing them with cheese and olives works.

Now, what about dessert? Good question. It cannot involve cooking or something that has to be fussed over. Answer = Gelato Cookies. They can be made in about 10 minutes and hours ahead. Don't be shy! Buy your favorite cookies or make them! Match the gelato to the cookie or the cookie to your favorite gelato.

Gelato Cookies!

Take the pint of gelato out of the freezer and let soften for about 10 minutes.

Scoop gelato out onto your favorite cookie.

Top with another cookie.

Wrap in parchment. Freeze.

Take out 5-10 minutes before serving. Place on plate and BAM! Dessert!

Holy crap that was easy! Your guests will be transported to the playground just after leaving the ice cream man! Instant childhood...with grappa.




Delicious photos by Nate

Reggie's Coffee Addiction

A gelato flavor with serious coffee for serious people, well, kind of serious, until we added booze. 

2 ½ Cups of whole milk

½ Cup of freshly roasted high quality dark roast beans

¾ Cups of sugar

5 Eggs yolks

2Tbsp of Bulliet Frontier Whiskey (small batch Kentucky whiskey) Change this if you like something else, its is what we have in the house.

You'll also need an ice cream mixer and a coffee grinder. The coffee beans should be ground at the finest setting (Turkish setting)

Combine milk and coffee (grind fresh coffee moments before adding to the milk) into a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Use the freshest ingredients you can find.  

Allow the milk to come to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes, never boil.  Take off heat and cover pan with plastic wrap.  Allow the milk to completely come to room temperature. 

Remove plastic wrap and place milk and coffee mixture back on medium heat until bubbles form on the edges of the pan.

While the milk is reheating, place the egg yolks and sugar into the bowl of a mixer. Beat the sugar and yolks until thick, light yellow and the volume of the yolks has doubled. Stop once and scrap the sides quickly.

Turn the yolks down to medium and with your mixer running, slowly add the milk. Pour carefully and  allow the grounds to pour in with the hot milk. As you come to the end of the milk, stop short of pouring all of the grounds. About 1/3 of the grounds will remain in the pan stuck to milk proteins on the bottom. 

Wash the pan quickly and dry quickly and pour the mixture back into the pan and place on medium heat.  Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon (approximately 8 minutes).  Pour directly into a bowl and place the bowl into a larger bowl containing ice and water.  Carefully stir the mixture to cool for about 5 minutes.  Be aware of the melting and sloshing water as you stir. 

Remove mixture and cover. All to cool completely and then place in the refrigerator. This is your finished gelato mixture. Gelato mix needs to “age” in order to achieve a nice smooth gelato.  Ideally, overnight is best.  

Once you are ready to have the gelato, stir in the whisky completely and place your mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to your ice cream maker’s specifications. I like to make my mix the day prior.  At a dinner party, I clear the table and place my gelato mix into the ice cream machine while I warm a rustic tart, make the coffee and put the grappa on the table. When the gelato is finished, we are ready to eat!

The gelato is very low in fat if placed in a traditional freezer, will freeze to a brick-like consistency.  It is best if you allow to melt in the refrigerator, not on the counter, and refreeze in your machine when you are ready, could be days later. The gelato is best fresh.

By Steph!