Living the Justopian Life

Tempting and Tantalizing Treats

I spent a lot of time with sugar and heat yesterday afternoon and the results were pretty darn incredible, if I do say so myself.

I’ve never had Salted Caramel Ice Cream, but I just had to make it after seeing the recipe in last month’s Gourmet Magazine. Yes, making ice cream takes time. It’s necessary to let the custard cool for 3 – 6 hours, but it’s well worth it.

Oh! And don’t forget to get that ice cream maker freezer bowl into the freezer so that when the craving for home made ice cream strikes, you don’t have to wait 24 hours!! The addition of salted peanuts helped cut the über sweetness of the ice cream and it’s not dessert without chocolate.

After I spent the time to make the ice cream, I wanted to test a couple of the dishes I’ve decided to make for my Julie & Juila pre-movie dinner party.

My take on Poulet Sauté aux Herbs de Provence and Pommes Ana.

I got the idea for the potatoes from the SteamyKitchen blog. I just love Jaden and her photos. I was being a little frugal in the trimming of the potatoes so mine didn’t end up like perfect cubes like Jaden’s did and that’s why, ladies and gentlemen, you should never make a dish for the first time when you’re serving company — or well, when you want to impress you guests. With the amount of potato you need to cut off to create consistent sized cubes, I’m figuring I will need 1 potato per person.

I must admit … I didn’t read the instructions, but I decided to make the potatoes as I would for Pommes Ana. It’s simple, melt butter (clarified, if you wish) and drizzle over the potatoes. When they come out of the oven brush them one last time with more melted butter. Srinkle salt and pepper to finish and if you’ve got it in the pantry, use Truffle & Salt. It will add a decadent finish to the dish.

Now, if I could just take photos as good as Jaden!

Filed under: Food, How To