SKG, Glad to have you back. I am back with my obsession "the lardo". My friend bought me 2 pounds of it. Any other recipe where I can use it? Also could you specify what Goat Cheese you recommend for the recipe you posted a few weeks ago?
Best,

Can anyone give me a coffee chip ice cream recipe? I got a Cuisinart ice cream maker a couple of years ago and have barely used it. I'd like to make some for Father's Day, and Dad's favorite flavor is coffee chip.

2 pounds of lardo!
my arteries just collapsed.

it sounds like it would be nice on really good toast. you'll need a lot of toast.

anyone know of an organic butcher in nyc?

jodie, what are you looking for? the greenmarket in union square today should have lots of organic and/or free range meats ranging from chicken, to goat, pork, beef, bison, rabbit, turkey, duck, goose, maybe some mutton and definitely some sausages

ok, i volunteered to make a champagne punch for my bfriend's bday tomorrow. about 30 people. any thoughts/recipes/HANDHOLDING?

i do enjoy having my metaphorical hand held when it comes to festive preparations!

Lisa:

I have never made a champagne punch before (not a big punch person) but did a search on epicurious - click on my name for the results. Some of them look really interesting/tasty although I'm already getting a hangover looking at some of the booze combinations.

A quick aside - after browsing the recent FSBO post on AT, I'd just like to say, I appreciate how friendly and helpful the people that post here on AT:Kitchen are. Every city has its pros and cons, and NYC is the best city in the world...for SOME people, not ALL) - the great thing is that we all need to eat and in this digital "here", we all love to do it!

Cheers!

Lisa
I made a champagne punch many moons ago for a v.large group. It was quite simple, involved sliced strawberries which gave it a pretty look, with its slight pink hue.
It's from an old cocktail recipe book I have at home in case recipe interests you (I didn't see anything similar in minipanda's links).
LED - I'm wondering if you're looking for a recipe for coffee ice cream with choc.chips or with actual chopped coffee beans in it?

Happy weekend cooking everyone, let us know what great stuff you're making!

lisa, if you put in enough champagne, they won't care about the punch. ;)

i love bellinis. how about a gigantic bowl of 'em?

I have two basil plants in my windowsil now. How big does it need to get until I can starting using it? Each plant has about 8 leaves now.

laura dot,
you can 'pinch' basil, which will make it grow more bushy and abundant. When the top most 2 leaves look like they are big (enough), pinch them off right where the leaf meets the stem. You'll see tiny little leaves at that leaf-stem spot--they will then grow. Keep pinching off the big leaves and you'll keep getting more.

Basil will flower really easily, and if you pinch off the flowers when you see them coming, that will extend the life and flavor of the plant. (once it fully flowers the stem gets woody and the leaves get more bitter.) The flowers should appear at the same spot as those top most 2 leaves.

good luck!

thanks for the linky, minipanda. Leeds, if you do cough up that recipe, it'd be awesome. strawberry sounds about right.

though a punchbowl of bellinis sounds just fine as well....

Does anybody have a really good/different way of preparing sugar snap peas? I kind of overdosed on the mint/lemon zest/sesame combinations and am looking for something different.

Lisa - looked it up (book pub.date:1977!)
Strawberry Bowl:
2 bottle champagne
1 pint claret (red Bordeaux wine)
2 quarts sliced strawberries
8 oz sugar
Combine the strawberries with the claret & sugar in punch bowl. Stir gently to blend and cool for at least 1 hr. Add the champagne before serving.
(bonus recipe) Bellini Punch:
peaches
iced champagne
1 tablespoon lemon juice
sugar
Puree enough peaches to generously fill bottom of small punch bowl. Add 3 times as much champagne plus lemon juice & sugar to taste. Stir well.

Enjoy! I don't remember adding red wine, but it WAS maybe 20 yrs. ago, so memory is faulty! Maybe just added sliced strawberries. It was good, that I know; kinda hard to go wrong with champagne!

thanks so much, leedsy. i was just about to go shopping when i noticed you'd posted again. now i feel equipped!

those punch recipes sound yummy! i am definitely doing to print those out for future parties.

i've seen a great cocktail recipe book from the 70's as well...it always makes me think that there must have been some GREAT little cocktail parties going on.

Kate--for peas, I really like making Risi i Bisi, a venetian risotto-like dish--you can see pics and the recipe here (and you can skip the mint if you're over it): http://erinskitchen.blogspot.com/2006/05/going-local-risi-i-bisi-few-days-late.html

mmm thanks!

Lisa, glad to be of help! hope your gang enjoys

Kate,
L.de Medici has a recipe that seems good for: Noodles with Sugar Snaps (serves 6)-
1 lb sugar snaps, 1 lb dried fettuccine, 2 T olive oil, 1.5 cups heavy cream, 4 oz grated Fontina cheese, a handful toasted hazelnuts

Trim/string peas. Cook noodles&peas for 5 mins in boiling water, then drain & toss with the oil. Meanwhile boil cream in a pan 5 mins., add noodles with snap peas & cook stirring for a couple of mins. Arrange on platter, sprinkle with fontina, s&p to taste & hazelnuts, serve immediately.

Re my previous post, recommend the book: A Passion for Vegetables by Ms.de Medici, nice photos & recipes that use great ingredients in simple preparations (allowing flavour & freshness to shine!).

thanks ann. i was just curious if there was any butchers, preferably in the/near the east village that carried organic beef during the week. I will try the butcher in union square this weekend. Anyone know of any other places to get it?

jodie, check out the tompkins sq greenmarket tomorrow (and every sunday) for organic meats too

i don't know of any actual organic butchers in our 'hood, i usually walk over to Gourmet Garage in soho for my organic meats when i can't get to a greenmarket

ok, punch followup!

here's what i ended up combing, and even though it sound a little revolting, honestly it was well received (unless my friends are just very polite, which sadly i find highly doubtful!):

2 quarts strawberries
10 peaches
2 slices lemon
3 bottles of prosecco
1 bottle claret
1 bottle ginger beer (small bottle, did it in lieu of sugar)

i pureed together most of peaches and strawberries and reserved some to merely slice. combined everything save the prosecco, which i added when i got to the birthday girl's house.

thanks for your help!

Thanks kwj. Those are very clear instructions.

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