ICE CREAM CAKE

As promised for a ninth birthday, with a Mario theme. This thing was a beast, and I thought it would last forever, but that top picture is all that survived the party.

I melted and blended butter, sugar, and nestle's semi-sweet chips in a double boiler, and softened a gallon and a half of ice cream. I used plastic wrap to line the pot I usually use to make spaghetti, and alternated crushed oreos, my home fudge sauce, mint chocolate chip and chocolate ice cream until it was full. Hood Mint Chocolate Chip for preferece; they used shaved chocolate rather than chunks, so they don't melt way after the ice cream into a ball of cold chocolate in your mouth.

Served with hot fudge.

Egg Garotte

I'm not just crazy about good knives: I'm crazy about optimum cutting. In the case of hard boiled eggs -- which I make for my son every morning -- they stick to any knife.

To that end, I made this cutting wire for egg, a bit of 10 pound test line between a couple chopstick handles. Goes through eggs smooooth. The halves don't even come apart until you pull them.

The red crescent shapes behind me are devil horns I made for my son's birthday costume.

Crusty Old Man

Crusts from three different, amazing MA bakeries. There was some Pain D'Avignon from Sandwich, some Iggy's from Cambridge, and of course some Virgilios from here in Gloucester.

Throwing away bread is a sin.

So, here they are, stuffed in the toaster and smoking, and they sure don't look so bad with a couple of perfect over-easy eggs, and a jar of Garam Masala, for a little change from my usual Chinese or Thai chili sauces.

I'm Leftover. Fry me.

These were excellent when served with the Causeway's excellent lobster pie. Not so excellent after two days in the refrigerator, imprisoned in polystyrene foam.

I revived them in half a roasting tray under a low broil, frequent turning and a generous sprinkle of kosher salt. Stick to your ribs and good crunch. They didn't last long.

Chili Shakshuka

A great one pan meal. Shakshuka is a middle eastern dish, eggs poached in a tomato sauce, and there's a million versions. Here's a middle east/southwest/northeast spin (shakshuka with kosher turkey chili. Poached until the eggs have soft centers, served in the pan with herbs from the garden and fresh bread.

String 'Em High and Dry

More summer pictures. These peppers are the contents of the 'hot' bin at a friend's CSA in western mass. More than I could use at once, so I got a needle and thread and strung them up to dry. A Pretty Thing.

Bless You, Paul

I've been too busy to post lately, and I've missed it, so I'm catching up on a couple of summer pictures.

The fish here isn't just any fish; it's tuna and mahi mahi my neighbor paul caught on a charter. Any fresher and it would slap you with a fin. Knocks on the door, hands me the ziplocs, and says, 'these were caught a few hours ago'.

I seared them both with a rub of salt, black pepper, cayenne, I can't remember what else but it was pretty damned good.