Cool Down on Memorial Day!

Hello all! We've finally reached Wednesday (finally...phew). While I wait for the Nashville season finale, I've been brainstorming what would be delicious on a Memorial Day table. I've come up with a few recipes that'll bring you right into summer. But...and not to be preachy...but while you're sipping your mai tais and margaritas, take a quick moment to remember why we celebrate Memorial Day. And with that...bon appetit!

For a girly drink that isn't pink...
Strawberry-Lemon Mojitos
Joaquin Simo, Death & Co.

Ingredients

• 8 lemon wedges
• 24 mint leaves, plus 4 mint sprigs, for garnish (optional)
• 4 strawberries, plus 2 halved strawberries, for garnish
• Ice cubes, plus crushed ice
• 8 ounces gold or aged rum
• 3 ounces fresh lemon juice
• 2 ounces prepared sugarcane syrup or agave nectar

Directions
In a cocktail shaker, muddle the lemon wedges with the whole strawberries and mint leaves. Add ice and the rum, lemon juice and sugarcane syrup; shake well. Strain into crushed ice–filled highball glasses. Garnish with the berry halves and mint sprigs.


A twist on a classic Memorial Day (or any holiday, quite frankly) drink...
Blackberry-Mint Margarita
Hungry Cat

Ingredients

• 8 blackberries, 2 skewered on a pick
• Ice
• 10 mint leaves
• 1 1/2 ounces reposado tequila
• 1 ounce fresh lime juice
• 1 ounce Simple Syrup

Directions
In a cocktail shaker, muddle 6 of the berries. Add ice, the mint, tequila, lime juice and Simple Syrup; shake well. Pour into a rocks glass; top with the 2 berries.


For a gourmet BBQ...
Chocolate-Covered Mint Ice Cream Terrine
Gourmet July 2007

Ingredients
For ice cream

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 1 cup packed fresh mint leaves
• 4 large egg yolks
• 2/3 cup sugar

For chocolate coating

• 3 1/2 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (preferably 70% cacao)
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon crème de menthe or 1 tablespoon sugar

Equipment: an ice cream maker; a 12- by 2- by 2-inch metal terrine mold or a 3-cup rectangular terrine or loaf pan; a small offset spatula


Directions

Make ice cream:

1. Blend together cream, milk, and mint in a blender just until minutest is finely chopped.
2. Bring cream mixture to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan, then let stand off heat 5 minutes. Whisk together egg yolks and sugar, then slowly add cream mixture, whisking to combine. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula, until custard thickens slightly and registers 175°F on an instant-read thermometer (do not let boil).
3. Immediately strain custard thourough a fine-mesh sieve set over a metal bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids. Quick-chill custard by setting bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and stirring occasionally until cold, about 20 minutes.
4. Freeze custard in ice cream maker.
5. Lightly oil terrine, then line long sides and bottom with a sheet of parchment paper, leaving at least 2 inches of overhang on each side.
6. Pack terrine with ice cream, smoothing top with offset spatula, then cover with parchment overhang. Freeze until completely firm, at least 3 hours. make chocolate coating while terrine is freezing: Finely chop chocolate (preferably in a food processor).
7. Bring water, cream, sugar, and cocoa to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in crème de menthe and chocolate, stirring gently with whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. Cool to room temperature (chocolate should still be liquid; do not chill), about 20 minutes.
8. Put a 12- by 9-inch piece of parchment on a small baking sheet (if using other than 12- by 2- by 2-inch terrine, adjust dimensions of parchment accordingly), holding it down with dabs of chocolate under each corner. Spread chocolate evenly over parchment with cleaned offset spatula, leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides. Chill on baking sheet until set, about 1 hour.

Coat terrine:

1. Remove terrine from freezer and open flaps of parchment. Run a hot knife along short sides to loosen, then invert terrine onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Remove mold and discard parchment. Remove terrine from plastic wrap and arrange lengthwise on its side on set chocolate so that bottom of ice cream is 1 1/2 inches from a long edge of chocolate. Roll up ice cream tightly in coating (still on parchment) until edges of chocolate meet, then press together so that excess chocolate and parchment are standing up like a seam (you will trim it off later).
2. Immediately freeze terrine until chocolate is firm, at least 1 hour. Starting from seam, peel parchment off both sides of terrine. Trim excess chocolate from seam with kitchen shears and trim open ends with a knife. Invert terrine onto a platter and peel parchment off top.

Cooks' notes:
Ice cream can be made 2 days ahead. · Terrine can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap once chocolate is firm. Let soften 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.

For the kids...

Peach-Vanilla Cream Pops

Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
• 4 cups sliced peeled ripe peaches (about 4 medium), or 16 ounces frozen sliced peaches, thawed
• 1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup Greek-style yogurt
• 2 tablespoons amaretto (optional)

Directions

1. Place sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Transfer syrup to a small bowl; chill. Discard vanilla bean.
2. Purée syrup and peaches in a food processor until smooth. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium pitcher; strain, pressing on solids to extract about 2 1/4 cups purée. Whisk in remaining ingredients. Divide among molds. Cover; insert ice-pop sticks. Freeze until firm. Dip bottoms of molds into hot water for 20-30 seconds to loosen pops. Remove pops from molds and serve.

For the classic palette...

Raspberry Sorbet

Tamasin Day-Lewis

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 lb. fresh raspberries (about 5 cups)
• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. In a 2-quart saucepan, bring 2 cups water and sugar to a boil, stirring to dissolve. Reduce heat to low and simmer, without stirring, to make a syrup, for 5 minutes.
2. Pour the syrup into a medium bowl, stir in vanilla extract, and transfer to the freezer to let chill for 15 minutes.
3. Purée 1 lb. of the raspberries (about 4 cups) with the syrup in a blender or food processor until smooth. Scrape the purée through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard the seeds. Stir lemon juice into the raspberry purée and pour it into a 2-quart ice cream maker. Freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions until almost set but still a little slushy, about 25 minutes.
4. Add remaining raspberries (about 1 cup) and continue freezing in the ice cream maker for about 5 minutes. Transfer the sorbet to a plastic container and freeze until completely set, about 1 hour.

Makes about 5 cups.

Happy baking!