Ice Capades

I probably think about ice more than the average person. Yes, ice; that naturally occurring phenomenon of water reaching 32° Fahrenheit (or 0° Celsius) degrees and transforming into a solid state of matter. It’s incredible, if you stop to consider, how humans have managed to harness this power and put it in the hands of anyone with access to electricity. If you have a working freezer, you already have ice, wanted or not, chilling on the shelves. So ubiquitous that it’s not even considered as a component of a recipe, lower on the ingredient hierarchy than the optional salt, it’s an insult that this modern marvel gets such disrespect.

I won’t bore you with a glacially slow history of ice. Rather, I want to highlight how cool ice really is, and how the quality of ice has a huge impact on the overall eating and drinking experience. I may or may not be able to chill out on the puns, but good ice is snow joke!

Quality AND Quantity

Much as been made in recent years about the volume of ice in drinks. Increasingly price-conscious consumers see all that space in their glasses taken up by flavorless frozen water and are crying foul. Where’s the rest of the order that should theoretically occupy that void?

The thing is, that’s not the way an iced beverage works. Ice, by design and by nature, melts. A properly composed drink takes this into account, factoring in the amount of dilution ice will cause and calibrating the concentration of the added liquid accordingly. That’s why a good iced latte is made with strong espresso, while iced coffee should be poured over coffee cubes to maintain the same bold flavor.

Certain cocktails are just a mixture of liquors; without a good measure of ice, that would be straight firewater. In other cases, when a stronger drink is desired or more juices and syrups are involved, that’s where cocktail shakers come in handy, straining out the excess ice to prevent the flavor from changing beyond a certain standard.

The shape and size of the ice makes a big impact on the amount that should be used as well.

Shaping Up Nicely

Being that it’s the frozen state of liquid H2O, ice can be in any shape imaginable. I personally own at least three or four dozen different ice cube trays that range from hearts to skulls and everything in between. In terms of common makes and models, there’s still a dizzying array of ice to cut through. The biggest differences have more to do with the freezing method than the final form.

  • Crescent Ice: These are half-moon cubes that home freezers with built-in ice makers churn out 24/7. I have little opinion about them, personally. They do their job dutifully, unbothered by aesthetics. These will always be cloudy. (More on that later.)
  • Bullet Ice: If you host a lot of parties and need to keep the ice flowing, you probably have a stand-alone ice maker that delivers these cylinder-shaped pieces on demand. They’re formed on metal tubes, with frozen water building up around the sides, creating an indentation in the centers.

  • Nugget Ice: Known by some as “Sonic Ice,” these are the gold standard for chewable ice. Thin sheets of ice are frozen and scraped together repeatedly to form compact, 1-cm bites that have a similar texture to hard shaved ice. Nugget ice machines sit in the upper price range for most consumers, but there’s a very affordable loophole. If you have a Sonic location nearby, you can buy a 10 lb bag of packed ice from the drive-thru for around $3 – 5.
  • Square Ice: These familiar 1-inch cubes are the workhorses of the bar. They chill drinks effectively without melting too quickly, making them ideal for a wide range of cocktails. Larger cubes, about 2 inches square, melt slower than standard cubes, perfect for sipping on neat liquors or spirit-forward cocktails on the rocks without watering them down.

  • Spherical: Seamless round orbs add a touch of sophistication to any drink. Spheres have a smaller surface area compared to their volume, so they melt even slower than large square cubes. Plus, it’s hard to beat that visual appeal.

Clear As Day

Perhaps you’ve noticed that the ice cubes from your home freezer or ice maker are cloudy, whereas they’re perfectly clear in most restaurants and cafes. What gives? For such a simple question, the answer is a bit complicated.

Cloudy ice can contain minerals and trapped air, which can impart unwanted flavors and textures. However, even if you start with purified water, boiled tap water, hot water, or cold water, the very same hazy finish comes to the fore. The issue stems from microscopic air bubbles trying to get out as the water molecules draw tighter and tighter together. Household freezers pump out cold air from all sides to work more efficiently, setting the outer layer of water first, which then traps all the air bubbles in the center. The only way to ensure complete clarity is through directional freezing.

There are gadgets and DIY solutions to make your own directional freezing chamber, but I won’t lie, it takes a lot of patience and freezer real estate to work.The basic idea is that you insulate all but one side of the ice you’re creating so it’s forced to freeze only from the top down. You can then cut off the impurities than end up at the bottom.

I adore clear ice, notice and appraise it every time I order a drink at the bar, but this is too much of a commitment, even for me. Some things are best left to the professionals.

Frozen Assets

This isn’t even the tip of the iceberg. We could still talk about crushed ice, luxury ice stamps, hand-carved artisan ice cubes, reusable ice cubes or “whiskey stones,” herbal and floral infused ice cubes, shot glasses made from ice… You see what I mean? Before hell freezes over, I should probably wrap things up.

Does anyone really need to think this much about ice? Maybe not. You don’t need to be an ice fanatic to enjoy it, as all people should be so fortunate on these brutal summer days. Even cloudy crescent ice is still good ice in my book. Just take a closer look next time you pour yourself a drink and appreciate what’s in your glass.

Hannah (BitterSweet)6 Comments

Kiss And Tell

Lemon zest has become my new garlic. By which I mean, there’s no such thing as too much. If a recipe calls for a teaspoon, or pinch, or even just as an optional addition, you’d better believe I’m not going to stop zesting until that whole lemon is bald. Unlike garlic, this applies to everything, both sweet and savory (although truth be told, I have bridged that gap for the former, too.)

While there’s never a bad time for dark chocolate, I’ve been craving something lighter, brighter, and breezier. Lemon-Kissed Raspberry Bark is the answer. Invigorating lemon zest cuts the sweetness of white chocolate alongside tart freeze-dried raspberries, delivering a burst of high-contrast, full spectrum flavor in every bite.

Minimal Effort, Maximum Enjoyment

Like any good bark, be it of dark or white chocolate, half its beauty lies in its simplicity. All you really need are three basic ingredients, plus optional salt and sprinkles, because life is better with both. Then, it’s just one bowl, one spatula, and a microwave that stands between you and your prize. No fancy equipment or complicated steps are involved. Even on a hot summer’s day when the kitchen is a less inviting place, it’s an ideal dessert to either share or hoard.

A Zest For Life

Don’t even think about cutting back on the lemon zest. The only acceptable modification is to swap it with another citrus. Orange or lime zest are equally suitable understudies, but don’t forget more unconventional options like yuzu, buddha’s hand, pomelo, makrut lime, and of course, any combination of the aforementioned fruits, too. The raspberries may seem like the star of the show, but it’s really the zest that makes it a winning production.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)3 Comments

Baby Talk

Not a miracle of modern technology or ancient history, baby corn occupies a strange space on today’s dinner plate. That is, if it makes the plate at all. Rarely do they appear in recipes outside of the Asian culinary canon, relegated to the odd Chinese-American takeout box, drenched in a sticky, sweet sauce. Most consumers would be shocked to learn that baby corn exists outside of cans, despite the obvious logic that it must grow somewhere, beyond a tin foil tomb. It’s time to pull baby corn off the shelf and put it at the center of the plate.

What Are Baby Corn?

True to name, baby corn are, in fact, whole corn cobs, picked before they’re fully mature. This is exactly the same breed of sweet corn tossed on the grill, slathered with butter, and shucked all summer long. At this early stage, the entire vegetable is fully edible because the cobs haven’t fully developed. Though the growing process is the same, baby corn are comparably more expensive than adult corn because they must be picked by hand, making them much more labor-intensive to harvest.

Cutting corn from the stalk early explains their mild flavor as well. Baby corn don’t have as much time to develop sweetness, making them more starchy and crisp than anything else. That crunchy texture is a great asset that makes them such great candidates for quick cooking or no cooking at all.

Unclear Origins of Baby Corn

Surprisingly little is known about the exact history of how baby corn came to be a worldwide sensation. Corn itself boasts an ancient lineage, dating back thousands of years to its domestication in Mexico. However, the practice of harvesting immature corn cobs seems to be an innovation that blossomed in Asia. Today, Thailand is the leading cultivator of this miniature vegetable, but there are scant records of how and when it made the leap.

How To Cook Baby Corn

The subtle, fairly neutral flavor of baby corn makes it endlessly versatile. It can slip right into pretty much any dish, shine when seasoned with any array of spices, and play nicely with any accompaniments.

  • Before you hit the kitchen, why don’t you go ahead and just take a bite, as is? That’s right- Raw baby corn is fully edible, and quite tasty! If you’re fortunate enough to have access to a great Asian grocery, or perhaps a boutique produce market, you can find raw, fresh baby corn. It’s an excellent addition to salads, crudité platters, spring rolls, and much more, no heat required. Canned baby corn can also be enjoyed sans heat, but may have a slightly more metallic taste, for obvious reasons.
  • Pickling is a truly underappreciated approach for preparing baby corn. Treat them as you could green beans or asparagus packed in tall glass jars, bathed in your favorite brine du jour. Salty, vinegared, and just as crisp as ever, pickled baby corn are fun garnishes for cocktails or addition to relish trays.

  • Soups, stews, and braises bring out their more tender side, embracing the more starchy side of baby corn. No matter how long they’re cooked, it seems, they retain a firm bite, lending a satisfying textural contrast to any long-simmered preparation. Most baby corn are grown in Thailand, so it makes good sense that they’re an ideal addition to creamy coconut tom kha or spicy tom yum.
  • Roasting, baking, or air frying are all great options using intense, dry heat to brown the surface and add more textural interest. This method enhances caramelization, coaxing out their inherent sweetness and bringing a subtly nutty flavor to the fore.

  • If you’ve ever had a beer-battered baby corn, you know that deep frying them could very start a new craze. What isn’t better when coated in a savory, crunchy, lightly salted crust? Dip them in marinara or ranch dressing just like any other hot appetizer in that range to make a foolproof, crowd-pleasing snack.
  • Yes, of course, there are stir fries. Notice I saved this for last? I didn’t even need to bring this one up for it to resonate, but I’d implore you to think beyond basic vegetables and noodles. Given the Indo-Chinese treatment, Manchurian baby corn is a sweet-and-spicy departure from the norm, while still paying homage a time-honored combination. Try slicing it into tiny rounds and add it to any chaat, fried rice, or dry curry for that matter, too. You can’t go wrong with a simple stir fry, but you can go very right by trying something new.

Small Bites, Huge Potential

Baby corn stands as an open invitation to explore the vegetable kingdom, even for the travel-weary. A departure from the norm but still well within the realm of known produce, there’s always a can within easy reach. Go ahead, grab one, and try something new. It’s not a gamble to bet on the culinary potential of this intriguing miniature cob.

Hannah (BitterSweet)4 Comments

No Bake, No Sweat

Soaring temperatures are a given on a typical summer’s day. As the mercury inevitably pushes higher, breaking new records with every passing season, the desire to spend time in the kitchen plummets proportionally. Unfortunately, those with a sweet tooth know that nothing will quell the craving for a satisfying sweet treat. It may very well be raining fire because unless it’s an actual apocalypse, dessert still must be served- And in that case, perhaps even more so.

Why is it so hard to just get motivated and make the same tried-and-true staples that always hit the spot? Chocolate chip cookies are foolproof, but this simple indulgence takes on a greater level of complexity when you factor in the unique stumbling blocks of summer. There’s the basic issue of turning on the oven, subjecting oneself to a punishing sauna even more brutal than the sun’s rays, and the time it takes for preheating, baking, and finally cooling down draws the suffering out to an interminable torture.

It’s also been proven that we’re less ambitious and productive during these midyear months, beckoned away from work by tempting beaches, hikes, or just lazy afternoons with friends. This is when most people go on vacations, after all, whether that’s a physical journey or just a mental respite. Convincing yourself to work harder while everyone else has all the fun is a losing battle that no one really should have to fight.

Want to end any sweltering day with a flourish? Pull out a towering icebox cake, layered with ripe, lightly spiced peaches, whipped coconut cream, and softened graham crackers. Despite the name, there’s no cake here and it doesn’t come out of the freezer! Rather, this old-school moniker came from an age when the only source of refrigeration was from a poorly insulated box, much like a picnic cooler, stuffed with rapidly melting ice. This modern take on no-bake cake will come as a happy surprise when it lands on the table, ready to slice and serve with minimal effort.

So go ahead, take it easy. Escape the heat, simplify your menu, but perish the thought of skipping dessert. No-bake desserts exist for just such occasions, rewarding a minimum amount of effort with sweet gratification.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)4 Comments