Strawberry Balsamic Shave Ice

I have casually rolled my eyes and silently scoffed at the woes of fellow Seattle dwellers who have complained about the heat. I may not have joined in this pitty party before because I have been sitting comfortably in a cool-climate controlled basement while we are still in house-hunting/buying transition.

But lately my compliance with this uncommon weather has changed. I’m freaking hot. Not to mention sticky, sweaty and ready for a cool breeze so that the thought of turning on my oven doesn’t cause an instant sweat.

On a recent trip to Goodwill I struck gold. I walked out of that store with my head held high and a shave ice maker that cost me a whopping buck fifty. I knew I had found something special but little did I know how much joy and refreshment this little hand-crank machine could produce.

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Now I know you might not be as lucky as I to have such a device – so really this post becomes quite useless. But for the small percentage of you who do own such a machine – first of all we should start a club (we can work on a name later). Secondly, you’re welcome.

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And for the rest of you – run to Goodwill now and maybe you too will mine such a treasure or you could check here or here and if those options don’t sound appealing simply gaze, drool and I won’t tell if you get caught licking your screen.

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On this particular day I made a Strawberry Balsamic snow cone. Resisting the standard cloyingly sweet processed syrups I opted for the homemade variety. Using one of my many jars of homemade strawberry jam I added the contents of the jar plus a touch of water to a medium sauce pan. That simmered for a few moments until nice and saucy. The jam/syrup was then strained and cooled.  The balsamic vinegar was reduced to the consistency of syrup that coated the back of a spoon like a thin Spring jacket – the kind that are more for ‘look’ than actual practicality.

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So there you have it, a delicious but useless – unless you have the machine – recipe that gets two little but eager thumbs up from my official taster of all things sweet.

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Apricots

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Sometimes I take pictures with the intention of turning them into paintings. Sadly I haven’t produced a painting since my two little boys arrived but when I do get around to cracking the seal on the ol’ tubes of acrylic I have a mighty supply of subjects to chose from.

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My love for apricots began with the first bite of my mother’s perfectly tart apricot pie. Even then I loved that the sweetness was a faint whisper letting the floral aroma and cheek-biting tart flavor steal the show.

We are in the midst of apricot season and I have made several batches of roasted apricots that have accompanied my morning oatmeal, panna cotta or have gone straight to my mouth. Currently in Seattle we are also in the midst of a record breaking heatwave and we are being downright wimpy about it.

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Sadly I haven’t cracked the knob on my oven since last week leaving my longing for more apricots. Of course I could eat them fresh but I have to admit something to you, my dear friends, fresh apricots don’t do much for me. Whatever the little oven magicians do to them while roasted is just that – magic.

The flavors concentrate imparting a mellow sweetness and a sour sharpness that my tastebuds scream for. The texture is similar to that of jam making them the perfect addition to buttered toast.

So while I have to wait until this heat dies down before I venture away from the oscillating fan the least I can do is to encourage all of you to stock your kitchen with apricots.

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My new favorite book, “The Flavor Bible”, by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg suggests pairing Apricots with custards, honey, lemon, orange, cardamom, cayenne, white chocolate, vanilla, yogurt, vinegar (red wine), mascarpone, rosemary, chamomile, lavender, pistachios…. just to name a few. Obviously you wouldn’t combine all those flavors at one time but this just gives you an idea of how versatile this little fruit is.

Others who understand the delight of apricots:

Apricot Bar-b-que sauce from Cupcake Muffin

Roasted Chicken – Brie and Apricot Panini from Good Life Eats – Now that sounds incredible!

Dried apricots make their way into Rebekah Denn’s Sexy Striptease Stew

Baked Apricots with Almond Paste from Piggy’s Cooking Journal

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