The Bitten Word

Frozen Chocolate-Mousse Trifles

Everyday Food (June 2011)  

When summer starts to set in, and the mercury creeps up toward triple-digit temps, there's really only one necessary ingredient for a great summer dessert: goosebumps.

A terrific summer treat should be a spoonful that's spine-chilling and skin-tingling -- a spoonful that makes you forget, just for a minute, how oppressively hot it is outside.

We're talking about something exactly like these Frozen Chocolate-Mousse Trifles. If you're looking for goosebumps, you've found 'em.

Orange-and-Ale Vinaigrette

Food & Wine (June 2011)

Want to know how to instantly make any recipe scream "summer"?

Just add beer. 

That was the case with Beer-Baked White Beans. There's nothing landmark about the recipe, but something about cooking those beans in beer made them not only delicious, but also so absolutely appropriate for a summer barbecue. 

It's the same story here, with a salad dressing made from our favorite ale.  

Garden Update: First Harvest (and First Casualties)

An Update on Our Backyard Garden

Previously on "Garden Wars"....

Our little seedlings were chugging along. Some of them had been transferred to the garden. Others were waiting for the big trip to the backyard. 

Well, a lot has happened since then!

Some plants are thriving. Others have died (moment of silence, please). And we've even harvested a few things. 

Our little seedlings all matured and were transplanted out to the yard. Here's where things stand:

Ice Cream Bonbons

Food & Wine (June 2011)

We spent most of Memorial Day weekend cooking.  

Well, that's not exactly true. We spent the entire weekend eating, with some cooking thrown in. See, Zach's mom came to town, and we used it as an opportunity to hit a lot of great restaurants -- but also to cook as many dishes as we could muster.

We made amazing eggs with a fresh garlic scape pesto, a few desserts we'll share, some way out-there pancakes, a crazy salad dressing, and the Grilled Mussels we posted about earlier. 

For actual Memorial Day, we headed out to Annapolis, Maryland, to see Zach's sister and her family for lunch. She had requested that we bring the Beer-Baked White Beans. We didn't have to be asked twice -- we jumped at the chance to make them again! They were just as good as the first time. We even made a double batch, so we're still eating them this week. 

But we also wanted to take something sweet to Annapolis, so we used it as an opportunity to try out these Ice Cream Bonbons. 

Perhaps we should have just stuck with the beans...