Archive for March, 2012
Our Gourmet Curry: Give it a Thai
Have you had your first spring pea dish yet? What about young asparagus? Spring is most definitely here, and while you may think this season is for delicate flavors alone, think again. It’s rather simple to achieve a dish full of robust flavors without the heaviness that winter dishes can provide. Which brings us to one of our favorites: Thai curry.
Curry is a bold flavor. Even better? It’s fast and extremely versatile. So often we believe we can only get curries for $7.95 at our local Thai restaurant. But why bother when it is achieved in only a few simple steps at home? In our recipe below, we’ve also added some gelatine powder and xanthan gum for added texture and thicker consistency, as sometimes a curry sauce can look and taste more like a soup. You may feel like you’re cooking with the molecular gastronomists at New York’s WD-50 or Chicago’s Alinea, but fear not! This dish pairs wonderfully with just about everything: proteins (chicken, fish, tofu) and vegetables alike. With the added benefit of the iSi whipper, you achieve a beautiful foam that makes the dish even more fun to eat. It’s almost like biting into edible bubble wrap, bursting with the sweet, spicy and sour flavors of your favorite curry.
Red Thai Curry
Ingredients for 1 pint Whipper
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon lemongrass, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon gelatine powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest
Procedure:
Combine the lemongrass, ginger and garlic in a pan and brown for about one minute on medium-high heat. Add the red curry paste and cook for another minute until all the spices become very aromatic. Add the chicken broth (you can also substitute with water or another stock depending on your chosen protein), coconut milk and lime juice. Stir well to make sure the curry paste dissolves. Let simmer for at least 10 minutes.
Add the gelatin powder and xanthan gum (which can be found at most health food stores or even Whole Foods) and stir constantly until combined. Strain the sauce through the iSi funnel and let cool before pouring into a 0.5 L iSi whipper. Screw on two iSi cream chargers and shake vigorously after each one. Pair with your favorite protein and/or vegetables and garnish with lime zest.
Note: You can use the Gourmet Whip Plus, Cream Profi Whip Plus or Creative Whip for this application.
Post and photo by Bao Ong
Live from the International Home + Housewares Show 2012!
Welcome to our new home at the International Home + Housewares Show 2012!
You may have seen our booth last year, which was nice, but our new glowing counter looks like we’ve landed the Starship iSi in the middle of McCormick Place in Chicago—and that’s kind of how it feels too. With demos and tastings of futuristic-sounding food and drink—like microwave chocolate sponge cake with peanut butter chips, carbonated grape, and whipped cream (below)—it might seem like we’re back from the future, but it’s just our easy take on a classic PB & J with milk, any kid’s favorite after-school snack.
For a little more grown up tastes, we also served “Virgin Mary” infused celery sticks with blue cheese wiz (below). The celery sticks show off the new Rapid Infusion Technique, which you may have seen in the New York Times as Bloody Mary celery sticks.
Our hot, new, most coveted item at the show is hands down the Flex-it Mini Measuring Cup (below).
But our personal favorite at the show is meeting friends, old and new, and showing what you can easily do at home too. We’ve been so busy that we were only able to catch most of our show team together for a quick “class photo” — and yes, that’s Rick Agresta, whom you met last year! If you’re coming to the show, please stop by our booth—we’re in our usual spot (#S1224). If you did, please let us know what you thought in the comments below—and on Facebook. Thanks!
Pre-show: International Home + Housewares Show 2012
It’s that time of year again! We’re getting ready for the International Home + Housewares Show 2012—and boy, do we need coffee. But not just any coffee, we’re having edible espresso.
If you’ve been by our booth in the past couple of years you might have tasted it too. It’s our version of Èspesso, the intense coffee “foam” invented by El Bulli chef/owner Ferran Adrià for Lavazza, using our very own iSi cream whippers. We adapted the recipe for home cooks and it could not be easier. It’s nothing more than coffee, cream, sugar, and a little gelatin powder. You can find all the ingredients at any grocery store, and you don’t even need a coffeemaker, much less an espresso machine. Our recipe uses cold-infused coffee, which means you simply mix ground coffee with water and let it sit in the fridge overnight.
Could not be easier—right? But the flavor will knock you out—or wake you up, if you will. One of our favorite parts of the show—where nearly every single coffee and espresso machine in the world is serving it up—is the happy look of surprise when you taste ours.
We’ll be serving our edible “espresso” again at this year’s show, along with a whole menu we’ve been working on to demonstrate the many ways you can use our whippers and accessories at home.
We present, for your consideration, our International Home + Housewares Show 2012 Menu:
Saturday: Mash and Bangers; Peanut Butter Cake, Carbonated Grapes, and Whipped Cream
Sunday: Edible Espresso; Belgian Waffle Bites with Maple Whipped Cream; Sliders with Cheddar Cheese Wiz; Chocolate-or-Vanilla-Filled Donut Holes
Monday: Edible Espresso; Eggs Florentine with Warm Swiss Cheese; Garlic Lemon Rosemary-Infused Chicken Baguette Sammies with Warm Brie Sauce; Tabasco-infused celery Sticks with Blue Cheese Wiz
Tuesday: Edible Chai; Mini Coconut Milk Pancakes with Banana Whipped Cream; Tempura-fried BLTs
Will you be at the show? Please let us know in the comments below—and visit us at Booth S1224. Can’t wait to see you there!
Post and photo by Louisa Chu