What to never eat with dinner: anything with tarragon

Last night I decided to make the Wild Rice and Pine Nut Salad and the Honey-Soy Glazed Salmon, both from past issues of Real Simple.  The salmon itself is extremely easy, and I guess it should be when you are just broiling some fish that has been salted/peppered for a few minutes, topping it with a tablespoon of honey and soy sauce and broiling for a few more minutes. I don't read recipes in advance, even though I should, and as I was mixing together the honey with the soy, I realized they listed honey as 1 tablespoon and soy sauce as 3 teaspoons.

They equal the same thing.  Thanks, MAGAZINE.

Moving on to the wild rice and pine nut salad combo.... tarragon is disgusting.  I wish, like reading recipes, I had tasted the ingredients.

I knew as I was cutting into the tarragon that it smelt sort of disgusting, like licorice, but I was already too committed. It was a mistake I will not make again. It was gross as hell.  Thank god for the toasted pine nuts.

Tarragon = hell no.

Lemon Icebox Cheesecake: Conquered

I wish I could have done a better job with the marbling of the remaining lemon curd (there was so much extra!), but the texture of the cake was pretty divine.  I was also worried about working with gelatin for the first time, although I'm not sure you can fuck up gelatin.  Then again, I am always, and I mean ALWAYS, surprised when people fail at baking - assuming they are reading directions and following recipes.

Once an old co-worker, who was terrible at life, brought in homemade chocolate chip cookies and they tasted, looked like and had the texture of dirt.  Straight up DIRT.  I vowed never again to eat a co-worker's baked goods unless they looked like an amateur version of the recipe.  I have held true to this since those terrible cookies, and that was probably three years ago.

Five of my co-workers and friends, however, happily noshed on a third of this cheesecake, and Adam ate not one, but TWO slices, and homey never eats my baked goods unless they are baked with pure milk chocolate or from a box. True story. When I am in the spirit, I make all kinds of goods, and he eats one forkful and asks where the funfetti is.

Also, I need a pie pedestal.  This was placed on parchment inside a Pyrex pie plate and then covered with another fluted Pyrex pie plate. Does the same job, but nowhere near as beautiful.

Good Riddance, Summer!

Aside from the false nostalgic feeling of freedom that summer provides (last time I checked, I still had to go to work on the regular), I could give a shit less about this season and I long for the days I can see my breath outside.  Soon enough, friends.  I am also more willing to spend time in my kitchen, and that is a win win for everyone.

I will be making the South Indian Lentil Cakes with Raita tomorrow and doing much of the prep work at some point tonight, but today, on my glorious day off, I made the Lemon Icebox Cheesecake.  My fingers are like prunes - lemony scented prunes.  I haven't really baked in a while, aside from a chocolate pie a few weeks ago as a goodbye/"good riddance" for someone, and I was watching Cook's Country from America's Test Kitchen and got momentarily inspired!

Unfortunately, you can't get their recipes unless you pay for a membership.  Their show is on public television.  What the fuck?  I stumbled across a few bloggers who had their own "Jennifer's Lemon Icebox Cheesecake, adapted from the ATK version" (again, what the fuck?) before I found the exact copy, located here.  Thank the baking heavens!

The recipe is broken down into five parts:
1. MAKE CRUST
2. MAKE CURD
3. SOFTEN GELATIN
4. MAKE FILLING
5. CHILL CHEESECAKE

MAKE CRUST

MAKE CRUST

MAKE CURD

MAKE CURD: butter, heavy cream and lemon juice in a delightful dish that reads "GREAT LAWN" 

MAKE CURD

MAKE CURD

MAKE CURD

MAKE CURD: Anyone else feel compelled to clean the bowl/pan as much as possible to prevent losing any precious goods?

MAKE CURD: Better strain them shits. 

FINISH CURD

MAKE FILLING: Get inspired

MAKE FILLING 

CHILL CHEESECAKE

We'll see how it turns out later this evening and/or tomorrow.

Also, while googling America's Test Kitchen related stuff, I found this awesome three-entry blog, http://christopherkimballisabitch.blogspot.com/.  I'd like to close this ATK inspired entry with the following:

The glasses. What's up with those?

I'm not fond of Mr. Kimball's eyeglasses. They enhance the overall "I'm a hypercritical, upper middle class, New England foodie turd" look and feel of the Christopher Kimball image. New England isn't that great by the way. I've been there.