Banana Ice Cream

There can never be enough bananas in the house for my boys who love all kinds of fruit. But for some reason this week, either because they overlooked them or my husband bought just far more than they could possibly eat, some bananas got too ripe sitting in the fruit bowl.

Of course using these in cake or muffins are the first thing that came to my mind but then I remembered my recent trip to Brazil and the wonderful ice cream I had there. So I decided to make banana ice-cream. Can you tell I am still thinking wishfully of summer?

Dreamy Fig Ice Cream

As you certainly must know by now, one of the things I enjoy most when visiting new places is the more unusual food unique to each destination. And, believe me, Morocco has a lot more to offer beyond tagines and couscous.

Tuile Cups with Super Lemon Ice Cream

I've mentioned cooking club in earlier posts and promised to reveal more later. So, with this post I'm fulfilling my pledge. I've wanted to form some kind of a cooking club for a very long time. Finally, earlier this year, my vision came to life in the form of the Halal Gourmet Cooking Club. I structured the club in such a way that we meet socially every six weeks to celebrate some kind of unique culinary experience. We meet at a different members' home each time and this person hosting is charged ahead of time with selecting a theme and designing the menu. Participants receive a copy of the complete menu from the hostess a few weeks prior to the actual soiree and each is assigned a course to test, create, and adapt so that it meets strict Islamic halal standards. Not only does this allow each member the fun opportunity to plan an exotic menu but along the way everyone gets a chance to delve into the new cooking experiences that come with each meeting's theme.

Spinach and Goat's Cheese Risotto & Strawberry Gelato

As a busy mama of four I am becoming somewhat of a kitchen-gadget guru. My schedule is such that I need all the help I can get. My latest purchase was an ice-cream maker, so expect a lot of frozen-treat recipes this summer! But my most useful, can’t-do-without gadget (if it can be called that) is my pressure cooker. It's not one of those fancy digital ones that you find at Macy's and other super stores. No, it's old-school style which I find just lovely because not only does it do the job, it conjures beautiful memories of Brazil and Morocco where if you visit someone before lunch you will likely hear the gurgling sound of a pressure cooker working in the kitchen. For those of you unfamiliar with this magical machine, the pressure cooker reduces cooking time for most foods by about two-thirds! Another benefit of pressure cooking is that if you are using meat, it always turns out quite juicy and tender. However, most importantly for me is that my tride-and-true pressure cooker will churn out the tagines that my Moroccan husband loves in a mere 20 minutes!