ABigSlice Journal

Guacamole

3 ripe avocados
1 small tomato
6-7 stems cilantro
1 small white onion
juice of 1 lime
pinch of salt

Slice avocado down the center, to the stone, all the way around, and twist halves to separate. To remove stone, chop a sharp knife into the pit and twist and pull. Set aside. Carefully slice avocado flesh down to, but not through, the peel, in a criss-cross pattern, and scoop out with a spoon. Immediately combine with lime juice and salt in a bowl or mortar and pestle, and mash to the consistency of cottage cheese.

Cut tomato into wedges and remove seeds. Chop flesh fine, and add to avocado.

Rinse and chop cilantro and add to mixture.

Chop onion very fine. Add to mixture.

Season with salt to taste. Place avocado stones into mix, remembering to remove just before serving (this keeps the avocados from turning brown). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Sweet Tea Brined Pork Chops

Brining is a method that is most often associated with turkeys at Thanksgiving. But don't wait until November to try it out. Seek out recipes for brining. Some of our favorites use everything from bourbon to Coca-Cola! Here is one that we found that uses sweetened tea. This recipe comes from the Magnolia Grill in Durham, N.C. For more information on that restaurant, click here.

1 quart water
2 orange pekoe tea bags, preferably Luzianne or Lipton
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon molasses
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
6 whole allspice berries
6 whole cloves
4 cloves garlic, mashed flat with the back of a knife
4 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
1 bay leaf, preferably fresh
2 cups ice
4 (10 to 12 ounce) bone in pork loin chops

In a large pot over medium high heat, combine the water, tea bags, salt, molasses, onion, coriander, peppercorns, allspice, cloves, garlic, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Transfer to a sealable container. Add ice and let cool to room temperature.

Remove tea bags. Add pork chops, seal and refrigerate for 24 hours. Remove the pork chops from the brine. Pat dry with paper towels; set aside at room temperature while preheating the grill.

Prepare a charcoal fire using about 6 pounds of charcoal and burn until the coals are completely covered with a thin coating of light gray ash, 20 to 30 minutes. Spread the coals evenly over the grill bottom, position the grill rack above the coals, and heat until medium-hot (when you can hold your hand 5 inches above the grill surface for no longer than 3 or 4 seconds). Or, for a gas grill, turn on all burners to high, close the lid and heat until very hot, 10 to 15 minutes.

Place the pork chops on the prepared grill and cook until an instant-read thermometer reaches 145 degrees, 5 to 7 minutes per side.

Recipe for Delicious Peach Ice Cream

ingredients
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar
2 sweet, large peaches, peeled and pitted
1/4 cup peach nectar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

preparation
1. Heat heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat until small bubbles appear around the edges. DO NOT boil. Remove from heat and add the sugar, stirring until dissolved. Cool to room temperature.

2. Chop peaches and place in blender with the peach nectar. Blend until pureed. Stir the puree and the vanilla extract into the cooled cream. Refrigerate until cold or overnight.

3. Freeze in your ice cream machine according to directions...may make 1-2 batches. Ice cream will be soft when finished. For firmer ice cream, freeze in a freezer-safe container for 2 more hours.

Recipe for the Best Southern Fried Chicken

2 cups low-fat buttermilk
Coarse salt
3 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 whole chickens (2-½ to 3 pounds each), each cut into 10 serving pieces (wings, thighs, drumsticks, and 4 breast pieces)
3 cups self-rising flour
2 cups vegetable oil

Serves 8 | Prep time: 30 minutes | Total time: 1 hour

Marinating the chicken in buttermilk makes the meat moist and flavorful. Chicken breasts cook faster than other parts, so fry them separately in the last batch. For fried chicken with less fat and fewer calories, remove the skin before marinating.

1. In each of two 1-gallon resealable plastic bags, combine 1 cup buttermilk, 1/2 tablespoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, and half the chicken pieces. Shake to coat; refrigerate up to 2 days.

2. In a large, shallow bowl, whisk flour with 2 tablespoons salt and remaining 2 teaspoons cayenne. (This pungent spice is made from ground dried chiles. Used in small quantities, it adds heat to dishes without being overpowering.) Dredge chicken pieces, one at a time, in mixture, shaking off excess.

3. In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet (or other heavy-bottom skillet), heat oil to 350° on a deep-fry thermometer (or until a pinch of flour sizzles when dropped in the oil).

4. Carefully add 1/3 of the chicken. Cook 10 minutes; turn chicken with tongs. Cook until golden brown, juices run clear, and internal temperature is 165°, about 10 minutes more. Transfer to a rack to drain. Season with salt, if desired. Return oil temperature to 350°. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Tips for Perfect Fried Chicken

1. Start with a good cast iron skillet, or an electric model. You want to use something heavy that holds the heat well and will not allow the oil to cool too rapidly as the chicken is added.

2. Marinate the chicken at least two hours in buttermilk, and if possible, overnight. Buttermilk makes the chicken more flavorful, and the acid in the milk tenderizes the meat.

3. Use self-rising flour. It has baking powder and baking soda which will cause the flour to rise somewhat when it comes into contact with the buttermilk. The crust will be crispy and light.

4. To keep things clean, place the flour in a paper bag. Add several pieces of chicken to the bag and shake. Before frying, let the coated chicken rest for about ten minutes on a wire rack. This gives the flour time to rise.

5. Use vegetable shortening and keep the pan hot. Keeping the oil hot causes the water in the chicken to begin boiling almost immediately. The pressure created by the steam trying to escape from the chicken keeps it from absorbing too much oil.

The Pink Flamingo Smoothie Recipe

ingredients
makes two glasses
1/2 large green apple
1 handfull blueberries
1 peach (skinned)
1 frozen banana
3/4 cup orange juice
1/3 cup grape juice

preparation
Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour into 2 chilled glasses. Float three small blueberries as garnish. Best when all ingredients have been chilled before preparation. Result is a blue-flecked, dusty pink beverage.

Lemon Verbena Pesto Recipe

This pesto is great alongside roasted rack of lamb. But it is also delicious with pasta.

ingredients
1/3 cup walnuts
6 large garlic cloves
2 cups fresh lemon verbena leaves (or herb of your choice, mint would be wonderful)
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar

preparation
Finely chop walnuts and garlic in processor. Add 2 cups mint leaves and basil and chop finely. Add oil and vinegar and blend until pesto is smooth

June 4 : National Chocolate Ice Cream Day

Ice cream, ice milk, gelato, sorbet.... There are a lot of names for frozen desserts. But do you really know the difference between them? Well wonder no more! Here is a quick glossary of the cold confections so you can amaze your friends and win the trivia contest at the local bar. Don't forget to check out our recipe for chocolate ice cream below and have a happy and delicious Chocolate Ice Cream Day!

Ice cream - Like the name suggests, ice cream is a frozen product made from cream. Milk is often adding to the mixture as well as other flavorings and sweeteners. Did you know that up to 60% of the volume of the container is air?!? This is introduced in the whipping process and gives ice cream a light and fluffy texture. Ice creams are further divided into categories based on the amount of butterfat they contain.

• Premium ice cream has between 11% and 15% butterfat. While this ice cream is richer and denser you pay for it in the calorie count. Usually these premium ice creams come in small containers and have "gourmet" style flavorings.

• Regular ice cream is somewhat less dense and contains 10% to 11% butterfat. This type of ice cream is sold in the standard larger containers, and contains the standard flavorings. This style is perfect for milkshakes.

• Economy ice cream has exactly 10% butterfat by law. No frills here.

• Light ice cream means that there is EITHER 50% less fat OR 33% fewer calories than the regular ice cream produced by that particular company. But if you are calorie conscious look at the label. Light versions of the premium brands can have more fat and calories than the regular version of other brands.

• Reduced fat ice cream is required by law to have 25% less fat than that particular company's regular version.

Ice milk - You don't see this name too much anymore. At one time this was the low fat version of ice cream. But with advances in technology this has been replaced with reduced fat ice cream.

French style ice cream - This ice cream is made with a custard base that includes egg yolks. It is very rich and silky. Also called glace.

Gelato - This is Italian style ice cream. The big difference between gelato and American style ice cream is in the amount of air that is whipped into the product. (20% air for gelato and up to 60% air for ice cream) The result is a denser and more intensely flavored dessert.

Soft serve ice cream - This style is the same as the harder ice cream except that it is served at a higher temperature. Sometimes it is seen as tastier because it does not numb the taste buds.

Sorbet - This is a frozen dessert that is made from fruit purée and can include the flavorings of herbs and spices. It is then whipped to lighten its texture. Sorbet contains no milk.

Sherbet - Like a sorbet this is a fruit based product, but milk is added for creaminess. But by law it can contain no more than 2% butterfat.

Granita - Very similar to sorbet but granita is not whipped and ice crystals are allowed form. It has a more granular appearance, and a crunchy texture.

Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe

1 1/2 ounces unsweetened cocoa powder, approximately 1/2 cup
3 cups half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
8 large egg yolks
9 ounces sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Place the cocoa powder along with 1 cup of the half-and-half into a medium saucepan over medium heat and whisk to combine. Add the remaining half-and-half and the heavy cream. Bring the mixture just to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and remove from the heat.

2. In a medium mixing bowl whisk the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the sugar and whisk to combine.

3. Temper the cream mixture into the eggs and sugar by gradually adding small amounts, until about 1/3 of the cream mixture has been added. Pour in the remainder and return the entire mixture to the saucepan and place over low heat.

4. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon and reaches 170 to 175 degrees F.

5. Pour the mixture into a container and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

6. Stir in the vanilla extract. Place the mixture into the refrigerator and once it is cool enough not to form condensation on the lid, cover and store for 4 to 8 hours or until the temperature reaches 40 degrees F or below.

7. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's directions. This should take approximately 25 to 35 minutes. Serve as is for soft serve or freeze for another 3 to 4 hours to allow the ice cream to harden.

World’s Best Burger

1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
½ onion, finely chopped
½ cup grated sharp cheddar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
salt and pepper to taste

1. Allow time for your grill to heat up.

2. In a large bowl mix together all ingredients until combined. Form into four patties.

3. Grill patties for five minutes per side on a hot grill, or until your desired level of doneness. Serve hot on buns with your favorite condiments.