There are times when I am suddenly quite susceptible to the power of suggestion. I get a bit caught off guard by it to tell you the truth. Perhaps I am just being lazy and lack the energy necessary to summon up creativity and initiative. You know, those essential elements required to come up with independent thoughts. Perhaps its just ‘control fatigue’ and I just need someone else to be in charge for awhile.
“So, what movie do you want to go see?”
“I dunno, what movie do you want to see?”
“Planet of the Apes.”
“Yeah, I want to see that too.”
Then minutes later I find myself in a dark theater looking at a bunch of damn dirty apes when what I really wanted to see all along was “The Help”. How could I have forgotten that? Letting someone else take charge doesn’t always work out well. Its not like I am usually at a loss for opinion – its just that sporadically and for no apparent reason I blank out and just do what I’m told.
It is as if at these moments someone is working Jedi powers over me.
“Let me see your identification.”
“You don’t need to see his identification.”
“We don’t need to see his identification.”
“These aren’t the ‘droids your looking for.”
“These aren’t the droids we’re looking for.”
“He can go about his business”.”
“Go about your business.”
“Move along, move along.”
“Move along, move along.”
It would be nice if everyone who decides to exercise Jedi/Svengali-like powers over me was as good at understanding me needs as David Lebovitz is. When I give it up to him he always suggests something that is worthwhile and the kind of thing I would feel strongly — that is, I would feel strongly about it if I knew of it in the first place.
His suggestions for me are always spot on. This means I can trust him.
I had just finished making his Toasted Coconut Ice Cream and was licking the dasher clean when:
“You don’t want to eat that by itself.”
“I don’t want to eat this by itself.”
“I suggest you swirl it with Mango Sorbet.”
“I know, I’m going to swirl this with Mango Sorbet!”
And before you know it I once again had the ice cream maker out and, just as David suggests in his book and features with a delicious photograph, I was swirling Mango Sorbet into my Toasted Coconut Ice Cream.
It was sublime!
So you can see why I have a hard time believing David would have preferred to go see “Planet of the Apes” over “The Help”.
Toasted Coconut Ice Cream
adapted from David Lebovitz as shown in his book “The Perfect Scoop”
This is what you will need:
- 1 cup dried shredded coconut, preferably unsweetened
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cup sugar
- Big pinch of salt
- 1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon rum
This is how you make it:
- First toast the coconut but spreading it on a backing sheet and putting into a 300°F preheated oven.
- Stir frequently while toasting, about 5-8 minutes or until fragrant and golden. It gets gold fast so keep an eye on it.
- Warm the milk in a medium saucepan with 1 cup of the cream, 1/2 the sugar, and salt and add the toasted coconut.
- Adjust to your level of sweetness by adding the remaining 1/2 sugar.
- If you used sweetened coconut you will probably want to hold back some sugar here.
- Scrape all the vanilla seeds into the warm milk and then add the pod.
- Cover the pan and then remove it from the heat, to steep until it reaches room temperature (about 1 hour.)
- Reheat the mixture.
- Set a strainer over another saucepan and strain the coconut-infused liquid through the strainer into the saucepan.
- Press well on the coconut to get as much of the flavor and liquid from it.
- Be sure to remove the vanilla bean!
- Pour the remaining 1 cup cream into a large bowl and set the mesh strainer on top.
- In another medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks.
- Slowly pour the warm coconut-infused mixture into the egg yolks while whisking and then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan to finish the custard.
- Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula.
- Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream.
- Mix in the rum and refrigerate until cold.
- When the mixture is chilled freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
This post was sublime.
In a culture in which, after your essential needs are met, life becomes about choice, we can all suffer “desire fatigue” from time to time. Being on top of every situation becomes a chore. At the bottom, even the most in-charge needs to let go and let someone else boss him around a bit. I’m glad you’ve learned to let David do that for you.
Baby steps.
-bg
Coconut ice cream with mango sorbet sounds like a match made in heaven. David Lebovitz rarely steers me wrong (baking-wise, that is. I don’t have room for an ice cream machine right now).
I’ll be right over!
What an amazing combination! And, now that you’ve put it into my head, I’ll have to blindly follow your suggestion…wow – I can’t wait to try these. Together, separately, any way at all!
How funny! One of my friends from high school said my father uses The Force to drive because I told him how my dad “feels” the road when it’s foggy outside. The dessert looks wonderful!
This is a wonderful combo and David does know about frosty treats all too well. I am now craving this –bookmarked.
That combination looks fantastic! I’m coveting the large loaf pan where you swirled and stored the ice cream.
Does he really have that power? I think this is a modern memory of an orange cramesicle. Or however you spell it (say it). GREG
“You want to leave a comment on Sis. Boom. Blog!”
“I want to leave a comment on Sis. Boom. Blog!”
“You want to say something nice.”
“I want to say something nice!”
“You think this is a fabulous post.”
“Trevor, I think this is a fabulous post!”
“David Lebovitz should tweet this.”
“What he said!”
How fabulous!!! I haven’t been disappointed with any of David’s ice cream recipes…and now I have 2 new ones to try~
What a wonderful combination of flavors!! Can I have a big bowl?!
Great flavor combo. I just made mango filled coconut cupcakes with mango buttercream. I suppose great minds think alike! I will have to try it in ice cream form next time
Oh my goodness!I traveled back to Brazil, went to my old neighborhood ice cream shop and came back! How I miss this combination and you brought that back to my life again. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Oh wow this is amazing!! I am so impressed with this it looks absolutely fantastic!
This looks delicious! Lizzy (that skinny chick CAN bake) suggested your blog….and it’s great! I wish I had the Jedi powers at times, too! However, it’s good you listened to the Jedi Ice Cream Master!
Also here on Lizzy’s suggestion. Glad I came by. This is incredible.