Ultimate Pistachio ice cream

 This recipe was generated with Chat GPT when prompted for a pistachio ice cream with an intense pistachio flavor and a smooth finish (no chunks). Trying it this weekend!

Yield

About 1 generous quart

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Ingredients

• 180 g raw unsalted shelled pistachios, divided

  • 120 g for steeping

  • 60 g for homemade pistachio paste

• 420 g whole milk (1 3/4 cups), divided

• 240 g heavy cream (1 cup)

• 4 large egg yolks

• 85 g granulated sugar (6 1/2 tbsp), divided (at custard phase it didn't seem sweet enough, I added 3 more tbsp)

• 45 g light corn syrup (3 tbsp)

• 14–16 g whole milk powder (about 2 tbsp)
  (since you have whole milk powder, use a little less than nonfat dry milk)

• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

• 1/8 tsp almond extract

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional, but nice and subtle)

Optional (recommended only if you want a delicate floral-luxe note)

• 6–10 saffron threads, bloomed in 1 tbsp warm milk
  (Use only a tiny amount so it enhances without taking over.)

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Method

1) Toast the pistachios

Heat oven to 325°F / 165°C. Spread pistachios on a tray and toast 6–8 minutes, until fragrant. Cool slightly.

2) Make the pistachio paste

Blend 60 g pistachios with:

• 1 tbsp of the sugar (from the 85 g total)

• 2–4 tbsp warm milk (from the measured milk)

Blend until as smooth as possible, like a thick nut butter.
Tip: A food processor first, then blender, works great.

3) Steep the pistachios

In a saucepan, combine:

• 120 g pistachios

• remaining milk

• all the cream

Heat until steaming but not boiling. Turn off heat, cover, and steep 30–45 minutes (45 for stronger flavor).

Optional saffron: Bloom 6–10 saffron threads in 1 tbsp warm milk for 10 minutes, then add to the steeped dairy.

4) Blend + strain for a smooth base

Add the steeped dairy, steeped pistachios, and homemade pistachio paste to a blender. Blend 1–2 full minutes until very smooth.

Strain through a fine mesh sieve, pressing firmly to extract all the flavor.
For extra-smooth ice cream, strain twice.

5) Make the custard

In a bowl, whisk together:

• 4 egg yolks

• remaining sugar

• corn syrup

• whole milk powder

• salt

Rewarm the strained pistachio dairy until hot/steaming. Slowly whisk some into the yolks to temper, then return everything to the saucepan.

Cook over medium-low, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened and it coats the back of a spoon, about 170–175°F.
Do not boil.

6) Finish + chill

Remove from heat and stir in:

• almond extract

• vanilla (if using)

Cool over an ice bath, then refrigerate at least 6 hours, ideally overnight.

7) Churn + freeze

Churn in your 1-qt ice cream maker until thick and soft-serve-like, usually 20–30 minutes.

Transfer to a shallow container, press plastic wrap or parchment directly on the surface, and freeze 4–6 hours to firm up.

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Beginner Success Tips

• Use raw unsalted pistachios for the cleanest flavor.

• Don’t skip the almond extract—1/8 tsp only is the sweet spot. It quietly boosts pistachio without making it taste almondy.

Chicken Boti from Zareens

 Grilled Chicken Boti

3 Tbsp oil (we used 2)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice (we used lemon)

3 Tbsp greek yogurt

2 Tbsp paprika regular (not smoked) paprika

2 tsp cayenne (this was not too much)

2 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp crushed coriander seed (we used powder)

1.5 tsp salt

3 Tbsp white vinegar (we used 2 Tbsp) 

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp fresh mashed papaya (we omitted this)

1/4 tsp garam

 

Mix all above ingredients in a bowl.  Add 2 lb chicken thigh and toss evenly to coat.  Let rest 30-60 min.  Grilled it at 450-500 for ~4-6 min per side until internal temp wsa 165.

VERY DELICIOUS! 

 

Lahori Cholay from Zareens

 Original source was Zareen's cookbook.

Boil potato:  2-3 baby potatoes (about 1/4 cup) cut in half and boiled with 1/2 tsp salt for 8-10 minutes until soft to a fork.  Drain (don't rinse) and let air cool. 

Fry onion.  In 1/2 cup oil or ghee (we used 1/4 cup), fry 1 cup of finely diced onions until they start to turn golden (for us about 10 min).  We used the 12" heavy bottom fry pan. The original recipe doesn't specify golden ... just says 5-6 min?  Don't go less than a 1/4 cup because it won't be enough oil to fry the potato mash in step 2.

Potato mash:  In a bowl, mix 1 Tbsp each garlic and ginger paste, the boiled potato (mash with a fork in the bowl), black pepper, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp red pepper flake (we used 1/2 tsp red chili powder), 1/4 tsp turmeric (we used 1/2 tsp), 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 yogurt.  Stir to a paste.

 When onions are done, add potato mash and fry for 5-6 min more.  stir frequently, scraping any browned bits off the bottom.

Add 2 cans chickpea with they're liquid.  Cook 5 min over medium heat, stirring frequently.

Add 0 - 1/2 cup water, and simmer on low for 6-8 min or until you have desired consistency.  (we didn't add any water). 

messed up the roast chicken recovery soup

 The roast chicken was not flavorful.  So we made this with it.

🍋 Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup (Using Roasted Lemon-Thyme Thighs)

Serves 4–6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter

• 1 small yellow onion, diced

• 2 carrots, diced

• 2 celery stalks, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 8 cups chicken broth

• ¾ cup dry orzo

• 2–3 cups roasted chicken thighs, shredded

• 1 bay leaf (optional)

• Juice of 1–2 lemons

• ½–1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)

• ¼–½ teaspoon black pepper

• 1–2 handfuls fresh spinach (optional)

• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)

Optional finish:

• 1 tablespoon butter for richness

• OR 1 egg for Greek-style thickening

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Step 1: Shred the Chicken

Before starting the soup:

Remove any skin.
Use two forks (or your hands) to shred the chicken into thin strands, not chunks.

If it feels dry, toss it with 1–2 tablespoons warm broth and let it sit while you start the soup.
This gives it a head start on rehydrating.

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Step 2: Build the Base

In a large pot over medium heat:

Add oil.
Sauté onion, carrots, and celery for 5–7 minutes until softened.
Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.

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Step 3: Add Broth & Cook Orzo

Pour in broth and add bay leaf.
Bring to a gentle boil.

Add orzo and cook 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until just tender.

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Step 4: Add the Shredded Chicken (Gently)

Lower heat to a gentle simmer.

Stir in the shredded chicken and cook only 3–5 minutes — just until warmed through.

Do not boil hard.
Gentle heat keeps the thigh tender and lets it absorb broth instead of tightening.

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Step 5: Brighten & Finish

Remove from heat.

Stir in:

• Lemon juice (start with 1 lemon)

• Salt and pepper

Taste and adjust:

• Add more salt if needed (your roasted chicken may need a boost)

• Add more lemon for brightness

Stir in spinach if using — it will wilt immediately.

Optional: Stir in 1 tablespoon butter for silkiness.

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Optional Greek-Style Finish (Highly Recommended)

Whisk 1 egg in a bowl.
Slowly whisk in ½ cup hot broth from the soup.
Then stir that mixture back into the pot off heat.

This makes the soup lightly creamy without cream and works beautifully with lemon.

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Final Tip

Let the soup sit for 5 minutes before serving.
That resting time allows the shredded thigh to fully absorb the broth and soften.

If you'd like, I can also give you a make-ahead version — or tips to keep the orzo from soaking up all the broth overnight.

 

to-try: egg tofu with shrimp

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4NVeFLW6qQ

to-try: Nadia pho powder

 🌿 Pho Sprinkle for Broccoli (Vegetable-Optimized)

Yield: ~½ cup seasoning

Base

• 3 tbsp fine sea salt
• 1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder (good quality)
• 2 tsp mushroom powder

Pho Aromatics

• ¾ tsp toasted ground coriander seed
• ⅛ tsp ground star anise (scant — very important)
• ⅛ tsp Saigon cinnamon
• Tiny pinch ground clove (literally a pinch between fingers)
• ½ tsp white pepper
• ½ tsp ground ginger

Vegetable Brighteners

• ½ tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp citric acid OR 1 tsp finely powdered freeze-dried lime zest

FOR NADIA:

Mix this once and keep in a jar:

• 3 tbsp fine sea salt
• 1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp white pepper
• Tiny pinch cinnamon
• Tiny pinch star anise (very small — barely 1/16 tsp)

Blend well.

 

Japanese style beef stew

 Original recipe here:

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017398-japanese-style-beef-stew

It took like 2 hours of simmering to get the beef tender.  We decided to wait until the beef was basically tender before adding the sweet potato.

Not sure if we should have added more liquid or not ... tbd 

 Apparently the name for this stew in japanese is Nikujaga 

Comments say: Simple rule of 1 hr/1 lb chuck.  Low heat and slow.

Next time: leave the lemon peel out because it can make the broth bitter.