Meyer Lemon and Ginger Sorbet

Oh dear. I'm having an affair with the ice cream maker. You know I'm in a committed relationship with the Bundt pan (as evidenced by my 1,000 bundt cakes), but my brand new ice cream maker makes me weak in the knees. Oh man, it is fantastic! It's like magic!! Perhaps it will only be a summer fling...we'll see.

I adapted the recipe straight from the Cuisinart instruction booklet! They had a plain lemon sorbet, but I love anything ginger so I infused some ginger into the simple syrup mixture. Next time, I would infuse more ginger for a longer period of time to give it more ginger flavor (I love love ginger)

Meyer Lemon and Ginger Sorbet

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 inch fresh ginger, cut into 1/4" slices - next time, I would use more
3/4 c fresh Meyer lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest

Bring water, sugar and ginger to boil, reduce to low and simmer for 5 minutes until sugar is dissolved. Let cool. Strain the ginger from the mixture. Refrigerate until you are going to use it.

Add lemon juice to syrup mixture and stir. Pop in the ice cream maker until thickened, about 25-30 minutes.

Sky-High Chai Cake with Honey-Ginger Cream (The Cake Slice Bakers)

Chai Cake with Honey-Ginger Cream

For this month's The Cake Slice Bakers selection, we voted to make Chai Cake! I made this cake right after I got the fantastic book, Sky-High Cakes by Alisa Huntsman (see post here) and was delighted to make it again. It was a fan favorite at the library back then, and it continues to be one of my absolute favorites. It's on page 152 of the Sky-High Cake book and I'm sure you can find the recipe on other Cake Slice Baker's blogs.

Last time, I used regular Chai tea and gave away the extra tea bags because I don't drink caffeine (I get headaches). So this time I picked up decaf Chai at Fresh & Easy so I could enjoy the extra tea bags!

Next time (of course there will be a next time! I love this cake!), I'm thinking of trying the Good Earth Sweet and Spicy tea that you can pick up at Trader Joe's. I think that combo of spices will be delicious as well! :)

Topped with a honey, ginger, cream cheese frosting...all made in the food processor. That is brilliant! True to the name of the book, this cake is SKY-HIGH. Three 8-inch layers...I hope it doesn't topple over in the car on the way to work! :)

Thanks Alisa for writing such a fantastic book! If you don't have it yet, please, please pick it up - you won't be disappointed! Check out the other Cake Slice Bakers!

P.S. Today is the last day to enter my 5 giveaways for National Library Week. See the five posts below! Good luck and please check out your local library! :)

National Library Week Begins! Day 1 with Double-Ginger Sour Cream and Bundt Cake

Double-Ginger Sour Cream Bundt Cake...with the Librarian Action Figure!

Let's celebrate National Library Week with some food, library facts, and giveaways!

The "Food" in the Food Librarian today is the Double-Ginger Sour Cream and Bundt Cake with Ginger-Infused Strawberries that appeared in the April 2009 issue of Bon Appétit. Be sure to visit your library to read a bunch of magazines - free!

This recipe uses 1 cup of crystallized ginger - serious yummy! Sugar in the Raw coats the pan...but most of my sugar baked into the cake (bummer). Look at Bon Appetit's photo - it is quite pretty and shiny.

Here's the recipe. The cake is quite delightful and rich. It gingerific with three types of ginger: ground, crystallized and fresh!

The "Librarian" in the Food Librarian is the Librarian Action Figure! [I'll wait while you giggle]. It's made by the same company that presents us with the Lunch Lady, Jesus and Deluxe Jesus action figures. She's modeled after librarian Nancy Pearl who you may have heard on NPR dispensing reading recommendations. There is a button that lifts her arm in a "Shushing" motion...oh, the stereotype! (But I doubt there are many other occupations that have their own action figure...so I'm not complaining!)

Each day this week, I'll have a giveaway! I want to celebrate libraries and thank the readers of my little blog.

Day 1 Giveaway:
One lucky winner will receive:
a. Cool 3-tier mini-cake set with tray. This is a 4", 3", and 2" pan made by Southern California family-owned company, Parrish/Magic Line (purchased at Surfas)
b. Beaded Bookmark - Mark your favorite cookbook or novel with this bookmark handmade by the Food Librarian and friends!
c. Book bag - Stroll into your library with this super light bag from the happiest place on Earth, Disneyland! The library is very environmental because it's the ultimate reuse center!

Just leave a comment below (one entry per person) and I'll pick the winner from a hat. Deadline for all the giveaways this week: Monday, April 20, 2009 at midnight PDT. If your comment isn't linked to a blog where I can find you, please leave your email or check back on Tuesday, April 21st to see if you won. Shipping to U.S. addresses only (sorry, I'm buying all this stuff myself and international postage is too expensive).

Librarian Action Figure is not included. I borrowed all these from my co-workers! ;)

To enter the drawing, leave a comment. You don't have to write anything special...but if you want to tell me about your library or a library story, that would be fantastic! Don't forget to visit and support your local library! See you tomorrow from some Tuesdays with Dorie yum and more giveaways! thanks for coming by - mary the food librarian

Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread (Tuesdays with Dorie)

Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread

For this week's Tuesdays with Dorie, Heather of Sherry Trifle chose Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread on page 212 of Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours.

Recently, I confessed that The Real Housewives of the OC (the original is best, and so scary close to my home in LA) is on my DVR.

There are two types of shows in my life: Live and DVR. I must watch Top Chef live because I need to discuss it with Kathy at work the next day! Okay, that one isn't embarrassing...but this next one is:

Randy Jackson's America's Best Dance Crew

Oh dear. I'm a 38 year old librarian and I craft my schedule so I can watch and VOTE (yes, vote) for America's Best Dance Crew. Am I a secret hip-hop dancer? No. This is the best description of my dancing abilities:

I have so little rhythm that I can't even do the rhythm method.

However, I just love this show. Those youths of today are pretty talented. Check it out - even if you are way too old for it. And don't forgot to txt in your vote. :) My favorites are Los Angeles based, Beat Freaks and Quest Crew. Whew, I feel better getting that confession off my chest. Alright, what's on your DVR? (Yes, Linda, I'm asking you! :)

Okay, back to the baking. Quite simply, it's yum. Not much else to say. If you like holiday spices, make this. If you like ginger, make this. And chocolate, well, you get the idea. I picked up this bittersweet chocolate at Trader Joe's...it's pretty inexpensive and good when chocolate isn't the center of attention.

Gotta run. House and The Closer are on tonight! :) Check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers!