Sorry Yall, I hit the wrong key. Here is the rest of my watermelon Bombe recipe.

Lime Sherbet:
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 cup sugar
1 envelope unflavoured gelatin
2 tsp. lime zest
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
4-6 dropsgreen food colouring

Method:

1. In a small saucepan, stir the envelope of gelatin with the sugar. Stir in the milk and heat til sugar and gelatin are dissolved. Remove from heat.
2. Add heavy cream to the milk/sugar/gelatin mixture. Add lime zest and juice.
3. Tint to the shade of green you think looks right with food colouring.
4. Chill thoroughly in the fridge in a covered container.
5. Churn in your ice cream freezer according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Assemble the Bombe:

Remember that watermelon you scooped out? Now is the time to line the hollowed out shell with plastic wrap and use it as a mould. Get the Lemon Chiffon Ice Cream, Lime Sherbet, and Watermelon Sorbet out of the freezer so that they can soften enough to spread. Mix the mini chocolate morsels into the Watermelon Sorbet.

1. Put about 2 cups of the Lemon Chiffon Ice Cream in a pastry bag or a large zip-top bag with a corner cut off.
2. Pipe a few stripes down the length of the plastic lined watermelon shell.
3. Next, spread the Lime Sherbet over the stripes and cover the inside of the shell /mould about 1 inch thick.
4. Return the mould to the freezer if necessary.
5. Spread a thick layer of the Lemon Chiffon Ice Cream over the Lime Sherbet layer-about an inch thick.
6. Fill the remaining cavity with the Watermelon Sorbet (complete with it's chocolate morsel "seeds")
7. Cover the whole thing with plastic wrap and return it to the freezer until frozen solid.
8. At serving time, invert the watermelon half onto a platter and tug on the plastic wrap that you lined the watermelon with. it will pop out. Lift off the shell and remaining plastic wrap.
9. Slice cross-wise and all the layers will be revealed looking just like a real watermelon!

* The vodka acts like antifreeze and makes your sorbet softer. You may omit it but the resulting sorbet will be really hard.

Some of you may know that I work in a kitchen store as well as a caterer and personal chef. We try to show off some of our equipment and how to use it. I adapted this from one of my usual presentations last weekend. Since it is already reaching temperatures in the 90's here in South Louisiana, it is time for some cool-you-off dishes. This recipe combines several of our southern favourites and is guaranteed to be refreshing and wow your family and friends.
Watermelon Bombe
Watermelon Sorbet:
A big watermelon-about a 30 pounder
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1/2 cup vodka (optional)*
1/2 cup mini chocolate chip morsels

Method:
1. make a simple syrup by heating the water and sugar until the sugar is melted. Set aside to cool.
2. Cut watermelon in half length ways and scoop out the red meat. You will use 6-8 cups of it. Remove the seeds.
3. Put seeded watermelon in your food processor and puree until smooth. Add the cooled simple syrup and process again.
4. Chill thoroughly in the fridge.
5. Churn the mixture in your ice cream according to the manufacturer's instructions.
6.Scoop into a covered bowl and reserve in the freezer.

Lemon Chiffon Ice Cream

Lemon curd:
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

Method:
1. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of a bain marie until light and frothy.
2. Whisk in lemon juice.
3. Heat over hot (not boiling) water, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened.
4. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest. Cool quickly by placing the bowl onto a bowl of ice and whisking until cooled. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the lemon curd.

Ice Cream Base:

2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
3 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
pinch of salt

Method:
1. In a heavy sauce pan, heat the milk, sugar and cream until hot but not boiling , about 160 degrees F. Meanwhile...
2. In another bowl,whisk the salt and egg yolks until frothy. Temper them by adding a small amount (1/3 cup) of the hot milk/cream mixture while whisking. Add another 1/2 cup of milk/ cream mixture. Now your egg yolks and milk/cream mixture are close to the same temperature and you will not have sweet scrambled eggs.
3. Whisk the tempered eggs into the milk/cream/sugar mixture and heat until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and let cool.
4. Add the ice cream base to the lemon curd. Cover and chill in the fridge until completely cold.
5. Pour into your ice cream churn and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.
6.Place frozen ice cream in a covered container in the freezer until needed.

Lime Sherbet:

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

Here in Louisiana we are justifiably proud of our Creole Tomatoes. They are big, red, meaty, and flavourful. Since the season for them is just now arriving, this tomato sorbet recipe is a different and refreshing way to enjoy them. If you have some tasty home-grown tomatoes or some you scored from the farmer's market, use them. Just remember, the wonderful flavour is destroyed if you refrigerate your tomatoes. I like to serve this as a salad or as a palate cleanser between courses.
Tomato Basil Sorbet

3 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes (6-8tomatoes)
1/2 shallot, finely diced
1 clove garlic, smashed and diced
1 cup red wine
1/4 cup very good olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons 2x concentrated tomato paste (in a tube)
1/4 cup fresh basil, chiffonade leaves and reserve stems
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. Tabasco pepper sauce
1/4 cup vodka*
1/2 pound grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

Method:
1. Slash an "X" in the bottom of each tomato and blanch and them in a large pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Remove them to a bowl of ice water to immediately stop the cooking.
2. Use 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to sweat the shallot, garlic, and salt. Do not let it brown. When the shallot and garlic are tender and translucent, add the wine, sugar, basil stems, pepper and sherry vinegar. Simmer until reduced by half.
3. Cut the tomatoes in half around their equator and remove the stem "belly button". Place a fine strainer across your work bowl and squeeze the seeds and surrounding jelly into it.drop the rest of the tomato into the bowl. Let the juice and tomato water drip into the bowl. It has a lot of flavour
4. Puree the tomato halves, tomato paste and vodka in a blender with the strained shallot, wine, garlic mixture and add the rest of the olive oil and the lemon juice. You will have between 4 and 5 cups total.
5. Chill the mixture in the fridge until very cold-at least 4 hours but overnight is best.
6. Freeze this cold tomato blend according to your ice cream churn's manufacturer's directions.
7. Sorbet will be soft-serve consistency and can be served now but will be better if you let it freeze hard in the freezer.
8 To serve, scoop onto a chiffonade of basil leaves, surround with halved cherry tomatoes and add an extra dash of olive oil.

* In sweet sorbet the sugar acts as antifreeze so that it doesn't freeze into a hard block. Since this has such a small amount of sugar another agent must be used. Alcohol will not freeze at the temperatures we are using so it makes a good antifreeze. This small amount won't get you buzzed. Remember, even vanilla extract is 70 proof!

The Curse is Lifted. The Saints Came Marchin' In!!

WHOOO DAT?? WE DAT!!! The curse is lifted.
I know this is supposed to be a food blog so ya'll whip up some Hurricanes and jambalaya to celebrate our Saints. Ben went to work with me wearing his barrel (sans cognac)and his Saints neck tie.

Gordon Ramsay's "Master Chef"

Many of you are aware of the upcoming new Gordon Ramsay cooking reality show that will air on Fox. My understanding is that it will be like Top Chef for those of us who are not professionally trained. OK, I went to the audition in New Orleans with my prepared dishes and was actually invited back for an on-camera interview. Have any of you out there learned any more than I know? Has anyone who got a call back heard any more? I was told that it could be March before we found out if we had been selected to compete so this is pins-and-needles time. You want something but are too afraid to think about it much so that the disappointment is not so bad when you don't get the news you want. I know there are some really kick-ass amateur chefs out there who, like me, want this chance in the worst way.

Cherry Cheesecake

Valentines Day is almost here. here is a pic of my V'day version of my signature dessert.

About me-just in case you are interested

Please allow me to introduce myself ...I cook, write about cooking and teach cooking. I am Gabe the St. bernard's pet human.Most dogs belong to a human but we reversed the order. Hey, it works for me-he lets me live in his house because I can open the refrigerator and he can't (I tried hanging a towel off the fridge door in hopes that he would pull it and get his own snacks but it was a no-go.)
The oven is too hot for the doggies to open and get a cookie out so they let me do that too.
As you may have noticed, most of my thoughts revolve around cooking and I like nothing better than a good discussion about new trends, old techniques-whatever tastes good. I cook on an open hearth and use my immersion circulator sometimes on the same day.