Fenton’s Ice Cream…Homemade and Delicious

Fenton’s. If you have ever lived in Berkeley/Oakland (in California), you know Fenton’s. You know it can take an hour to get a table at a restaurant that has survived the 1906 earthquake. You are willing to wait in the rainy, foggy, dark, dreary weather to eat blueberry cheesecake or mocha almond fudge ice cream. You may eat the mediocre sandwich just so there is some protein to balance out the yummy goodness of the cream.

And you know, the portions are huge. A three scoop sundae will easily satiate three people. Piled high with whipped cream, drizzling hot fudge, and crunchy nuts, life cannot get better.

On a recent visit to the new Fenton’s location in Vacaville, I was fortunate enough to visit the deep freezer. Yes, -22F (-30C). THAT cold. We also saw the mixing room. The cream stirrers could fit four or five people in it. Maybe enough to feed a small town…or just one crowded room.

If you love ice cream, forget the gelato and take a trip down memory lane to Fenton’s.

 

Creole Stuffed Tomato

Last summer, I happened upon this wonderful recipe at a tomato festival in the French Quarter of New Orleans. From a tent, a long line of tomato-heads waited anxiously to get their hands on Chef Leah Chase’s stuffed tomatoes. I joined the line, soaked in N’awlins summer sweat, and received a tomato. I ate it and went back for another. Chef Chase, beaming with southern charm, handed me my treat and directed me to a lady who was handing out the recipe. Lucky me. This past Christmas, I made the tomatoes and well, my grandmother now thinks I can really cook. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter oil or butter
6 medium tomatoes
1/2 pound or finely chopped ham
1 pound raw small peeled shrimp, ruff chopped
1 whole egg beaten
1 cup plain bread crumbs
3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Heat oil/butter in skillet. Cook onions. Add ham and cook till soft. Add shrimp and cook for about 5 minutes. Cut tops off tomatoes and spoon out inside. Chop the insides and add to skillet. Crack the egg and add the garlic, thyme, parsley, basil, salt and cayenne pepper and cook about 10 minutes.  Then tighten with bread crumbs and cool for 5-10 minutes. Stuff the tomatoes with filling and the tops with bread crumbs. Place a dollop of butter on top and place in oven. Cook till browned, about 20 minutes.

 

Welcome!

Welcome welcome. Try the tater tots. Help yourself to some biscotti. Make yourself at home. We are all here, gathered from near and far, to indulge in a blog meant to fill our bellies and make us smile.

We are your hosts: Sapphire and Notsirk, two ‘noodled out’ young folks wanting to bring simply scrumptious recipes to your doorstep.

noo∙dled ∙ out [adj. noo-deld-out]: to be tired of doing or eating the same thing over and over.

Ex. “What’s there to eat Sapph?”

“We got ramen noodles. Chicken or beef?”

“Arggghh. Ramen noodles again. I’m going to Costco to get a hotdog.”

“Yeh I’m with you on that Notsirk. I’m so noodled out.”

Noodled Out, at its core is a recipe blog. A place to come together and share wonderfully tasty dishes, representative of who we are.

Sapphire and myself are originally from India and Trinidad, respectively. But became friends in the U.S. From our personal experiences, we’ve had our share of ramen noodles, but have also managed to wrangle a few incredible recipes along the way (traveling, family and friends). Noodled Out is our way of bringing the world to a dinner table: to exchange recipes, to tell food stories, and to get some good laughs.

If you want to learn simple, quick, and delicious dishes? Want to talk about a great restaurant you visited? Or a terrible one and blast the food? Or maybe you discovered a new chocolate bar or an artisan cheese store in your town and want to tell the world. Or maybe wonder why the Icelanders can eat hakarl and not die from such a vile tasting piece of meat. Noodled Out anxiously awaits you.

So on behalf of Sapphire and myself, we welcome you and you and you, all of you to a daily dose of food for the e-literate. And with a dollop of faith and a grain of salt, you’re just several drooling clicks and a grocery trip away from putting the Bon in your Appetite. We’re happy to have you. Welcome.