I Sing The Body Electric

"I float through this town like a cosmonaut, reminding me of the things I haven't got. Like time and space, a smile on my face... and you." -- Pat Monahan

I'm a traditional cook -- give me a pot, a bowl, and a good knife and I can rule the world -- and I generally try to avoid single-function appliances. But I'm also a frozen dessert fiend with frequent cravings for fro-yo, the granita version of whatever I'm drinking, or ice cream with crazy mix-ins (like bacon on chunks of Marshmallow Peep). The plastic bag approach to making ice cream works amazingly for simple recipes, but if I wanted to try anything more complicated, I was out of luck.

So, last weekend, I broke down and bought an ice cream maker. I got a cheap one -- this one, in fact -- but it doesn't take up too much room in my kitchen and it does the job just fine. I then spent two nights experimenting and now have two pints of homemade frozen goodness in my freezer. I used fresh fruit for these, since it's the time of year when my grandfather's fig tree is full of bursting fruit and I had a couple of Costco mangoes overripe in my fridge.

Three tips for making ice cream using an ice cream maker: your custard must be super-cold when you add it to the machine, don't keep your freezer bowl at room temperature for more than five minutes before adding your ingredients and turning your machine on, and wait until your ice cream is almost fully frozen before adding alcohol to the mix.

Fig and Honey Gelato

(adapted from The Perfect Scoop via Vanilla Garlic)

About ten large fresh figs (I used white figs)

1/4 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp orange zest

1 tbsp honey

1/2 cup heavy cream

Remove fig stems and roughly chop fruit. Add figs, water, sugar, and orange zest to a medium saucepan, bring to a low boil, and cook for 10-15 minutes until the mixture thickens. Stir the pot occasionally, mashing up the figs as you go. Remove from heat, transfer to a container, and refrigerate for a few hours until the mixture is chilled through. Puree chilled fig mixture with heavy cream (which whips the cream... bellissima!), pour into your ice cream maker, and operate according to the manufacturer's instructions. Makes one serving for you and one pint for the freezer.

Mango Frozen Yogurt

1 ripe mango, peeled and cubed

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup orange juice

Couple of drops of vanilla extract

2 cups Fage 0% Greek strained yogurt

Add all ingredients to blender and liquify. Pour into your ice cream maker and operate according to the manufacturer's instructions. Makes one serving for you and one pint for the freezer.

I Couldn't Turn My Brain Off

"I'll keep remembering kisses from lips I've never owned, and all the lovely adventures that we have never known. One dream in my heart, one love to be living for. One love to be living for -- this nearly was mine." -- Rodgers and Hammerstein

I usually commute in a bubble. I'm aware of my surroundings, of course -- obliviousness is akin to a death wish in New York City -- but the hours I spend on the subway each day are my moments of zen. I read. I knit. I listen to music. I do the NY Times crossword puzzle. I play shoot-'em-up games on my iPod. I spend some quality time with my thoughts.

Today, I woke up to a thunderstorm. I threw together a new outfit better suited for rain, laced up my Chucks, shoved a pair of heels into my purse, grabbed the biggest umbrella I could find, and ventured out into the deluge.

Three quarters of a mile later, I arrived on the subway platform. I closed my umbrella, opened my purse, and faced every New York City commuter's worst nightmare. My iPod was still plugged into my laptop at home, as were my headphones. My pile of knitting was on the couch. My book was on the coffee table. My Moleskine was shoved between the pages of said book. I officially, horrifyingly, had nothing to distract me during my commute.

Hey, a seat! At least I can pretend to be asleep, though it's not nearly as effective a trick without my headphones. Can I keep my legs crossed? I usually feel bad keeping my legs crossed during rush hour because they get in the way of the people who are standing, but the train seems empty enough for me to get away with it today. No one is standing; I can definitely get away with it today. The guy across the aisle has the same headphones as me, but of course, he wouldn't know that because I LEFT MINE HOME. I have so much data entry at work, and it's going to suck -- I need background noise to tackle toxicity coding. Sweet Jesus, how am I only at 36th Avenue? This blue shirt looks terrible with my red DKNY cozy -- I feel like Superman. When I have a minute, I have to remember to wrap or tie it so it looks less like a cape. I wish I had the ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound like he does; maybe I'd get to work faster. The original clothes I ironed for today looked a lot better than this does... very good things happened the last time I wore that shirt. [Censored.] WHY ARE WE STOPPING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAMN TUNNEL?! Please let it not be flooded, please let it not be flooded. Of course, just my luck, the stupid tunnel would be flooded on the day I forget my... never mind, it's moving now. Ah, it's nice to be able to powerwalk down the platform without having 900 snotnosed kids and their stupid backpacks in my way. Though that's only going to last for a few more weeks... better enjoy it now. SIX TRAIN ON THE PLATFORM! OUTTA MY WAY! Whew. I need to start running again; two flights of stairs and a thirty-foot sprint isn't as easy as it used to be. Why is the 6 empty? Do people just not come to work when it rains? I'd love to see my PI's reaction if I tried that... his roof blew off last year and he still came to clinic. Someone drew a mustache on the Kim Raver billboard. She's like Jerry's girlfriend on the Festivus episode of Seinfeld... really gorgeous when you look at her from one angle and frightening when she turns her head a certain way. No, I would not like an AM New York... did you say there's a Macy's coupon inside? Nah, it'll get soaked on the way to clinic.

I didn't feel like spending another half-hour with my thoughts on the ride home, so I snagged some looseleaf on my way out of work and wrote this blog entry on the N train.

Backwards

"No one can give you courage. No one can thicken your skin. I will not fail so you can be comfortable. I will not lose because you can't win." -- Jason Robert Brown

I went out to pick up breakfast with my father this morning. As is the norm on a weekday, Bagel Works was packed with patrons, including one twentysomething man wearing a backwards Boston Red Sox cap. Never one to miss an opportunity to needle a fan of a team that sucked for 86 years, Dad locked eyes with the man and smirked.

"Your hat is on backwards," said Dad.

The man gave a pained sigh. "Yeah. They suck."

Dad blinked, said nothing. The man paid for his order and left.