Remember "Singles," Cameron Crowe's 1992 film about young love and indie music in Seattle? No? I'm not surprised. It really wasn't that good. But I'll never forget how Bridget Fonda's character, who was hopelessly in love with Matt Dillon's indifferent rocker, waited in vain for him to say "Bless you" every time she sneezed. In my family we always said "Salud" whenever someone sneezed. To not say it was unthinkable. Like a jinx. What with spring allergies kicking in and everyone getting those changing-season colds, there's lots of sneezing going on nowadays. If you've got a scratchy throat, runny nose or just a general malaise, try this therapeutic treat. It's a sorbet—from Jeni's, of course—packed with vitamin C, soothing honey and a fiery combination of ginger, bourbon and cayenne. It feels restorative and it will definitely clear a few things right up.
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I subscribe to quite a few cooking magazines—Bon Appétit (successfully revamped to assuage fans of the now-defunct Gourmet); Saveur; Food & Wine; Diner Journal—and also regularly read Food52, assorted cooking blogs and random publications like the Edibles and PutAEggOnIt , so at any given time I have a gazillion recipes rolling around in my head. Lately, I've been seeing many references to Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, a Columbus, Ohio, legend founded by Jenni Britton Bauer (how can you not love a women whose first business was called Scream?!), probably because she has a new cookbook out. What caught my eye, aside from interesting flavors (Toasted rice with coconut and black tea! Goat cheese with roasted cherries! Influenza sorbet with lemon, honey and bourbon!), was the fact that she doesn't use any eggs, but instead incorporates cream cheese, gelatin, cornstarch and/or a little corn syrup to create a smooth and creamy texture. Not that I have anything against the classic custard base, but I was itching to try what were described as some of the best frozen treats around. Food & Wine published a recipe for her lemon-blueberry frozen yogurt, and I gave it a go. I ended up replacing her blueberry sauce with a passion fruit curd (and another time with nectarine puree) and, I kid you not, it was one of the creamiest, silkiest most satisfyingly delicious things I have ever eaten. Do everybody a favor and make some of this immediately!
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