Chocolate Dipped Frozen Bananas

July 3, 2012 The Culinary Chronicles4 Comments

Don’t you just love delish treats that are quick and easy? And when they can be served at a holiday or themed party, it’s even better!

With Independence Day quickly approaching, I whipped up a few batches of these beloved Chocolate Dipped Frozen Bananas to cool down the hot summer days with. I went with some festive sprinkles for a patriotic touch but hey–anything goes!

Have a Happy and Safe 4th of July!

ps. I plan on throwing down some baby back ribs that day. What are y’all planning on putting on the grill? 🙂

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Chocolate Dipped Frozen Bananas
Serves 6

Ingredients:

3 Bananas, cut in half
8 Ounces Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped
1 Teaspoon Vegetable Oil
6 Popsicle Sticks
Toppings (sprinkles, nuts, chopped candies, etc.)

Slide a popsicle stick in each of the banana halves. Place the bananas in the freezer and allow to chill for 2-3 hours. Combine the chocolate with the teaspoon of oil and microwave in 20 second intervals until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove the bananas from the freezer. Dip each of the bananas into the chocolate and gently roll/shake the excess chocolate off. Sprinkle each banana with your choice of topping and rest on a wax paper lined tray. Repeat with the remaining bananas. Once complete, place the tray of bananas in the freezer for approximately one hour until hardened. ENJOY!

My brief stint as a Hobbit…..and Green Juice

June 20, 2012March 5, 2013 The Culinary Chronicles8 Comments

So here’s the thing….

A few weeks ago I went to NYC and well— went full blown Hobbit. Eating style that is.

In an effort to try and retry all the good eats the city has to offer, I had several meals a day including multiple snacks in between. 1st Breakfast, 2nd Breakfast, Elevenses, Luncheon, Tea, Dinner, Supper…….

Such goodness included…

Dungeness Crab in Sticky Rice in Flushing………..

A full blown traditional robatayaki style dinner at Robataya……

Antipasti at Eataly, Crif Dog, Luke’s Lobster, Halal Cart goodness, Ippudo, Momofuku, Motorino, il laboratorio del gelato, smoked meat sammies, poutine, fried anchovies, organic-local popsicles, cannolis, Doughnut Plant..…..and the list goes on, and on. Did I mention I was there for barely 4 days?

It was glorious dear friends, truly GLORIOUS! And I’m sure the folks from The Shire would have been proud.

But the truth is, somewhere towards the end of my trip I realized I needed to give my body a reprieve when I got home. More greens, less booze, and lighter eating. So, I kidnapped my sister’s juicer, stocked my fridge with tons of produce and got to juicing.

And let me tell you— it’s been delicious! Since I’ve been home I have knocked back a Green Juice everyday. Not too shabby considering I’ve been back for over 3 weeks.

Almost anything goes when it comes to my juices and the ingredients are usually dictated by what is on hand at my farmers market or what’s on sale at the grocery store. The recipe below happens to be one of my favorite combinations of late. They’re rough measurements but you can adjust and add depending on your preference.

I’m not sure how long I’ll stay on my juicing kick but one thing is certain…. my Hobbit-alter-ego will make a reappearance when I go back to NYC this fall. 🙂

Salut!

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Nam’s Fav Green Juice (for now)
Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 (Large) Bunch Kale
4 Cups Spinach
1 Cup Parsley
3 Apples (I like a mix of Fuji and Granny Smith)
4 Carrots with their tops on
1 Inch Fresh Ginger Root
Juice of 1 Lemon

Throw all the produce into your juicer and enjoy!

Appetizers/Small Plates · Condiments/Sauces · Pork · Seafood · Sunday Family Dinner

Bacon wrapped Shrimp with Pesto…..and our new Family tradition.

June 15, 2012November 20, 2015 The Culinary Chronicles6 Comments

I love the movie Soul Food and have watched it at least a cajillion times. Sure, it had some predictable spin of dramas but I always envied the Sunday family dinner at Big Mama’s house with all the delish soul food and of course–the family time.

Since moving back down to Southern California, I have really appreciated the frequency and quality time I get to spend with my family—and in particular, my nieces and nephew. Because of the distance, I only used to see them on sporadic weekend trips for holidays or special occasions. And it was because of this that I was always worried that I was missing out on seeing them grow up.

Now that I’m only about an hour’s drive away, I try to see them as often as possible—for “non-holiday” visits. And truth be told, I’m trying to squeeze in as much time as possible since my older nieces (now 13 and 11) will soon get to the age where it won’t be cool for them to hang out with their auntie. Eeek! Add that with the fact that we’re all busier than ever, it is so important that we establish some type of traditions to keep our family ties strong.

So, with a little inspiration from Soul Food, I cajoled my siblings into agreeing on having a monthly Sunday dinner—something that is established and routine so that no matter what invitations roll in or events arise, we would say– “Sorry, I’ve got to pass—it’s my family dinner.”

Several weeks ago we kicked off our first family dinner and it was a great start to a new tradition. We cooked together (getting the kids involved, too), lounged about, sped “plasma cars” up and down the street, searched frantically for the eclipse, and of course–delved into some delish eats. Grilled steaks topped with blue cheese & fried onions, “dirty rice”, corn, bacon wrapped shrimp and strawberry pastries. YUM! Unfortunately our sister P (who lives in SF) and our brother V and his family (who live in NYC) weren’t physically at dinner—they were sure there in spirit. Plus, I’m hoping they’ll plan their future visits so that it’ll land on a Sunday Family Dinner.

I’m pretty sure Mom would have loved the idea of us coming together to keep the family close—-and of course, that it’s an event that revolves around food. After all, we are her kids and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree 🙂

This Month’s Family Dinner Menu

Cocktails: Vino
Appetizers: Bacon wrapped Shrimp with Pesto
Entrees: Grilled Steaks topped with Bleu Cheese & Fried Onions, Dirty Rice, Corn
Dessert: Strawberry Pastries

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Bacon wrapped Shrimp with Pesto

Ingredients:

1 Pound Shrimp, cleaned with tails left on (about 24-30)
12 Slices Bacon
Black Pepper
Cooking Spray

Pesto:
2½ Packed Cups Sweet Basil
½ Cup Roasted Pine Nuts, unsalted
2-3 Garlic Cloves, finely diced
½ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Juice from 1/2 Lemon
Approximately ½ – ¾ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste

Soak wooden skewers in water for 10-15 minutes.

Prepare the Pesto. In a food processor, pulse garlic and nuts. Add basil, cheese, lemon juice, and salt/pepper. With the food processor on, stream in olive oil and blend until the pesto is fully incorporated. Be sure to scrape down sides in between steps. More olive oil can be added if a smoother, loose texture is desired. Refrigerate until ready to be used.

Preheat your oven broiler.

Season the shrimp with black pepper. In batches, line a plate with paper towels and lay slices of bacon on top. Cover with additional paper towels and microwave for about 2 minutes so that the bacon is slightly cooked but still pliable. Cut each slice of bacon into half and wrap the half around each shrimp. Skewer the shrimp in a fashion so that the bacon stays secure. Approximately 3 bacon wrapped shrimp should fit on a skewer. *Alternatively, you can use soaked toothpicks and secure each shrimp individually.

Place the skewers on a aluminum foil-lined baking sheet that has been lightly covered with cooking spray. Place the sheet directly under the broiler and cook the shrimp for 8-10 minutes (flipping halfway through) until the bacon has crisped and the shrimp have turned pink.

Slide the shrimp off the skewers and serve immediately with the Pesto.

Breads · Desserts/Pastries

Nutella Swirled Banana Bread

June 4, 2012June 4, 2012 The Culinary Chronicles5 Comments

I’m Bananas…..

For Nutella.

Shocking— I know.

So why not add Nutella to Banana Bread? Seemed like a Win-Nguyen Situation to me.

And it sure was 🙂

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Nutella Swirled Banana Bread
Makes one 9-inch loaf

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 very ripe, soft, darkly speckled large bananas, mashed well
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for the pan
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons Nutella

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan. Dust the pan with flour, tapping out the excess.

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Mix the mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla with a wooden spoon in a medium bowl. Lightly fold the banana mixture into the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until just combined and the batter looks thick and chunky. Spoon 1/2 the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Spread 1/2 the Nutella on top and lightly swirl the Nutella into the batter with a butter knife. Do not over mix. Spoon the rest of the batter on top and repeat with Nutella swirls.

Bake until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 60 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. (The bread can be wrapped with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

Slightly adapted from Cooks Illustrated

Vegetables/Vegetarian · Vietnamese

Đậu Hũ Sốt Cà Chua (Vietnamese Style Tofu with Tomato Sauce)

May 24, 2012May 24, 2012 The Culinary Chronicles3 Comments

What is your Comfort Food?

Mac ‘n Cheese? Chicken Noodle Soup? PB and J sammies?

No matter what it is—one thing holds true for everyone. Comfort Food does exactly what it’s named for….it brings us comfort—and perhaps transports us back to a time of happiness, safety and love.

And for me, that is what Vietnamese food is.

It’s about the “everyday” dishes my family would sit down to at dinner time. A plethora of dishes to be eaten with jasmine rice….fried fish, stuffed squid, various stir-fry veggies, soups, and stinky stuff that just tastes so damn good. And wouldn’t you know it? When I was young, I would complain all the time about it to Mom and say “cơm (rice) again?!” Because at that time, I wanted to eat what all my friends were eating…spaghetti, pizza, burgers, etc. But Mom would always say, “Just wait—one day, you’ll miss this”. And darnit! She was right! Moms…..how do they just know?!

This simple tofu dish is something we would eat quite often. It’s quick and tasty—balancing salty and sweet together. I cheat and buy already fried tofu squares at my local Asian markets which makes this dish SUPER quick and easy. But if you don’t have that available, cube up firm tofu and use paper towels to dry them off. Fry them in oil until golden brown and then throw them into the sauce. Easy Peasy!

So tell me, Friends….what’s your go-to Comfort Foods?

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Đậu Hũ Sốt Cà Chua (Vietnamese Style Tofu with Tomato Sauce)

Ingredients:

4 Cups Fried Tofu
1 Tablespoon Fresh Garlic, minced
1/4 Cup Shallots, diced
4 Roma Tomatoes, seeded and roughly diced
1 Red Jalapeno, thinly sliced
2 Scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 Cup Ketchup
1 Tablespoon Fish Sauce
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
Black Pepper
Garnish with additional scallions and cilantro

In a large skillet or wok, heat oil over medium heat and cook garlic and shallots for about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, scallions, jalapeno and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until softened. Stir in ketchup and fish sauce. Lower the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Toss in fried tofu and coat evenly. Season with black pepper and garnish with additional scallions and fresh cilantro. Serve with steamed rice and Enjoy!

Pastas/Noodles · Seafood

Shrimp and Tofu Pad Thai

May 11, 2012May 12, 2012 The Culinary Chronicles14 Comments

Okay. Here’s my confession.

The way I feel about Pad Thai is how I imagine “non-Vietnamese folks” feel about phở. It’s kind of the gateway dish to the culture’s cuisine but it’s so flippin’ good!

Pad Thai has a whole range of textures and flavors all in one plate…what’s not to love?

So it was high time that I started to make it on my own. After grabbing a few key essentials, I turned to Alice over at Sweet Savory Life to fix up some seriously authentic and delicious Pad Thai.

By far, this is the best recipe I have tried yet. The sauce is totally clutch and is what makes this version a keeper! I also suggest to not substitute cane sugar for palm sugar as it will be way too sweet.

As for the tamarind, I opted for the concentrate like Alice but my sis shared that she used tamarind pulp when she took a Thai cooking classes.

And once you have the sauce done, the rest goes by super quick and easy. I owe you big time Alice—this recipe is definitely staying in heavy rotation! 🙂

With that dear Friends, I hope you have a fabulous Mother’s Day Weekend!

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Shrimp and Tofu Pad Thai
From The Sweet Savory Life

Ingredients:

1/3 cup fish sauce
1/2 cup palm sugar
1/2 cup tamarind juice concentrate
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces dried rice stick noodles
6 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1 ½ cups thinly sliced shrimp and fried tofu
1 egg
1 cup carrots, match sticks
1 cup green onion cut diagonal in ½ inch segments
1 cup mung bean sprouts
1 cup cilantro
1 cup toasted peanuts chopped
Lime wedge

To make pad thai sauce, heat a small pan on medium low and add fish sauce, palm sugar, tamarind concentrate, and garlic. Cook sauce until palm sugar has completely dissolve. At this point, you will want to taste the sauce and tweek the sweetness or hotness (be careful, the sauce will be hot). To make it more spicy add a little Thai chili powder (I used Thai chiles). Remove from heat and allow to cool 10 minutes before storing it in a jar or plastic container.
Boil noodles for 4-5 minutes and drain immediately rinsing with cold water for a few seconds. Noodles should be slightly firmer than Al dente. But don’t worry, they will continue to soften and cook later when stir frying. Using kitchen shears, cut the noodle clump in half. This will make it easier to fry and eat.
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok or frying pan on high and cook raw shrimp with tofu for 3-4 minutes. Remove tofu/seafood into a small bowl. Next, heat the remaining oil and then add garlic and red onions to the hot pan and stir fry for 1 minute stirring the garlic mixture so it will not burn. Add noodles and stir for 1 minute. Add 3-4 tablespoons Pad Thai sauce continually stirring noodle mixture until well coated with sauce. Add cooked meat/tofu/seafood back and fry for 2-3 minutes. Move the noodle and meat mixture to one side of the pan and crack an egg on the other side. Scramble the egg with a wooden spoon and cook for 30 seconds. Add carrots, green onions, and sprouts and cook for one more minute frying everything together. Test the firmness of the noodle. If the noodle is too firm, fry for an additional minute. If your noodles need more flavor, add another tablespoon of sauce and fry another half minute.
Remove from heat and serve. Garnish with remaining raw carrot match sticks, spouts, cilantro, toasted peanuts, and a wedge of lime. Enjoy!

Desserts/Pastries · Drinks

Show Stoppin’ Jell-O Shooters

May 5, 2012May 12, 2012 The Culinary Chronicles16 Comments

I love the month of May. Not just because it’s my birth month (hint: this gal loves chocolates, camera accessories, and flip flops….) but because it usually is the trigger for a flood of celebrations—birthdays, weddings, anniversaries….parties galore!

And if you’re anything like me, I cannot go to a party without bringing something—a bottle of wine, dessert, flowers, etc. But let me tell you, whenever I show up with these little goodies, they’re an instant HIT!

Just take citrus of your choice and slice it in half. With a sharp pairing knife, run it along the inside of the fruit but do not cut through all the way. Use your fingers to gingerly and slowly pull out all the segments so that all that remains is the rind of citrus. I will warn you that this does take some time. I also find that lemons or oranges are easier to do but limes add such a pretty color pop!

After you’ve cleaned them out, place the citrus “shells” in a baking dish so that they’re snug against each other. Follow the directions to prepare the gelatin of your choice and carefully pour it into the shells. If you’re looking to make your shooters for adults, replace 1/2 of the cold water with chilled vodka and a few tablespoons of cointreau.

Refrigerate the filled citrus shells overnight and then carefully slice into wedges with a sharp knife when you’re ready to serve.

Whether you’re bringing them to an event or serving them at your own party, guests will LOVE them! Fact 🙂

And with that friends, Happy May and have a fantastic weekend!

Salads · Vietnamese

Gỏi Bắp Chuối (Vietnamese Banana Blossom Salad) & Giveaway Winner!

April 24, 2012March 30, 2015 The Culinary Chronicles5 Comments

Ever had Gỏi?

Gỏi is a general term for “salads” in Vietnamese and can come in all forms using a variety of ingredients. Lately, my favorite Gỏi utilizes thinly sliced Banana Blossoms. I combine it with grilled proteins, pink grapefruit, creamy avocados, a ton of herbs and a healthy douse of Nước chấm “vinaigrette”. It’s absolutely delicious and epitomizes the balance in Vietnamese cuisines.

If you’ve never used Banana Blossoms before, they can be somewhat tricky the first time around. It’s best to remove the outer few petals as they’re quite tough (though you can save them as garnish), use a really sharp knife so you can get thin slices, and be sure to soak the cut blossoms in cold water that has been mixed with some type of acid–citrus juice or vinegar does the trick. The later helps removes some of that chalky flavor that the Banana Blossoms can sometimes have.

And although it sounds a bit laborious—it’s totally worth it and delicious!

And now to announce the winner of a fabulous Nambe Pasta Cradle Bowl—

Drum Roll please………….

CONGRATS Serena Kim who said she would serve Shrimp Pesto Pasta in the Nambé Bowl. Sounds yummy and will look gorgeous in your new bowl! Serena, we’ll be sending you an email shortly so we can get your new Nambé artwork shipped out.

THANK YOU to everyone who participated! And THANK YOU Nambé !

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Gỏi Bắp Chuối (Vietnamese Banana Blossom Salad)
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
Nước chấm (Sauce):
¼ cup fish sauce
¼ cup fresh lime juice
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, finely minced
chili paste, to taste

Gỏi (Salad):
1½ cups chicken breast, grilled and shredded
1½ cups prawns, shelled and grilled
2 medium sized avocadoes, cubed
1 cup Ruby Red Grapefruit segments
4 cups banana blossoms, julienned
¼ cup loosely packed fresh Vietnamese Mint (rau răm), chopped
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1½ tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
1 cup rice wine vinegar
¼ cup fried shallots
¼ cup roasted peanuts, crushed
cold water
black pepper to taste

Prepare the sauce. In a medium sized bowl, stir the sugar and water together until completely dissolved. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and stir until combined. Set aside.

Fill a large bowl with cold water and add the rice wine vinegar. Peel off the dark colored and tough outer leaves of the banana blossom. Use a sharp knife or mandolin to julienne the blossoms. You can either discard the “baby bananas” or chop them up finely. Submerge the banana blossoms into the bowl of water/vinegar after they have been julienne. Allow the banana blossoms to sit in the vinegar water for 15-20 minutes.

In a large bowl, add the shredded chicken, prawns, avocados, herbs, and freshly cracked black pepper. Add a few spoonfuls of the sauce until the items are lightly coated. Drain the banana blossoms from the vinegar water and squeeze out any excess liquids. Add banana blossoms to the other ingredients and spoon in some additional sauce. Gently toss the salad with the fried shallots and plate. Sprinkle the top with crushed peanuts and serve.

Giveaways · Pork · Seafood · Sponsored

Spicy Mussels with Andouille Sausage + Nambé GIVEAWAY

April 18, 2012June 21, 2016 The Culinary Chronicles59 Comments

Man, oh man……

This is a doozy.

You might as well just jump through the screen and hug me now.

Not only do I have a DELISH recipe to share with you but we have a FABULOUS GIVEAWAY!!!!! Oh yes, it’s another Win-Nguyen Situation!

Our generous friends at Nambé have offered to give one of our readers a STUNNING Cradle Pasta Bowl. I’m not kidding friends. When I took mine out of the box, I literally gasped! Forget about calling it a “pasta bowl”, it’s a work of art!

I had so many different dishes I wanted to display in this beauty but finally settled upon a flavorful and easy summer meal– Spicy Mussels with Andouille Sausage. I often steam mussels in white wine with tons of citrus and herbs but wanted to kick up the flavors a bit this time around. The spice and richness from the Andouille were perfect! The broth is extremely satisfying as it melds the earthiness of the sausage with the briny goodness from the mussels and clam juice. I think it’s best enjoyed with a hunk of crunchy bread and a glass of crisp vino but it would also go well with some linguine. Exquisite!

But as delectable as these mussels are, I’m sure you want to know how to win the lovely Cradle Pasta Bowl, right? Well the good news is that you have FIVE (5) separate chances to win! To enter:

Leave a comment and tell us what the first thing you’ll serve in the Cradle Pasta Bowl;
Subscribe to The Culinary Chronicles & get automatic emails when new posts are published (If you already subscribe, leave a comment indicating so);
Like the Nambé Facebook Fan Page and leave us a comment here indicating so (If you already “Like” Nambé, leave a comment and let us know); or
Like our Facebook Fan Page (If you already “Like” us, leave a comment indicating so); or
Follow @CulinaryChron on Twitter (If you already Follow us, leave a comment indicating so).

The deadline to enter is Monday, April 23rd at 12pm (PST) and the winner will be announced the next day.

Best of luck friends and THANKS so much Nambé!

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Spicy Mussels with Andouille Sausage
Serves 6

½ pound Andouille Sausage, casings removed
½ cup diced shallots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon red chili flakes
1½ cups dry white wine
1 cup clam juice
1 32-ounce can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
5-6 sprigs fresh thyme
½ cup chopped Italian parsley, plus more for garnish
5-6 lemon slices
4 pounds fresh mussels, scrubbed and debearded
vegetable oil
kosher salt
black pepper

Heat a heavy bottom pot with 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add in the sausage and use a wooden spoon to crumble up the meat while it’s browning. Once cooked, remove the sausage to a plate.

Lower the heat to medium and cook the shallots for 2-3 minutes until tender but not browned. Add in the garlic, chili flakes and cook for an additional minute. Turn the heat back up to high and add in the white wine. Deglaze the pan with the wine and use the wooden spoon to scrape up the brown pits. Reduce the liquids by half. Add in the clam juice and tomatoes (with its juices). Once the liquids come to a slow boil, carefully add in the mussels, thyme, parsley, and lemon slices. Stir in the cooked sausage and cover the pot with a lid. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the mussels have opened. Remove the mussels to a serving dish. Check the broth for seasonings and adjust as needed with the kosher salt and pepper. Ladle the broth over the mussels and garnish with additional parsley and lemon wedges. Serve immediately with warm bread (baguettes or ciabatta).

Desserts/Pastries

Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée for Leonidas.

April 4, 2012 The Culinary Chronicles6 Comments

In a Vietnamese family, the Đích Tôn is a position that holds a great deal of honor and duty. He is the eldest grandson by the eldest son and is responsible to not only carry on the family name but also our traditions and history.

And this past December, my parents’ Đích Tôn made his debut in the world– Leonidas Knox Nguyen.

Of course, Dad was thrilled beyond belief. And how could he not be? Leo is freaking adorable and such an alert little guy. And those cheeks! I could just squeeze and zerbert them all day!

A month after his arrival, my brother and his fam came from NYC for an extended stay so that we could all meet Leo and spend time with his big sis, Luna. While they were here, V and L held a small gathering with the immediate family in Leo’s honor. It gave the fam an opportunity to give our blessings, best wishes and words of us advice to Leo.

Admittedly, there’s a lot resting on the little guy’s shoulder. But at just 3 months, I can tell he will far exceed anything we could possibly hope for.

Oh! And as for the Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée–I whipped up a few batches for Leo’s gathering. Don’t worry Leo, as soon as those teeth come in, Cô Nam will be stuffing you with goodies. xoxo!

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Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée
Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 Large Egg
4 Large Egg Yolks
½ Cup Sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for each serving
3 Cups Heavy Cream
2 Vanilla Bean Pods, split lengthwise with beans scraped out
1 Pint Fresh Berries, washed and dried

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the egg, egg yolks, and ½ cup of the sugar together on low speed until just combined. Meanwhile, scald the cream in a small saucepan with the emptied vanilla bean pods and beans until it’s very hot to the touch but not boiled. Remove the vanilla bean pods and with the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream to the eggs. Pour into 6 to 8-ounce ramekins until almost full.

Place the ramekins in a baking pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custards are set when gently shaken. Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until firm.

To serve, spread 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on the top of each ramekin and heat with a kitchen blowtorch until the sugar caramelizes evenly. Allow to sit at room temperature for a minute until the caramelized sugar hardens. Serve with fresh berries on top.

Slightly adapted from Ina Garten