Since graduating from ICE’s Culinary Arts program in 2009, Kristen’s journey into food media led to enrolling in NYU’s Food Studies program, a subsequent stint at Martha Stewart, and work and a writer and recipe tester for Saveur Magazine and The Wall Street Journal. Kristen then got involved with the development and launch of Food52, a food community that encourages home cooks to submit recipes, exchange tips and share food knowledge. Thanks to a recent Recreational Cooking class at ICE lead by Chef Kristen, I learned a few fun ways to turn simple ingredients into genius recipes.
She currently serves as a Senior Editor for the site, writing the Genius Recipes column and testing all of the recipes before they are published. When Kristen decided to teach a class based on these experiences, she fittingly returned to where her culinary career began: the ICE kitchens. The idea was to share some of her favorite “Genius Recipes” – which feature classic dishes, but with a small trick or quick tip that saves time and makes it extra delicious.
From creating a refreshing summer salad using unripe peaches, to whipping up a chocolate mousse without eggs or cream, Kristen's recipes and tips are easy to adapt to home kitchens and sure to wow your next dinner guests.
Of all of the fantastic dishes we created, the River Café’s Strawberry Sorbet was a standout, and the one I’m dying to recreate at home. For others like me, who are lactose-intolerant, it's a fantastic, cold way to satisfy an unflinching summer sweet tooth.
When it comes to this recipe, I can't decide which is more genius – the fact that it has only 3 ingredients, or that it includes a whole lemon to provide its distinct flavor and delightfully creamy texture. You can decide for yourself by making the recipe below. Don't forget to visit Food52 and explore more “genius” recipes at home!
The River Café's Strawberry Sorbet
*Adapted from the London River Cafe Cook Book by Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray (Ebury Press, 1996)
Makes 1 1/2 quarts
Ingredients:
- 2 to 3 lemons
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 pounds strawberries, hulled
Instructions:
- Quarter, seed, and then roughly chop 1 lemon. (The other 1 to 2 lemons will be juiced in step 3.)
- Place the chopped lemon and sugar in a food processor, and pulse until combined -- it will look like lemon slush. Transfer to a bowl.
- Purée the strawberries in the same food processor bowl, and add to the lemon mixture, along with the juice of 1 lemon. Taste and add more juice as desired. The lemon flavor should be intense but should not overpower the strawberries. Pour the mixture into an ice cream machine and churn until frozen.