Butterscotch Bourbon Ice Cream

This homemade ice cream is so creamy and perfect. I stupidly forgot to take a picture of it scooped out, so you'll just have to take this one of it churning. A few summers ago, the New York Times came out with a fantastic ice cream article and recipe with a basic base and a whole bunch of ways to customize it with different flavors, aptly titled, "The Only Ice Cream Recipe You'll Ever Need." They had a butterscotch bourbon flavor that I tried last weekend - yum! It's really, really good and I will definitely make it again. It's rich and creamy and has just a hint of bourbon - it's not overwhelming at all. (I don't like my desserts to taste like booze).

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream

I've never been a huge strawberry ice cream person. I usually go for mint chocolate chip or Oreo or something with chocolate in it before this, but wow, it make a huge difference to make it yourself with in-season strawberries. Did anyone else see this ice cream base recipe in the Times? I couldn't wait to try it. The strawberry ice cream is fresh and tart and delicious, and Jamie remarked on how fruity it was. Try it before they're gone!!

NY Times Braised Short Rib Nachos

Super Bowl involved a lot of food. Wings, Bacon Explosion, and this newcomer - the amazing nachos you may have recently seen in the Times. Yum! They were so rich but the salsa verde cut through the richness, and the leftover short ribs made incredible tacos. (It makes a LOT of short ribs, but it's worth it because they're great for leftovers.) I actually (oops) forgot the beer but they worked out great. 

Ingredients:

4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, patted dry

5 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, more to taste

1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

5 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

2 jalapeño or serrano peppers, halved lengthwise, seeded if desired

1 onion, peeled and quartered lengthwise

1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes