Take A Lickin'

(By Chef Charley Rozen) It's hard to do this job and keep an eye on my waistline. I love food. All kinds of food. And, as anyone who knows me can attest, I love rich deserts.

So, needless to say, in the summer I can't get enough homemade ice cream. I have my own electric ice cream maker and use it at least once a week.

But, for special treats I pass up the traditional North American ice cream for gelato and sorbets.

Originally sorbets were used in Italy as a "breaker" to cleanse the palate between heavy courses. Today, of course, they are a desert on their own.

And, because they don't use cream and little sugar, they are actually less fattening. Note: I said LESS not NONE.

Here are some of my favorite Sorbet recipes.

Banana-Strawberry Sorbet

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas
2 tbsp lemon juice
1.5 cups frozen (unsweetened) strawberries.
0.5 cups apple juice

Preparation:

1. Cut the bananas into quarter-inch slices
2. Coat with the lemon juice
3. Place on a cookie sheet, and freeze.
4. After the bananas are frozen, puree them with the remaining ingredients
5. Serve immediately in chilled cups.

(Leftovers don't freeze well)

Citrus Pepper Sorbet

The Yellow Wax Hot peppers were developed from the mild Banana pepper. They are somewhat hotter than the Banana pepper. The pepper adds a little heat to the frozen fruit juices.

Ingredients:

3 Yellow Wax Hot peppers, stems and seeds removed, chopped
1 3/4 cups water
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large oranges, peeled with segments removed from dividing membrane
2 Tbsp. dark rum
4 Tbsp. fresh lemon or lime juice
3 Tbsp. light corn syrup

Preparation:

1. In pan combine 1 1/4 cups of the water with the sugar.
2. Heat until sugar dissolves.
3. Bring to boil, remove from heat, and cool to room temperature.
4. Refrigerate 2 hrs.
5. Puree remaining ingredients with the 1/2 cup of water.
6. Refrigerate 2hrs.
7. Stir sugar mixture into fruit and freeze according to instructions.

Coconut-Gin Sorbet

Ingredients:

250 g grated fresh coconut
5 dl water
250 g sugar
1 tbsp gin

Preparation:

1. Simmer the grated coconut in the water for 20 minutes.
2. Add the sugar and simmer for 5 more minutes.
3. Cool until at room temperature.
4. Strain, add the gin and pour in the ice-cream maker.
5. Freeze in the machine until stiff.