“The best store-bought dessert out there”

Or so Brad announced after dinner last night (and I imagine Cassie might agree?). We specifically asked Brad about his beloved Ghirardelli mix brownies, and he confirmed that they have been bested by these Trader Joe's® Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches. If ice cream sandwiches are your thing, I think these are definitely better than the traditional ones made with chocolate wafers that stick to your fingers.

 

We haven't done a side-by-side taste test with The Original ChipwichⓇ, but bon appétit did, and they actually had Trader Joe's running behind both The Original ChipwichⓇ, which came in second, and their winner, the 7-Select Ice Cream Sandwich Cookie from 7-Eleven of all places. ("Just moments after tasters took their first bites of 7/11’s ice cream sandwich, they began blurting out praise—speaking over each other to express surprise and delight.") So remember that the next time you're driving by a 7-Eleven on a hot day and thinking about getting a SlurpeeⓇ. In the meantime, I can't beat the convenience of seeing these in the freezer aisle of my local Trader Joe's every Saturday.

 

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The weather has finally cooled off here, with nighttime temperatures dropping into the 50's, and it's definitely feeling like fall today with the remnants of Tropical Store Ophelia blowing through town. Whenever the weather starts getting like this, it definitely feels like soup time has arrived. And soups don't get much easier than this one, using just a medium head of cauliflower and pantry ingredients. We've had this several times and really liked it, especially with a loaf of Mom's sourdough bread (recipe coming someday???) slathered with good butter.

 

Cauliflower Soup

Adapted from Deb Perelman via Smitten Kitchen (Sept. 3, 2006)

Time: ~36 minutes

1 medium head (~900 grams / 2 pounds) cauliflower
28 grams (2 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or sliced
900 grams (1 quart) vegetable broth or stock
30 grams (½ cup) finely grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

    1. Core the cauliflower (see steps 1 and 2 here), then chop it coarsely (no need to make tidy florets, since the soup will be pureed later).
    2. In a 4-quart or larger saucepan or pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes.
    3. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
    4. Stir in the cauliflower, then add the broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce the heat as needed to maintain a steady simmer, and cook until the cauliflower is very soft all the way through, about 15 minutes.
    5. Remove from the heat. Puree until completely smooth, preferably using an immersion blender in the same pot.
    6. Stir in the Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper (or let people add their own pepper at the table). Serves 4 to 6 depending what else you’re eating.