This deliciously light, sweet and refreshing Cantaloupe Sherbet has everything and nothing to do with what I’m about to say.
I do a lot of thinking in the shower. Why do you need to know that? Well, you probably don’t. Nevertheless, allow me to over share. I got this new minty shampoo and it works wonders in the thought department. I think the fresh minty smells might be penetrating my brain.
Last minty shower I got to thinking about my dream job. After I mulled over my dream job I got to thinking about you. Yes, you. I think about you. It’s true. What’s your dream job? Are you lucky enough to have it? Does it pay you the millions of dollars that you deserve? Are you paid in smiles from your little squirt? Do you wake up in the morning before the alarm goes off because you’re thrilled to get to work? If not, what’s the difference between what you do now and what you really want to do? What will it take to make your dreams your reality?
I know. Lots and lots of questions. I told you the minty shampoo was good!
In some ways, I think I have my dream job. I get to cook and write about food virtually every day of the week. If someone would have told me two years ago, while I was grinding away in college, that I would soon get to write about and photograph food, I would have said to them “Awesome Opossum!”
So I feel like I’m mostly living the good life. Of course there’s the day to day of life that sometimes seems daunting or downright annoying, but all things considered it’s a dreamy.
This can’t be it though. I’m not done dreaming it yet! I think one of my dream jobs would be working for Epicurious or Bon Appetit or Gourmet Magazine in some way. Dreamy right!? I’d also like some sort of television or Internet show. I know. I owe you another podcast. Long story. I’m working on that. Maybe more minty showers will lead me in the right direction.
You?
Remember I said that this post has everything and nothing to do with my ramblings?
Well this lovely Cantaloupe Sherbet is a recipe from Epicurious.com- my dream job destination. The recipe didn’t have a picture attached, so you can say you saw it here first.
The flavor of the cantaloupe sherbert is just outta sight. It’s light and sweet but the cantaloupe flavor really comes through. It’s not over laden with sugar. The consistency might be an issue. I keep my freezer very cold and this sherbert isn’t exactly a scoopable treat. Once in the freezer overnight, the only way I got it into the cup was as a shaved ice/granita kind of thing. Let’s just say I did more scraping than scooping . Maybe I churned wrong? I dunno. Hard to say.
Important! Check out the second installment of Baking Basics at Foodproof. It’s more than you ever wanted to know about muffins. Good stuff.
Cantaloupe Sherbet
Gourmet June 1993
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Pernod (Forgive me, I used a bit of rum. If you leave out the booze just add substitute corn syrup and a pinch of salt. But as Shawn noted in the comments below, the alcohol is an important part of the freezing process. Thanks Shawn!)
two 3-inch strips of lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cantaloupe (about 2 1/2 pounds), seeds and rind discarded and the flesh chopped (about 3 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup heavy cream
In a saucepan stir together the water, the sugar, the Pernod, and the zest, boil the mixture, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved, and simmer it for 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, transfer the syrup to a bowl, and chill it, covered, until it is cold. In a blender or food processor purée the cantaloupe, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula, until it is smooth, blend in the cream and the syrup, and force the mixture through a coarse sieve set over a bowl, pressing hard on the solids. Freeze the mixture in an ice-cream freezer according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
August 27th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
i find mint shampoo inspiring myself.
the sherbert looks lovely.
August 27th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Hmmm… I would have to say my dream job would be to own/operate a quaint little Patisserie/Chocolaterie/Coffee&Tea House where my wife and I could both do the things we love to do - I would do the baking and confectioning while my wife would run the coffee shop and host tea parties. Ideally, it would be somewhere in a nice little coastal town. What’s stopping us? Well, an 18-month old sweetie pie, plus the requirements to be practical. I may not be living the dream, though I do have a good job about which I won’t complain. I can get close by blogging - love to cook, love photography. Nice post, nice thoughts. Can’t enjoy the sherbet though as I don’t care for cantaloupe, sorry.
August 27th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
I have removed all the pictures and added links to your blog. Thanks for letting me repost.
August 27th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Hmm - I’m not a big fan of cantaloup, but this definitely tempts me! Looks so refreshing.
August 27th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
Joy, I completely relate to this post. 1) I absolutely love my minty shampoo. Do you use the one from Origins? it’s by far my favorite
Personally, I would love to travel for one of those major magazines and learn about the different cuisines around the world!
2) We share similar dreams
August 27th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
oops, most importantly… the sherbert! It looks delicious and sounds extremely refreshing (here’s to one more *tiny* heat wave before the summer’s completely over).
August 27th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
That’s a delicious looking sherbet and I love that sweet, mild, musky aroma from a great cantaloupe.
As for the job questions…its complicated. Things used to be easy when I was in school–its easy to say what you want to do when you’re not there yet… *shrugs* We’ll see where things go
August 27th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
how i love a cantaloupe and often have it mixed with honeydew for breakfast. my dream job? to eat said honeydew and cantaloupe at my writing table as i complete my next novel–i want to be a published novelist. i have one completed but am still looking for an agent. one day (hopefully soon) you’ll see my name at borders or barnes and noble–and i don’t mean on a nametag as i cashier behind the counter.
August 27th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
This looks so good! cantaloupe is not incorporated into enough stuff. I had a cantaloupe milkshake once (in egypt) and of course this is not a regular menu offering here in the US
My dream job would be doing translation and doing it at home. I don’t really care what I’d be translating but I’d like to be paid enough that I can work 30 hours or less a week and not have to go anywhere. Ideal!
I enjoy your site a lot, thanks for posting great recipes.
August 27th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
OK, I obviously need to get some of that shampoo. That looks sooo refreshing!
August 27th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Hearing you talk about how you were a college student with culinary aspirations really gives me hope because I am currently an international affairs major who would really love a career in food. I don’t know how I’m going to do it, but I would love to turn my love of cooking and baking into a career!
Thanks for this amazing blog (I found it a few days ago via FoodGawker)!
August 27th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
I work in film & television but you’re living my dream job. Any advice on following in your footsteps?
August 27th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Oooh, cantaloupe! So lovely. You’re making me want to acquire an ice cream maker for our kitchen =)
August 27th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Our local creamery makes a cantelope ice cream that is super yummy.
My dream job is what I do now. Take pictures of food and write about food.
August 27th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
My retirement plan is to own a bakery! hah! right now i do believe i am at a climax in my life as I’ll be traveling to so a ba in economics!
love your ramblings + blog! gr8 job joy!
August 27th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
So i frequently read your comments(provided there arent like 500, how do YOU get through all them) and clicked on “Natalie” and could not believe that I was reading “Joy the Baker” at a much uglier page… sad… I’ll be visiting here, not there, for the record.
) and changing diapers all day, cause really, its not too bad, and more rewarding than any “yum” I’ll ever get from a would be customer. Tonight I made eclairs and mini fritattas for dinner with Tori and the fun she and I had was enough to postpone any personal desire for now…
My dream job? Owning my own bakery… seems SLC has a lack of decent places that use fresh ingredients where the chocolate doesnt taste like wax or look like its from some large national company that ships out, and the baked goods are not topped/filled with that hydrogenated crap that tastes just as bad. I’ve sent my husband for an MBA and told him 5 years from now he needs to be managing our bakery and I need to be doing more of what I love.
As for now, I’ll settle for motherhood with my darling little girls(have you seen them!?
Great post, as usual!
August 27th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Yumm, cantelope. There’s a little surprise on my blog for you! ~Sass
August 28th, 2008 at 7:01 am
Good job in getting your dreams “out there”, Joy! I hope they come true and then some. The cantelope sherbet looks cool and refreshing and divine. Three cheers for you, for minty shampoo, for showers that provide clarity of mind and a clean body.
August 28th, 2008 at 7:03 am
More cheers for me if I would spell correctly….I meant cantaloupe…
August 28th, 2008 at 7:05 am
I would have to say my dream job is anywhere that involves me baking or cooking. I want to make yummy things that are good for people. Things you can feel good about giving to your family. If that doesn’t work, I would love to be a professional pin up model. lol
I did add an ice cream attachment for my kitchenaid on my registry, hopefully I shall be able to make your yummy ice cream recipes and this one as well. Thanks again!
Such big dreams.
August 28th, 2008 at 7:38 am
The sherbet looks so refreshing! What a great summer treat!
August 28th, 2008 at 9:05 am
I just love your posts Joy! My dream job is a magazine columnist. I don’t even really care which magazine, I just love to write. I’d love to have a book published one day; I’ve started one off and on. Gotta be more disciplined and actually get it finished!
August 28th, 2008 at 10:16 am
What a feast for the eyes..I can almost taste this beautiful sherbet!
Thanks for a yummy post.
August 28th, 2008 at 11:30 am
Just a note to this recipe:
You say for those who aren’t inclined towards using alcohol to simply use some water instead; I’d suggest avoiding this, as it would exacerbate the rock-hard texture you mention in your description. The alcohol acts as a form of antifreeze (since its freezing point is significantly lower than water’s), and thus helps to make a more “scoopable” sherbet. Consequently, perhaps adding a third tablespoon of the liquor may have made for a smoother consistency.
For non-alcohol recipes, I would suggest instead substituting a tablespoon or two of sugar and a small dash of salt. Sugar will act similarly to alcohol in the mix, and (hopefully) the salt will balance out the added sweetness.
I have to imagine there are other alternatives, but I haven’t worked with enough sorbets to really have a good feel for how to maintain the flavor balance. All that said, I’m certainly going to give this one a shot soon!
August 28th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Sorry for the double-post, but it just occurred to me that corn syrup would be an ideal substitute (instead of white sugar), as it tends to be less overly-sweet and will still hinder crystal formation in the sorbet, allowing for the creamy texture one is shooting for. Just an afterthought!
August 28th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
I think I’m getting pretty close to my dream job right now, cooking in a great restaurant, occasionally doing some private catering… of course, in my dreams cooks get paid a lot more, work regular hours, and don’t have oniony smelling hands all the time.
For my future dream job, I’d love to make this writing thing more than the hobby it is right now. Ah, to cook and eat and write for all my days *sigh*
Thanks for this post.
Two questions.
1) What kind of icecream maker/sorbetier do you use?
2) Does this recipe work with any other kind of melon?? I’m not the biggest fan of cantaloupe, but I love honeydew and watermelon.
Char
August 28th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Cantaloupe sherbert sounds great! What a nice colour.
August 28th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
This looks so refreshing and light. A nice healthy summer treat.
I don’t know what it is but, I don’t like cantaloupe really but, frosen cantaloupe treats are ok. Hummmm.
August 28th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
It’s my dream for now… and that’s all that matters
I teach, and it makes me smile.
August 29th, 2008 at 2:44 am
Absolutely gorgeous color. I just want take a bite, it looks so inviting.
August 29th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Joy, you SHOULD have your own show. This is the best food blog out there — and I’ve read more than my fair share. You’re like written comfort. I’d like to see you become the next Barefoot Contessa!
August 29th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
I just love all your comments. I love hearing about your dream jobs. A few things-
Sarah- good looking out! And I love the idea of a family run bakery. Serious yum!
Any- Thanks- And cantaloupe is a tricky one
Sweetcharity- It sounds like you’re living the dream, but I totally know what you mean about the paycheck. I think people that slave away in kitchens should make millions….. ah to dream! I used a regular old, home grade cuicinart ice cream maker for this sorbet. http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-ICE-20-Automatic-2-Quart-Ice-Cream/dp/B00000JGRT/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1220059329&sr=8-1
Also, I don’t see why a honeydew wouldn’t work just as well as a cantaloupe!
Chelle- Go! Write!
Shawn- Brilliant! Great comment! You’re totally right about the alcohol. Adding additional water will only make the sorbet more icy. The alcohol is really important. I think corn syrup might be a great substitute. Great! Thanks for thinking of that!
August 29th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
This looks so refreshing and what a lovely color too! My mom just gave me a really ripe cantaloupe yesterday and no one else here likes it but me. I’ll bet they’ll like this!
My dream job? Well, I’ll let you know if it ever happens.
August 29th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
this looks very yummy and refreshing! perfect for the end of august
August 30th, 2008 at 2:10 am
Great recipe (oh, and it’s sherbet, not sherbert.)
August 30th, 2008 at 6:42 am
Grammar Fan- Bless you.
August 30th, 2008 at 8:12 am
I’ve only ever made a cantaloupe sorbet before but this sherbet sounds and looks wonderful too.
August 31st, 2008 at 1:03 pm
It’s funny because I have an incredible ripe canteloupe in my fridge that I was thinking of freezing. This sounds like a much better idea!
September 7th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
This looks so delicious! I’d kill for a Cantaloupe melon! For whatever reason, you rarely see a Cantaloupe melon here. Galia melons are easy to come by though, they are similar to Honeydew melons but with the skin of a Cantaloupe melon.