The week in preview and my favorite chocolate sauce for ice cream

Just like I am on the hunt for the best restaurant fried pickle, at home I am searching for the best chocolate sauce.  My grandma had a recipe that we all called Tar.  I have never been able to recreate this phenomenon.  It started out thick, but pourable.  However, once it hit the ice cream it turned into a mouthful of chocolate goo.  It stuck to the teeth and stuck to the spoon, but tasted so good. 

Although, I haven't hit on the replica of this, I did find an excellent Cooks Illustrated chocolate sauce recipe.  I have it on a post-it stuck inside the cabinet, although in a pinch I am pretty sure I could do it from memory.  For such an easy and quick recipe, it really impresses.  It will even store in the fridge for three weeks in an airtight container- although I cannot attest to that from personal experience.  Generally ours lasts about two nights.  But the durability makes it a very nice homemade hostess gift. 

I believe the original intent of this sauce was for profiteroles.  Which seem to be cream puffs with ice cream and chocolate sauce.  Maybe next weekend!

Cooks Illustrated Chocolate Sauce

3/4 cup heavy cream
3 T light corn syrup
3 T butter
salt
6 oz bittersweet chocolate (this is about one cup of my favorite dark chocolate Ghiridelli chips)

Combine the cream, corn syrup, and butter with a pinch of salt in a sauce pan.  Heat on medium until the butter is melted and it starts to bubble.  Remove from heat, add the chocolate, and cover for about 5 minutes.  Whisk to combine. 



And so far near La Crosse my favorite fried pickle is at Little Miami, a tiny spot in between Caledonia and Brownsville MN.  You have to be looking for this place.  The drive is beautiful and involves a fair amount of gravel road.  The pickle spears are coated in the same stuff they use for fish fry.  They even serve them with homemade tartar sauce.  Graze in Madison comes close, but I still have to give it to Little Miami.

The week in preview

Sunday and Monday:  Yet another incarnation of chili.  I have some new Penzey Spice blends, so I have to give it a try.  And naan, although corn bread may be more traditional, naan really is my favorite.
Tuesday and Wednesday: I am going to do the chicken in the slow cooker trick again.  Tuesday it will be transformed into tacos with a Frontera Grill taco mix and black bean soup.  Wednesday it will be BBQ chicken sandwiches with sweet potato fries, sour cream dip, and green beans.
Thursday: Pork tenderloin with roasted potatoes and cauliflower
Friday: Baked salmon with lime and sugar snap peas