I, like many geeks who spend a majority of their time on the computer or watching sci-fis, enjoyed the Fox series Firefly when it aired 6 years ago. I recently re-watched the whole series as well as the DVD continuation, Serenity. What does all this have to do with food? Well let me share that.
During one particular episode (The Message), River Tam (a mind reading genius) is attempting to consume a frozen dessert aptly called an Ice-Planet. It basically looked like a ball of ice cream dangling from a string on a stick. Here is a screenshot from the episode:
After several unsuccessful attempts to eat the swinging ball, she declares in a child-like way, “My food is problematic.” This quote quickly became an internet meme, showing up on tee-shirts, in online comics, and plastered all over blogs. So, if you are a fan of Firefly, or a fan of crazy desserts, I have something for you. Behold! An actual, edible, Ice-Planet!
I am going to now show you, step by step, how it is you can make these at home. They are a little messy, and you may need special bowls, and eating them takes time, but it can be done. If you have never seen the show, you will still find this project fun and just ignore all the Firefly references (or go rent the show to find out what I’m talking about!). Here is my basic blueprint for the project:
Step 1: Securing the Ingredients and Tools
To make 4 Ice-Planets you will need:
• 8 (2.5 in) craft sticks (popsicle sticks)
• 4 (20 in) pieces of string
• 4 dowel rods (notched towards end)
• 4 smallish (3 inch diameter) bowls with rounded bottoms
• ice cream
• ice cream scoop
• 2 people (1 person = problematic)
Step 2: Set-up (Freeze the bowls, tie the sticks, notch the rods)
First of all, take 2 of the small bowls and place them in the freezer. Since you are dealing with ice cream, any non-freezing surface will cause it to melt rapidly and cause the liquid ice cream to make it rather difficult to pack the Ice-Planets solid.
Also, because we are attempting to hang a pint of ice cream from a skinny string, there has to be some sort of internal support structure that can hold onto the surrounding ice cream. This structure is a simple plus sign made of short Popsicle/craft sticks tied at the middle with string. When tying, be sure to lay the sticks on a flat surface and have the long end of the string coming straight out of the center upwards.
Another issue will be the rods that the ice cream hangs from. Tying the string directly to the dowel could result in the tie sliding down the rod or falling off the end. To remedy that, simply cut a notch towards the top of the rod. Tie the end of the string to the rod and you have the skeletal structure of your planet. Good Job!
Step 3: Getting down and dirty (Ice-Planet Style)
After you have all the prep work done, have the stick structure handy (and a wet paper towel) and pull out the frozen bowls. With a second person, quickly fill the bowls (packing them down) with ice cream until they are slightly domed over the top of the bowl.
Now here is the tricky part. The support structure needs to be placed perpendicular to the Ice-Planet “seam” to add as much support as possible. Placing the “plus” parallel to the seam may cause structural instability and the Ice-Planet will be destroyed, and it won’t be the Alliance’s fault, it will be yours. So, have one person hold the structure perpendicular to the Ice-Planet seam and have the second person slowly bring the 2 Ice-Planet halves together around the sticks.
Press the bowls together until you have a nice tight seal. Liquid ice cream will ooze from the seam like molten lava, but thats ok. Quickly hand-off the Ice-Planet (still in the mold) to the non-ice cream covered individual so that they can wipe off the mold and stick it in the freezer while the other runs to the sink to hose off.
Step 4: The Waiting Game
Now you simply have to wait for the planet to re-freeze (which, luckily, won’t take billions of years). This is imperative to the whole process because if you don’t wait for it to refreeze you may have a collapsing planet on your hands and face, so be patient. You can make a second Ice-Planet while you wait or perhaps finish your model of Serenity, organize a shindig, knit or buy yourself Jayne’s Hat, play a game of Tall Card, or send Fox some nasty emails – your choice. After about 20 min, you can return to the freezer and prepare to be delighted.
Step 5: Releasing the Outer Planet
Take the planet to the sink and slowly pour warm water over the bowls. As you are doing so, gently rotate the bowls in opposite direction, like turning 2 knobs. Do that back and forth until one of the halves comes off. You may have to run more water over the second half because there may be a slight suction. Be prepared to just plop the planet into your hand because if you don’t the heaviness may surprise you and you will plop it in the sink. Not good. Once the molds have been removed, you can hand the stick to your partner while you clean up. Low and behold, you have an Ice-Planet!
“So, what’s so great about a gorram Ice-Planet?” you ask. Well I doubt you would put it that way, but let me tell you.
Not only do you get to see first hand what River was referring to when she called eating it “problematic” but you get to have a lot of fun in the process. You may think this dessert would be a drippy nightmare but it’s not. Jim and I made and ate 2 and we had only one lonely drip. Because the ice cream is not touching any surface, you get very little heat conduction. The Ice-Planet is only warmed by your face and mouth, not by a bowl, cone, or even spoon. Also, as the planet is eaten (slowly) because of the internal structure, it doesn’t fall apart. The re-freezing binds the melty seam together with a strong unbreakable bond. This is helpful when you are swinging the plant all over the place figuring out how to eat it. What’s so great about this dessert, is that is it super fun to eat. There are several methods to consumption. You can try to bite the planet from the side (never getting much); lick the planet (which yields little, but is less messy); or attack from the southern pole (which is most effective because the gravity of Earth-that-is is helping the process). Here Jim shows us these 3 methods.
Because the episode didn’t show the booth that River received the Ice-Planet from, how do we know that she didn’t order a St. Albans Ice-Planet? Maybe there is a whole line of Planet themed desserts. Well I have come up with a mini menu that you can use to create the Ice-Planet of your choice:
St. Albans- St. Albans’ icy conditions leave this Ice-Planet out in the cold! Plain white vanilla ice cream create this wintery climate. I’m sure Tracey would have loved it.
Persephone- This strawberry planet would surely capture the eye of Kaylee! Especially when the captain takes her to special shindigs where she can feast on strawberries all night!
Hera- This Rocky Road flavored planet is fitting for the surviving Browncoats of the Battle of Serenity. The war may be over for some, but it still rages in the hearts of the remaining Independents who face the long rocky road ahead. Hopefully this tasty planet can cheer up Mal and Zoe, if only for a moment.
Higgins’ Moon- This icy treat is made with real chocolate Canton “Mud”. This dessert is so good it has been endorsed by the Hero of Canton himself, Jayne Cobb!
Sihnon- This deep red seductive black cherry planet is home to Inara Serra. Take a bite into the world of this beautiful deep-space companion and you will come back for more. I promise you will not be disappointed.
Miranda- This exciting planet is sure to please! First we begin with a placid vanilla planet. Nice and soothing…Then we douse it in brandy, set it on fire, and put it out with bright red Strawberry Sauce! It’s not a favorite among the alliance, but I’m sure you will love it!
Enjoy your Ice-Planets! Happy Cooking and long live the Browncoats!
Prime, the Highest Grade. It has the most marbling and can be hard to find. You can typically only obtain this grade in fancy restaurants with fancy bills that lead to fancy escapes through the not-so-fancy back alley door next to the dumpster. If you want to pay for the ambiance go right ahead and seek out the Prime grade at your local overly priced food trough. If not, cook it yourself and opt for the “second best” grade.
Which brings us to Choice. Most filets are rated Choice, so it’s hard to call this grade second best. While these cuts have less marbling than Prime, they’re still of exceptional quality. Generally, this is what you’d find at your local butcher shop.
Still in the top three, Select has the least amount of marbling, making it leaner but also less flavorful. This grade is typically found in the self-service meat department at your local supermarket. Select is nothing to complain about. If you enjoy rubs, marinades, and steak sauces go with these leaner cuts and slop on your favorite sauce to make up for the slight lack of flavor.
As far as appearance goes, beauty is on the outside. The best way to choose a steak is based on its external features. A delicious steak will be bright red with thin streaks of creamy white fat evenly distributed throughout. This is known as marbling, and generally, the more marbling, the more juicy and flavorful the meat. The beef should also be firm to the touch and not drenched in a murky liquid. Murky liquid = scary bad.
Also, have you ever noticed how after a few days, steaks may turn from the fresh blood red color they were when you bought them to a darker red or even brown color? This is simply the oxidization of the outer layer that is touching (or touched) air. This doesn’t mean the meat is bad, nor does it mean that it is necessarily older than other meat in the same case. It just received more air time. Don’t be afraid to eat this meat, just watch it a little closer. Some say the oxidization makes meat taste a little more like liver, but this varies from taste to taste. If meat begins to turn shades of green, black or blue; or if it begins to talk, walk, or dissolve it is probably in your best interest to just let it go. 
Depending on the steak, you may want to trim a bit of fat off the edges if it is excessive. Fat can shrink and compress meat which can make it a little tough, cause grill flare ups that can burn your meat, and fat is not very heart-healthy. Ideally you want at least 1/4 in of fat around the steak. Now, I would never sacrifice flavor by removing fat, but that is a decision that I made long ago. However, for heart healthy reasons, you may opt to trim some steak fat and because of this, I have found a helpful guide so show you how. Please visit 
Before breakfast on the 4th, I threw the steaks in a bag with some chopped rosemary and some of the Mediterranean Olive Oil to marinate while we went about our day. Using half of the blueberries, Jim made blueberry pancakes and I made a sweet raspberry sauce for on top (lower calories than syrup and a million times better). The sauce is simple, just toss some fresh (or thawed) raspberries in a small sauce pan with a Tbsp of water and a tsp (or 2) of sugar to taste. Break up the raspberries with a spoon as they cook over low heat until the pancakes are ready. Top the pancakes with the raspberry mixture. It is a fantastic alternative to syrup. Check out my Tasty Planner recipe for 
I began with the sprout salad. It consisted of a generous handful of mung bean sprouts, and 1 cup of alfalfa/onion/dill sprouts mixed and about 1/4 cup of the Mediterranean Oil. After mixing that with a fork, I added freshly ground salt and black pepper (to taste). 
Anyway, after the salad was finished (which took all of 5 minutes), Jim turned on the grill to warm it up while I chopped up some garlic. I tossed that in a pan with some hot olive oil and sauteed the garlic with the sliced mushrooms. While I was messing around the kitchen, I poured the remaining blueberries and raspberries in a large bowl with some sugar to warm up and to allow them to juice for dessert. 
Jim grabbed the steaks and gave them a hearty salt and pepper crust and threw them on the grill. They were New York Strips, so he only flipped them twice and cooked them about 4 min each flip. The end result was a piney rosemary seared medium steak. Of course, while he was still tending to the steaks, I finished up the succulent garlic mushrooms in the kitchen and after he slapped the hearty steaks on the plates, I dressed them and we had a fantastic dinner that took 30 minutes to prepare. We truly work like a well oiled machine. Here is the final outcome of all our hard work.
Americans are most familiar with cilantro in their salsa. However, cilantro and coriander are used all over the world in countless preparations. It is used with meat, chicken, fish, sauces, marinades, you name it. In Brazil, cilantro and scallions are essential ingredients for sauces commonly used in Brazilian cuisine. These two crops are often times sold together as cheiro-verde, referring to the color (green) and aroma.
Cilantro can be grown in full sun or partial shade, but do not crowd the plants. It self-seeds readily and if you are companion planting, it enhances the growth of anise quite well. It is not difficult to grow from seed, but it is best to plant it where you wish it to stay as transplanting can often kill the plant. Do not over-fertilize cilantro because too much nitrogen can take away the flavor of the plant.
Cilantro is available year round, and all parts of the plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are the most commonly used in cooking. Select cilantro that is bright green with no yellowing of the stems. Because cilantro is typically bunched for retail, be sure the innermost stems are not slimy or deteriorating in any way. The herb most likely will be moist but should not have a yellow film. 
This herb has a bold flavor and fragrance. The leaves have a sage flavor mixed with tangy citrus. It combines well with onions, clams, oysters, potatoes, and, of course, it is the herb of choice for any salsa. Add it to soups, stews, salad, and marinades. Because Cilantro loses flavor quickly when boiled or cooked, it is best to add it at the end of cooking to allow the flavors to disperse but not disappear entirely. 
If you’re more decadently inclined, make cilantro oil or mayonnaise. There are several ways to make cilantro oil but 
Store fresh cilantro in a plastic bag or place the roots in a container of water. Either way, in a few days it will be a shadow of it’s original self. However, the leaves do not keep well refrigerated and should be eaten quickly, as they lose their aroma when dried or frozen.
This meat is basically muscle, and the chuck happens to be a heavily exercised area. Luckily, this area contains a great deal of connective tissue, including collagen. Collagen melts during cooking, making the meat intensely flavorful. Cuts from this area benefit from slow, wet cooking methods like stewing, braising or pot-roasting.
Tender and flavorful ribs can be cooked any number of ways. Most recipes call for ribs to be roasted, sauteed, pan-fried, broiled, or grilled. If your beef ribs are coming out tough you aren’t cooking them long enough. Beef ribs need to be cooked at a low temperature for a long enough time to render the fat and tenderize the meat. Keep the smoker at around 225 degrees and cook them for about 6 – 7 hours and they will be melt in your mouth tender and not at all fatty or greasy.
This area boasts extremely tender cuts and can be prepared without the aid of moist heat or long cooking times. Cuts from the short loin may be sautéed, pan fried, broiled, pan broiled or grilled. This cut yields types of steak like strip steak (porterhouse, Kansas City Strip, New York Strip) and t-bone (a cut also containing partial meat from the tender loin.) 
The sirloin is actually divided into several types of steak. The top sirloin is the most prized of these. The bottom sirloin is less tender, much larger, and is typically what is offered when one just buys sirloin steaks instead of steaks specifically marked top sirloin. The bottom sirloin in turn connects to the sirloin tip roast, which is generally considered to be a good, if somewhat tough, roast. Filet mignon is the beef steak cut from the lower portion of the ribs, continuing off the tenderloin. These tender cuts respond well to sautéing, pan-frying, broiling, pan-broiling or grilling.
The round is a kind term for the rear end of the carcass. Those muscles are well exercised, so round cuts tends to be a bit tougher and leaner than cuts from the loin. Round cuts do well if they’re cooked with moist heat, and many of them can also be roasted, as long as they’re not overcooked. 
Fresh brisket is an inexpensive boneless cut that requires long, slow cooking to break down the collagen in the connective muscle tissues to achieve tenderness. The long piece is cut in half for marketing. You’ll find it sold as a flat cut or a point cut. The flat cut is leaner, but the point cut has more flavor due to a bit of extra fat. Traditionally this roast is used for corned beef. Suitable preparation methods include stewing, braising and pot-roasting. 
From the front belly of the cow, just below the rib cut this short plate produces types of steak such as the skirt steak and the hanger steak. It is typically a cheap, tough, and fatty meat. The most common use for this steak is for fajitas.
Flank steak can be broiled or grilled, if it is marinated first. Flank steak is a lean, flavorful, boneless cut favored in Asian cuisines. This thin, flat steak comes from a well-exercised part of the animal, as evidenced by its striated muscle fibers and connective tissue. This meat is lean, muscular and very flavorful and can be used for kabobs. 
Due to the constant use of this muscle by the animal it tends to be tough, dry, and sinewy, so it is best when cooked for a long time in moist heat. As it is very lean, it is widely used to prepare very low-fat ground beef. Due to its lack of sales, it is not often seen at retail. Although, if found in retail, it is very cheap and a low-cost ingredient for beef stock. Beef shank is a common ingredient in soups. 
If there are parts of beef that cannot be marketed as the above cuts then it is ground (for hamburgers and meatloaf), cubed (for stews or kabobs) or cut into strips for fajitas or stir-fries. 
Basil has a warm, resinous, clove-like flavor and fragrance. Sweet basil, with it’s wonderful aroma and flavor, is one of the most popular and widely grown herbs in the world. We associate basil with Italian cooking, so you may be surprised to find that many of your favorite Indian and Thai dishes contain basil since it originated in the far eastern countries.
Growing
Selecting
Basil leaves are best used fresh and added only during the last few minutes of cooking. Its highly fragrant leaves are used as a seasoning herb for a variety of foods but has become ever popular as the main ingredient in pesto, the mixture of basil, pine nuts and parmesan cheese. Check out this 
Basil doesn’t retain its flavor well when dried. Instead, layer fresh basil between sheets of waxed paper and freeze. The leaves will darken when frozen this way, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how well it will retain aroma and flavor. You can also fill ice cube trays with chopped basil, cover with water and freeze. Basil ice cubes are great for soups and stews. 
There really is nothing like a thick juicy T-bone or a mouthwatering brisket to get those salivary glands rip roaring. With hamburgers being the number one entree served in American restaurants (with fast food not even included) it is no wonder why we Americans hold beef near and dear to our hearts. Because of this, I have decided to create a series of informative blogs about beef cuts, their best cooking methods, meat safety, and other important issues pertaining to the subject at hand. This is a huge subject to cover, but I will do my best to explain the basics and the most important aspects of this delicious topic. By the way, the image to the right is in fact 
Into the chocolate-dipped waffle bowl of a Cold Stone Creamery Gotta Have It Founder’s Favorite goes, not just a 12-ounce, softball-sized mound of ice cream, but pecans, brownie pieces, fudge, and caramel. The tab: a startling 1,610 calories, 43 grams of saturated fat, and 3 grams of trans fat. That’s roughly what you’d get if you polished off five single-scoop ice cream cones but without a brain freeze of course. 
If ice cream’s not your thing, may I interest you in a Chipotle Chicken Burrito (tortilla, rice, pinto beans, cheese, chicken, sour cream, and salsa)? Think of its 1,180 calories and 19 grams of saturated fat as three Subway Steak and Cheese 6-inch Subs. Plus, it has 2,900 mg of sodium! Mmmm.
Campbell’s Chunky, Select, and red-and-white-label Condensed soups are brimming with salt: Half a can averages more than half of a person’s daily quota of salt. I know a lot of folks that will eat a whole can themselves 
Unless you’re suicidal, why on earth would you want to wolf down a Burger King Quad Stacker — 4 hamburger patties, 4 slices of cheese, 8 strips of bacon, plus sauce and a bun? That’s half-a-day’s calories (1,000), one-and-a-half-days’ worth of saturated fat (30 grams), 3 grams of trans fat, and more than a day’s sodium (1,800 mg). Who needs 4 burgers and 8 strips of bacon?! Honestly!
“Fresh chicken and broccoli over pasta with Parmesan cream sauce,” says Ruby Tuesday’s menu entry for its Fresh Chicken & Broccoli Pasta. Some diners may know that the cheese and cream sauce add saturated fat, but how much harm could they really do? Enough to turn the dish into a 1,700-calorie megameal — that’s like swallowing two one-pound orders of 
The Starbucks Venti (20 oz.) Caffè Mocha with whole milk and whipped cream is more than a mere cup of coffee. Think of it as a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in a cup. Few people have room in their diets for the 450 calories and 13 grams of bad fat that this hefty beverage supplies. But you can lose all the bad fat and all but 170 calories if you order a tall (12 oz.) with nonfat milk and no whipped cream. Just thinking a bit before ordering like a zombie could save you some hefty change 
Dove squeezes some 300 calories and an average of 11 grams of saturated fat (half a day’s worth) into a tennis-ball size serving (half a cup) of its Dove Ice Cream. That puts it in the same ballpark as Ben & Jerry’s and Häagen-Dazs. With names like “Unconditional Chocolate,” Dove is trying to link chocolate with romance. A scoop of its ice cream will fill your heart all right … but not with love.
Each slice of The Cheesecake Factory’s 6 Carb Original Cheesecake has 610 calories — that’s the same as you’d get from a slice of its Original Cheesecake. Think of it as an 8-ounce untrimmed prime rib for dessert — with 29 grams of saturated fat, a 1½-days’ supply. Thank goodness you’re watching your carbs!
McDonald’s Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips sounds healthy. In fact, ounce for ounce, the Selects are no healthier than the chain’s Chicken McNuggets. A standard, five-strip order has 630 calories and 11 grams of artery-clogging fat. That’s about the same as a Big Mac, but the burger has 1,040 mg of sodium, while the Selects hit 1,550 mg — a whole day’s worth — even without the salty dipping sauce. 
Judging by the label, Pepperidge Farm Roasted White Meat Chicken Premium Pot Pie has 510 calories and 9 grams of saturated fat. But look again. Those numbers are for half a pie. Eat the entire pie, as most people probably do, and you’re talking more than 1,000 calories and 18 grams of sat fat. In other words, pass up the easy dinner dish, unless you want to fall victim to pie heart.
