Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Coriander Lime Ice Cream with Rhubarb Swirl: Celebrating Our Third Burp-day!


Blogging is a little bit like being in a long-term relationship.
For the most part, I can't remember what life was like BEFORE the Burp! blog came into our our lives.  It has become a fixture, a way of life, a part of how we live and cook.  On the other hand, as I look back over all the posts we've written and all the great people we've gotten to know, I realize that three years is a pretty long time to be dedicated to a food blog.

Like every healthy relationship, blogging takes work and dedication.  I'm not sure that we're really in a position to be giving blogging advice (after all, I feel like we're still learning the ropes).  But, here are a few tips we've picked up along the way:
  1. Always talk. Keep communication channels open. Be authentic. If there's one thing I've learned from blogging, it's that there's no point to putting on a show. Or pretending to be someone you're not. You've got to find your own voice, write about what you're passionate about, and share little bits and pieces of yourself with your readers. Blogging isn't a popularity contest, and it's not high school.  It's about building real relationships and community.
  2. Set expectations and goals. Keep GROWING. It took us a while to figure out what we wanted from blogging. In fact, when we first began, it was just a mechanism for tracking our recipes and exercising our writing muscles... we didn't expect anyone (beyond friends and family) to be reading it! Of course, as we moved along, we realized that we needed to have a vision for where we wanted the blog to be going. We needed to make a commitment to it (and our readers), and we needed to decide how we would keep things new and fresh. 
  3. Seek out good advice and coaching. You may think that only relationships that are on the brink of failing need to seek out good advice and coaching. But, that's simply not true. Even good relationships (and blogs) can benefit greatly from the good advice of others -- and that's absolutely been true for the Burp! blog.  We've learned so much from ALL of you -- from the tips and tricks passed along by our readers to the inspiration and sage words of advice from senior bloggers.
Burp! wouldn't be here if it weren't for you -- our loyal readers and trusted blogging friends.  The past three years have really blown past. In fact, if it hadn't been for a serendipitous glance at the calendar this past weekend, the fact that it's our third blogiversary (or "Burp-day," if you please) might have passed us by without any mention.

However, once we realized we were celebrating three years, we decided we had to do SOMETHING to celebrate.  And what better than churning up a bit of celebration ice cream?

Of course, this couldn't be just any old ice cream. It needed to be something extra special.  As we were looking over all the recipes we've developed over the years, Peef suggested we create something with rhubarb.  He pointed to the recipe for rhubarb sauce with coriander and lime, a recipe we created back in 2008.

The recipe actually marked a sort of turning point for the blog -- one in which we decided that we'd really like to journey outside our previous "comfort zones" and start experimenting with different flavor combinations.  We'd never used coriander in a sweet application, so the idea of trying it out in a rhubarb sauce seemed a little bit wild.  Interestingly enough, it turned out to be a fabulous complement for the sour notes of the rhubarb and lime, and became an instant favorite.
This time around, we wanted to boost the coriander flavor a bit -- so we made it a primary flavor for our ice cream base by infusing it with ground coriander seed, half of a vanilla bean, and the zest of one lime. This Philadelphia style ice cream has notes of coriander, vanilla, and lime with a delicious swirl of rhubarb sauce running throughout.
Honestly -- the ice cream was so delicious that Peef couldn't keep his spoon out of the ice cream maker as it was churning.  It's the perfect combination of cool creamy sweetness and zippy tartness -- a bit like all the best parts of spring-turned-summertime captured in a dish.

And so, in the spirit of deliciousness, we lift our glasses of ice cream high and toast all of you! Thanks for three amazing years!

Even more exciting -- in celebration of our Burp-Day, we'll be giving away at least THREE (3) t-shirts during the month of June. Visit Burp! Blog on Facebook to find out how to win!
2008: Rhubarb Sauce with Coriander and Lime
2010: Coriander Lime Ice Cream with Rhubarb Swirl

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31 comments:

  1. That does it, now I MUST get an ice cream maker!

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  2. happy birthday! three years is amazing!
    that flavor combination sounds incredible: i would never have thought to do coriander in an icecream!

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  3. Congrats on three years of blogging. What an amazing sounding ice cream recipe!

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  4. Happy blogging anniversary! I'm new to the game and I admire the dedication that it takes!

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  5. What a unique incredible ice cream creation! The infusion of coriander, lime and vanilla sounds fabulous and just perfect with rhubarb swirl, this is awesome!

    Congratulations on the three years of blogging!

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  6. Happy BurpDay Birthday!

    Yes, I love you because you manage to fit two of my favorite things into another favorite thing: ice cream! Yes, I love you because you are authentic and gonzo experimenters! Yes, I love you because your local, and I can get advice or help or reassurance at the drop of a hat! For all of these things and more, my hat (if I wore one) is off to Peef and Lo on your 3rd year!

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  7. yes, your is you're... I hate it when that happens... (but my second word verification is "repie" so it isn't all bad. That is a word that should be coined for continual use!)

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  8. Congratulations! Three years is quite an achievement. And here's to many more!

    I think the advice you give is spot on. I look back at my early days of blogging. And I was voiceless. Kind of boring. But eventually I feel like I came into my own, although I'm still working at it every day!

    This ice cream is so unique! I know it must be delicious though...just hearing the words coriander and rhubarb together gives me chills.

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  9. Happy blogiversary! I look forward to many more years of Burp!

    Very clever ice cream. I've always wanted to try something crazy like this with ice cream.

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  10. Happy Birthday to your blog! 3 years of blogging is amazing!

    What an unique flavor for ice cream. I love the combination of cilantro and lime so I bet I would really enjoy this. Sounds so refreshing and perfect for summer.

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  11. You hit on one of the most important things that goes into blogging (in my opinion). Be authentic! That's exactly why I like you two so much. You seem SO real, so authentic, so honest about who you are and what you are striving for with your blog. It's about keeping it real and you guys do that so well. Congratulations on 3 years of success and fun! And thank you for the smiles and great recipes you've provided over the years. I appreciate it!

    Now, on to this ceeelantro and lime ice cream. Wow, what a wonderful flavor infusion. I love this combination, I've just never thought of it in ice cream terms. I will definitely be trying this recipe. It sounds divine.

    Love you guys
    Melissa
    xo

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  12. I love your blog and appreciate all the advice. I'm a first-year blogger and am still finding my voice so these tips help.

    This recipe looks amazing. What a great flavour combination. I love coriander and you might enjoy this cookie recipe too
    http://muminbloom.blogspot.com/2010/02/recipe-coriander-seed-cookies.html

    Happy Birthday :)

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  13. Happy blogiversary! I'm at over 3 years on my blog too & it has been quite a journey. You are so right about how it changes how you cook.

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  14. 3 years! I am so impressed. After being blog-obsessed in my first year it is hard to imagine the future. It is great to see someone like you who is blazing the trail.
    I love the creative combination of flavors in this dish - so unexpected!
    Congrats:)
    E

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  15. Happy Burp!day! :) Congrats on making three years.

    I agree wholeheartedly with everything you said and thanks for the ice cream recipe. I'm slowly trying to move out of my comfort zone.
    ~ingrid

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  16. Happy Burp!!!day...(liked dat term)
    First time here n think arrived at de right time. Liked ur write up abt being authentic blogger...hw true.
    N hw good is a coriander ice-cream..never tried before...though once i tried basil icecream n frankly did not appreciate de taste...may be de sober coriander will appeal my tastbuds.
    BTW a cook n food fanatic fm down under.
    Cheers,
    Chetana
    www.myrecipegalore.blogspot.com

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  17. Congrats on your third burpday! I can't think of a more delicious way to celebrate (okay, maybe an ice cream cake using this super-awesome ice cream... but you can always save that for your fourth anniversary, right?)
    Anyway, I'm very intrigued by this combination of coriander and rhubarb, especially since I have both coriander and rhubarb kicking around in the fridge at the moment. I think I just might have to give it a try!

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  18. You're charting a brave new world in ice cream flavors for sure. I tend towards vanilla, so this is definitely out of my comfort zone, but it sounds zingy and delicious. Bravo on the 3rd burpday!

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  19. I want this right now! It looks/sounds so good. Mmm.

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  20. Happy blogoversary! I love your blog and glad you are still going strong!

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  21. Happy Third Burp Day, Congrats! What an interesting combo of flavored ice cream, sounds delish!

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  22. Congratulations!! What a way to celebrate with this.

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  23. Great flavor profiles! I love unique ice cream flavors and this is a must make. Good job.

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  24. This recipe sounds great. I love the combination of coriander and lime though I've never seen it in a sweet dish.

    Congratulations on 3 happy years. That is true dedication!

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  25. What are the odds of a heat wave, a new ice cream maker, rhubarb, AND this recipe all making an appearance in my life at the exact same time? Sounds like the universe is telling me I need to make this ice cream!

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  26. Happy Blogiversary. This recipe is very intriguing. two of my favorite flavors all wrapped up in ice cream. Amazing, I can't wait to try this.

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  27. The new flavor.. have to taste it..

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  28. Happy Belated Bloggy Birthday! I can't even tell you how much I want this ice cream. It sounds and looks amazing.

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  29. Great post (and wonderful recipe - what an amazing flavour combination!). I especially like the bit about finding your own voice. Truth be told, I find that a great many foodbloggers all sound exactly alike to me (and more often than not, it's in imitation of the Pioneer Woman's style!). For me, I try to write the way I would actually talk.
    Happy 3rd blogoversary!

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  30. Whoa, quite a flavor explosion! Sounds fabuluos and happy burpday!

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