growing up in the philadelphia area, and having a birthday that falls at the beginning of summer, icebox cake was a favorite dessert in the warmer months, and a frequent request of mine for a birthday cake.

both my mother and father grew up eating this easy to make treat, and thus i imagined that it was a staple in most households. as an adult, I have found this to be far from the truth. many, if not most of my fellow dessert-lovers have not even heard of this delicacy.

the traditional icebox is made with chocolate wafers and whipped cream. i found more or less traditional instructions here. (though i personally don’t add vanilla to my whipped cream, and certainly would never never include m&m’s.)

my father’s very new england side of the family were purists — simple heavy cream, whipped and then sandwiched between wafers. my mother’s slightly less traditional clan showed their brash new york ways by following the same traditional recipe as my father’s family…. and then smothering the final product with a healthy dose of chocolate sauce.

many a summer’s evening meal has ended with family debatiing the pros & cons of this condimental addition. personally, i am not a subscriber to the theory that “there’s no such thing as too much chocolate,” and will admit to falling on the side of my paternal ancestors on at least this issue. despite having made new york city my home, i retain this vestige of good old w.a.s.p.-y restraint.

today was a perfect day to revisit summer memories with a little easy assembly and looking forward to a delicious dessert after a great bbq dinner…

not finding the traditional nabisco famous chocolate wafers in the grocery store of my decidedly non-w.a.s.p.-y brooklyn neighborhood, i made an interesting discovery… ginger flavored wafer cookies!

i decided to take the plunge, and for the first time in my life, make a non-chocolate icebox cake.

my husband was skeptical. i wouldn’t dream of calling home to let my parents know what i was up to…

but in the end… I believe that i have started a new offshoot in the family icebox cake making tree. The ginger and cream combo is perfection, and take an already light dessert to a place that is hard to resist, no matter how many burgers have preceded it.

i don’t keep chocolate sauce in the house, so i can’t say for sure, but i am quite confident that in this case, the addition would be quite welcome. since it wouldn’t be an overdose of chocolate, i think the richness would be a great companion to the spiciness of the ginger. next time, we’ll know for sure.

so, there you go… innovation sometimes trumps tradition, and in so doing, may even solve a meal ending family debate.

and it couldn’t be easier… make one yourself! and let me know if there are any other new flavors on your horizon.

Thanks to our friend Jessica for Cream & Sugar’s very first guest blog post.
Please visit her blog, is it the first, for fun musings on fashion and style.

When the sun starts to shine on a more regular basis here in Alberta, my food cravings shift from the comfort foods of colder days, to crisp fresh goodies. With Farmer’s Markets in full swing, tomatoes that taste like tomatoes again, farm fresh carrots, and sweet mint poking up in my garden despite my lack of the proverbial green thumb, I start thinking BBQ and fresh salads.

With fresh on the mind, last weekend launched our BBQ season for the year and set the bar high. Perfectly grilled salmon with a Moroccan Chermoula that could make anything delectable. Admittedly, salmon is never my first choice of fish. I prefer the meatiness of halibut, they delicate taste of basa, or the simplicity of pan fried trout, but this preparation boosts a simple fresh piece of salmon to a crave worthy treat. Add to that two fresh and simple salads, one beetroot salad with arugula, snap peas, and fresh oranges, and one carrot, feta, and mint salad (both from Simply Bill by Bill Granger), and there was no doubt that my days of summer had begun.

These dishes are the kind you will return to again and again, when the days grow longer and the sun starts peaking through the long cold days to finally warm your skin.

Chermoula Grilled Salmon

fresh salmon fillet or fish of your choice

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

1/4 cup sesame seeds

4 cloves of minced garlic

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp paprika

1 tsp chili flakes

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

Using a food processor or mortar and pestle, chop/pound cilantro, sesame seeds, and garlic. Slowly add oil to mixture. stir in paprika, chilies, salt, and lemon juice.

Place salmon on foil lined with parchment. Spoon mixture over the top of the fish generously. (This recipe usually makes more marinade than I require and I freeze the extra for future use.) Fold parchment/foil over fish to form a sealed packet that will be placed directly on the BBQ. Let marinate in the fridge for up to one hour prior to grilling. Heat BBQ to medium heat and grill for approximately 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the fish.

Beetroot Salad

18 baby beets

baby arugula

handful of snap peas, trimmed and blanched

2 blood oranges, peeled and sliced (I couldn’t find blood oranges and substitued with a regular orange)

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp chopped fresh oregano

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Trim beets and cook in boiling salted water for 30-40 minutes, or until tender.Rinse under running water and peel away the skin.

Arrange arugula, sliced beets, snap peas and blood oranges on a platter. Mix together olive oil, white wine vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper and drizzle over salad.

Carrot, Feta and Mint Salad

1 kg carrots, peeled, halved, and sliced

2 garlic cloves crushed

3 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup feta cheese

1/4 cup pitted black olives (I like the dried at the Italian Centre for this recipe, or kalamata)

small handful of fresh mint leaves

Cook the carrots in boiling salted water for 1 minute. Drain and refresh in iced water. Stir together garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Arrange carrots on a serving platter. Top with crumbled feta, mint, and olives, and drizzle with the dressing.

Add a crisp chilled buttery viognier and soak up the sun!