god bless lawrence, ks

Kansas is not the sort of place most people associate with wild excitement, unless of course you're talking about college basketball. There are nevertheless very good things to be had in Kansas, if one but knows where to look. To mark Kendall's graduation and to celebrate our wedding, two events that took place during the same packed weekend last May, we had dinner at Krause Dining. From the outside, it looks like any other house on a typical East Lawrence street, but the interior is divided between a modern addition and the original nineteenth-century structure; diners can peek in on the kitchen as they move through the spaces. Each aspect of the multi-course meal was well planned and very, very good, but the whole affair remained happily low-key. After dinner, we chatted with the owner on the patio as the soft spring night fell around us; it turns out the couple moved to Kansas from San Francisco in part because they wanted to bike their children to school. All in all, a very Lawrence experience: a little funky, rarely flashy, and completely true to a particular vision.

To end the meal, we were served basil sorbet with candied basil leaves, a dish that prompted many a discussion over the course of the summer. Upon receipt of an ice cream maker as a wedding present, we promptly set out to re-create the dessert. Because I am an advocate of all things made from full-fat dairy products, I couldn't bear the thought of sorbet when ice cream was in the offing; besides, we live in Washington now, where sorbet rarely tastes as good as it does on a hot summer day in Kansas. We adapted a recipe for ice cream, and it is as follows. My candying technique was heavy-handed, so my basil leaves ended up rather sodden; they tasted better than they looked.


Basil Ice Cream with Candied Basil Leaves

For the leaves:
8-10 whole basil leaves
Egg white
Granulated sugar

Lightly beat the egg white, adding a little water if necessary. Lightly coat both sides of each leaf with the egg white, then dip in the sugar. Let air dry for several hours, then use as garnish.

For the ice cream:
1 cup whole milk
2 cups cream
3/4 cup sugar
1 large bunch fresh basil

Heat the milk over medium-low heat with 1 cup of cream and the sugar, just until bubbles form around the edges. Add the basil and let steep for an hour. Strain leaves, then let the mixture chill thoroughly. Add the remaining cup of cream and freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

Variation:
We've also made this ice cream using mint; I was running low on fresh mint leaves, so I substituted about a teaspoon of Morrocan mint tea leaves. It was delicious, with a deeper flavor than the fresh herbs alone.