A Blog Of Ice Cream

Ice Cream Maker Tips - Choosing The Right Machine

2009-11-18T02:49:00.000-08:00

If you are looking to buy an ice cream maker for the first time, you will be overwhelmed by the choice now available. Years ago of course it was not the case but today, as with so many other things, it is a very different scenario.

First of all, there is the choice between a manual machine and an electric ice cream maker. The latter, whilst much more expensive, bigger and heavier, actually freezes the ice cream as it churns it so you can go from your ready mixture to edible, servable fresh ice cream within as little as 20 minutes.

Secondly, even with an electric ice cream maker, there are different types and styles to choose from. Gaggia for example have developed their own very distinctive style of machine which you recognise instantly the moment you see one of their ice cream makers and Cuisinart have also developed their own style such as the very popular ICE-50BC Supreme Ice Cream Maker (see photo left).

Hamilton Beach makes an ice cream maker that looks entirely different again! Indeed, their Hamilton Beach 68330R 4-Quart Automatic Ice-Cream Maker (photo right) actually works in a different way. It requires you to pour your mixture into the canister, insert the dasher into the canister, attach the easy-lock lid and then place the motor over the canister, locking it onto the bucket. Then you add layers of ice and salt to the bucket covering the canister. Your homemade ice cream will then be ready in 20-40 minutes. This particular ice cream maker can also be used for making frozen yogurt and custard. At under $40 it makes a great, affordable gift for a loved one or friend - especially if you know they love ice cream!

So you see ... choosing an ice cream maker is not that easy any more.

Ice Cream Books For Christmas

2009-11-12T03:50:00.000-08:00

Out and about Christmas shopping yet? Already suffering from shopping mall blues?

Well, if the idea of sitting comfortably in your slippers and doing a little shopping on the Net appeals, here are some great ideas for Christmas gifts - ice cream books.

These are highly rated books from Amazon now available through the Ice Cream Recipes Online Store ....

Making Artisan Gelato

The Vegan Scoop

Serendipity Sundaes

Granita Magic

English Seaside Ice Cream, Hogwarts Castle & Craster Cornets!

2009-11-07T02:32:00.000-08:00

Ice cream has lots of traditions - from the way it's made to the way it's served and lots more. What I find interesting is to look into what makes ice cream 'traditional' to any particular geographical area. It might be the quality of the local milk, the type of locally grown fruit that is available or, if it's an area that attracts tourists, it might even be that the ice cream is produced especially to cater for the tastes of the 'incomers'. The truth is, like with all things ice cream, there are many variations on a theme.

In England, for example, ice cream is produced by a wider variety of people than ever before. You have the traditional, small, local companies whose family have been making ice cream for generations but also there are many dairy farmers now turning to producing their own ice cream which they sell direct to retailers and sometimes even directly to the public from their own ice cream shop. One tradition, however, that is thankfully still alive and kicking is that of the ice cream parlour though it is by no means thriving. The most common and indeed most popular is the traditional 'seaside' ice cream parlour (in the States they're called ice cream parlors of course). I have many happy childhood memories of them on the Yorkshire coast (Scarborough especially) and in more recent years have found others such as when I visited Alnwick Castle - or Hogwarts Castle as many now call it (the Harry Potter movies were filmed there) in Northumberland.

Alnwick Castle is not far from the beautiful Northumberland coast with its sandy beaches, great vistas and fascinating history and wildlife. So a lot of visitors to the area, especially from the USA, enjoy the best of both worlds by staying in Northumberland cottages. After visiting Alnwick we called in at Bamburgh to see the magnificent Bamburgh Castle and then at Craster where we took the wonderful walk up to the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle, a fabulous medieval castle in a location that defies description (once up there the views take your breath away!).

After Craster it was Seahouses and there we found some great traditional English ice cream, produced locally and served from an old fashioned ice cream trailer (see photo).

We plan to go back some day, possibly staying in one of the many Northumberland cottages that are available in the area. It might be a Seahouses cottage or a Craster cottage or even something in Alnwick or Bamburgh.

The history and scenery is well worth going back for but the ice cream on top of that, well need I say more? :)

A Chocolate Ice Cream Bath? No It's Mud Running!

2009-11-01T02:33:00.000-08:00

When I write about people or places in A Blog Of Ice Cream I often follow up later to check on any additional news.

In September I featured a super little ice cream cabin at Eastnor Castle selling locally made ice cream to the many visitors to the castle and its grounds. You may have read my Castle Ice Cream blog post.

Well, yesterday I read with fascination about Mud Runner 2009 - a special race event held earlier this month at Eastnor. And muddy it definitely was! Some of the runners became so caked in mud that they looked like they'd taken a chocolate ice cream bath!

If you want to see for yourself just how much fun this event is, take a look at this fantastic Mud Runner video on YouTube.

It was an undeniably tough race but the smiling faces of the runners confirmed it was a really enjoyable and exciting challenge.

So if you're a keen runner and enjoy a challenge, look out for Mud Runner 2010 next October. There are rumours there might even be an earlier Spring Mud Runner too such was the success of the event.

You might yet get to look like a chocolate ice cream!

Hello Halloween With A Fun Ice Cream!

2009-10-28T14:34:00.000-07:00

Having read the title of this post you might be given to thinking that I have started writing poetry! No, give me a scoop in preference to a pen any day! It's just that Halloween is all about fun for children and I'm a great believer in "The Fun Of Ice Cream". Put the two things together and you can enjoy a fabulously, fun Halloween with ice cream as part of it.

My ice cream recipe idea for this Halloween?
Licorice toffee ice cream.

It's a creamy, sweet and sticky ice cream with a gloriously, ghoulish grey color - what I call "Gothic ice cream". I was thrilled when I first had the idea to make this ice cream because I wasn't quite sure what the color and consistency would be. Would it be too black? Would it be too sticky? Not a bit .... it worked out superbly.

Here is my Gothic ice cream recipe if you would like to try it.

Fall Is Here - Want Some Autumnal Ice Cream?

2009-10-23T03:32:00.000-07:00

This time of year, the sunny days of summer can seem like a distant memory. The leaves are falling from the trees, the landscape is changing and the daylight hours becoming shorter. So what do you do at this time of year to 'brighten' up the day? Well, of course there's lots to choose from but many people, including myself, turn to the kitchen and see what we can cook up that's new and exciting.

At the moment my family is into Thai food and every week I'm working on a new and appropriate recipe. The essential ingredient in Thai food is coconut. It adds such a creamy and exotic taste to the dishes. If you like coconut then Thai food is for you!

Clearly a lot of people like coconut - my coconut ice cream recipe is one of the most popular downloads on ice-cream-recipes.com. In the last 12 months it has bee viewed times!

So if you long for a taste of summer this time of year, try some homemade coconut ice cream.

A Tangy Sweet Sorbet

2009-10-17T02:13:00.000-07:00

When you've made as much homemade ice cream as I have over the years, it can sometimes feel like you've covered pretty much all bases ... but that thought has only ever lingered with me a second or two before a new ice cream idea then enters my head! That's the fun of ice cream and what happened recently when I gathered in the final apples of the season from my garden. I already have an apple sorbet recipe so what else might work?

I thought back to my childhood days when my mother would bake a traditional, English fresh apple and blackberry pie. I can close my eyes and still remember the warm, sweeet smell in the kitchen! We would look forward to it being served, freshly baked and hot from the oven - delicious.

Apple and blackberry pie was one of my father's favourite desserts and he was happy to eat it with custard or cream or ice cream. He loved ice cream in fact and was my "Knickerbocker Glory Champion".

Thinking of that good old, homemade pie gave me the answer .... I could use freshly picked homegrown garden apples with blackberries to make a sorbet.

How did it work out?

Well, as you can see from the photograph, it made a beautifully dark pink, luscious-looking sorbet with a tangy yet sweet taste. A true 'sweet and sour' water ice.

I served it for my family with some fresh fruit and they loved it. It's such a strong tasting sorbet that you only need a single scoop and it positively brings the fresh fruit alive.

Here it is my apple and blackberry sorbet recipe.

There's lots more reading on sorbet recipes on my website.

French Ice Cream

2009-10-10T12:18:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I cooked dinner for my family and some visiting friends. We all like Thai food so I opted to cook a Thai red chicken curry, served with rice, noodles and some fresh spinach. For dessert I served fresh fruit (blueberries, strawberries, chopped banana and peach) accompanied by homemade vanilla ice cream ... freshly made. It was so fresh that I had the ice cream maker churning whilst we were still eating the main course! It was delicious - honestly, I am not just saying that; everyone at the table echoed the feeling with my husband saying it was the best vanilla ice cream he had ever tasted! The recipe, which is on ice-cream-recipes.com of course (just follow the link above), is what I call a custard base ice cream and uses a real vanilla pod, fresh eggs, fresh milk, sugar and fresh cream. Essentially this is "French ice cream" because it requires a cooked egg custard.

Many years ago, using the term French ice cream inferred it was the best possible ice cream that you might find on a restaurant menu. One example is that of the RMS Titanic's first and second class dining menus - "French Ice Cream" for first class passengers and "American Ice Cream" for second class. Read my "Ice Cream & Class Distinction On The RMS Titanic" post from 2008.

Since those days of course the world has changed a lot and I doubt very much if the French only eat French ice cream! They definitely have a passion for ice cream though and I know this for 2 reasons ....

Firstly, the statistics from ice-cream-recipes.com show a significant number of visitors from France, searching in French for the term "glaces maison" (homemade ice cream)
Secondly, a friend who enjoys taking holidays in France - especially in and around Poitou Charentes - tells me that the ice cream there is always very, very good.

There are of course lots of other 'national' variations on ice cream such as Italian ice cream but that's a post for another day!

Longevity With A Love Of Ice Cream

2009-10-06T14:43:00.000-07:00

I had never heard the name of Getrude Baines until recently. Aged 115 she had become the world's oldest woman but sadly passed away last month. The story of her life is a fascinating one and was reported around the world. The biggest single point of interest seemed to focus on her diet. Let's face it, if someone could come up with the exact diet that allows longevity beyond 100 years, there would be serious demand for that knowledge! So naturally the media focused on what Getrude had enjoyed eating all her life. To the astonishment of many she said she enjoyed eating 3 things:

fried chicken
bacon
ice cream

Eating ice cream until you're 115 - what an amazing thought!

Thinking about this reminded me of how two of the oldest women that have ever lived (ages 119 and 122) had admitted to being big eaters of chocolate all their lives. Could it be that ice cream and chocolate, two of the foods most vilified for their potential negative impact on health, could in fact have a special, hidden secret? If so, just imagine the potential of chocolate ice cream!

It might be just a coincidence of course. My own belief, however, is that these foods can have a very positive effect upon a person's frame of mind. Chocolate has been proven to contain a mood enhancer called phenylethylamine and as for ice cream, well, anyone who really enjoys ice cream knows the good feeling they experience when they eat it. What's that if not mood enhancement? Don't get me wrong, I'm not endorsing the idea of people over indulging in chocolate and ice cream. No, I think it's simply a case of 'a little of what you fancy does you good'. In fact I've just Google'd the phrase and a BBC article came up in the results with a report on how researchers have discovered that physical and emotional enjoyment can enhance immune function for hours afterwards. Effectively, life's small pleasures may be able to boost the immune system over a long period. Perhaps Getrude just knew it all along.

A Happy Coincidence - Thanks To The BBC

2009-09-30T02:01:00.000-07:00

In the same week that I published my post "Castle Ice Cream's Smiling Faces" - a feature about the popular ice cream parlour at Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire - I found myself watching a fascinating BBC TV programme entitled "Saving Britain's Past - The Country House". Focusing on how English country houses, castles and their estates have changed in the last century, the producers had selected one particular castle as the pivotal point for their programme and it just so happened to be .... Eastnor Castle! What a marvellous coincidence.

What's more, thanks to the BBC iplayer there is an online version of the programme for anyone who didn't get to see it. The opening shots of the castle are simply breathtaking and it's worth following the link for those alone. View it here: Eastnor Castle in Saving Britain's Past

One of the most interesting parts of the programme was the story of how the owners of so many of Britain's country houses and castles have had to change the way in which they fund the often, ongoing, specialised and very expensive repair work that these properties demand. Many have opened their doors to the general public as well as for corporate and private entertaining. Eastnor Castle is amongst those and its romantic lake setting has turned it into a popular 'exclusive use' wedding venue.

Reading the Eastnor Castle Blog gives a great insight into this unique country estate, more especially because its owner James Hervey-Bathurst (President of Britain's Historic Houses Association for the last 6 years) actually takes the time to write posts personally and about all manner of things - from features on the castle cat Nutkin to the story of the old 1962 estate works lorry, what the annual Spring cleaning at the castle involves to what it was like giving a keynote address entitled "The Restoration and Redecoration of Eastnor Castle, a Regency Mansion in the Welsh Borders" at the Charleston Art & Antiques Forum in the USA earlier this year. Incredibly varied and interesting posts and testimony to a man's love for his ancestral home. All that AND he encourages his visitors to enjoy quality, local made ice cream served in his own ice cream parlour. Now that's what I call style!

Paul Newman's Recipe For Shared Happiness

2009-09-26T01:49:00.000-07:00

It's not often that these words come together in a meaningful context:

celebrity

food

philanthropy

However, I can think of one person who achieved just that. He was a great actor and a unique individual. Who am I talking about? The legendary Paul Newman who died one year ago today.

He made some great movies, amongst which are two of my family's favorites - 'The Hustler' and 'The Color of Money'. Playing the character of 'Fast' Eddie Felsen, a pool hustler, he played it to perfection. No-one could have done it better. We are 9 ball fans in our house so these are must-see movies every once in a while.

However, in addition to being an exceptional actor, Paul Newman was perhaps one of the most genuine, modern day philanthropists the world has seen. If you visit his Newmans Own foods website there is a delightful video clip of him explaining how he started the company, by accident almost it seems and he goes on to talk about the need to help others less fortunate and how luck plays a part in all our lives. His words are spoken with genuine warmth, sincerity and honesty. His motives for the food company are clear and the success of Newman's Own Foundation is astonishing. Donating all profits to charity, the Foundation has given over US$265 million to charity since 1982. Learn more about Newmans Own Foundation

Paul Newman took his own food recipes and turned them into a unique success, getting the most important recipe right - the recipe for shared happiness. The world is certainly better for his having lived and, through his foundation, his energy and compassion will continue to shine for a long time to come. Perhaps the best description of him was actually made by himself when he once said ...

"I'd like to be remembered as a guy who tried — tried to be part of his times, tried to help people communicate with one another, tried to find some decency in his own life, tried to extend himself as a human being. Someone who isn't complacent, who doesn't cop out."

Special Ice Cream Spoons

2009-09-19T02:51:00.000-07:00

When I make ice cream sundaes at home, I always make a point of selecting the right ice cream glass and ice cream spoon. Now that may sound a little odd but it's true ... and important.

For example, if I make a fresh batch of ice cream and serve it straight from my ice cream maker, then a long, plastic ice cream spoon will suffice, especially if its for children. Plastic spoons are not hard and cold on the teeth and mine also have fun, colourful decorations on the end (miniature ice cream sundaes in fact) which children find attractive. However, if it's some ice cream made previously and just taken out of freezer storage then, even though it's been left a few minutes to soften a little, it can be a little tough to eat with a plastic spoon so in that case I select a long, stainless steel one. Not as decorative perhaps but more practical.

In addition to these spoons, however, there is another very different and very special one. It is stainless steel and has a double bend in the middle that allows you to place it on the edge of your ice cream sundae glass so you can take a break in between mouthfuls. Ingenious! I first saw it beside a wonderful chocolate ice cream sundae made for my husband at the San Remo Gelataria (ice cream parlor) in Zandvoort. The spoon was one of the parlor's special ones and when they saw my reaction to it they were kind enough to let me take it home! It now has pride of place in my 'ice cream cupbaord'. Molto grazie!

Castle Ice Cream's Smiling Faces

2009-09-12T03:19:00.000-07:00

I once heard the phrase "A smile costs nothing" and I have never forgotten it. The truth is that a smile only comes from inner happiness, a joy and sense of well being or satisfaction. Seeing a baby smile for the first time is a wonderful experience because you know it is feeling genuine happiness.

On holiday recently we stayed in a hotel where the bathroom mirror had printed around the rim the words "I have never seen a smiling face that wasn't a beautiful one".

In my own memory, I can never recall seeing someone that didn't smile whilst they were eating an ice cream cone or ice cream sundae. They may not even realise they are doing it but it's a natural reaction to a fun experience. Indeed, many of us as we grow older smile more than children when we eat ice cream.

Why is that?

Well, it could be because we feel it's just a little bit 'naughty', indulging ourselves in a special treat, especially if we are watching the calories intake or are dressed in smart clothes that don't need a splurge of ice cream dropped onto them from an ice cream cone!

Take this smartly dressed lady for example on the right, a recent visitor to Eastnor Castle's "Ice Cream Parlour" in Herefordshire, England.

She manages to enjoy a melting ice cream cone without spilling a single drop onto her clothing.

Nicely done!

Her friend (pictured left) clearly could not resist smiling whilst enjoying her ice cream cone. Again she manages to not spill a drop of it onto her clothes!

Even the girl serving behind the ice cream counter is smiling.

That's what I love about ice cream - the sheer fun of it. Whether you are a child or an adult, the magic is the same. It's also an eternal magic that never fades. In my view, as long as you love ice cream you will always be able to manage a smile.

PS. The ice cream these ladies are eating at the Eastnor Castle "Ice Cream Parlour" is, I am told, supplied by a local dairy called Brookes Dairy. Their ice cream range includes both traditional and unusual ice creams including Almond Praline, Cointreau & Orange and Choc American (vanilla with pecans, toffee and cookie pieces swirled with chocolate sauce). Don't they sound delicious! To read more go to Brookes Ice Cream products page. Even HRH Prince Charles has tasted their ice cream - and loved it!

Ice Lollies, Ice Pops, Popsicles & Ice Blocks - Ice Cream On A Stick

2009-09-05T14:42:00.000-07:00

Many of my readers are from the USA & Canada and to them the term "popsicle" is a familiar one. However, for the 1 in 5 of you who read my Blog Of Ice Cream and live elsewhere in the world, this word will be nothing more than a word you have perhaps heard in American movies. So let's look into this a little more ....

First of all, where did "popsicle" come from? Well, it was originally a brand name but, like many brand names (eg. Hoover), it was adopted as a genericized trade mark referring to any ice pop irrespective of brand. That perhaps explains why it's a term indigenous to North America.

In Britain the more familiar term is "ice lolly"

In Ireland it's "ice pop" or "lolly ice"

In Australia & New Zealnd it's "ice block" or sometimes "icy pole" (again from a brand name)

So who first made an "ice pop" or "ice lolly"? According to Wikipedia, it was back in 1905 when Frank Epperson (aged just 11) left a glass of soda water powder and water out on his porch with a wooden mixing stick in it. The temperature dropped below freezing that night and the next morning Frank found the soda water frozen inside the glass. When he ran it under hot water he found he could remove the frozen chunk using the stick ... and then naturally he ate it!

If you like popsicles - or ice pops - or ice lollies - or ice blocks (I'm sure I will have missed someone out here and if I apologise!), then try my rhubarb popsicle recipe. Delicious! There are also some great popsicle makers & molds to buy on the ICR Amazon store.

Daisy & Poppy - Ice Cream Popsicle Kids

2009-08-28T00:03:00.000-07:00

Right now summer is still at the forefront of many people's minds and enjoying ice cream is a fundamental part of this special season - for adults and children alike.

I have just returned from holiday in The Netherlands where I observed people of all ages enjoying ice cream - families out walking eating ice cream popsicles, couples walking hand in hand enjoying ice cream cones and groups both large and small sat in ice cream parlors looking excitedly at the menu, spoilt for choice as to which delicious ice cream sundae they should order. When I returned from holiday, this 'theme' continued when I downloaded some super photos from my friend Sarah who lives in England.

Sarah has long known of my passion for all things ice cream and some time ago she told me about a wonderful ice cream parlour within the grounds of an English castle (Eastnor Castle). However, as the "Ice Cream Parlour" is only open during the summer months for visitors to the castle and its special events, I knew I would have to wait before I could see any photos. Well, the wait was worth it. I have never seen such an array of smiling faces amongst people of all age groups and all of them eating ice cream!

The best one? It has to be of Daisy (Sarah's beautiful 2 year old daughter) and her friend Poppy enjoying popsicles on a lovely English summer's day. The concentration of enjoyment in their faces is a joy to behold.

In England incidentally they don't use the term "ice cream popsicles" ... instead they call them "ice lollies". Now there's an idea for my next post - the history of the "ice pop". Before I digress too much though I will be back soon with more photos of smiling faces from the Eastnor Castle "Ice Cream Parlour".

Rhubarb Popsicles - A Special Ice Cream Treat

2009-08-24T03:24:00.000-07:00

As my regular readers will know, I enjoy growing my own fruit and am particularly proud of my annual crop of rhubarb. John, the owner of my local garden nursery, has even said it's the finest he's ever seen - and he's seen a lot of rhubarb over the years!

Rhubarb is one of those foods that people seem to love or hate, nothing in between. Personally I love it and the fact that it's actually good for you is a bonus. Rich in iron and high in fibre, rhubarb makes for a great dessert whether stewed or in pies and crumbles. Served hot with fresh vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or custard. Delicious!

But what about a cold rhubarb dessert? Well, there's rhubarb yogurt which is nice but what about even colder than that? Rhubarb and custard popsicles! Simple but unusual and on hot days this summer it could prove a real winner for the family.

All you need is your freezer, a set of popsicle molds, some popsicle sticks, about 1 1/2 lbs of fresh rhubarb chopped into small pieces (obviously stalks only!), 3-4 tablespoons of sugar (according to taste), 1/2 pint of heavy cream and 1lb of vanilla custard (ready made or homemade, cooled). Cook the rhubarb, water and sugar together in a pan for about 5 minutes then put to one side to cool thoroughly. After whipping the cream into peaks, stir the custard into it well. Take the popiscle molds and fill each one first with a spoonful of cooled, cooked rhubarb followed by a spoonful of cream/custard mix. Keep the process going until each mold is filled. Place the popsicle sticks into the mixture/molds and then put in your freezer for about 5 hours.

For those of you who thought rhubarb and custard was only a hot dish for a winter's evening, think again!

Fish & Ice Cream

2009-08-17T02:38:00.000-07:00

Two foods that are very popular are fish .... and .... ice cream, though not necessarily together! However, it isn't as simple as that. Let's take a closer look at how fish and ice cream can actually compliment each other as foods.

First of all, there are many restaurants where as part of a multiple course dinner you will be offered a fish dish prior to the main course, broken up by a small sorbet such as a lemon sorbet. One of the most enjoyable meals I have ever eaten in a restaurant was served in just such a manner - it was at Sharrow Bay in the English Lake District and although it was some years ago now, the memory of that lemon sorbet still lingers ... enough to be able to close my eyes and taste it! Following the fish dish the sorbet proved to be the perfect refresher prior to the main course.

If you prefer to cook at home and fancy a nice fish dish here is a great Dover Sole recipe (so I am told by the renowned acoustic cleaning chef who came up with it!).

Last but not least you could make fish ice cream .... yes, it's not a typo but a type of ice cream that many people apparently enjoy eating, especially in Japan. Japanese ice cream can be incredibly varied, reflecting the culture and tastes of its people. Saury is a saltwater fish found in Japan and is sometimes used to make fish ice cream. Seafood of different types and seaweed are also used in ice cream recipes including prawn ice cream, oyster ice cream and squid ice cream. To learn more go to my Japanese ice cream page.

Dog Saved By Ice Cream

2009-08-10T15:03:00.000-07:00

Here's a great and true story to share with you. I recently read a story about a family in England whose small Jack Russell Terrier (Woodso) made a remarkable recovery after being mauled - thanks to his love of ice cream!

Poor Woodso had been attacked by another dog (belonging to the same family) and was left with his neck broken and torn. A veterinary surgeon performed 2 operations and managed to save Woodso's life but his injuries left him terribly weak and unable to eat. His owner was desperate to find a solution and thought hard about what she would do if her throat was terribly sore ... and came up with the idea of ice cream. Smooth, cool yet nourishing. And guess what? It did the trick! Woodso lapped it up and found he could swallow again. At the same time it gave him nourishment which he badly needed and seemed to lift his spirits. He was a long time recovering from his injuries but his owner is convinced that ice cream made the difference.

"He still loves the stuf and I'm sure it saved his life" she said.

Now there's 's a little bit of cream magic if ever I saw it!

The Knickerbocker Glory Champion

2009-08-03T03:02:00.000-07:00

A Blog Of Ice Cream was born out of my website ice-cream-recipes.com which in turn was born out of a love of ice cream that I have had all my life. For as long as I can remember, ice cream has been a 'fun' part of life and has provided me with many, happy memories from childhood through to adulthood. Ice cream has a 'magic' that never fades.

So it was with my father. He loved ice cream all his life. He was a keen sportsman, always kept fit playing football or golf and was never overweight ... but he had a good appetite, enjoyed his food and adored an ice cream treat whenever the opportunity came along. That opportunity might not have been very often, particularly when he was a boy back in the 1930's in Britain, but he relished it when it was there.

At one end of the scale he could enjoy a simple vanilla ice cream cone or choc ice whilst at the other end of the scale he loved ice cream sundaes. Of all the ice cream sundaes I made for him, he never left a bit! His favourite was a Knickerbocker Glory. It was a rare treat but whenever he was at the seaside or anywhere where a good ice cream parlour might be located, he would look on the menu to see if the old 'Glory' was listed. If it was, he would have one.

My father was one in a million with a love of the simple things in life, an optimistic view on how things would turn out and always willing to share a laugh or smile, even with strangers. It is with great sadness that I realise I will never see that smile again or be able to watch him savour another Knickerbocker Glory. He passed peacefully from this life on 25 July 2009. If ever an angel deserved an ice cream treat, there is surely one in heaven now.

A Cute Little Culinary Secret!

2009-07-27T03:27:00.000-07:00

It's not often I get to share secrets but here is a little gem - about ice.

In addition to having an ice cream maker at home, I have a home ice maker or a portable ice maker as some people call it. I have mentioned it before in my blog posts when talking about preparing foods and entertaining where having freshly made ice available is relevant. However, one thing I have NOT said before, is that this little machine has an 'ice secret' all its own.

That secret is in the shape of the ice it produces. Sounds odd? Perhaps, but not so for anyone who has used one of these machines to produce their own ice for storage in the freezer.

If you have ever bought bags of ice to store at home you will know that it is usually the commercially, bulk produced kind, shaped in cubes. Take the bags of ice cubes home, put them into your freezer to store, bring them out when you need them and more often than not you are greeted with .... no, not a bag of beautifully preserved, loose cubes but the challenge of smashing apart a solid block of ice because the cubes have fused together!

Now with a home ice maker such as the one I have (in the photo), the ice it produces is nugget shaped - cylindrical is perhaps a more accurate description. This shape means that when the nuggets are stored together in a bag in the freezer, they won't stick together in a solid block as readily as cubed shaped ice does. So when you pull your bag of frozen nugget ice out of the freezer all it usually requires is a gentle tap to just free any that have become a little 'sticky'. Now that's what I call a cute little culinary secret!

Anyone For Viagra Ice Cream?

2009-07-23T03:29:00.000-07:00

Japanese ice cream has to be one of the most fascinating 'food' subjects you could wish to study! I have been to Japan and simply loved it - the culture, the food, the scenery and the history is stunningly different and memorable. The strong and luscious, vivid colors of the trees and plants will live in my mind forever. However, I have to admit that Japanese ice cream did not make much of an impression on me though, to be fair, that was because I only tasted the American style that was available at the time. Since that time I have heard much about the 'exotic' flavors of ice cream that some ice cream producers offer to the public in Japan, many of which are not for the faint-hearted!

This week I read a news article about Japan being hit by an invasion of giant jellyfish and in passing the journalist wrote about how a company has even come up with a vanilla and jellyfish ice cream - “slightly chewy” was the description they gave! No thanks, can't say that one holds any appeal for me. This reminded me, however, of how Japanese people tend to be very 'brave' when it comes to trying unusual foods and flavors so I have finally sat down and written a page on Japanese ice cream which is now ensconced within the main ice-cream-recipes.com website.

I have formulated a list of just a few of the extremely unusual ice cream flavors that have been commercially produced in Japan in recent years and am sure my readers will enjoy reading it, though perhaps with a little shock and surprise here and there!

On the list are the following:

raw horseflesh ice cream
goat ice cream
octopus ice cream
squid ice cream
soy sauce ice cream
cactus ice cream

and ....
viagra ice cream!

I think the lesser challenge of a Wensleydale Cheese ice cream - as made by master gelatiere Gino Soldan - might be as exotic as I'm ever likely to try!

National Ice Cream Day 2009

2009-07-19T15:34:00.000-07:00

If you celebrated National Ice Cream day last year and possibly in the years before, then you might just be looking to do something a little different with your homemade ice cream today. Take a look at my list of unusual ice cream recipes and see what takes your fancy!

Even if you don't make your own ice cream (shame on you!) you can still take part in the fun of National Ice Cream day ....

you could take the family out for a special treat to an ice cream parlor and try one of the many fabulous ice cream sundaes that are usually on the menu.
you could go to the movies and just enjoy a simple tub of ice cream whilst watching it
you could buy a quality, commercially made ice cream at your local store or supermarket, take it home and make your own Knickerbocker Glory
you could spot your local ice cream truck in a neighboring street and treat yourself (and others!) to a great ice cream cone

The list goes on!

That's the wonderful thing about ice cream as a food/treat - it's not confined to any one place or any one supplier. You can eat it indoors or outdoors and you can buy it made by someone else or yourself. It's almost infinitely variable in taste and methods of presentation and you can add toppings or sauces, fruit or nuts, chocolate flakes or wafers. I could go on all day writing about ice cream - it's a passion with a tradition and perhaps that's why it's worthy of its own national day. Long may it be so .... have a great National Ice Cream Day folks!

Let's Celebrate National Ice Cream Month

2009-07-12T14:46:00.000-07:00

One of the best ways to celebrate anything is to recall past events that have a strong association. On a wedding anniversary people think back to their wedding day and anniversaries over the years; at Christmas many people think of past Christmas celebrations, often childhood ones. Looking back in this way seems to somehow solidify and strengthen the meaning of whatever is being celebrated.

With this month being National Ice Cream Month in the USA, I thought it might be good to look back at past posts on Blog Of Ice Cream and pick out some of the more unusual ones to help put people in the right frame of mind. For those reading these posts for the first time, I hope you enjoy them and for those already familiar with them .... well, if you really love all things ice cream, you can never have too much of a good thing!

Here goes ....

Ice Cream In The Movies - from Jackie Chan to Charlie & The Chocolate Factory

Sausage & Mash and Wensleydale Ice Cream - a master gelatiere's amazing ice cream challenge

The Story Of The Long Distance Strasberries - my quest for a new homemade ice cream

If these articles don't make you see the fun in ice cream .... nothing will!

Anyone For Tennis? Don't Forget The Ice Cream!

2009-07-06T03:52:00.000-07:00

Watching the Wimbledon Tennis Championships on tv is something I have enjoyed since childhood. Over the years great champions have come and gone and the nature of the game has changed radically - everything from what the players wear on court, to racquet technology to the level of fitness and strength required to get to the top of the sport.

My son is an avid Andy Murray fan so we've watched him with fascination this last year and particularly of course during the Wimbledon Championship. Reading about him, it's staggering to discover just how hard he works to maintain peak fitness, from weighted chin-ups to 100m sprints - and that's before he even picks up a raquet! When training for a match he eats a 6,000 calories per day diet! Things like bagels with peanut butter, protein shakes, steak, fruit, cupcakes -and lots of sushi. It's all right being told that you HAVE to eat this if you want to be at the top of your sport but what if you don't like it? I don't know whether Andy enjoys all this food but what I DO KNOW is that one of his favorite foods (when allowed) is ice cream, especially Cookies And Cream ice cream by Haagen-Dazs.

With that in mind, it seems to me that one of the first things Andy should buy for that wonderful, new home of his in Surrey, England is an electric ice cream maker for the kitchen. Then he could have the best possible ice cream - homemade ice cream using his actual favorite cookies and some rich, heavy cream. Game, set and match!

Ice Cream Passion Poll - A Call To Ice Cream Lovers!

2009-07-01T14:24:00.000-07:00

Hurrah! July is here - National Ice Cream Month has arrived. A great time to talk about Ice Cream Passion!

Here's the thing .... the number of visitors to ice-cream-recipes.com builds year on year by an average of 33%. I don't think the percentage of people around the world getting connected to the Net every year is as high as that in fact, and if I am right, it can only mean one thing - that the popularity of ice cream is growing. This is backed up by the fact that from the 1.15 million people who visited ice-cream-recipes.com in 2008, 4 out of 5 were new visitors.

People search consistently for "vanilla ice cream", "homemade ice cream", "strawberry ice cream recipe" all clearly indicating a passion for learning more about ice cream making.

So I've been asking myself how I can appease this passion a little more .... how can I make people feel like they are making a contribution to ice cream know-how?

The answer - "The Ice Cream Passion Poll"

I have opened up this blog post to comments and invite anyone with a passion for ice cream to CAST YOUR VOTE. Want to take part?
Sign in via your Google account and just state the following information:

1. The country where you live
2. If you are male or female
3. Your favorite, all time ice cream flavor
4. Your favorite ice cream topping/sauce
5. If you have a favorite ice cream memory

This is an exciting experiment for SERIOUS ice cream fans and if it proves popular (and doesn't get abused with junk posting!) then it will be an endorsement of the good side of the Net - allowing people around the world to share their ice cream thoughts with each other. So climb on board and join the Ice Cream Passion Poll!