A Blog Of Ice Cream

Master Gelatiere At Morelli's Gelato

noreply@blogger.com (ice-cream-recipes.com) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 08:43:00 +0000

My recent interview with Gino Soldan (master gelatiere for Morelli's Gelato in London) is now live on http://www.ice-cream-recipes.com/ Anyone interested in ice cream making, ice cream parlors and ice cream sundaes will love this Special Feature.

It provides an insight into how this master of ice cream making views his work, the depth of passion he has for his craft and how adventurous he aspires to be in developing new and daring ice cream flavors. It's an exclusive interview so be amongst the first to read it before it gets picked up and rehashed by other sites and media.

See: Master Gelatiere Gino Soldan

There is also a gallery of photographs showing some of the wonderful ice cream sundaes made at Morelli's Gelato, including one Gino made especially for my friend Mary. Again the photographs are exclusive to http://www.ice-cream-recipes.com/

Read and enjoy!

From Sausage & Mash To Wensleydale Cheese - New Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (ice-cream-recipes.com) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:27:00 +0000

"Ice Cream Is Art" - a bold statement by any standards but when it comes from a true master of ice cream making, you had better believe it.

Gino Soldan is a master gelatiere with many years of experience in making top quality ice cream, especially unusual ice cream and today he offered me a wonderful insight into his passion for ice cream making. Gino kindly agreed to an exclusive interview with me about the exciting new range of ice cream flavors which he has produced for Morelli's ice cream parlor at the world renowned Harrod's department store in central London. Exclusive to the store and available to enjoy for just 3 days only (August 28-30) are 20 new flavors are based on Britain's most famous and popular foods - both savory and sweet.

Sausage & Mash (fried sausage and mashed potato) for example is a popular, traditional British meal as is Lancashire Hotpot (an oven baked pot of meat, onion and potatoes). In Scotland they enjoy Haggis (mutton minced with oatmeal, onion, spices and suet) and Arbroath Smokie (smoked haddock) whilst in Wales a popular dish is Welsh Rarebit (a savory sauce made from cheese and other ingredients such as Worcestershire Sauce, mustard or ale, served hot on top of slices of toast).

All these 5 great British meals are on the list of the special, new 20 ice cream flavors at Morelli's in Harrods but the one that sounds most appealing to me is Wensleydale Cheese ice cream. Gino admitted in our interview that it's one of his favorites.

For anyone who has not tasted Wensleydale Cheese ... well, you should. It's delicious! It is a rich, creamy cheese from Yorkshire, made famous in recent years by Wallace & Gromit in their award-winning, short animation films. Here's a wonderful reference to Wensleydale cheese from 'A Close Shave' :

Wallace: Won't you come in? We were just about to have some cheese.

Wendolene: Oh no, not cheese. Sorry. Brings me out in a rash. Can't stand the stuff.

Wallace: [gulp] Not even Wensleydale?

Wonderful stuff!

Look out for my interview with Gino Soldan on http://www.ice-cream-recipes.com/ coming soon.

Ice Cream Sundae On Holiday

noreply@blogger.com (ice-cream-recipes.com) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:10:00 +0000

Enjoying an ice cream sundae is something you can do anywhere - at home, in town, at a friend's house, at a party, etc. However, an ice cream sundae on holiday always seem that bit extra special.

We all like ice cream in my family and my husband has a particular penchant for chocolate ice cream. On a recent, lovely short holiday we went to an ice cream parlor and there my son and I enjoyed a delicious cone whilst watching my husband eat one of the richest ice cream sundaes I've ever seen.

Served in a beautiful ice cream dessert glass with lashings of whipped cream and chocolate sauce, it was topped off with a ferrero rocher chocolate and heart-shaped wafer. Not only that but look at the spoon in the photograph .... it was the coolest ice cream spoon I've ever seen!. With a most delicately twisted, elegant bend in the middle, it gives the ice cream eater the chance to take a break and place it on the edge of the dish where it balances perfectly. What a neat idea!

I was so taken by that spoon that I got to talking to Daniela behind the counter of the San Remo Gelataria where we were eating that night. She told me how ice cream making is her passion too and that all the ice cream they serve is made on the premises. I couldn't resist asking about the spoons and told her I'd never seen any like these before. Daniela explained that there were indeed very difficult to get hold of. I so much wanted to take one home to add to my collection of ice cream spoons (I've quite a few now) that I offered to buy one but she refused any payment, just smiled and gave it me for free. So thanks to Daniela I now have a very special addition to my collection.

Hairdressing, ICT & Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (ice-cream-recipes.com) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 09:13:00 +0000

Like most people I have to get my hair cut once in a while and this week I paid one of my regular visits to see Naomi who cuts my hair for me. She's been cutting it for a couple of years now I suppose and she's very good. She's always friendly and we usually enjoy a good chat. The other day was no exception. She was explaining how the salon had just changed its range of hair colorants and how she is getting used to using them. Apparently, it's all done by numbers and she has to try and match a client's color from the previous range to the new one. We agreed it's a bit like a recipe, having to get the right balance of ingredients so that the end result is just right. That was it ... we only had to mention the word 'recipe' and I started talking about ice cream!

After that we indulged in discussing our favorite ice cream flavors. It was the end of Naomi's working day and I was the last client there so I felt at ease developing the conversation. Katie, who had just washed my hair, then joined in the discussion. We all agreed we love ice cream yet found out that it's for very different flavors.

Naomi enjoys raspberry ripple ice cream.

Katie prefers strawberry or mint choc chip ice cream.

I of course like just about all of them but would have to admit to preferring good old fashioned vanilla ice cream.

Same thing happened when I was ordering a new handset for the office telephone system the next day. I rang Gary who had last helped me with our telephones 3 years ago. I half expected to hear that he had moved on as is so often the case with people these days. But no ... he was still there, much to my delight for Gary is a fantastic ICT (information and communications technology) field sales consultant, knowledgeable, efficient and courteous. In a matter of minutes he had sorted my problem and I said I would write about his efficiency on my ice cream blog, but only if he told me his favorite flavor. He had little hesitation in saying 'chocolate'.

Many people I've talked to over the years have told me they like chocolate ice cream. It's amazingly popular .... and it's not difficult to understand why. If you make it with a rich custard base and use real chocolate it's absolutely delicious!

So thank you Naomi, Katie and Gary for providing me with a greater insight into people's ice cream tastes. I find I can never guess what ice cream somebody is going to say they like so I enjoy finding out whenever the opportunity crops up. I wonder who's next ? :)

Big Ice Cream Cones!

noreply@blogger.com (ice-cream-recipes.com) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 19:18:00 +0000

Anyone who loves ice cream will enjoy an ice cream cone. It might be a straight strawberry ice cream cone or a vanilla ice cream cone with strawberry sauce swirled on top; it might even be a multiple scoop cone with lots of different flavors! The funny thing is that all of these ice cream cone variations can be seen in a larger than life way - as giant ice cream cones used for displays.

Whenever I'm out and about I keep my eyes open for these; you can usually find them outside ice cream kiosks and ice cream parlors.

On a recent trip to Zandvoort in the Netherlands I couldn't believe my eyes - within the space of a few hundred yards I counted 6 (six) beautiful giant ice cream cones and every one of them different! 4 were outside fast food kiosks that also served ice cream and the remaining 2 were outside Zandvoort's beloved ice cream parlors. Out came the camera of course. Of all the photos we took, my favorite is the polar bear with the 2 scoop ice cream cone who sits happily outside the San Remo Gelataria in Zandvoort (photo). A giant cone of chocolate ice cream, pistachio ice cream and whipped cream on top!

And you can't visit the San Remo and not eat an ice cream! We enjoyed some truly wonderful ice cream there - all homemade from what I'm told too. Some great photos and an inside scoop of a story (forgive the pun) to follow soon including a picture of one of the best ice cream spoons I've ever seen!

In fact there should be 2 or 3 more articles to follow shortly about ice cream in Zandvoort. I've just seen the photos we took and can't believe just how many ice cream associations there were on that trip. Maybe that's why I love the place so much!

Fresh Coffee & Coffee Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (ice-cream-recipes.com) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 08:32:00 +0000

A cup of freshly ground coffee can make the world of difference to your day. It can perk you up and lift your spirits like nothing else. There again ice cream, especially freshly homemade ice cream, can do pretty much the same thing; but have you ever put the two things together? Well I have and fresh coffee ice cream is a winner!

The key to the success of the recipe lies in one thing – using a good quality, freshly ground coffee. The better the coffee the better the ice cream will taste. There are many types of coffee to choose from of course; I tend to go for Costa Rica coffee. Costa Rica started producing coffee beans in the 1790’s and within 30 years was exporting its coffee to Columbia and Chile. Exports further afield followed with shipping consignments of Costa Rican coffee beans going directly to London by the 1850’s. The history of Costa Rican Coffee is fascinating and the link provides a lot more information if you’re interested. There are also lots of coffee suppliers online supplying quality coffees - from caffeinated to decaffeinated and all different kinds of roasts. Check out the Coffee Section in the Ice Cream Recipes Online Store.

Whilst reading up on coffee I came across a great website about coffee pots – real ‘larger than life’ ones that you can actually drive to see for yourself. There’s a coffee pot shaped night club, a coffee pot shaped gas station and even a water tower coffee pot. Some really interesting photos!

Ice Cream Making & Ice Making At Home

noreply@blogger.com (ice-cream-recipes.com) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 20:10:00 +0000

As everyone who reads my website knows, I have a passion for making ice cream at home. I even have 2 different kinds of ice cream maker - both are electric but one freezes as it batches allowing me to make a traditional fairly frozen ice cream and the other is one of an increasingly popular type of machine which produces more of a gelato (semi-frozen) ice cream. My latter ice cream maker even has compartments for sprinkles, an ice cream cone holder and a lever for dispensing the ice cream when it's ready. It's like having my own little ice cream parlor. Experimenting with ice cream mixtures has never been more fun!

My kitchen has other machines in it of course - for making anything from bread to ice. My ice maker is a small, light and portable ice maker, ideal for home use. It doesn't make ice cubes but rather ice nuggets. See photo for the shape of them. It's really handy whenever I want fresh ice in a reasonable quantity. Also I don't have to worry about making space in the freezer to try and produce a few ice cubes from a tray of water.

I also have one of those mini chocolate fountains - great for parties and get-togethers. In fact, when I come to think of it, all the machines I've just talked about could be used in one fell swoop for a summer party - homemade ice cream and dipping chocolate (with fruit) for desserts and freshly made ice for all the drinks. All we need now is the sunshine!

More Gelato Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (ice-cream-recipes.com) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:37:00 +0000

I've written about gelato ice cream before and introduced you to a nice vanilla gelato recipe which you can make at home. Now I have more gelato recipes and wanted to share them with you. I've chosen to cover chocolate and banana which I have read are 2 of the most popular flavors in gelato ice cream:

chocolate gelato (gelato cioccolato)
banana gelato (gelato banana)

The chocolate gelato recipe calls for dark chocolate as an ingredient and although I don't like to eat dark chocolate on its own, I find it super in ice cream or in this case gelato. I'm sure there are other people out there like me! There's something about blending rich chocolate into an ice cream mixture that becomes quite irresistable!

I read an interesting BBC article a couple of years ago about how chocolate can be beneficial to health and it led me to read up more on the subject. What I found was an amazing array of information, anecdotes and research in support of the idea and my chocolate and health web page was written as a result. There's so much to know and understand about chocolate and I'm sure there's still more to be learned.

Animals & Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (ice-cream-recipes.com) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:37:00 +0000

There’s nothing more cute than a puppy or kitten doing something innocent but fun. As a child I remember my little Yorkshire Terrier enjoying the bottom part of my ice cream cone which I would snap off for her as she waited patiently whilst watching me eat most of the ice cream. Maybe it was the cold temperature, but she would never just grab the little ice cream cone all in one go; she would just take a lick then taste it over and over before then gingerly but eagerly taking another. It was so cute! What’s more she loved it too.

Those were the days before video cameras and the Internet so I wondered if with today’s technology I could find other people’s pets with a similar love for ice cream. Sure enough, on YouTube I came across some wonderful clips and compiled my own dedicated page of animals eating ice cream. There you can download clips of dogs, cats, birds, even rabbits, horses and a lizard all eating ice cream!

Unusual animals can be really interesting, especially when they’re young. Here’s a website I found with some great photos of baby animals – from goats, to bears, turtles and lemurs to gorillas and lots more. A great collection of photos for animal lovers to enjoy.

National Ice Cream Day 2008

noreply@blogger.com (ice-cream-recipes.com) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 09:37:00 +0000

It's here ... National Ice Cream Day for 2008! The third Sunday in July: this year it's 20 July.

It's a rather unusual 'Special Day' but one that more and more people are getting to know about and learning to celebrate. For some it will be a special trip to one of their favorite ice cream parlors whilst for others it will be to just stay home and make a batch of delicious homemade ice cream.

If you've never made your own ice cream before, now's the time to try. It's great fun and both children and adults alike can get involved and if you have an electric ice cream maker it doesn't take very long either. You can make a gelato (soft scoop) ice cream or choose from a whole range of sorbets; alternatively you can opt to make one of the more traditional custard/cream base ice creams such as vanilla ice cream or strawberry ice cream.

When you've made your ice cream it doesn't end there .... you can serve it in an ice cream cone or as an ice cream sundae or even go for the big one and try a Knickerbocker Glory (as in the photo).

Once you've made and eaten your ice cream you can then sit down and relax - and know that on this special day you have really played your part. So go to it and enjoy!

Green Tea Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (ice-cream-recipes.com) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 09:15:00 +0000

Green tea ice cream is not the first ice cream flavor that comes to mind but it's one of the more unusual ice cream recipes. It's also surprisingly popular and my green tea ice cream recipe is amongst the top 10 ice cream recipes viewed on my website.

Admittedly it's a rich recipe using cream and eggs but if you're looking for an indulgence to share with family and friends that's just that little bit different, it's certainly worth considering and that's probably the reason it's so popular.

The other reason for its popularity is possibly because more people are becoming aware of green tea's reported health giving properties. For example, green tea is totally unfermented - in fact it's steamed which gives it up to 60 per cent more polyphenols than most other teas. This is one reason why there's also a growing demand for green tea extract as a health supplement.

Green tea is a fascinating subject and if you'd like to read more I have a dedicated green tea web page.

Did you know that movie superstar and marshall arts expert Jackie Chan has put his name to a selection of green teas? I was surprised to learn this because he doesn't exactly need the advertising revenue! However, having read about Jackie Chan's life, career and wonderful charitable endeavours, it's clear he's a man with strong convictions. These include taking a pride in yourself, your health and the world around you. I remember once watching the outtakes from one of his earlier movies called 'Mr. Nice Guy' and after a street scene shot had been completed, Jackie was seen to bend down and start picking up litter from the gutter only to go and put it all in a street litter bin and then calmly walk off with no fuss back to continue filming.

Having just read about Jackie Chan's Tea I'm keen to try some out myself. If you want to do the same, it is now available online - in the green tea products section of the Ice Cream Recipes Online Store (in association with Amazon).

National Ice Cream Month & National Ice Cream Day

noreply@blogger.com (ice-cream-recipes.com) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:41:00 +0000

Last year in July, I wrote about the 24th anniversary of 'National Ice Cream Month'. So this year of course it's going to be the 25th anniversary - a quarter of a century that Americans have officially recognised the importance of celebrating the magic of ice cream!

When you sit down and think about it, you begin to realise that ice cream is not just a treat; it was never going to be a passing fad either but it has become a part of modern culture. For many people ice cream is a symbol of fun, enjoyable summer days and brings back childhood memories chasing after the ice cream truck when it came down the street. I certainly remember that!

Today we have a marvellous rich variety of ice cream flavors to choose from - whether it's from the ice cream truck or whether you make your own homemade ice cream. You might choose a simple vanilla ice cream decorated with a delicious ice cream topping or sauce or you might prefer to try something a little more adventurous such as coconut ice cream. You can even go a step further and try making gelato for the first time. It's easy enough and there are some great, simple gelato recipes you can try out. Always sounds good too when you next meet up with friends and talk about how your gelato worked out - very impressive!

Oh and don't forget - 20 July is National Ice Cream Day this year.

From Ice Cream Toys To Ice Cream Ties

noreply@blogger.com (ice-cream-recipes.com) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:56:00 +0000

If you like ice cream - and let's face it, the majority of people do - then you might like to buy something with an ice cream theme, either for yourself or as a present for someone you know who also loves ice cream.

You might look in a local department store but you're not likely to find much there with an ice cream theme and if you search online you're likely to have to refine your search over and over for invididual items - and that's not easy to do if you don't know what kind of things are available with a dedicated ice cream theme. Even then you might at best come up with a comparisons site such as bizrate.com where you then have to go off searching one link at a time. All rather time consuming and a fair amount of effort. I know as I speak from experience. I wanted to look at ice cream ties as a different gift for my husband and at babies' clothes with an ice cream theme for a friend who's just had a baby boy (hi Dylan).

I couldn't easily find any one site where there was a good and broad choice. So, with the benefit of this experience, I decided to team up with amazon.com and open an online store in which every item selected has an ice cream theme. The great news is that it's now live - the Ice Cream Recipes Online Store and I'm delighted to share that news with you.

It's not the biggest store - in fact it's simple and straight-forward and powered by Amazon's great technology it should be the kind of site (safe and reliable) that my readers will like. The special thing about it though is this .... the range of items is focused and, I believe, really relevant to the kind of visitors that come to ice-cream-recipes.com every day.

Photos: one of the colorful ice cream ties available in the store and a watch with a chocolate ice cream cone. Now there are two things you don't see every day!

The store also has sections on ice cream makers, ice cream scoops, ice cream books, ice cream tee shirts, ice cream footwear, ice cream caps, ice cream jewelry, ice cream toys & games and even ice cream baby clothes. I hope to add more as time goes along but because I'm taking the time to individually select the items the store won't grow too fast. That's not imporant though - I just want people to have the chance to search for anything with an ice cream theme without having to trawl through lots of websites. Hopefully, job done!

Celebrate 4 July With Vanilla Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (ice-cream-recipes.com) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 08:28:00 +0000

Last year I was amazed at the number of visitors to http://www.ice-cream-recipes.com/ around 4 July. I have always known that holidays of any kind are great occasions for making homemade ice cream and sharing it with friends and family but a summer holiday is especially so. For some reason, it turns out that 4 July is THE day when Americans want to make their own ice cream more than any other day in the year.

So what was the ice cream flavor my visitors were most interested in on 4 July? Yep, you guessed it .... vanilla ice cream. The perennial of all ice creams! Out of 85,000 page views that day, my main vanilla ice cream recipe had almost 20% of that in its own right! I have to admit that vanilla is my favorite ice cream, especially when it's made with a fresh custard (cream) base and using a real vanilla pod. A couple of scoops topped with delicious chocolate sauce and a dollop of fresh whipped cream - what bliss! Here's my custard base vanilla ice cream recipe.

It may seem like hard work on a special holiday to take time out and make some homemade ice cream but it's not that difficult, nor is it too time consuming and the end result is well worth it. You not only get to enjoy the ice cream yourself but you get the pleasure of see all those smiling faces when you hand it out to other people.

Whatever you're planning to do this 4 July, have a great time - and if you fancy a bit of homemade ice cream don't hold back. Get to it and enjoy it!

Ice Cream Truck - Good Humor Or Mr Whippy

noreply@blogger.com (ice-cream-recipes.com) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 08:30:00 +0000

"Slow children crossing" or "Caution children". These are very important phrases that appear on many an ice cream truck stretching from the USA to as far as Australia. Usually on the back of the truck, the words are there to alert drivers to the fact that children love ice cream and often so much so that they'll forget to look out for traffic once they've got an ice cream cone in their hands.

It varies from country to country what the warning actually says - for example, in the UK I've seen: "Drivers remember, children forget" which is really memorable.

Whatever the words, it's crucial for drivers to remember that they were once children and, if they think back, most will probably recall excitement at the idea of the ice cream truck coming down the street. We should seek to preserve that innocent excitement - ice cream is really great fun after all.

The sound of the ice cream truck's unique musical jingle, followed by the sight of the colorful truck coming down the street are strong memories for me as a child. Sometimes the ice cream truck would be different (maybe the other broke down or a different ice cream vendor took over the route), but it didn't matter - the truck was always a colorful vehicle and the ice cream always tasted great!

In the USA, the old 'Good Humor' ice cream trucks of the 1960's became part of American popular culture. In the UK the equivalent was 'Mr Whippy' (as seen in the Beatles movie 'Help'). British style ice cream trucks are also popular in other countries, especially where there is a tradition of a strong ex-patriate community. Hong Kong is a good example - on Hong Kong island there's often one parked near the Star Ferry terminal. Out in the Far East, some countries opt for a different motorized way of selling ice cream - in Thailand for example, you'll see ice cream sold from a specially modified motorcyle that has a special sidecar 'freezer'.

Country Estate Strawberries & Late Night Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (ice-cream-recipes.com) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 20:17:00 +0000

Summer is a wonderful time to enjoy strawberries and ice cream - together or separately - and I have two nice little 'country' stories on these topics I'd like to share with you.

Strawberries At An Irish Ancestral Home
Ballywalter Park (N. Ireland) is the ancestral home of the Mulholland family (Lord Dunleath). Beautiful interiors and an intriguing history draw many visitors (by appointment only) but the estate offers another strong attraction, especially in the summer months - strawberries. Top restaurants and supermarket chains take delivery of a large proportion of the estate's strawberries but from mid/late June to early August there is the opportunity to 'pick your own strawberries'. Strawberries are so important to Ballywalter Park that the current owners have compiled "The Ballywalter Park Strawberry Cook Book". At present, the book is only available from the estate's 'pick your own shop' but if it comes available online I will let you know. Sounds mouth watering!

Late Night Ice Cream & A Grand Party In The Country
Recently a friend of mine was invited to a "very grand" marquee party in Cumbria close to the Scottish Border. It was a combined celebration of birthdays - 19th, 21st and a 50th - so the age group of the "party goers" was quite broad. For the party's theme the hosts chose "Snow and Ice". Bearing in mind this was an early summer event, such a theme was a bold idea. However, the hosts did their homework well and delivered an apparently fabulous party enjoyed by all. The marquee resembled a winter garden and there were even statues (human ones) posing as if in a winter setting. To cap it all - and this is what really appealed to me - an ice cream truck appeared around midnight serving ice cream cones for all the guests! As my friend said "I guess no-one is ever too young or too old for ice cream".

Ice Cream On A Sunny Dutch Beach 1934

noreply@blogger.com (ice-cream-recipes.com) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 08:18:00 +0000

You may well wonder what prompted me to give this article such a title .... what would make me want to write about ice cream back in 1934 and on a Dutch beach of all places?

Well, I recently stumbled across a photograph on the web which stopped me in my tracks. It's a sepia toned photograph taken on the beach in Zandvoort (Netherlands) with four people in the picture all dressed for fun on the beach. There's a woman smiling and sitting on one of those wonderful big wicker chairs that you rarely see these days with another woman, obviously a mother, also smiling and sitting on the sand alongside her two young daughters. The girls are not looking at the camera though - they're busy concentrating on eating. The youngest girl in the middle appears to finishing off an ice cream cone.

It's a happy, almost idyllic photograph taken at a time when the world knew peace, at least for a while .... but this photograph holds a poignancy I've rarely experienced in an image. The young girl with the ice cream cone in one hand and the other hand on her mother's shoulder is none other than Anne Frank, just 5 years old. Beside her sits her elder sister Margot and the bespectacled lady in the wicker chair is Mrs. Schneider who worked for her father Otto Frank. They are on a day trip from Amsterdam. It is a picture of innocence and genuine happiness.

Little did the Frank family know the horrors that lay ahead for them and countless others and of course 5 year old Anne could not possibly have imagined that one day she would write the most well-known diary ever published. It is a sobering picture and one that should serve to remind us all that we should take pleasure in every moment and treasure all the simple pleasures of life - even enjoying an ice cream cone on a beach. View the photograph on this page about day trips from Zandvoort.

This week saw Anne Frank Day - Anne would have been 79 on Thursday (12 June). I was privileged some years ago to visit the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam and it is something I'll never forget. If you ever get the chance to go you should do so.

Ice Cream & Political Passion

noreply@blogger.com (ice-cream-recipes.com) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:11:00 +0000

My passion for ice cream is strong ... possibly even strong enough to be likened to the former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's passion for politics! There, I hasten to add, our similarities end - except for one thing that I discovered only a few days ago.

I was reading Wikipedia's ice cream page and learned to my surprise that Margaret Thatcher had been involved in ice cream making. She was part of a British research team in the 1950's who developed a way of increasing the air content in ice cream for commercial manufacturers. The impact of this was significant in 3 ways:

ice cream manufacturers were able to produce the same amount of ice cream but using less ingredients, thereby reducing their production costs.
the increased air content made for a softer ice cream which the ice cream eating public took to straight away and began demanding more of.
the demand for soft ice cream led to the development of the soft ice cream maker where a single cone at a time can be filled on demand.

So were it not for the efforts of the 1950's research time and the lady who was to become the first female Prime Minister of Britain, we might never have seen soft serve ice cream chains such as Carvel and many others.

Before I read about The Baroness Thatcher's ice cream research work I was already aware that the percentage of air in ice cream made by commercial ice cream producers was a serious and indeed a legal issue. I have a section on ice cream ingredients and within that a page about air in ice cream if you would like to read more.

Ice Cream Knowledge Earns $50,000

noreply@blogger.com (ice-cream-recipes.com) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 09:07:00 +0000

A favorite TV quiz show in my family is "Eggheads" where a team of "Quiz Experts" are challenged each show by a team from the general public. It's not often that the challengers win and indeed the prize money ($2000 per show) rolls over to the next show if they don't. So by the time a team finally beats the "Eggheads" the prize money is usually quite high.

On a recent show we were watching, the challengers actually won - and what's more the key question they answered correctly was about ice cream! Here it is ....

Question: What costs $1,000 as a 'house special' at Serendipity 3 in New York?

Answer: A Chocolate Sundae

The challengers not only had the pride of knowing they'd beaten the experts but they won $50,000 in the process. How's that for a pay-off to liking ice cream!

The real, detailed answer to the question of course is 'Golden Opulence Sundae' which I've previously written about on Blog Of Ice Cream. (Follow the link to view)

If you're interested in ice cream sundaes, you'll find pictures on my website of ones I made at home including:

strawberry ice cream sundae

chocolate ice cream sundae

There are more on the main page of ice cream sundae pictures.

Ice Cream Truck Organized For Indian Orphans

noreply@blogger.com (ice-cream-recipes.com) — Wed, 28 May 2008 19:11:00 +0000

I recently read a small but heartwarming news article. It didn't make the national headlines and there was no big fuss made about it but it was the kind of charitable act that warms the heart and I wanted to share it with my readers.

Jesse Oddy was born and raised in India but now lives in Cumbria (England, UK). Whilst on a holiday in India, she visted an orphanage and was so struck by the poor quality of life of some of the children that, on returning home, she determined to raise money to help those same children. "Curry Aid" as she calls it has since raised around $40,000.

This year a donation was made by a British couple who specifically asked if the money could be used to give the children some ice cream. So Jesse dutifully organized for an ice cream truck to visit the orphanage one evening - to the absolute joy of about 40 children who had never tasted ice cream before!

"They all lined up to experience for the first time the taste of ice cream. They had never eaten anything so cold before. "

You can read the full story here

Now that's what I call an unusual charitable donation! Long live the magic of the ice cream truck.

Memorial Day & Barbecue Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (ice-cream-recipes.com) — Sat, 24 May 2008 09:22:00 +0000

The last weekend of May is a long holiday weekend in many countries - but interestingly enough for different reasons.

For example, in the USA the last Monday in May is known as "Memorial Day" - an official national holiday to commemorate US men and women who have died in military service. This year the holiday is on Monday 26 May - a day when many Americans will also get out the barbecue sets because the holiday is also widely recognised as the "official" start to the barbecue season. It is the end of May after all and the weather is usually ideally suited to families and friends getting together.

There will probably be a few barbecues in the UK as well as it's a holiday weekend there - but for an entirely different reason. The last Sunday in May is called "Whitsun" or "Whit Sunday" (another term for Pentecost, a prominent feast in the Christian liturgical year). The term apparently derives from the Middle English term "whitsonday" and Olde English "hwīta sunnandæg" which means White Sunday.

So if you live in a part of the world where any of these celebrations and holidays are taking place this weekend, you are very likely getting together with other people - being invited out to dinner by friends or family or possibly playing host yourself with a barbecue or even a formal cooked dinner. If you are looking for some recipe ideas, here is a great recipe from a friend of mine who is both an innovative engineering genius (sonic horns specialist) and an excellent cook. His favorite dishes are fish and seafood recipes; this one is called "Octopus Hibernia". For dessert you might like to try a light and fruity ice cream sorbet. My lemon sorbet is easy to make yet deliciously refreshing on a summer's day.

Whatever you do this holiday weekend and whether you are cooking or not, try and enjoy your time with family and friends. After all, "these are the days of our lives" ....

Ice Cream Sodas

noreply@blogger.com (ice-cream-recipes.com) — Wed, 14 May 2008 08:16:00 +0000

Say the words "Ice Cream Soda" to most people and instantly it will transport them to a different world! It could be fond childhood memories or a favorite movie memory or simply that they have always loved an ice cream soda and will never tire of it.

Apparently it's not clear who exactly came up with the idea of mixing ice cream with carbonated water or soft drink but it's probably 1 of 2 people - Fred Sanders (Detroit, USA) or Robert M Green (Philadelphia), both back in the 1870's. Whether either of them knew the 'science' of why the combination works so well is not clear, but, as I understand it, when you mix ice cream with carbonated water or a carbonated drink, a scientific reaction takes place triggering the creation of large bubbles of carbon dioxide.

One of the first, popular ice cream sodas was the Boston Cooler - a mixture of vanilla ice cream and ginger ale and believed to have been served as far back as the 1880's in Detroit. I must admit that the flavors of vanilla and ginger do blend together well so it's not surprising this ice cream soda was a favorite for many people.

The ice cream soda became so popular at one time in fact that it's claimed it was banned in some parts of the USA on 'holy days' and lead to what we now refer to as the ice cream sundae. Which leads me onto another term that I love! I have always enjoyed making ice cream sundaes and my dear old Dad's favorite is the Knickerbocker Glory. Follow the link to see how I make my favorite one, called 'Shelagh's Knickerbocker Glory'.

Ice cream is such a fascinating subject then I never tire reading about its many facets. If you're like me and find this sort of thing interesting you might like to read more on Wikipedia - ice cream soda page ~ Knickerbocker Glory page.

Ice Cream & Bluebells For May Day

noreply@blogger.com (ice-cream-recipes.com) — Fri, 02 May 2008 19:01:00 +0000

As this wonderful picture (courtesy of my good friend Mary Spain) shows, the bluebell woods are blossoming at the moment which, hopefully, means that summer is just around the corner. The approaching May Day holiday is of course an affirmation of that - according to tradition, the celebration of May Day is to mark the beginning of summer.

Believed to have originated in Roman times when there was a festival of Flora (Roman goddess of flowers & fruit), May Day affords us all the opportunity of appreciating the wonderful world around us.

Here are two suggestions of how to celebrate flowers and fruit over this May Day holiday weekend:

Flowers - venture out into the countryside if you can with family or friends. Find a bluebell wood perhaps or visit a special country garden open to the public.
Fruit - after your refreshing day out in the country, return home to makesome delicious homemade ice cream. Try one of my top 10 ice cream recipes such as Butter Pecan Ice Cream.

Whatever you do over this holiday weekend, if possible take a little time to relax and appreciate the world around you and the people closest to you. After all, that what celebrations are for!

Ice Cream & Class Distinction On The RMS Titanic

noreply@blogger.com (ice-cream-recipes.com) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 22:12:00 +0000

One of the interests within my family is maritime history, perhaps not surprisingly as we originate from the British Isles where seafaring is an ingrained in our sense of heritage and culture. There is much within the subject to be interested in dating back centuries, but perhaps the most significant impact ever made by a single maritime event was the tragedy of the British passenger liner RMS Titanic. which sank at 2.20am on 15 April 1912.

The sense of tragedy about the RMS Titanic was not just about the loss of the (then) world's largest and greatest liner or about it having happened on its maiden voyage, but the scale and sense of human loss. Loss in terms of lost lives and also in terms of people's loss of confidence in the future. Up until the tragedy, people of that era had seemed so sure of being in control of their fate, of technology and 'progress'. The tragedy still echoes within the minds of people today, almost 100 years later and as the end of April approaches I felt it somehow appropriate to write this article.

With my strong interest in food and recipes, especially ice cream, I wondered what kind of food was on the menu for that fateful voyage. The wide selection of books we have at home on the subject provided me with some answers. To my surprise, ice cream was on both the first and second class menus for RMS Titanic on 14 April 1912 - the last day the ship ever saw daylight.

The first class menu listed "French Ice Cream" and the second class menu listed "American Ice Cream". Clearly in those days, people felt there was a difference sufficient to be reflected within class distinction. A strange notion today given how massively popular ice cream is and how it seems to transcend all class and cultural barriers.

To see a scan of the second class menu on RMS Titanic for 14 April 1912 (showing "American Ice Cream") go to the website of the National Maritime Museum - here

To see the list of what appeared on the first class menu including "French Ice Cream" go to the Webtitanic site (an Irish tribute) - here

For anyone interested in the difference between the two types of ice cream, "French Ice Cream" is generally regarded as a richer and more complex recipe as it requires a custard base to be made first.

Fried Ice Cream To Doughnuts

noreply@blogger.com (ice-cream-recipes.com) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 21:44:00 +0000

There's a page on my website about fried ice cream. The reason it's there to be honest is not because I prefer ice cream fried but because it is very popular in a number of countries. Let's face it, we all need to eat a healthy diet and I'm the first to agree with that idea but once in a while we all need a treat and when it comes to food, fried food for some people is just that - a special treat. So put ice cream into a fried context and it's a winner.

Then I got to thinking about what other fried desserts are popular and of course probably the most popular has to be doughnuts. What I didn't realise until recently was that doughnuts have a variety of other names in different parts of the world - Churro in Mexico, Oliebollen in the Netherlands, Balushai in India, Berliner or Krapfen in Germany and Zeppola in Italy to name a few.

I came across a web page about the history of doughnuts which has some fascinating facts and claims that it was the Portuguese who spread the basic recipe for fried dough to different parts of the world. Wikipedia's page contests this with one suggestion that it might have been Dutch settlers who first brought the idea of fried dough to North America. Here's the wiki page on doughnuts for anyone interested. Whoever was responsible matters little in my view - doughnuts are here to stay. Just don't eat too many!