“My grandmother used to make homemade ice cream when I was a kid,” says Steve, a gentleman I met while taking a cooking class on ice cream at Sugar and Olives recently. “There were no fancy ice cream makers back then, so she’d sit me and my brother on the floor of the kitchen and make us roll a barrel back and forth between us to churn it. It was great fun. And now that I’m a parent, I see her strategy: It kept us entertained for hours!”
Everyone, no matter how old you are, has a favorite memory from their youth that involves ice cream in some way. Who isn’t immediately transported by the sound of a jingling bell to the memory of chasing the Good Humor truck down the street? And who hasn’t experienced the endless debate about which flavors are best? There is no right answer. Your favorite flavor likely has something to do with the first cold headache you ever had. To a child, the spectrum of flavors is a world of delight; a dream too good to be true. To an adult, considering the array of options rekindles our child-like imaginations somewhere in the recesses of our overworked and overstressed lives, even if it’s just for a moment.
Eggs, sugar, milk, cream. Mixed together with some flavorings and an icy blast transforms these simple ingredients into a treat that’s been delighting families for centuries.
I attended the Sugar and Olives cooking class with my friend, Lisa Corrado, a nutritionist here in New Canaan. We both believe in the value – going way beyond fundamental nutritional health – of treasuring a food culture in your home and the positive impact it has on relationships. We consider food the “spice of life.” So, the “spice girls” went on a mission to learn more about why this sweet treat has such an unrelenting connection in our hearts to pure, innocent joy. Or maybe we just created an excuse to eat more ice cream. You decide.
Meet Nuccia and Andrea Mazzonetto. They bring “slow food sundae” to life every day as the owners of Gelatissimo, an artisan gelato shop here in New Canaan. Lisa and I met with them on a very cold, rainy Saturday to understand the difference between ice cream and gelato, a staple of Italian food culture.“It’s half the calories of ice cream, because it’s made with milk instead of cream,” says Nuccia. “It has a smoother consistency because it’s slowly stirred at a warmer temperature than ice cream and there’s less air whipped into it. Authentic Italian gelato is always flavored with real fruit or other ingredients, not manufactured syrups.” Gelatissimo has a wide variety of flavors to choose from: including choices made with fresh fruits like strawberry, cherry, apricot and citrus; plus staple flavors such as hazelnut, chocolate, cappuccino and chocolate chip (these sound even better when said in Italiano). “We make a base recipe for gelato that has been passed down through my husband’s family for generations and we add in whichever seasonal ingredients are available. To Italians, gelato can be a meal.”
“She’s the alchemist,” says her husband, Andrea.
What’s the wildest flavor she’s ever created? “Prosecco (Italian sparkling wine),” she laughs, and then thoughtfully ponders more of her past creations. “Cilantro and lime; pineapple and mint; rosemary and basil…and I harvested wild raspberries from Waveny Park once. It was wonderful!”
So why is it that ice cream sparks such memories and brings such joy to our lives, no matter our age? Nuccia believes it’s the experience of coming into a brightly-colored, cheerful shop. The display cases are designed so that kids can see all of the colors of the gelato flavors. And for adults, Gelatissimo suggests that adults enjoy “affogato”: an Italian word to describe a dish of gelato “drowned” in either espresso or liquor. A refreshing combination of fresh lime gelato with frozen vodka makes a great ending to a summer’s seafood dinner.
Of course, there are options for those who can’t comfortably ingest whole milk products or cream from cows. Lisa suggests trying non-dairy alternatives. Her favorites are a toss-up between Tempt, made with hemp milk and Purely Decadent, made with coconut milk. Both are very rich and creamy; neither are low-fat or low-calorie. You can also find treats made with goat, rice and soy milks.For those wanting to create joyful memories at home, we’ve got the “scoop” from Sugar and Olives in Norwalk on how to make vanilla ice cream, with some flavoring suggestions. If you would rather take the family out for the memories, visit Baskin Robbins in New Canaan on April 27 for their famous 31 cent scoop night to benefit National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Or send the kids to bed, and enjoy some “affogato” with artisan gelato from Gelatissimo to wind down after a long day. Have two! The smile on your face is the easiest lasting memory to achieve.
Visit:
Gelatissimo at 26 Forest Street, New Canaan
Baskin-Robbins at 103 Main Street, New Canaan
Sugar & Olives at 21½ Lois Street, Norwalk (and their cooking class schedule)
Swirl Frozen Yogurt coming soon to Cherry Street, New Canaan
VANILLA ICE CREAM BASE
3 c milk
3 c cream
1 t best quality vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, inside only, scraped out (keep the bean pod for future use)
1 1/2 c sugar
1 t salt
5 egg yolks
In a large stainless steel bowl, combine 1/2 cup of sugar with the egg yolks, and whisk. Cover with plastic and set aside.
Chill 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream for use later.
One: In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, combine the milk, 1 1/2 cups cream, 1 cup of sugar, vanilla bean and the salt. Set over medium heat and stir. Heat up until very hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and add the vanilla extract.
Two: READ THIS! Carefully combine the hot milk mixture with the egg yolks. Dribble the hot liquid milk mixture into the yolk bowl, while whisking, to slowly bring up the temperature of the yolks. This is called tempering. Once half of the hot liquid is mixed in with the egg yolk, you can start to pour it in faster.
Three: Now, pour the remaining cold cream (1 1/2 cups) into the ice cream base. Refrigerate for several hours and then spin this in an ice cream machine, and follow the manufacturer’s directions.
FLAVOR IDEAS?? ovaltine, fresh mint, cinnamon, bourbon etc.
For the ovaltine: add 1/2 cup ovaltine malt powder to base after step one.
For the cinnamon: add 2 T ground cinnamon to base after step one.
For the bourbon: after enjoying a shot for yourself, add 3 ounces (2 shots) to the base after step one.
For the mint: use 1/2 cup of fresh mint leaves, steep them in 3 cups of hot milk for one hour and then strain them out, before starting step one.
Lisa Corrado, M.S. is the owner and Chief Nutrition Officer of Lisa Corrado Nutrition. She makes busy people healthier with a combination of clinical nutrition and culinary training. Lisa recently added a twist to her already unique background of nutritionist/chef by becoming a cancer survivor. Learn more at LisaCorradoNutrition.com.
Her insights into food culture, "The Spice of Life," is featured regularly in issues of Aetherial Living.
No comments:
Post a Comment