Ice Cream U Scream

Free Ben & Jerry's: Take the dough out of politics!

2012-02-14T09:19:00.002-06:00

Received this email:

"At Ben & Jerry's we're so fond of dough we invented Cookie Dough ice cream! But when it comes to politics, there's no place for "dough". So why are corporations allowed to spend as much money as they want to influence our elections? Join us to take back American democracy with a Constitutional Amendment that will keep corporate money out of our elections.

"To kick off this campaign, what better way to show our support of the people's right to have their voices heard than to give away free ice cream! On February 14th from 5pm - 8pm, visit a participating Scoop Shop to get a free scoop of Americone Dream. It's the flavor's 5th anniversary too!

"Take action at getthedoughout.org!"

Häagen-Dazs it again.

2012-01-31T21:37:00.003-06:00

I stumbled across two Häagen-Dazs Limited Edition flavors that were new to my grocery experience. Score. First, there is Spiced Peach Crumble, which is pleasant but, like last year's Blueberry Crumble, could use more of the crumble bits and bits of fruit. Second, there is a delightful and creative entry: Cranberry Pumpkin Spice.

As this blog's resident pumpkin expert (not to mention sole contributor), I can report that in six years of documented pumpkin consumption this is the first and only item to cross my path that pairs cranberry with pumpkin, a pairing so obvious it eluded us all. At first bite it is clear that Häagen-Dazs is able to handle pumpkin with the same elegance it treats all its flavors. Rich, creamy and full of spice, this is what anyone would look for in a pumpkin ice cream. The second bite bringeth the cranberry swirl and, behold, it was very good. Lighter than Ben & Jerry's delightfully subtle Pumpkin Cheesecake, this flavor offers the same sour zing but with a fruity afterthought.

Thank you, Häagen-Dazs. I shall be experimenting with pumpkin and cranberry pairings for the rest of my life.

I think I’m in love.

2011-12-31T21:20:00.001-06:00

Okay, that phrasing was hasty. I am in love.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

2011-11-15T14:43:00.000-06:00

Thanks to dozens of hours spent on the road living a semi-vagabond life, my participation in the pumpkin challenge was at an all-time low this year. It is difficult to cook new recipes when you don’t have a kitchen. Still the year was not without discoveries. My favorite invention was the oh-so-yummy turkey, cheese and pumpkin butter toasted bagel sandwich.

Last year I consumed 40 pumpkin items between September 15 and October 31, this year I did not even achieve half that number. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Here’s the list:

pumpkin pie, pumpkin bagel, pumpkin cream cheese schmear, pumpkin waffle, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancake, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin milkshake, pumpkin pecan roll, pumpkin frozen yogurt, squid ink pumpkin and squash ravioli, snap-o-lantern ice cream, pumpkin whoopie pie, pumpkin spice gelato, pumpkin pie ice cream, pumpkin butter

How did my competitors fare this year? Have I beendethroned?

Cicada Ice Cream

2011-10-31T14:37:00.000-05:00

I’d gladly take things that go bump in the night over thingsthat go chirp in my stomach.

When Sparky’s created cicada ice cream it became an instant legend,not just for being the most gastronomically grotesque creation of the year, butalso for batting a thousand. Only one batch was made and it sold out in justthirty minutes.The Columbia, MO store pulled the flavor before it made a second batch because the health department did not give its endorsement; apparently the most hygienic cicada preparation has not been fully researched.

In all seriousness, more spooky than brown sugar and bug ice cream is that anything “not specifically provided for in the local health code”is understood to be illegal. Bureaucratic red flagging in food regulation isthe same battle being fought by Nice Cream in Chicago.I’m certainly no authority on the subject, but I worry for the future of smallbusinesses.

(Thanks to Laurie for the tip.)

Cubism or Zombie?

2011-10-26T01:17:00.000-05:00

Picasso believed in two things: ice cream and zombies.

In all seriousness, I once went to an ice cream shop in D.C. (which shall remain nameless) that had a huge mural of Guernica, only each of the characters doomed to die in the horrible scene were holding ice cream cones. Appalled, I remarked to my brother how completely and utterly tasteless the mural was. Loudly, I might add, which probably explains the pay-and-get-out attitude of the proprietor. Whoops.

Hey, the word "zombie" reminds of something! A creative writing curriculum I wrote for elementary schoolers called "Brains! or, Writing with Zombies" was recently published. Money from the sales go into the programs at 826, free after-school tutoring and creative writing centers in several US cities.

The Sixth Annual Pumpkin Challenge

2011-09-17T18:10:00.002-05:00

This could be your year to win. Your chances are better this year because the reigning champion will be less of a contender. Baffling as it may sound, I will be preoccupied by a number of life events that people claim to be more important than pumpkin season. I mean no dishonor to the Great Pumpkin and hope he will not bypass my patch this year. But ho! Perhaps you are new to the Pumpkin Challenge!

Every year, from September 15 through Halloween, all are invited to consume as many pumpkin foods as possible. So epicurate a cornucopia of new recipes and buy out the grocery. Or, better yet, try and try and beat my record. Here are the rules:

The only beverage allowed is the milkshake.
Food items may not be doubled. (Two slices of pumpkin cheesecake count as one item. The only way it could count for two different items is if the second item has a distinct enough difference of flavor that it warrants a different name AND the item comes from a different source than the first item.)

Why have was the Pumpkin Challenge created?

Originally the short-term goal was to encourage pumpkin season to start earlier than October, since they are mostly only offered around Halloween and Thanksgiving. Happily, this year and last year have shown progress of pumpkin activity in early September! The long-term goal is for pumpkin products year round. If you aren't currently active in the off-season of the Pumpkin Challenge, my hope is your participation will help you branch out into new pumpkin dishes (not just pie, bread and muffins) and give you post-autumnal pumpkin pangs.

Greatest Desserts: Rhubarb & Crème Fraiche Sherbet

2011-08-29T10:32:00.002-05:00

I have bonded between bites of a rhubarb cobbler and made lifelong friends. Some would attribute this to my winning charisma, but I know better. When shared, the tartness of rhubarb transforms its consumers into both addicts and a support group. In short, when we eat rhubarb together, we are forever linked. And though these uniting forces cannot be denied, I have found a rhubarb product brings my altruism into question.

Snookelfritz creates seasonal artisan frozen desserts, emphasizing sustainability and using local ingredients. Their pints are sold at Chicago farmers markets and some neighborhood stores. While many of their flavors are nothing short of creative (raspberry-rose petal, roasted strawberry-brown sugar, maple-candied), their Rhubarb & Crème Fraiche Sherbet stands out as being among the finest frozen desserts I’ve ever had.

Though there is never a need to dilute pure rhubarb, this sherbet creates a balance of flavors that (rather that compete with another) seem to ask one another to dance. Unlike the overpowering strawberry with which rhubarb is usually paired, the subtle crème fraiche gracefully lets the rhubarb take the lead while it is whirled round and round. And the texture of the sherbet is the light, soft footing that effortlessly carries your taste buds across the dance floor.

I will say it again: this is one of the finest frozen desserts I have ever had. As I think now, the Brown Butter ice cream at Toscanini’s (in Cambridge, MA) comes to mind as another on this short list, as well as the Mile High Blackberry Ice Cream Pie on Virginia’s Skyline Drive. Snookelfritz’s Rhubarb & Crème Fraiche Sherbet is one for the history books.

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SIDEBAR: Chicago’s artisan ice cream makers are in trouble! Defend the little guy by donating to Nice Cream’s Kickstarter campaign. Affecting changes in state regulations doesn’t come cheap.

Chicago Blackhawks Ice Cream: Phase 4

2011-08-20T11:23:00.002-05:00

What is Chicago Blackhawks ice cream? As far as I know, no such flavor exists outside my kitchen. Together, gentle reader, we will explore this question to create the definitive Chicago Blackhawks ice cream…even though current events mean we will be enjoying our treat from a dish instead of a cup.

After exploring strictly the visceral elements of hockey in Phase 3, I decided to retreat back into the team color approach taken in Phase 2…or so I thought.

Pictured is black cherry ice cream with brownies, which is not the deep red color I expected. Truth be told, the whole thing was a disaster. (Let’s be honest, though: Bad ice cream is better than “good” almost anything else.) My ice cream maker wasn’t producing anything thicker than a milkshake, I overcooked my brownies and I forgot to put in the white chocolate chunks, an addition my brother suggested to keep the visceral “shattered teeth” motif. But I am not ungrateful; I ate the messy liquid and stuck the leftovers in the freezer, hoping its frozen consistency would be somewhere between soup and a rock. The leftovers, though ice cream, lacked the punch I’ve had in other fruit ice creams I’ve made. The brownies were a fantastic touch, but again the cherry ice cream was yellowish brown, not red. This was easily the low point on the journey to hockey/ice cream marriage.

The Death of Local Chicago Ice Cream?

2011-08-11T10:51:00.004-05:00

Finding homemade ice cream in Chicago isn't easy. I can think of only two scoop shops that specialize in homemade ice cream, one gelato place and a few artisan ice cream makers that distribute at farmers markets and grocery stores. But that last category could soon be eliminated.

Friend and fellow blogger, Dawn Xiana Moon, made me aware of
this news story. In short, small artisan ice cream makers in Illinois are being targeted by Public Health to maintain the same standards that are held for billion dollar national ice cream makers. These licenses were not mentioned when the businesses were created, so why are they being brought up years later? Effectively, this could end the use of local, organic ingredients and, by doing so, end small business ice cream production in Illinois.

Nice Cream is first on the hitlist. And you can help. You can donate to their Kickstarter page or attend their fundraiser. Also, stay tuned to the Nice Cream website on further instruction for writing a letter to the state.

UPDATE: Dawn has more info.

The Great Waldough Search

2011-08-03T15:26:00.005-05:00

Finding doughnuts in Chicago that aren’t from the ubiquitous Dunkin Donuts is not easy. The best reviewed donut place on Yelp (Old Fashioned Donuts) is all the way down on 112th Street and the other major players (Huck Finn and Dat Donut) are at closest 34th! Speaking for northside Chicago, this is unacceptable.

Doughnut Vault heard the call when they opened their River North business, a converted elevator shaft with fancy décor. But while their donuts are meaty, their hour-long lines are frustrating and their menu options somewhat simple and limited. Happily, Chicago’s Year of the Donut was only getting warmed up.

Dirty Betty’s offers lower-fat, baked donuts with inspired flavor combinations. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but Pomegranate Glaze (top left) wins with me. Another flavor, Ginger with Key Lime Glaze (bottom left), is more citrusy than most pastries hope to be. And the chocolate glaze on their Chocolate Toffee (top right) doughnut is the easily best chocolate topping I’ve ever had on a doughnut. Unlike Doughnut Vault, where the only difference between their yeast doughnuts is the glaze, the doughnuts at Dirty Betty’s are unique from one another in every way and they’re all delicious.

Since Dirty Betty’s lives inside Cookie Bar, I wasn’t at all surprised by the range of options. The daytime business, a 70’s disco cookie joint, makes Jalapeno Chocolate Chip, Red White & Blueberry and, my favorite, the Potato Chip Chocolate Chip cookie. Can’t decide between cookies and doughnuts? Then you should go on Saturday when they make both cookies and doughnuts all day.

How good is Dirty Betty’s? I’ve been making a mental list of best donuts I’ve had, absolutely certain that Dirty Betty’s makes the list.

Turkish Hospitality

2011-07-25T17:45:00.000-05:00

My friend Lisa shared this video of a Turkish ice cream vendor having some fun with a tourist. The scoop-smith’s talents bridge the gap between Cocktail bartender and vaudeville clown. Really quite impressive! Give it a watch.

Literacy, Music and Ice Cream

2011-07-20T15:43:00.004-05:00

I believe I’ve discovered the unified theorem:
826CHI + Pitchfork Music Festival = Free Ice Cream

What makes this a unified theorem? Quite simply, if we all united in doing good and good tunes, we would be rewarded with ice cream. What other solution do you need? Though some scientists will miss working with variables, I’m sure most will be very relieved to learn that the unified theorem requires very little math at all. Plus, the unified theorem is delicious.

Perhaps you’re wondering how I discovered this equation. The back story is that 826CHI, a free after-school tutoring and creative writing center, offered a music journalism workshop in which fifth-through-seventh graders were given VIP access at the Pitchfork Music Festival. The students were granted interviews with Neko Case [editor's note: SWOON!], Battles, Das Racist, James Blake, Woods, OFF!, Fleet Foxes, Juliana Barwick, Cold Cave, Sun Airway, HEALTH, Kurt Vile, Zola Jesus, DJ Chrissy Murderbot, No Age, Shabazz Palaces and GSide. And then the students and instructors were visited by the Ice Cream Man, a touring ice cream truck with the simple goals of giving away free ice cream and motivating people to fulfill their dreams. Needless to say, this particular workshop got rave reviews. (This workshop evaluation is particularly amazing.)

I look forward to taking cone in hand and reading the zine that these young journalists produce.

826CHI is a chapter of 826 National, co-founded by writer/publisher Dave Eggers. As of this writing there are eight chapters of 826 nation-wide. So far I volunteered with 826 Seattle and 826CHI. Methinks 826 Boston will be next.

Best Horchata on the Chicago Northside

2011-07-11T13:33:00.001-05:00

The first time I tasted horchata was when my dad, an adventurous eater, and my mom, his comic foil in this regard, took us to a hole-in-the-wall Mexican place in Pilsen, Chicago’s southside home for visual artists that seek low rent. When he ordered it and I asked about it, he explained with the efficient mastery he usually employs: “It’s good. You should try it!”

Being that I was still in college at VCU and far away from authentic Mexican food, there were no opportunities to have horchata again until I returned to Chicago with my theatre class senior year. Between the L and my first destination, I stopped in a Mexican place (#3 below) and filled up on grub. I shared some horchata with Boren, offering more explanation than my dad had given me: “It’s like a milky rice drink that has cinnamon and almond flavors.” (Note: most horchata contains no milk or lactose.). As his thoughtful tasting went underway, his eyes grew to Muppet size.

Through the duration of our stay in Chicago, Boren and I stopped for horchata at every opportunity we could, which amounted to twice or more a day. Doing this we concluded that not all horchatas were mixed equal and that one should be aware of a few things:

• As with most Mexican food, the best comes from hole-in-the-wall tacquerias.
• Ice only waters it down, so request no ice. The drink is kept cold and doesn’t need it anyway.
• If you are being charged more than $2.50 (for a 44 oz.), you are being ripped off by people who likely don’t even know how to make a good horchata. (Signs of bad horchata include: chalkiness, plastic or Styrofoam taste, flecks of poorly mixed ingredients.)

While horchata was available a few places in Seattle, it was not until I moved to Chicago that it was elevated from beverage choice to lifestyle choice. Horchata is the sermon I preach to any willing stomach. I have tasted it here, there and everywhere (if “everywhere” were “Chicago’s northside”). And with this knowledge, I can pass on to you, beloved reader, my list of the best horchata on the Chicago northside.

(1) The Famous Taco Burrito – NE corner of Western and Addison
(2) La Pasadita – South of Division on Ashland
(3) Taco Burrito House – South of Irving Park & Broadway

Some pictures leave us without any words.

2011-07-05T20:15:00.003-05:00

I think it’s fair to say that I wear my heart on my sleeve. That being said, I have never felt the need to have it tattooed on my arm or, to an even lesser degree, tattooed on my face. Unsurprisingly, Gucci Mane, processes life differently than I.

Back in January, the rapper, who famously wears a chain around his neck with an ice cream cone on it, celebrated his release from a mental institution by getting a brand new tattoo. On his face. Of an ice cream cone. With lightning bolts coming out from it. Someone may have had too many sprinkles on his sundae.

Along with the now infamous Twitter photo (linked above), an artist’s recreation of Mr. Mane (and his ink) serves as cover art for his latest release, The Return of Mr. Zone 6. The lyrics of “Mouth Full of Gold” give us a little insight: “Ice cream on my face and chain ‘cause that's the life that I live, shawty."

Chicago Blackhawks Ice Cream: Phase 3

2011-06-30T11:02:00.001-05:00

What is Chicago Blackhawks ice cream? As far as I know, no such flavor exists outside my kitchen. Together, gentle reader, we will explore this question to create the definitive Chicago Blackhawks ice cream…even though current events mean we will be enjoying our treat from a dish instead of a cup.

In Phase 1 and 2, I explored color and texture to create an ice cream that featured the Blackhawks team colors (predominantly red, black and white) and the visceral elements of hockey (blood and teeth). Thanks to suggestions from my very creative friends, Phase 3 journeys even further outside the box.

What appealed to my friends was the visceral elements. Pictured is Phase 3, a blackberry ice cream with macadamia nuts and both dark and white chocolate chunks. Blackberry, the color of a bruise (though you can't tell in this photo). Macadamia nuts, crunchy and far better at representing knocked-out teeth than marshmallows. Dark and white chocolate chunks, ice and pucks in motion. (Eat your heart out, Umberto Boccioni .)

Suggestions for Phase 4? Leave a comment.

Who am I kidding?

2011-06-24T22:50:00.002-05:00

These people are idiots. I didn't want to be on their Millennial Advisory Panel anyway...unless they changed their minds, of course. Let me know! kthx

Book Report: Ben & Jerry’s: The Inside Scoop (Part 2)

2011-06-22T12:37:00.000-05:00

Published in 1994, this book was written by Fred “Chico” Lager, the man who became the company’s first general manager in 1982. More than just a dry history lesson, this is an entertaining read written from someone on the inside. Anecdote after quirky anecdote makes this account of the company’s path to success worthy of a Coen brothers movie. Here’s Part 2 of my book report.

By 1983, Ben & Jerry’s had already outgrown their plant, which had seemed far too large when they moved in during 1981. But their wholesale business was taking off, much due to their unique product. Though superpremium ice cream was first introduced to grocery stores by Häagen-Dazs in 1960, Ben & Jerry’s (funky, unpretentious and full of chunks) had perfectly carved out a unique niche that helped them get placement. Supermarkets would only stock three superpremium ice creams, which generally included Häagen-Dazs (the market leader) and two copycat brands jumping on the band wagon with elegance and faux-foreign branding. As they grew, Ben & Jerry’s expanded into new markets with innovative approaches, such as storming office buildings in Boston to give away free ice cream.

In all of this expansion, the company strived to stick to its community focus and its investment in their employees. When the company needed to raise money for a new factory, Ben defied the input of all in his decision to sell stock exclusive to Vermont residents. It worked, meaning 1 in every 100 Vermont residents held stock in the company, thereby making those who made the business successful part of the profits. They made it their goal to use milk from Vermont farms and ingredients from local sources. The company increased their donations to the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation from 5% to 7.5% of pretax profits. At this time, they also had a rule of 5-to-1 pay scale ratio, where the highest paid could only get a max of 5x the lowest salary. 5% of the pretax profits were distributed to employees, giving them a stake. And there was also the 3 pints/day benefit for all workers. More people were hired when they opened the Waterbury factory, which meant a greater distance from the product. To keep them engaged, meetings featured “small group” sessions where groups pitched their ideas to cut costs or suggestions to improve conditions. They also had annual recognition, ensuring an employee’s efforts were acknowledged at least once a year. And to keep things fun, the Fred Award was given out to those who nominated themselves for frugally finding ways to cut costs.

More ice cream meant they were generating more waste. To offset this, they bought a local farmer $10,000 worth of pigs to consume the edible portion of the waste, provided one pig was named Ben and another Jerry. This wasn’t the only crazy idea floating around the offices at the time: Ben wanted to start Zippy, a company that sold a carbonated milk beverage. But the craziest idea, which thankfully never became a reality, was from a short-lived marketing director who suggested opening scoop shops for breakfast to “serve scrambled eggs in waffle cones, an item he wanted to call ‘Cone Egg, the Breakfast Barbarian.’” (159)

Around this time in 1987, a flavor was launched whose name was suggested by two Deadheads in Portland, Maine: Cherry Garcia. The reaction from Jerry Garcia was “‘As long as they don’t name a motor oil after me, it’s fine with me.’” (157) Following the flavor’s success, other customers suggested witty(?) flavor names—Donny Almond, Milly Vanilla and Scoop O’ Jesus—that never moved past the suggestion phase. Which isn’t to say that Ben & Jerry’s didn’t create some duds all on its own. Some career lows for Peter Lind, hired as head of Research and Development around this time, were Fred & Ginger (ginger ice cream with chocolate bow ties) and Sugar Plum (plum ice cream with a caramel swirl). Their policy at the time was to discontinue one flavor as another was added, rotating a total of 12 flavors. People wrote in when their favorite went away; Sugar Plum was not missed. In 1991, customer suggestions once again struck gold when Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough became the best selling flavor in just 2 months, surpassing Heath Bar Crunch.

As the company’s success continued to grow, they looked for even more ways to be community-focused. Ben wanted the company to be socially-minded in how it chose the suppliers of ingredients. In one example, they hired Greyston Bakery (an organization that employed the homeless and put money into programs that served the homeless) to make the brownies for their ice cream. They also launched Partnershops, where Ben & Jerry’s waived the franchise fee and provided management assistance to the get business running. Local service organizations could open a Partnershop to provide job experience and business training to populations that needed it. The profits made the programs self-funding.

During 1992, Sales were up 36% to $132 million and profits up 79% to $6.7 million and were named by Forbes Magazine one of the 200 Best Small Companies in America for the third straight year. After that, well, I’ll need to write my own book.

(I do not take credit for the information in this blog entry. All credit is due to Fred “Chico” Lager, author of Ben & Jerry’s: The Inside Scoop.)

Book Report: Ben & Jerry’s: The Inside Scoop (Part 1)

2011-06-20T16:59:00.000-05:00

Published in 1994, this book was written by Fred “Chico” Lager, the man who became the company’s first general manager in 1982. More than just a dry history lesson, this is an entertaining read written from someone on the inside. Anecdote after quirky anecdote makes this account of the company’s path to success worthy of a Coen brothers movie. Here’s the quick version.

Ben and Jerry became friends in junior high and worked together in the summers growing up in Merrick, NY (part of Long Island). After high school, Ben applied himself where he liked, which included a brief stint at Colgate University (which he selected for its inclusion of fireplaces in the dorms), jobs working on ice cream trucks and teaching crafts in the Adirondacks. Soon after Jerry successfully completed college, Ben decided they should start a business together.

After ditching their first idea of Sunday Bagels & Lox delivery in NYC, they decided on making homemade ice cream in a rural community with a large college population and a warm climate. In pursuit of this dream, they took a correspondence course in ice cream making through Penn State, splitting the $5 tuition. Though the climate was far from warm, Burlington, VT was the setting they chose. They secured a loan in Dec. 1977 (impressing the bank with the fact they had taken a course in ice cream from Penn State, but not mentioning the key words “correspondence course”) and on May 5, 1978 opened their flagship location in an abandoned gas station.

People lined up from the beginning. They were after all, offering a unique product. Beyond some of the zanier flavors (Mocha Chip, Pina Colada, Burgundy Cherry, Banana Rum, Coconut, Carob and their best-selling Oreo Mint) they had tricked out their ice cream maker to churn at 20 rotations per minute, thereby lessening the amount of air that got whipped into the ice cream. On only their ninth day of business, they sold out of ice cream. It would be the first of many times. After two months of business they had to close for a day to figure out finances, putting a sign up in the window that said, “We’re closed today so we can figure out if we’re making any money.” They seemed to be breaking even, though their non-ice cream products (including Ben’s sea scallop crepe with mushrooms and onions) were not selling well at all and were soon after dropped. Being that they were just a couple of guys and not accountants, they learned as they went: “At first Jerry paid the bills, but when they ran into cash-flow problems Ben took over. Ben stopped paying bills and cash flow improved immediately.” (28)

Beyond a unique product, they were a part of the community, holding events that were part-circus sideshow and part carnival fair. (At one such event, Jerry set his chin on fire while fire-eating.) They projected movies on a neighboring building. And at their 1-year anniversary, they introduced Free Cone Day, an annual event that still happens each year. Flyers for the event included a quote from Ben: “Business has a responsibility to give back to the community from which it draws its support.”

While still a young business, they started wholesaling ice cream, first to businesses and later to mom-n-pop grocers. They offered 8 flavors: Oreo Mint, French Vanilla, Chocolate Fudge, Wild Blueberry, Mocha Walnut, Maple Walnut, Honey Coffee and Honey Orange. They bought a machine to fill the pints, but it frequently got clogged due to the larger-size chunks. This sparked a debate: Jerry wanted smaller chunks so there would be a chunk in every bite, but Ben wanted larger chunks because the downside of not having a chunk in every bite was overcome by getting a huge chunk in other bites. They made the holes in the machine bigger to allow for the bigger chunks.

Business continued to grow, so they decided to begin franchising and in July of 1981 the first franchise was opened in Shelburne, VT. But this growth made them worry that “they had become a cog in an economic machine whose values they had questioned all their lives. The business had grown well beyond the small, community-oriented ice cream shop they had set out to open.” (54) Ben changed his mind when he met Maurice Purpora who said Ben could “[redefine] the business so that it was consistent with his personal values, even if they didn’t conform with traditional notions of how a business should be run.” (57)

(I do not take credit for the information in this blog entry. All credit is due to Fred “Chico” Lager, author of Ben & Jerry’s: The Inside Scoop.)

New Flavors: Ben & Jerry’s Class of 2011

2011-06-14T09:53:00.001-05:00

Dear Ben & Jerry’s,

To show there are no hard feelings over not being chosen for the Millennial Advisory Panel, I will dedicate a few blog entries to you, starting with this review of your new flavors. Since I'd been expecting to receive those 52 free pint coupons you give to Panel members, I held out on purchasing the new flavors. But now that reality has kicked in, so has my wallet.

Much anticipation preceded the new batch of flavors because of the 20-30 minute survey your company invited me to take regarding flavor innovations being considered. The results of that data must have contributed to this year’s batch: two new creations and three flavors that have long been explored in neighborhood scoop shops, but are uncommon to the grocery store freezer.

Red Velvet Cake – In my mind, the cake batter ice cream craze derives from the nostalgia of the quintessential birthday combination of cake and ice cream. For me, the true determinant of a successful cake ice cream is texture, namely the inclusion of cake pieces throughout. In red velvet cake, the trick is to have a balance of cake and cream cheese. In this flavor, Ben & Jerry’s uses the same delicacy and subtlety that they use in their cheesecake ice creams. My friends are going gaga for this flavor, and I would too had I never eaten at Creole Creamery. But given that New Orleans isn’t very close by, I’ll be stocking my freezer with this Ben & Jerry’s treat.

Clusterfluff –When I read the name of this flavor, I figured it was Fluffernutter ice cream, a flavor I myself had made before. But strangely, the flavor isn’t that at all. A peanut butter ice cream base features caramel cluster pieces, peanut butter and marshmallow swirls. The overabundance of peanut butter (When did peanut butter become a dessert? Am I in the minority in disagreeing with this?) makes for not enough cluster (which lack crunch) and not enough fluff (which is inferior to the marshmallow fluff one finds in Phish Food). But the misleading nature of this flavor is nothing compared to the next one…

Jimmy Fallon’s Late Night Snack – When this flavor advertises that it contains fudge covered potato chips, it sounds delicious and innovative. But while I’m sure legal obligation means the clusters are actually potato chips, they taste like rice puffs to me. Where’s the salt to balance out the sweet? I couldn’t taste it. High expectations, terrible disappointment.

Also new is Bonnaroo Buzz which I skipped. It seems to be an amalgamation of ice cream flavors I don’t enjoy. All that’s missing is banana.

So there you have it, an almost completely negative review of the Class of 2011. I swear it wasn’t on purpose, Ben. Dry those eyes, Jerry. I promise to show some love in the blog entries to follow.

Yours in ice cream,
Brad

P.S. If you have any more of those free pint coupons, I still have a stomach.

UPDATE: What the fluff? Clusterfluff is now being labeled What a Cluster. This name is tamer than the original name and a LOT more tame than "Mothercluster" or "Fluffing Ridiculous."

What Charlie Sheen & I Don’t Have in Common

2011-05-13T12:02:00.000-05:00

Winning.

I submitted an application for consideration to serve on Ben & Jerry’s Millennial Advisory Panel. The first of its kind, those chosen for the panel will be flown out to Vermont for a week, write and respond to Ben & Jerry’s queries about products and product ideas, have someone from Ben & Jerry’s shadow them for a day and be given 52 free pint coupons to use throughout the year. I felt that within a two month time span—submissions were accepted between February 4 and April 8—there couldn’t possibly be twenty American 20-somethings more qualified than me. Apparently, I was wrong. But no hard feelings, Ben. We’ll meet someday, Jerry.

The application included five written answers and a video. Here are excerpts from my responses:

Video: Showcasing your creativity, share one strength of the Ben & Jerry’s brand and three things they could improve.
My video is awkward, strange and humorous. You should watch it, though, because of the end, in which I sing a song I wrote that strings together 24 Ben & Jerry’s flavor names while featuring both “The Star-Spangled Banner” and the Hallelujah chorus.

#1: Summarize your life in 140 characters or less.
Superpowers include: clowning in burlesque shows, playing acoustic punk rock and teaching creative writing workshops for kids about zombies.

#2: Share your coolest discovery from the past 6 months.
I edited down the tale of learning the secret ingredient to authentic Belgian waffles.

#3: Share your life passion.
Growing up, I was given many opportunities; I feel I could pay this forward for the rest of my life. I wrote about my volunteer efforts at 826 CHI and Barrel of Monkeys.

#4: Another brand you admire.
What impresses me more than anything about California Pizza Kitchen is that people of different economic classes are always eating there: three-piece suits have business lunches while jeans-and-polo parents wrangle their toddlers. What makes this possible is their simple model: American fusion cuisine meets pizza joint.

#5: What excites you about this opportunity?
All I really needed to know I learned from ice cream.

Growing up, eating ice cream was mostly reserved for celebrations. Then my dad started buying half-gallons of ice cream he found on sale. It was exciting, eating this frozen delicacy “just because.” Today, when I offer high-end ice cream to friends, neighbors and people I’ve just met—I’m not kidding—I can tell that between birthday parties ice cream gets forgotten. It seems strange that, as much as everyone enjoys ice cream, so many eat it so rarely.I am known for my ice cream evangelism. When I call friends to meet up, they suggest going for ice cream. I can almost hear them smiling because, in their Pavlovian minds, when I am around ice cream is consumed.

And what a wonderful gift to share! Ice cream brings out the best in people. When a group of people eat ice cream together the conversation stays pretty positive. Try to imagine someone eating ice cream angrily. Absurd, isn’t it?

In my mind, ice cream gives people a reason to celebrate during a regular day. I feel serving on the Millennial Advisory Panel will make this celebration even more widespread.

Last Dance with Sfogliatelle

2011-05-05T12:18:00.000-05:00

Growing up, I thought of Italian pastry as being confined to cannoli and the somewhat flavorless biscuit-like cookies neighbors made for Christmas parties. This is probably what most people in small-town and suburban America think, while urban dwellers have access to a much wider selection at neighborhood shops or in their city’s Little Italy. Joyously, my taste buds have learned new languages and not just because of the weeks I spent in Italy. My neighborhood, Andersonville, is home to Pasticceria Natalina. Or at least it will be until May 22.

In the time of an economic downturn, people turn from extravagant luxuries (recreational space travel) to affordable ones (edible commodities). Unfortunately, that trend did not carry to my neighborhood pasticceria (“bakery” in italiano), whose prices for authentic hand-made delights should have been seen not as steep, but cheap in comparison to a plane ticket. Here is a list of favorite items I will miss:

• Pasticeri di Cioccolato – Imagine the richness of flourless-chocolate cake only lighter, more texturally diverse and packed into a giant sandwich cookie. Hands down, the best chocolate pastry I’ve ever had.
• Crostatina Piemontese – A tart filled with rich dark chocolate and topped with hazelnuts. This place knew how to do chocolate.
• Sfogliatelle – My favorite pastry during my trip to Italy. Flaky pastry filled with sweet ricotta. Deceptively simple, but unmatched.
• Cannoli – You may believe you have already get the real thing at your favorite Italian restaurant; this one is a good litmus test.
• Baci di Dama –My aunt dubbed these “little chocolate hamburgers.” More dark chocolate between nut and spice cookies.

Leading up to their closing, Pasticceria Natalina will be doing final batches of a select group of their pastries by order only. After that, you’ll need to fly to Sicily.

Belgian Waffles, Ch. 3: Test Kitchen

2011-04-29T12:06:00.001-05:00

With certain odds surmounted, it was time to enter the gauntlet. Google searches for “authentic Belgian waffle recipe” (liege waffles) returned a bevy of options. Wise with world travel, I was able to quickly omit any recipe that had no mention of Belgian pearl sugar. This secret ingredient, which caramelizes when cooked, is what separates the real waffles from mere dented pastry.

I opted to first follow the recipe on the back of the Lars’ Own Belgian Pearl Sugar box. The dough was dense and my waffle-maker had trouble shutting. The resulting waffles were both crunchy like a cookie and hard like stale French bread.

Next I doubled the yeast used in the Lars’ Own recipe, which resulted in a delicious waffle by American standards. Fluffy, but neither sticky nor chewy.

Then I tried this recipe, but I did a somewhat hasty preparation. “Softened butter,” my mom explained, “is used instead of melted butter for a reason.” The final of the three waffles was the closest I’ve gotten. The dark areas in the picture are of the proper sticky, chewy consistency.

The lesson, for anyone else attempting to bring the flavors of Belgium into their kitchen, is to add patience to the ingredient list. Given the amount of time needed, one must either (a) sacrifice the self-righteous idea that waffles are exclusively a breakfast commodity or (b) wake up super-early and accept stabbing hunger for several hours. I’ve made my decision and now the test kitchen is operating into the night hours.

Belgian Waffles, Ch. 2: Belgian pearl sugar

2011-04-22T14:18:00.001-05:00

When I wasn’t drooling in chocolate shop windows or nose-deep in a waffle, I was trying to learn government secrets, specifically what makes Belgian waffles superior. I learned that their distinct flavor and texture come from using a special type of sugar, Belgian pearl sugar, notable for how it caramelizes into what is being made. I planned to spread this information like a WikiLeak when I returned stateside, but first I had some exporting to do. I was crestfallen when the sugar wasn’t available at any of the shops in the Brussels airport, including the airport grocery store. (I drowned my sorrows in a quart of blood orange juice, which I downed before I went through security. Lesson: never shotgun blood orange juice for the pain of it going down the wrong way is unmatched.)

When I returned home, my Google searches told me that Belgian pearl sugar is not easily found in America (Uff da!), but was often sold at IKEA (Var sa god!). But how would I get out to the suburbs? I began scrolling through my mental list of friends with cars who could be easily bribed with waffles that required no syrup. But then it came to me: IKEA is Swedish and I live in Andersonville, the Swedish neighborhood of Chicago. Perhaps there would be a less-than-obvious trend of Scandinavians stocking their stores with Belgian products. So I summoned Viking-like courage and barreled into the bleak Chicago winter toward Erikson’s Delicatessen.

The plump, blond proprietress of the family-owned business—open since 1925; my Swedish uncle recalls going there as a boy—eagerly waddled out from behind the counter. “We had some [Var sa god!], but it looks like we’re out. [Uff da!]” I inquired about the Swedish pearl sugar on their shelves, but she let me know that substitutions would not work, especially when making authentic Belgian waffles. It seems that despite possessing nearly identical names, Belgian pearl sugar—notable for how it caramelizes—is diametrically opposed to Swedish pearl sugar—notable for how it does not cook into what is being made. You’ve probably seen Swedish pearl sugar before; it is used for the large ornamental crystals found on Swedish cookies. (I wondered: Did the first translator to use the phrase “pearl sugar” feel ripped off when another translator chose the same phrasing? Was the second translator using the phrase despite crucial differences during chemical reactions more or less foolish than Columbus when he declared America to be India?) The plump, blond proprietress told me she would get a shipment of Belgian pearl sugar later that week.

When I returned I was hungry and desperate. I had called ahead to make sure they were stocked and an impatient, bossy man answered the phone. When I asked if the shipment of Belgian pearl sugar had come in yet, he checked and let me know that they did have some pearl sugar. But he had not specified its country of origin. Didn’t he know the difference between the two pearl sugars stocked at his family’s store? He was not nearly as knowledgeable as the Swedish woman from last time. Uncertain of my waffle-y fate, I once again put on my horned hat to go pillaging in the cold.

Erikson’s was packed but thankfully they were stocked with the sugar I sought as well as its inferior cousin. Both were made by Lars' Own and to make matters more confusing the two products had nearly identical packaging. While mothers with antsy children decided on how many pounds of potato sausage, the man from the phone rang me up on the 1920s cash register. When I pulled out my plastic, the man pulled out his impatient, bossy demeanor that he gave me previously on the phone. He successfully added “annoyed” to his list of defining adjectives. He let me know it was cash only as if the workday was his puppy and I had just kicked it.

Meek and cashless, I left to find an ATM. This short errand turned into an odyssey as every ATM I found had extortionate fees that one-by-one I rejected. Eventually, I had walked far enough north on Clark St. to reach the Jewel/Osco, where I used my debit card to get some cash. Back at Erikson’s, still sadly devoid of the plump, blond, accommodating proprietress, I held my fresh $20 in clear sight as I returned my Belgian pearl sugar to the purchase counter. Showing no appreciation for the effort I made to return with hard money, the bossy, impatient, annoyed man asked me, with disgust, if I had the cash. I looked at the $20 that I was already holding in plain view and said yes. He sure hated me for buying things from his family’s business. By the time I left, he had added a noun to go with the adjectives in his defining features: jerk.

Belgium Month: Spéculoos Spread

2011-04-16T17:31:00.000-05:00

George Washington Carver was a bit of a one trick pony. He was a genius, but imagine if his innovations had explored markets other than peanuts. Imagine if, after he invented peanut butter, he looked at other food items and reasoned that they too could be grinded into a paste and eaten on bread. Now imagine he did this with cookies.

Fortunately, George Washington Carver’s one shortcoming has been redeemed by Els Scheppers of Belgium. She concocted a recipe for a smooth spread made from spéculoos cookies (also known as biscoff), entered her recipe on Belgian reality television show (“De Bedenkers,” or “The Inventors”) and won. Lotus, the major mass distributor of spéculoos, took notice and went into business with Scheppers. As elaborated upon in The New York Times article article I used as reference, the paste has been quite successful, resulting in multiple, equally successful imitators.

Americans may be familiar with spéculoos/biscoff cookies as the cookies they sometimes get on airplanes. The flat, cinnamon cookies with crystallized sugar also have their diluted dollar store variety, Dutch windmills. To give full disclosure, I do not find the cookies themselves to be very special; I will continue to eat them when served by flight attendants, but it is highly unlikely I will purchase them for consumption while anchored to earth by gravity. What’s amazing is that the spread, which has a consistency not unlike Nutella and peanut butter, transcends its cookie counterpart. I find it difficult to stop eating the spread once I start, a problem I honestly don’t have with most other foods, including desserts. Pictured are two “dead soldiers” that fell victim to my obsessive compulsive spéculoos eating disorder (OCSED).

And, St. Nicholas be praised, the spread is available stateside! The American variety has a slightly less crystally and slightly oilier texture than what I purchased in the Belgium airport. (Actually, I purchased it twice. First at the airport grocery store, but security confiscated my solid food item for being a liquid. Second at the duty free shop, which I visited immediately after having the first jar taken away.) The European variety had a more robust flavor, which I would identify as being somewhere between molasses and that “baked cookie” taste. Both were good enough for me skip the gluten middle man and eat directly from the jar.

Belgian Waffles, Ch. 1: Brussels Best Deal

2011-04-11T10:01:00.001-05:00

Tourist guides for Brussels seem to agree on a few things:
(a) The correct way to eat a Belgian waffle is au natural—the waffle, not the consumer. Only tourists top it with chocolate, fruit and whipped cream.
(b) Proper Belgian waffles all taste more or less the same. Just make sure you avoid the rectangular ones.
(c) When it comes to waffle dealers, they are all equal.

Having tasted many waffles during my stay, I agree:
(a) While the toppings were delicious, they completely overpowered the flavor of the waffle. If you want to taste strawberries, go buy strawberries.
(b) They are indeed visually and orally identical, except the rectangular Americanized waffles, which are fluffy instead of chewy.

But I must disagree on the final point. There is a specific waffle dealer tourists should seek out: Waffle Planet by the Manneken Pis, the famous Brussels statue of a small boy urinating. Being that the statue is life-size (Read: small) it is not much to see, but it is worth lingering for the waffles. The waffles are only €1; half the price means you can double your waffle intake.

Belgium Month: Chocolate and Frittes

2011-04-04T11:52:00.000-05:00

When I went to Brussels, I had a short checklist: Eat.

Belgium is famous for many delicious treats. I spent my days imbibing in chocolate, frittes and, my favorite, waffles. In between, I marveled at art nouveau and explored museums dedicated to Magritte, contemporary art and musical instruments. And then I went back to eating.

On the streets surrounding La Grand Place, there were literally chocolate shops next door to chocolate shops across the street from chocolate shops. Most of them shoved free samples in my eager face. Nearby was the Musee du Cacao et du Chocolat, which principally consisted of signs telling the history of chocolate from South America to Europe and information I already knew. (See Becoming a Chocolate Connoisseur, Steps 1 , 2 and 3 .) The new information I gathered from my visit consisted of the history of Belgium’s most famous chocolatiers: Godiva, Neuhaus, Côte d’Or, Callebaut and Leonidas. It was Neuhaus Chocolates that premiered the first ever bite-sized chocolates in 1912, “pralines.”

While this trip isn’t one I feel everyone must take, here are my recommendations for chocoholics bound and determined to hit Brussels. It is important to distinguish the legit chocolate from the tourist junk. For starters, the stuff in boxes may be perfectly okay by American standards, but it’s not the good stuff. To taste what Belgium is famous for, cough up the good money for the fresh treats behind the glass. But, even with those items, it is important to recognize the difference between chocolate makers (roasters who affect how the chocolate will taste) and chocolatiers (those who outsource ready-made chocolate for the use in their own concoctions or simply molding the chocolate into shapes). As you walk from shop to shop, you’ll notice some identical products that were clearly outsourced and whose cocoa butter may be cut with vegetable oil. Thank them for their friendly samplings and do the truffle shuffle to the next place.

The frittes, while not dessert items, deserve at least a short paragraph. I learned frittes are called French fries because (a) frittes were first consumed in Belgium and (b) one of the major languages in Belgium is French. (I first ate gelato in Charleston, SC; I guess the Italians stole the idea.) What gives frittes their signature texture is that they are twice fried, which also happens to be the best way to cook plantains. After this, the frittes are topped with your choice of sauces with untranslated names.

As for the waffles—THE WAFFLES!—I will need several blog posts to fully record this religious experience.

L’Chai-yum

2011-03-29T10:03:00.000-05:00

I have fond memories of standing in the falling snow outside of Big Dipper’s in Missoula, MT. While my dad and I took our time determining which flavors we wanted to try, he asked what cardamom ice cream was.

Cardamom is the dominant spice that makes the smell of chai tea so incredible. (There is no single recipe for chai, so the spices vary. Commonly used are the equally aromatic anise, cinnamon, clove and ginger.) But like all tea, it just tastes like hot water to me. I realize this puts me in the minority. Happily, chai has been embraced as a flavor worth exploring in other mediums. I present to you, the best of chai:

1.) Located on Portage Bay between Lake Union and Lake Washington, Seattle’s Agua Verde rents kayaks in addition to serving Baja-style Mexican food. Some of my favorites are their mango quesadilla, veggie burrito (with sautéed yams!) and their Mexican Chai. This warm beverage is like traditional chai tea, except they use horchata instead of hot water. This is a great way to warm up after paddling around in the Northwest.

2.) In Chicago, brunch doesn’t mean having something light to tide you over; it means shoving as much food in your face as possible since you’re skipping a meal. And with M. Henry, Ann Sather’s and Orange, Chicago has no shortage of tasty brunch spots. Orange’s menu runs the gamut from cute (their appetizer fruishi, fruit presented to look like sushi) to bizarre (complimentary water flavored with cucumber might be good with a salad, but not with breakfast) to delicious (everything else, it seems). Their award-winning dish is their Chai Tea French Toast, served in a chai tea latte reduction and topped with caramel apples and honey. This rich and filling brunch is not for sissies.

3.) Being that I am neither a coffee drinker nor a screenplay writer, I am not a man who hangs out in coffee shops. (Were it not for my love of hot chocolate, one might think me a hater of warm beverages.) But if more coffee shops were like Kopi in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood, I might have a change of heart. Their atmosphere is colorful, worldly and comfy—I’m told this is the Californian approach to coffee shops—as opposed to chic and lodge-esque—which, thanks to Seattle, is what coffee shops are like everywhere else. Their dessert menu includes two favorites: frutti di bosco, a short Italian cake with ricotta whipped cream (think cannoli) and topped with berries, and their Chai Milkshake. As I mentioned in my review of Haagen-Dazs’ Sweet Chai Latte ice cream, chai lends itself better to being a milkshake than hard ice cream because the smoother texture better reflect the essence of chai. At Kopi, you can taste the proof.

New Flavors: Häagen-Dazs Class of 2011

2011-03-23T10:52:00.000-05:00

Häagen-Dazs makes a product regarded for its elegance and simplicity. Conversely, their major nationwide competitor, Ben & Jerry’s, is known for ice cream innovations that are both fun and loaded with mix-ins. For the most part, each company’s new products conform to these signature brand traits, just as Häagen-Dazs has with one of their new flavors, Sweet Chai Latte. Over the past 10 years in America, chai has progressed from being exotic and obscure to being a recognizable part of the warm beverage lexicon. Less common than coffee or espresso, but more common than say, I dunno, absinthe, chai is a perfect flavor for Häagen-Dazs to add to its palatable palette of flavors.

The second most notable feature of Häagen-Dazs is their “all natural” approach to ice cream. (For those keeping score, for Ben & Jerry’s it’s their values-driven business model.) While the best example of this is their Five series, most of their products have a minimalist approach to ingredients and avoid artificial flavors. The major exception is their mix-ins; while used sparingly, their ingredients aren’t exactly straight from mom’s kitchen. The other two new flavors exemplify this by choosing recognizable (but less common) flavors and taking the “all natural” approach: Blueberry Crumble and Caramel Apple Pie. Both ice creams have bases that use actual fruit and include mix-ins of fruit and pastry crust. These flavors make sense with the Häagen-Dazs brand: Caramel Apple Pie for its classic appeal and Blueberry Cobbler for their elegant treatment of an underutilized ice cream flavor. All of this realized, I will explain why each of these flavors, whole tasty, were not fulfilling in the way that I hoped.

Certain flavors are more about the experience and are better served out of the pint. When I pay superpremium ice cream prices (which I’m grateful to do) I want the complete package, not a dessert condiment. Blueberry Crumble would be better next to a cobbler, either that or served closer to its melting point (or even slightly melty) on cake cone. And though blueberry is delicious year round, it is best in the summertime. The other major strike against blueberry ice cream is how the intensity of fruits fade with increased freezer time and mass production. (No manufactured blueberry ice cream will compare with the batch I made this past summer using blueberries that were picked the previous week.) Sweet Chai Latte would be better as a milkshake because a smoother texture would better reflect the essence of its namesake; it certainly would be preferable to impatiently fighting the hard pint of uninterrupted ice cream with spoon.

As for Caramel Apple Pie, I’ll cut to the quick: I have never had an apple ice cream I liked because they always have an artificial apple flavor, even Häagen-Dazs’ all natural apple ice cream. The trick is using apples as a mix-in—Well-done Häagen-Dazs!—but having them in a brown sugar or light (light!) caramel ice cream. For the particularly apple-driven, apple cider sorbet is an excellent alternative.

While my first taste of each of these flavors was less than memorable, I will admit my opinions change. (Last year I named Boston Cream Pie my favorite of Ben & Jerry’s new flavors, but it has since been overtaken by Milk & Cookies.) It is conceivable that I will return to Blueberry Crumble and not just because I so rarely as in possession of fresh blueberries. The crunchy/crumbly mix-ins in both this flavor and Caramel Apple Pie, while a step away from Häagen-Dazs simplicity, adds the much needed textural diversity these flavors need.

Your best bet: Try them for yourselves.

2nd Annual Pi(e) Day Pot Luck & House Concert

2011-03-15T10:00:00.000-05:00

My mom and I share a love of Clint Eastwood-directed films, singing and comfort food. So after I threw my first Pi(e) Day party last year, she decided to throw her own this year: chicken pot pie, mini-quiches, apple-berry pie, key lime pie and chocolate Andes mint freezer pie were on the menu. She also fully embraced the science of the holiday, printing out many (many) songs about pi. My favorite was “O Number Pi,” which was “O Christmas Tree” with different lyrics.

Over in Central Time, my 2nd Annual Pi(e) Day Pot Luck & House Concert noted the holiday’s scientific origins only in so far as we consumed round foods. Delightfully, I continue to make new friends who are bon chefs. After last year’s only-one-savory-pie-for-the-first-90-minutes fiasco, we started with shepherd’s pie, Spanish pie (frittata), chicken pot pie and, later on, mini quiches. And then the desserts came rolling in: blueberry pie, cherry pie, peach pie, spring-form pan cheese pie (cheesecake), four (Count ‘em: 4!) budget fruit pies in a bag, whoopee pies, fudge pecan pie and, my personal favorite of the evening, strawberry kiwi pie. In non-pie foods, there were chocolates and a cobbler that made an excellent breakfast this morning. Attended by over 30 people throughout the evening, everyone ate to their heart’s content while enjoying the music of Brad Brubaker & The Crowd Goes Wild and Dawn Xiana Moon.

This year no pictures were taken because my stomach and I had other pie-orities.

Not just a Sufjan Stevens song.

2011-03-08T10:13:00.000-06:00

Last night, I made the trek to the library only to find the lights off and the doors locked. The sign said the library was closed in observance of Casimir Pulaski Day. Without missing a beat I boarded a bus and went to the grocery store. Hmm...That might not seem like a logical progression of events. Let me start over.

In Illinois, the first Monday of March is when we all pause and reflect on the contributions and sacrifice of Casimir Pulaski, who…[excuse me while I look this up on Wikipedia] “is known for his contributions to the U.S. military in the American Revolution by training its soldiers and cavalry.” And for doughnuts. His contributions to Polish doughnuts, or paczki are unmatched. Let me start over.

In Illinois, the first Monday of March is when we all celebrate Casimir Pulaski Day by eating Polish doughnuts. Paczki are similar to other bismarcks (round doughnuts with filling). Traditional fillings are Powidła (stewed plum jam) and wild rose hip jam” but Jewel/Osco only had strawberry, Bavarian cream and raspberry.

Time to get learned: “In Poland, pączki are eaten especially on Fat Thursday (the last Thursday before Lent). Many Polish Americans celebrate Pączki Day on Fat Thursday (the day before Ash Wednesday). Traditionally, the reason for making pączki was to use up all the lard, sugar, eggs and fruit in the house, because they were forbidden to be consumed due to Catholic fasting practices during Lent.” Thanks Wikipedia. You’re welcome, Brad.

“But Brad! Doesn’t Chicago have the highest concentration of Polish people other than that found in Poland? What if I don’t live in a geographical locale with a sizeable Polish and/or Polish-American population?” While I doubt you’ll be able to eat paszki, I will invite to indulge your aural senses. Come on and feel the Illinoize!

Breast Milk Ice Cream

2011-02-25T16:04:00.000-06:00

This concept first entered my world in 2008 when PETA wrote a letter to Ben & Jerry's urging them to explore this untapped natural resource. Now, for Freudian fanatics everywhere, the dream has come true and is for sale. This product is from London's The Icecreamists, who when I last reported were being threatened with a lawsuit from the Sex Pistols frontman.

Chicago Blackhawks Ice Cream: Phase 2

2011-02-20T16:43:00.000-06:00

What is Chicago Blackhawks ice cream? As far as I know, no such flavor exists outside my kitchen. Pictured is Phase 2: a sour cream strawberry ice cream with mini-Oreos, marshmallows and craisins. Each of these ingredients have a symbolic purpose to them. Allow me to explain.

As there is no right or wrong to what makes Chicago Blackhawks ice cream, I have been polling my friends for suggestions. Most have immediately jumped to thoughts of the team colors, most prominently red, black and white with accents of yellow and green. But, as some of my friends have also realized, hockey is more than team colors. Hockey is ice and pucks, hence the mini-Oreos. Hockey is blood and teeth, hence the marshmallows and craisins.

You may notice many similarities to the ingredients that were in Phase 1, but I dropped the red and green sugar crystals in Phase 2. While they played up the team colors, on this sour cream strawberry ice cream they look both childish and nauseating which is not my goal when making ice cream. I mean, I’m not running a Cold Stone here. (Zing!) On a different note, I enjoyed the rough, gritty texture of Phase 1’s chocolate cookies and cream, but team colors are still important. The red of strawberries mixed with Oreos and marshmallows is a combination I will revisit even if this flavor does not become the definitive Blackhawk ice cream.

Suggestions for Phase 3? Leave a comment.

Reasons to stay indoors

2011-02-09T23:58:00.000-06:00

Some locals called it Snowmageddon. Others called it Snowpocalypse. I called the waist-high tunnels of frozen precipitation a reason to make hot chocolate.

Lucky for me, I had recently discovered some Perugina hot chocolate mix from my Italy trip in the back of my cupboard. For a boxed mix, this was thick, rich and fantastico. But for those of you that haven't been to Italy recently can stock up on grocery items to make your own hot chocolate. This recipe I got from a friend is exactly how I prefer it: like a thin fondue.

2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup cocoa powder
6 oz chocolate chips (semi-sweet)
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all of the ingredients together in a sauce pan over medium heat with a whisk until everything is melted together and hot. It's that simple.

Sometimes we must venture out.

2011-02-09T23:52:00.000-06:00

It snowed again. The previous day's slush caps refroze and had their peaks dusted with white. The shape of the frozen slush reminded me of the doughnut holes my mom would fry up for us when I was growing up. Perhaps I am the only person who would look at a wintry scene and think of doughnuts covered in powdered sugar and bubbling hot oil. Regardless, these thoughts of fried dough made my morning commute warmer.

Step 4 to Becoming a Chocolate Connoisseur

2011-02-03T17:00:00.000-06:00

One of the best ways I fill my time is volunteering at 826 CHI, a creative writing and tutoring center that publishes student work, where I tutor there once a week and teach creative writing workshops. I recently read the 826 CHI Compendium Vol. 2 (published 2010) and found inspiration: one of the creative writing workshops had its students participate in a chocolate tasting and wrote about what they found evocative. I will attempt the same, first giving my initial reaction, followed by a simile of what feeling the chocolate brought to mind.

About the chocolate: Parisian chocolatier Michel Cluizel ranks in the tops. According to his website, Cluizel is “one of the rare chocolate manufacturers to process cocoa beans.” I tried a spectrum of 9 small squares of Cruizel’s chocolate, each a different percentage of cacao. The only ingredients are cocoa, can sugar, whole milk powder, cocoa butter and Bourbon vanilla bean.

99% - I think we all have memories of tasting the baking chocolate and how we were introduced to expectation vs. reality. The bitter hits early and has no relief of sweetness to follow.
Like getting lost on your way somewhere and when you finally get there, people are mad at you for being late.

85% - Everyone has their preference. I usually go no higher than 70% cacao. This was surprisingly nice. It reminded me of the chocolate one tastes in mole sauce with just that small touch of sweet.
Like when you’ve been playing a team sport and you get a water break; it’s enough to fight off the burning without extinguishing it.

66% - Sourced from a single plantation in Venezuela. It was the most fascinating. I didn’t enjoy the flavor at first, but then was introduced to depths.
Like sitting in Krispy Kreme back when smoking was allowed indoors: tobacco, smoke, coffee, but with enough of a breath of sweetness to find the high worth chasing.

65% - Sourced from a single plantation in Madagascar. The beans seem naturally sweeter at the start with a brick-oven aftertaste.
Like when the water you’ve been wading in starts to feel comfortable.

64% - Sourced from a single plantation in Papa New Guinea. Bitter, rich and long-lasting. My favorite.
Like listening to your latest obsession while owning the dance floor with your s.o.

60% - With cocoa nibs. Sadly this square had bloomed—it had some chalky whiteness that indicates the cocoa butter had come to the surface. It was also more brittle. I found it odd that the chocolate would bloom since all the pieces were kept at the same temperature.
Like discovering the DVD is missing from its case after your friends have already come over for the movie night.

50% - Sourced from a single plantation in Madagascar. This was the lowest cacao percentage with any robust richness to it. Milky with bite.
Like a shy first date that ends with a knockout kiss.

47% - Sourced from a single plantation in Papa New Guinea. Delicate, sweet, appealing for its nostalgic qualities, but left me feeling empty. Also a little nutty flavor.
Like listening to a pop hit from yesteryear with today-colored lenses.

45% - I don’t think milk chocolate is his specialty, but milk chocolate also isn’t my preference. This was milky with a slight memory of malt.
Like how a carnival ride feels when your biggest crush rides with her other friend instead of you.

You, too, can read the 826 CHI Compendium and their other publications. Or consider donating in support of their free in-school and after-school programming.

Pumpkin-swirl brownies with pumpkin chocolate chip ice cream

2011-01-27T14:03:00.000-06:00

Chicago Blackhawks Ice Cream: Phase 1

2011-01-15T16:12:00.000-06:00

Last April, my brother spent four nights in Chicago with an elaborate sporting event itinerary for us both. We spent a cold evening in the bleachers at Wrigley, watching the first night game of the Cubs season. We watched the Bulls play the Cavs in the first round of the NBA playoffs; anti-LeBron chants were in the air, while everyone prayed under their breaths that Mr. James would sign with the Bulls for 2010-2011. But by far the most memorable event was Round 1, Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Having been raised in Virginia, I hadn't seen much hockey growing up. My only memories were of a friend who went to see the Hampton Roads Admirals play at Scope because she liked watching the fights. As a lanky and timid kid who was frequently (a) scared and embarrassed in gym class, (b) confused by everyone's obsession with football and (c) told by coaches that I needed to be more aggressive, her summation of the sport didn't exactly prompt me to ask if I could tag along with her. (She later went on to become an NRA enthusiast, I believe.) So when my brother inquired before his trip how interested I would be in going to a Blackhawks game, I answered I would happily go because he wanted to, hoping that both his enthusiasm and explanation of the sport would make it interesting for me. What I got was the most incredible sporting event I have ever personally attended.

Round 1, Game 5 against the Nashville Predators was an important home game. The best-of-7 series was split 2-2, meaning if the Blackhawks lost Game 5, the Predators would be playing Game 6 to win the series at their home rink. And it looked like that less-than-desirous outcome might just be in the Blackhawks future...until just under 14 seconds before the end of the final period.

In other sports, when the game is near its end and one team is losing, the only option is to "play harder." While teams have many times persevered with this hollow strategy, it's nothing compared to the competitive edge that is offered in hockey. In the final minute or two of hockey, when a team is behind they will often pull their goalie in order to put another offensive player on the ice. While this can backfire, it certainly did not when Patrick Kane scored the game-tying goal with 13.6 seconds left. The crowd "Da da-da-da da-da-da"ed loud enough that I believe more than one honky-tonk in Nashville erupted into flames. The game went into overtime and the Blackhawks scored again, effectively winning Game 5.

I instantly became a Blackhawks fan. I watched as many of the remaining playoff games as possible for a guy who doesn't get any channels on his TV and loiters in sports bars without buying anything . And while I have never had the privilege of eating ice cream from the Stanley Cup, I concluded I could create a Chicago Blackhawks ice cream. Pictured in Phase 1: chocolate cookies and cream with marshmallows, craisins, and red and green sugar crystals. While tasty, this flavor did not accomplish what I hoped it would. I'll explain more when I write about Phase 2...

Ice cream is a beloved thing.

2011-01-09T09:26:00.000-06:00

A while back, I wrote that based on findings in my research "Ice cream is not punk." This was not the only disturbing discovery in my research: artists from other genres also said slanderous things about my favorite topic.

Gandhi wrote that we should be the chump we wish to see in the world. Finally, I have done just that. I just released a short collection of fun songs for FREE download entitled Robot Monkey Reindeer Clown. These are songs I've written for prompts and assignments, both professional and theatrical. You can hear my shout-out to ice-to-the-cream if you listen carefully (especially you, ladies) to the lyrics of "Welcome to Musical Storytime!"

Though it may not be an album full of love letters to my frozen delight, it is a point for our side. Go team.

They're Called Idiots.

2010-12-31T14:25:00.000-06:00

Some people don't think it makes sense to eat ice cream in the winter.

Toft's Ice Cream

2010-12-30T13:47:00.000-06:00

I knew my stomach would start growling once we hit Ohio Turnpike. The lunch I had back in Virginia would be distant memory and Christmas cookies and clementines would not be enough fuel for 12 hours on the road. Naturally, I had a plan. If my anatomy were the solar system, my stomach would be the sun.

We stopped in Sandusky, a town introduced to me by my friends Candice and Logan during our Thanksgiving carpool to Virginia. Sandusky is the proverbial last outpost of Southern sprawl, possessing comfort food chains Lee's Famous Chicken and Cracker Barrel that are far more popular below the Mason-Dixon line. Recharged with chicken and biscuits, we were ready for the last 5 hours. But first we had one more stop.

Pictured is the "small" cone at Toft's. Having had their "small" once before, I knew to order a two piece at Lee's instead of a three piece. This regional dairy's dipping parlor offers dozens of flavor options, so stopping on each of my drives home seems mandatory. Here are some of the flavors I've enjoyed:

Orange Pineapple, orange ice cream with pineapple. (pictured, top)
Wedding Cake, white cake batter ice cream with red raspberry filling and cake pieces.
Graham Central Station, graham cracker ice cream with chocolate covered toffee and graham crackers. (pictured, bottom)
Bullpen Chocolate, a rich chocolate cookies and cream with a fudge ripple

Ben & Jerry's Snickerdoodle

2010-12-11T12:06:00.001-06:00

Of the seasons' many gifts, love is second only to Christmas cookies. This winter season has also brought a new Dominick's grocery store in my neighborhood, and with it a variety of new ice cream options not previously available at Jewel. This includes flavors that have been ever-elusive (Haagen-Dazs Midnight Cookies and Cream and Ciao Bella's Blood Orange Sorbetto) but also Ben & Jerry's Snickerdoodle, which embraces the Christmas cookie spirit.

Ben & Jerry's came to the long overdue realization this year with their flavor Milk & Cookies that cookies can exist in chocolate fully-cooked. Cookie dough, while a good flavor in and out of ice cream, is cooked for a reason. Ben & Jerry's have done it once again with Snickerdoodle, mixing in the cinnamon sugar cookies with the cutesy-wootsy name in a buttery cinnamon and sweet cream ice cream. The flavor is only available for a Limited Time, so try it now if you can shop at places that aren't Jewel.

Somewhere David Lynch is smiling.

2010-12-04T14:49:00.000-06:00

I knew I was in for a long night when the opening band didn’t start until after headliners usually wrap it up. My best friend’s band had scored their biggest gig yet opening for Arcade Fire. I’d never been to the venue before and being that it was too small for a group like Arcade Fire—a sort of snubbed nose gymnasium with retractable wooden stadium seating and a balcony, but too small for a basketball court—gobs of people were everywhere. Magically, though, an area seemed to clear everywhere I went, even when I was pogoing on the center floor to James’ music in the brightly lit auditorium. It was then I noticed that a back-up singer for his now sizeable back-up band, which previously had fluctuated from two to three and back again, was another friend, John Thomas. Pretty strange since they live on opposite coasts; I hadn’t even been aware that he and James stayed in touch. But there he was, contributing to every song of the set, which other than the opener was entirely new material that focused on the full band sound.

It wasn’t until the after party that I came face to face with John. We were two quiet moths in a swarm of loud partiers when John took a seat across from me and I noticed that he looked like an amalgamation of his younger selves, like a 90-pound weakling college freshman with an 8^th grade haircut. I called his name across the modest dining table, but the words must have flown out the darkened window before they could make it to his ear. My facial expressions insisted on eye contact until he confusingly responded to my persistent calls of his name. He said he wasn’t John. I got mad.

These are just early glimpses of one of my rare all-nighters. I made appearances at numerous parties crowded with people, who strangely were all younger than me. It ended serenely at the purple hour of dawn where, taking in the stillness of the moment, I stood outside a crabshack with budding feelings of new love—someone I knew from high school drama club with whom I had recently reconnected on Facebook (though admittedly she’d never crossed my mind between friending her and running into each other that night, just as she’d never crossed my mind between curtain call senior year and seeing her name in my Friend Requests). We stood on a thin strip of land between two bodies of water—specifically an isthmus, though I didn’t know this at the time—marveling that we now occupied the space between day and night: one direction showed the clear horizon changing color, while the cloud covered sky overhead only got darker until far away in the other direction, somewhere, it was still midnight.

But my Glass family ramblings haven’t just gotten me off-topic, it has missed the focus completely. Somewhere between confronting John Thomas’ doppelganger and the purple dawn I stopped in at an all-night backroad ice cream shoppe. I asked the owner what flavors he still had in stock. He named a litany of old standards, but one stood out as strange. “Douglas Fir?” “Douglas Fir.”

The Pacific Northwest is full of weird places, but they are far surpassed by the dream world. I mean, as far as dessert goes, how do you figure choosing conifer trees over deciduous?

Field Report: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

2010-11-19T18:23:00.000-06:00

With the opening of Part 7 Part 1 (P7P1), my dear friend Amber tells of her own magical journey:

As the first installment of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows hits theaters, I find it a perfect time to share my thoughts on the culinary (and other) delights of my own visit the Wizarding World this past summer.

If you can ignore the long lines, sweaty tourists, children bobbing and weaving through the crowd, and roller coaster careening in the background, your first steps into the Wizarding World, or “Harry Potter land”, as I took to calling it during my trip, will be truly magical. I had the pleasure of early entry to the park during my stay, and so all the above-mentioned distracters were not a problem at 8am. The shops and scenery are far from fake-looking, and if you are one who can maintain suspension of disbelief at least temporarily, you will be truly amazed.

The first thing you’ll see in your path is a huge barrel with “BUTTERBEER” emblazoned on the side, making it clear that Universal Studios, their Executive Chef Steve Jayson, and all the Wizarding World staffers take great pride in this concoction. “What is it?” you ask yourself. We may never know, as they’ve kept the recipe top-secret, and the only place to access Butterbeer is within the park. Not only that, it’s whipped up on the spot and designed to be consumed immediately, so guests smuggling samples outside the park (what, to study it in their magical laboratory?) will be sorely disappointed. All you need to know is that it is delicious and has been described by many loyal Harry Potter fans as a “religious experience.” What they mean by that, in my opinion, is that it’s a similar experience to reading about and imagining a beautiful exotic location and then stepping into it. Many have likened its flavor primarily to butterscotch, but also to root beer, cream soda, shortbread, Werther’s caramel candy, or some combination of the above. Personally, I’d go with a butterscotch-flavored cream soda with a salty caramel aftertaste.

They’ve made efforts to please all by offering Butterbeer frozen or unfrozen. Both are topped with a rich foamy cream that joyfully clings to your upper lip so you can wear it as a badge of deliciousness. I tried both frozen and unfrozen Butterbeer, and in my personal opinion, frozen is the way to go. For one, it prompts you to drink slower, fully taking in the butterscotch and salty caramel flavors. It’s also not as sweet and the cream sticks around longer. For me, the unfrozen Butterbeer was overwhelmingly sweet. The surest path to a diabetic coma: Drink some unfrozen Butterbeer, and then down a bottle of the Wizarding World’s other beverage prize child, Pumpkin Juice. Both are good in their own right, just do me a favor and pace yourself, won’t you?

Nice Cream’s Fall Selection

2010-11-11T16:57:00.000-06:00

After learning about Nice Cream this past spring at the Neo-Futurist Theatre, I swiftly joined their email list. With Chicago’s outdoor market season over—brrrrrr—it isn’t as easy to find Nice Cream since they don’t have a store to call their own. All the more reason to be in-the-know online. Earlier in the season, I received an email about a tasting of their new flavors happening in a neighborhood that is particularly difficult for me to get to. Luckily, my priorities were straight as I took pen in hand and copied directions from Google Maps.

Nice Cream makes four different flavors per season, always making sure to have a splash of something all their own. In the spring, they had cream cheese with carrot cake. In the summer they had chocolate basil, one of my favorite flavors from the Chicago Ice Cream Festival. And this fall, the stand-out is Burnt Caramel with Crunchy Toffee.

Caramel ice cream is usually made by simply blending caramel into a sweet cream base; maybe some caramel cups or a caramel swirl are added in the finally moments of mixing. But what Nice Cream has created a cup of cow love that explodes with flavor much like a good gelato. The joy my mouth felt was reminiscent of eating Fran’s Chocolates, which have the best caramel I’ve ever tasted. On a different note entirely, it seems I like to eat frozen burnt things; Toscanini’s brown butter continues to be a chart topping ice cream memory for me.

Other flavors of the season are Salted Chocolate with Marcona Almonds, Pumpkin Spice and Banana Bread with Dark Chocolate Chunks. (Needless to say, I did not try the latter since it contains the fruit that is best left forgotten.)

Snap-O-Lantern & Other Pumpkin Ice Creams

2010-11-07T22:22:00.000-06:00

Primarily I think of pumpkin as a delicacy to be enjoyed at a warm temperature. I have not been tempted by the pumpkin smoothies offered at Jamba Juice, nor was a very jealous when my brother said he had pumpkin Italian ice at (Rita’s ). The one exception, you guessed it, is ice cream.

Without a doubt, the best pumpkin ice cream I’ve had is when I make it myself. But, since everyone can’t be me, I thought I’d assist my Chicagoland neighbors by reviewing the major concoctors of ice cream and otherwise. Here they are, from best to worst:

Snap-O-Lantern ice cream by Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream (Madison, WI, sourced by many Chicago-area ice cream providers) – While this ice cream and Ben & Jerry’s were the only ones to spice up pumpkin ice cream by adding some textural element, the addition of gingerbread cookie dough isn’t the only reason Snap-o-Lantern tops the list. The ice cream reminds me of my first memories of pumpkin ice cream at the Village Parlour Restaurant back home: sweet in front, pumpkin in the back, creamy all the way around. This is accomplished in part because of the gingerbread cookie dough, which excuses the ice cream from having to be all spices at once and instead to focus on being pumpkin. At first taste last year, this became a seasonal favorite. (pictured)
Pumpkin Pie gelato at Pachiugo (locations around the country) – Though products named pumpkin pie or pumpkin spice usually indicate a watered down pumpkin flavor, this product tasted the most like pumpkin than any of the others. And, as is to be expected with gelato, a really smooth texture appropriate to its flavor inspiration.
Pumpkin gelato at Black Dog Gelato (Chicago)
Pumpkin ice cream at Bobtail (Chicago)
Pumpkin ice cream at Oberweiss (many Midwest locations)
Pumpkin ice cream at Homer’s (Wilmette, IL)
Pumpkin Spice ice cream by Nice Cream (Chicago)
Pumpkin Pie frozen custard at Culver’s (many Midwest locations)
Pumpkin Cheesecake ice cream by Ben & Jerry’s (grocery store) – This offering is not new this year, but the recipe must be. Either that or the 7-11 at Western & Foster got a bad batch.
Pumpkin kefir at Starfruit Cafe (Chicago) - Ever heard of kefir? It’s a yogurt product that is supposedly healthier. Guess why you’ve never heard of it? It tastes like frozen earwax.

Oh My Gourd!

2010-11-01T23:18:00.000-05:00

For the fifth year running, I sought to consume as many pumpkin edibles as possible during the span between Sept. 15 and Halloween. My total this year was 40 different items, busting my 2008 record by ten items! Considering that there are only 47 days in the pumpkin challenge, I must have slacked off 7 days.

This year I cooked more than any other year, sifting through my stack of untested pumpkin recipes given to me by past years' MVPPs (Most Valuable Pumpkin Provider). Of these, I was most impressed with the pumpkin mole sauce (though not heavy in pumpkin flavor) and the pumpkin cinnamon rolls. I was least impressed with the wontons and the soups. If anyone has cares to share, I need a recipe for a good soup that has textural diversity but doesn't have its pumpkin flavor overwhelmed by other ingredients.

To make all these recipes I purchased 8 large cans of pureed pumpkin (232 oz). Luckily the stores have not run out since that quantity has been used up!

Here's the list:
vegan pumpkin cookie, pumpkin doughnut, pumpkin chocolate swirl brownies, ginger pumpkin soup, pumpkin ginger rice pudding, pumpkin waffles, pumpkin ice cream (various sources), pumpkin pie, Culver's pumpkin pecan custard, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin fudge, Rick Bayliss' pumpkin mole sauce on chicken, dark chocolate covered pumpkin seeds, pumpkin muffin, pumpkin bagel, pumpkin schmear, pumpkin hummus, curry pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread pudding, pumpkin seed granola, Paciugo's Pumpkin Pie gelato, pumpkin risotto with bacon and spinach, pumpkin layer cake with chocolate icing, chocolate chip pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting, black bean pumpkin soup, chipotle pumpkin salsa, savory pumpkin wontons, pumpkin cinnamon buns, pumpkin cream cheese roll (like a jelly roll), Thai pumpkin custard, pumpkin-topped cream puff, pumpkin chocolate truffle, pumpkin milkshake, pumpkin butter, savory pumpkin quiche, pumpkin cheesecake ice cream, pumpkin chili, pumpkin gingerbread pie, Beard Papa's pumpkin eclair, pumpkin keifer

italics indicate items that I made myself

Next time: a full report on the frozen pumpkin desserts.

Happy Howl-O-Ween!

2010-10-31T23:11:00.000-05:00

Scene from the 6th Annual Happy Howl-O-Ween Dog Parade & Costume Contest, sponsored by the Andersonville South Neighborood Association.

Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream

2010-10-19T22:29:00.000-05:00

When I visited my cousin this past summer, I was quite impressed by what a good host she was: she took me to the best ice cream place in Madison, WI. Students at University of Wisconsin are not the only people to be blessed by Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream. They distribute many Midwestern states, including exotic locations like Andersonville in Chicago. Yes, their product is sourced by George’s, my neighborhood enabler, to which I recently made my autumnal waddle for Snap O’ Lantern ice cream (pumpkin ice cream with gingersnap cookie dough).

The company makes over 100 flavors available for wholesale. This translated into some exciting options at the hometown scoop shop. Kitty Kitty Bang Bang (Raspberry cheesecake with Oreos and chocolate chips), Coconut Almond Bliss and—be still my beating heart—Horchata! (It has been in the back of my mind for years to do a blog post about horchata, but I want to try it at every place in Chicago first…which is nearly impossible.)

Another appealing element of this super premium ice cream is their nutrition information. And I quote: “Don’t even ask…You want nutrition, eat carrots.”

International Brad Day

2010-10-13T09:23:00.001-05:00

For the past few birthdays, I've referred to the event as International Brad Day. To me this seems like a fun way to diffuse the sometimes awkwardness that comes with (a) what does a person bring to a birthday party for someone who doesn't drink and (b) it removes birthday from the equation so there are none of those unwanted-jokes-about-aging cards that I have no need for in my life. It also creates a curiosity amongst people that don't realize it's my birthday as to what this day is I've devised to throw a party in my own honor. Oh, and it's fun.

In past years, I have celebrated my birthday with all-out dessert bashes. And since I've been in Chicago, I've started throwing pot luck dinners at my house, which have all the appeal of a normal party but the down-home-ness of a family gathering. They have been huge successes. I decided that this year, I wanted to do something adult: throw a legitimate dinner party.

What is legitimate? Well, I wore a button-up shirt, which is a rarity in this unemployed phase. But, more importantly, I invited 6 guests to join me and my epicurean girlfriend for a multi-course home-cooked meal served on non-disposable dishes with real silverware and enough seating to accommodate all the guests. This was our menu:

pumpkin hummus (with fresh pita from my local Mediterranean market)
curried pumpkin soup (with veggies from my local Mexican market)
date honey chicken and cous cous (the date honey was from my main squeeze's recent trip to Israel)
date honey ice cream with pumpkin spice granola on top
pumpkin bread pudding

As you see, dessert was quite the production. Boren's special lady friend--who so adores me calling her thusly--it was easily the dessert that excited her the most in recent memory. She then asked me to make this autumnal treat for her late winter birthday. As she is a more well-rounded foodie than I, me was quite flattered. Everyone else concurred that while the entire meal was outstanding, the dessert was the best.

The evening was superb. And the work that went into putting together a meal with so many different parts gave me new appreciation for my mom and all the dinners she planned for our family growing up or for dinner parties where everything had to come together at the correct time. And while two of us had to sit on the couch for lack of chairs, and I had to borrow some of plates and spoons, and I had to wash everyone's soup bowls before they could have dessert, I felt like a sort of real adult.

Eels and Ice Cream

2010-10-01T23:17:00.000-05:00

Usually these two topics have nothing to do with another. Not tonight.

A concert that started boring--throwaway tracks, a food festival cover of "Summer in the City," a funk-ish version of "My Beloved Monster"--got cool--"Fresh Blood," jazz version of "Dog-Faced Boy," rocking "I Like Birds"--and then weird--drummer sang some random song, "Mr. E's Beautiful Blues" sung over "Twist and Shout," a mariachi cover of "Summertime (and the Livin' is Easy)". During this last track he cracked open a cooler on stage and started throwing dozens of half-melted ice cream novelties and popsicles into the crowd. I watched as a Drumstick was passed around by confused audience members. Idiots.

I just got back and had to wash chocolate off my jacket. This is actually the second article of clothing today that has needed this treatment. La vita è bella.

R&B Never Tasted So Good

2010-09-17T21:54:00.000-05:00

Former Chicago resident, Rachel, explains her celebrity ice cream encounter:

I was getting home from a late night shift one warm night a few years back and as I'm walking, I see an ad for Edy's ice cream—buy one get one free—in the CVS window. I was immediately sold: partaking in 2 gallons of ice cream when I get home could possibly be the best idea ever.

Fast forward to my waiting in line with a bunch of tired people, all of us ready for bed, a gallon of moose tracks in one hand and a gallon of vanilla bean in the other, and who walks into CVS, but R. Kelly himself. (During this time, he was going through his trial in Chicago regarding his extracurricular activities.) The body guards that surrounded him and the rest of his entourage all scattered into the various aisles as if they're on a mission. Apparently their mission was to get R. Kelly drunk, because they all start heading up to the front of the store with bottles of Jack Daniels, cases of beer, and I'm pretty sure I saw some tequila and margarita mix thrown in there as well.

R. Kelly, still standing up at the front of the store, announces "Hey y'all, I am getting #%!@ up tonight, and whatever you want, it's on me. Guys, you want condoms? You get condoms. Ladies, whatever you want, I'm buying."

All of us already in line are suddenly wondering if we should be running around, adding more to our carts, but, not sure if this is really happening. I ask the nearest bodyguard "Is he serious?" "Oh yes, ma'am, he's very serious." Some people jump out of line, but really I was perfectly happy just getting my ice cream.

In the confusion the line got readjusted, but all of a sudden, R. Kelly spots me and says "Hey, hey. Let vanilla through. Let her get her ice cream." So they let me up to the front. (I'm not sure if "vanilla" is a special term of endearment for this pale, white girl look I've been rocking for years or if he just happened to see what he was about to buy me, but I realize this might be the only chance in my life to talk to him. Wanting to thank him and let him know that under his circumstances I'd be looking to get #%!@ up as well, all I can come up with is "Thank you very much, Mr. Kelly."

"You're welcome, baby."

"You enjoy getting #%!@ up tonight."

"You know I will."

The Fifth Annual Pumpkin Challenge!

2010-09-14T23:15:00.000-05:00

After a long scary year of an empty pumpkin shelf at the grocery store, pumpkin season has returned. I bought $20 worth yesterday, a total of 232 ounces. Why? It's time for the Pumpkin Challenge!

Every year, from September 15 through Halloween, all are invited to consume as many pumpkin foods as possible. So epicurate a cornucopia of new recipes and buy out the grocery. Or, better yet, try and beat my record. Here are the rules:

The only beverage allowed is the milkshake.
Food items may not be doubled. (Two slices of pumpkin cheesecake count as one item. The only way it could count for two different items is if the second item has a distinct enough difference of flavor that it warrants a different name AND the item comes from a different source than the first item.)

Why have was the Pumpkin Challenge created?

Originally the short-term goal was to encourage pumpkin season to start earlier than October, since they are mostly only offered around Halloween and Thanksgiving. Happily, this year has already shown progress of pumpkin activity in early September! The long-term goal is for pumpkin products year round. If you aren't currently active in the off-season of the Pumpkin Challenge, my hope is your participation will help you branch out into new pumpkin dishes (not just pie, bread and muffins) and give you post-autumnal pumpkin pangs.

Cornbread Ice Cream

2010-09-01T16:46:00.000-05:00

The idea of cornbread ice cream first crossed my brain at the Chicago Ice Cream Festival. Great idea, but I'll admit the product was rock hard and chalky. It tasted more like a vanilla ice cream with hardened pieces of cornbread in it. I knew the solution and how to improve the recipe.

Usually when I make a new ice cream recipe, I research online, find the common denominator among the recipes I find and build my recipe accordingly. This time I looked at the recipes online for sweet corn ice cream--reportedly a favorite in Mexico--and I disagreed with them opting to create my own. There is a turning point when the student becomes the master. I have arrived.

The sour cream base cut through the cinnamon, creating a balance that was kissed with honey. Each bite had bits of pureed corn and cornbread crumbs. I served it atop a piece of cornbread. The perfect ending to my homemade Southern meal of hot wings, mashed potatoes and lima beans.

I have made many flavors this year--fresh blueberry, Mexican chocolate, strawberry, garlic, some others I'm forgetting--but this one sticks out. It is the first recipe since doughnut ice cream that has gone become an instant favorite guaranteed to be repeated.

I am my father's son.

2010-08-20T12:48:00.001-05:00

When I saw Ben & Jerry's was on sale for $2.50 (down from about $4.00), it seemed the perfect time to use my coupon for "$1.50 off 3 pints of Ben & Jerry's." If this wasn't good enough, after I made my purchase I received a coupon for "$2.00 off my next shopping order, courtesy of Ben & Jerry's."

3 pints of Ben & Jerry's for $4.00. My dad is quite proud of me.

Doughnut Burger

2010-08-19T17:36:00.001-05:00

It seemed appropriate to follow my last entry about mustard ice cream with this.

The report in the Christian Science Monitor might say it best: "Admittedly, the Krispy Kreme Cheeseburger (KKC) sounds atrocious to just about everyone who hasn't tried one...About a quarter of its customers were pitching in an extra buck for the side order of chocolate-covered bacon."

If anyone tries it, please report back.

Put That On Your Dog and Eat It

2010-08-04T16:04:00.000-05:00

It is no secret that I do not like bananas or coffee and feel there presence in ice cream to be a waste of heavy cream, but an even more awful ice cream flavor has emerged. Still I do admire them for their imagination.

(excerpt from Chicago Tribune article, "Mustard Day relishes its favorite condiment")

Thousands of people are expected to show up in Middleton, Wis., Aug. 7 to figuratively paint the town yellow in celebration of National Mustard Day.

...Culver's, a Wisconsin-based quick-service restaurant chain noted for its butter burger and frozen custard, will present a mustard ice cream studded with pretzels.

Chicago Ice Cream Festival

2010-08-01T08:46:00.000-05:00

Wearing my summery best, I took myself on a date to the Chicago Ice Cream Festival. Hundreds of people also in attendance consuming 30 different samples from 12 festival participants. The festival is only in its second year, but based on the attendance—one of the organizers mentioned that there were 800 people on the first night—the festival only shows signs of growing. Though the festival website mentioned unique culinary creations from gourmet chefs and famous scoop shops from far off commonwealths, I was not at all disappointed by the roster of almost entirely Chicago-area epicureans serving pure and simple ice cream. I imbibe in many more ice creams and desserts than those covered on this blog, but nearly all of the companies dishing out at the Festival were remarkable enough to inspire my typing fingers.

Most Imaginative Taste Sensation or The My-friends-will-never-believe-how-delicious-it-was Award: Nice Cream’s Chocolate with Sweet Basil and Vosges’ Naga (coconut curry).
Basil may seem an odd mix-in for ice cream, but Kris at Nice Cream explained it is actually a member of the mint family. While the flavor doesn’t evoke mint chocolate, caprese salad also never comes to mind. The basil somehow brought out the richness of the chocolate. As for coconut and curry, my first dessert experience with this combo was at Theo Chocolate, where the flavors are mixed into a milk chocolate; while Vosges’ description for this mentioned milk chocolate, this daring ice cream was curry yellow and kept it pure without a trace of chocolate.

Most Intriguing or The I-need-more-of-this-in-my-life Award: MAC’s Ice Cream* and Clandestino
Both had unique offerings I would gladly stock in my freezer, but have neither wide distribution nor their own scoop shop. MAC’s list of flavors taunts me with intrigue: French Toast, Bacon, Sourdough. And Clandestino surprisingly is not exclusively an ice cream maker; they host secret dinners around town and sometimes feature ice cream as dessert. Clandestino also featured the most ambitious flavors of the festival—Sweet Cornbread, Blueberry Huitlacoche and Chocolate Chile—offering recognizable names with earthy tones, emphasizing accuracy of flavor over sugary sweetness.

Best Twists on Old Favorites: Homer's White Diamond and Nice Cream’s Peaches & Cream (described below).
Cinnamon ice cream is always scrumptious, but usually is texturally boring. Homer’s solved that by adding white chocolate chips, which fix this problem without altering or overpowering the cinnamon flavor.

Best New Trend: Using a sour cream base instead of heavy whipping cream.
This was done with Nice Cream’s Peaches & Cream and MAC’s Chocolate Sour Cream Sea Salt. For each, my peaked curiosity morphed into a slowly forming grin on my nodding head. With the right flavor combinations, this could be revolutionary.

Best Fruit Ice Cream: Bobtail’s Strawberry & Goat Cheese and Nice Cream’s Peaches & Cream.
Best Sorbet: Oberweis’ Mango Pomegranate.
Texture Award: Clandestino’s Chocolate Chile and St. Germain’s Peach Sorbet.
Comfort Food Award: Shawn Michelle’s Honey Cinnamon Graham Cracker.
Nationwide flavor worthy of mention: Ciao Bella’s Orange Crème Fraiche
Best Company Name: Sassy Cow who featured a subtle Ginger Pear.
Best Logo: MAC’s Ice Cream. A flying pig wearing a chef’s hat and holding an ice cream cone. Second place goes to Clandestino’s lucha libre in a chef’s hat.
Best Service Experience: Nice Cream.
Most Reoccurring Flavor: Peach, which was featured by four different companies.

Thanks to Chris from Bobtail for telling me about this wonderful event!

*They do not appear to have a website.

Happy Birthday, Mr. President

2010-07-28T13:27:00.000-05:00

You can send Barack Obama a birthday message online. As you can probably imagine, I had some important information to pass on to the Leader of the Free World:

Happy birthday, dude. I know you're working hard out there, but take some time to eat some cake and ice cream. From what I recall, the Cookie Dough ice cream at Thomas Sweet in Georgetown is superb.

Garlic Ice Cream (contains no Twilight jokes)

2010-07-17T13:03:00.000-05:00

Ever since I heard it existed, I’ve wanted to try making it. And then I heard it is actually a gourmet thing to serve, not just a weird fascination for those who’ve had one Chipwich too many. So I went online and printed at least 10 recipes. And recently I made the obsession a reality.

Garlic ice cream would be, thusfar, my only experience with a savory ice cream (unless you count the Asian classic Red Bean), so I wanted to get it right. Most of the recipes were identical but used ice cube trays instead of an ice cream maker, which made them inferior. One featured five heads—Heads! Not cloves!—of roasted garlic. But I settled on a recipe that called for five cloves and no sugar.

I wanted to get it right, so I followed the recipe closely. But what the heck does it mean when it says “Let it thicken into a pudding-like consistency until it coats the back of a spoon” but “Don’t let it thicken so much it curdles”? Thinner lines have not been walked by man. On top of that, I wasn’t entirely sure what coating the back of the spoon meant since any liquid seems to do that on first contact with a spoon. I also wasn’t entirely sure what curdling was, both physically and chemically. Based on the scrambled egg texture when it was actually getting thick, I’m pretty sure I learned what curdling was.

I then strained the mixture, which at this point had one of the foulest odors I’ve ever encountered short of the shrimp paste I smelled when I took a Thai cooking class or the time I witnessed a lutefisk eating contest. After straining, there remained almost two cups worth of the liquid mixture to chill overnight. The scrambled egg stuff was promptly trashed and soon after taken to the dumpster to distance myself from the stench, which still floated around the apartment for at least one sickening hour before I left for the evening. The smell made me less than sure of this culinary fascination.

Boren and his special lady friend Jamie came over to my stench-free apartment the next day with mango chili and roasted asparagus al parmigiano, nice compliments to my mashed potatoes, store-bought unsweetened apple sauce and—the centerpiece of the evening—garlic ice cream. My guests dolloped small spoonfuls of the g.i.c. onto their mashed potatoes, and, unlike their host, they did so without hesitation. Ponderous chewing nods were quick to follow and the decree that it was like chilled garlic butter without the salt.

And then we tried it on the asparagus. My goodness was that brilliant. It unlocked secret flavors most people don’t realize are contained within those tiny green stalks.

Jamie elaborates: “The garlic ice cream was much milder than I expected, more like a frozen creme fraiche infused with garlic. The garlic was so faint that it didn't hit my palate until after the cream started melting, which was actually wonderful. Even though it had no sugar, the sweetness of the cream really came through and it was best when combined with salty and pungent dishes; I enjoyed it more on the roasted asparagus than I did on the mashed potatoes. I'd love to try it again with the flavor being stronger (and maybe supplemented by another flavor - smoked paprika? Black pepper?), so I could see how it would taste with a milder base (like the mashed potatoes). But it was one of the best asparagus toppings I've ever tried.”

I was the last at the table to try the ice cream solo, with nothing to dull the horror I expected after the cooking stench. But it really wasn’t strong. Nothing I’ll be cooking at my next pot luck, but not a bad experiment.

What's in a Name?

2010-07-11T12:30:00.000-05:00

Edy’s Slow Churned. Dreyer’s Fun Flavors. Breyer’s Overload. These varieties offer some unique options such as Twix ice cream and Girl Scout cookie ice cream. But let’s look a little closer.

If you are buying these products, often you are not buying ice cream. What are you buying? “Frozen dairy dessert.” Sometimes light ice cream or iced milk product. And the number one ingredient? Whey usually, little Miss Muffett’s favorite milk by-product.

I work to keep this blog positive, promoting every individual’s pursuit of ice cream. But it concerns me when the consumer is being sold a lower quality product in a concealed way, just as the major American chocolate companies have been doing for years much in the same way—by using part of chocolate, but using filler. Edy’s/Dreyer’s started making their half gallon containers smaller a while ago to keep prices down for consumer, but now they’re giving the consumer a lower quality product. Breyer’s even has the audacity to call their call their product ice cream on their website next to an image of a product that plainly states the product is frozen dairy dessert on the label. I began noticing this about a year ago, but admittedly it could very well have been going on for years without me realizing it. This discovery has answered my questions about why some half gallons taste have a less creamy, more pudding-esque texture or a texture like the marshmallow swirls you find in Phish Food ice cream.

I try not to be an ice cream snob and consume all brands, not just the high end stuff. But now I see that my internalized complaints about the half gallon products of Edy’s/Dreyer’s and Breyer’s are born of the fact that they weren’t inferior ice cream because they weren’t ice cream at all! (Each of the companies do still carry at least one line of pure, undiluted ice cream, but the number of flavors offered in those lines are decreasing, especially in chocolate-based ice creams.)

In short, if you don’t see the word ice cream in the logo on a half-gallon flavor, chances are it ain’t ice cream. It’s worth the financial investment to go with a local dairy’s product, which actually is.

UPDATE: (excerpt the New York Times article "How Much For Artisianal Ice Cream?")
"On the subject of the more inexpensive ingredients that go into, say, a $1.50 ice cream sandwich, Mr. Leeson is blunt. “Commercial ice cream is the dumping ground of the dairy industry,” he said. The residue at the bottom of the vats after the milk and cream are drained off, he said, is dried and then reconstituted into the components of cheap ice cream: milk fat, whey and dry milk powder. Like all the artisans interviewed, Mr. Leeson said that in the supermarket freezer case, it is virtually impossible for small brands to compete with Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s, both of which are backed by the marketing power and distribution systems of global food giants (Nestlé and Unilever, respectively)."

Kindness Project Delivers 100 Cakes to the Community

2010-06-29T14:32:00.000-05:00

Cool story. Food has an incredible power to bring people together.

On a similar note, I actually made a cake that I gave away for free at the merch table at my most recent concert. It was a huge hit and I plan on making it a regular thing.

Wild Party Variety Hour

2010-06-23T14:40:00.000-05:00

This Saturday, June 26, I will perform "Something Delicious This Way Comes" AKA Post #100. Clownish weirdness at its best, plus a singalong!

Wild Party Variety Hour
Prop Theatre
3502-04 N. Elston
Chicago

Bobtail Ice Cream

2010-06-19T19:04:00.000-05:00

There are many reasons to love Bobtail ice cream. First of all, according to their website, “Bobtail is the only Chicago company that makes truly homemade, hard-pack ice cream.” They also have creative local-inspired flavors, like the addictive Cubby Crunch (vanilla ice cream, sprinkles, Oreo®, chocolate chips, toffee). And they stick to natural ingredients whenever possible, which is why the once blue-dyed Cubby Crunch is no longer artificially colored to match its namesake team. But even more excitement has been churning at Bobtail since January of this year.

At an Oracle Theatre event, I was introduced to Chris Liebelt, Bobtail’s General Operations Manager. In addition to generously bestowing me with some freebie coupons, he let me know that every week of 2010 will feature a customer-suggested flavor. Understandably, this got both my imagination and taste buds excited. It has been a successful tactic: I have stopped by Bobtail every time I’m been even remotely nearby so I can check out the latest!

The most popular ways of coming up with new flavors seem to be the following: (1) imagining ingredients that one rarely sees in ice cream and mixing them in or (2) taking flavor combinations featured in other treats and adapting them into ice cream form. But Bobtail customers have found inspiration from more diverse sources: current events (Blago’s Blues, blueberry ice cream with macadamia nuts), video games (1-UP, lime ice cream with coconut inspired by the green mushroom in Mario Bros.) and children’s programming (Bobtail the Builder, chocolate ice cream with chocolate-covered peanuts, almonds, Oreo® and raisins! RAISINS!). Gourmet cooking was the inspiration for Strawberry and Goat Cheese ice cream that was the talk of the town for weeks and is already legendary. (Imagine strawberry cheesecake ice cream, only more subtle and delicate.) Also worthy of mention is the breakfast-inspired Lemon Poppy Seed ice cream. Mmm hmm. These flavors made my simple suggestion of Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting seem old hat.

I asked Chris some questions about behind the scenes at Bobtail:

What’s the usual process for coming up with new flavors at Bobtail?

The team at Bobtail is always inventing flavors and have always picked 2 new ones each month to sell. Every year we hold an ice cream contest where cone shaped entry forms can be colored with the flavor creation. These entries cover all the walls in the store. So we pick the most creative and yummy sounding ones straight from our stores walls.

What is the likelihood any of these customer-suggested flavors will work their way into Bobtail’s regular rotation? What flavor would you say has been the most successful? Have you had a favorite?

One of our long standing flavors, Daley Addiction (vanilla with hand stirred butter fudge) came from a flavor contest and has become one of our most popular flavors. I once mentioned it to Mayor Daley, but he didn't seem too impressed. This year my favorite has to be the Goats Cheese Strawberry. People would ask to taste it with hesitation in their voices, but then their eyes would light up and say "It tastes just like strawberry cheesecake!"

Where are your favorite places to get ice cream when you aren’t in Chicago?

Traders Point Creamery in Indiana makes a pretty awesome organic ice cream.

World-wide, what are some of the crazier flavors of ice cream you have tasted, good and bad?

I had basil ice cream a few weeks back which was too overpowering but probably would work well as a side for another dessert. My favorite flavor is Banoffee (banana and toffee).

How successful has this experiment been? Any chance that Bobtail will continue with a regularly rotating customer-suggested flavors next year?

Our customers are the most important thing to us, and they love it. I can see this running indefinitely.

New Flavors: Redemption in the Grocery Aisle

2010-06-15T14:54:00.000-05:00

My flavor reviews of the Haagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s Class of 2010 included touches of sadness over two elusive flavors. But the crying has ended for the flavors have been found!

Haagen-Dazs Midnight Cookies and Cream – Hands down the best chocolate ice cream since 2008’s Amazon Valley Dark Chocolate (part of the seemingly defunct Haagen-Dazs Reserve Series). Dark chocolate ice cream with chewy chocolate cookies, plus a chocolate swirl. Drowning in this would be a pretty good way to go.

Ben & Jerry's Maple Blondie – This flavor embraces two things (in addition to Ben & Jerry's) that Vermont is proud of: maple syrup and gold medal snowboarder Hannah Teter, to whom the flavor is dedicated. A good flavor, but like Dulce Delish is seriously heavy. The flavor reminds me of Haagen Dazs Sticky Toffee Pudding, especially the bites with blondie in it.

Thank you, ice cream gods, for smiling on me once more.

Stanley Cup Sundae

2010-06-12T10:17:00.000-05:00

The Blackhawks have done it. And now each of the players will have a day with the coveted cup.

The Stanley Cup has been victim to much debauchery, but others have used it to spread peace, love and ice cream. As the article says, "What better way to celebrate one of the sweetest moments of your life than with a giant ice cream sundae?"

Flavor battle: Dulce Delish v. Dulce de Leche

2010-04-27T14:07:00.000-05:00

Ben & Jerry’s has a new flavor: Dulce Delish. But how does it match up against the popular Haagen-Dazs flavor Dulce de Leche?

I was excited to do this comparison because I recently ate a dessert at a snazzy restaurant that featured legit dulce de leche: Carmelized plaintains in a crepe with cajeta and raspberry sauce. Somehow this fusion of flavors created a Dr. Pepper-esque sensation. So when I bought these flavors, I also bought some raspberry syrup.

Ben & Jerry’s Dulce Delish
More bitter
The dark caramel has a taste resembling cajeta, goat’s milk caramel
Much heavier
The raspberry syrup created flavor combat with the negatives of each flavor showing.

Haagen Dazs Dulce de Leche
Sweeter
Caramel on caramel
Lighter
Raspberry syrup was good on the Haagen Dazs. The flavors fused a little.

Conclusion: Ben & Jerry’s may offer the more unique flavor, but to me it was not enjoyable to eat.

New Flavors: Ben & Jerry’s Class of 2010

2010-04-19T18:04:00.000-05:00

Boston Cream Pie – I have mental list of flavors I would like to try and create and an incarnation involving Boston cream has long been on the list. With the arrival of this excellent flavor, I can keep being lazy and just let Ben & Jerry’s do it for me. The eggy custard ice cream base has pockets of yellow cake and doughy/custardy goodness. A teensy bit of chocolate chunks makes the flavor not as chocolate-y as an actual pie—a welcome surprise given that my typical complaint about Boston cream Pie is that the custard is overpowered—but offers a perfect kiss of sweetness in the aftertaste.

Milk & Cookies – The most distinguishing feature of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is the obnoxious amounts of junk it crams into its flavors. Every chunky bite of one of their pints should contain most, if not all, of the features mix-ins. This flavor is no exception, including hunks of cookies and not just Oreos—the flavor takes the long-overdue inclusion of actual chocolate chip cookie pieces to the ice cream instead of its more oft-used larval form, cookie dough.

Peanut Brittle – I was right: it is better than the Häagen-Dazs variety. The main reason is the caramel swirl. Another reason is that the ice cream base is peanut brittle ice cream, which is sweeter that the Häagen-Dazs peanut butter base. Both support the idea that peanut brittle is foremost sweet and nutty second. However, the better idea would be a toffee-flavored ice cream since the solidified corn syrup that makes up the majority of brittle does not taste in any way like peanuts. The peanuts chunks, however, are more glazed, like what you might find in a Cracker Jack box, and less brittle. As a child of Virginia, the land of peanuts, I would know.

I cannot find Hannah Teter’s Maple Blondie (Maple Ice Cream with Blonde Brownie Chunks & a Maple Caramel Swirl) and am not interested in Mud Pie (Chocolate & Coffee Liqueur Ice Creams Swirled Together with a Chocolate Cookie Swirl). Dulce Delish will be reviewed next week alongside Haagen-Dazs Dulce De Leche.

UPDATE: Hannah Teter's Maple Blondie was finally found and reviewed!

New Flavors: Häagen-Dazs Class of 2010

2010-04-08T10:09:00.000-05:00

For some reason, no matter where I live, the grocery stores I frequent never carry ALL of the new ice cream flavors. I reeeeeeally want to try Midnight Cookies & Cream. I do not know if it has to do with regional sales patterns or if it is a dastardly plot of the gods to bring me misery. Enough whining, here are the reviews:

Amaretto Almond Crunch: I love almond for its roasted flavor and its texture. Neither of these are in the foreground of this flavor. But it’s still good! I normally don’t like amaretto, but I like this! Super-creamy and the brittle is much more like toffee with accents of nut than brittle. No brittle ice cream has even approximated the tastiness of the fallen Häagen-Dazs flavor, Macadamia Brittle. But this new one if good. Seriously.
The Five flavor series, which features ice cream that only uses five ingredients has a new flavor: Lemon. To me, lemon has always been better as a sorbet or Italian ice. This flavor, however, fights back. It isn’t just tart; it has a sour sting. Little pieces of lemon help bring variety to the texture, something most of the flavors in the Five series lack.

Dark Chocolate Mint: Häagen-Dazs has made some of the best chocolate ice creams to be found in the grocery store, but all of them have gone the way of the dodo. That is why last year’s Limited Edition flavor Dark Chocolate was so highly anticipated for a certain blogger. That flavor, like this one, left much to be desired. In both cases, I expected a richer flavor than what I tasted.
Last year’s Peanut Brittle makes a repeat showing. It didn’t wow me in 2009 because the peanut butter ice cream drowned out the sweetness of the brittle. Hopefully, Ben & Jerry’s new Peanut Brittle ice cream will be better.
As you can probably guess, I have no interest in trying the two banana flavors currently in the store (split and foster, if you’re curious).

I am VERY sorry to report that, from the looks of things, Häagen-Dazs has phased out it Reserve Series. Pints of ice cream are already a luxury product, so to offer a high end pint the failure was a fault of timing, not of product to be sure.

UPDATE: Midnight Cookies & Cream was finally found and reviewed!

Made-to-Order Cream Puffs!

2010-03-26T12:41:00.000-05:00

Recently, in a period lasting just over 48 hours, I consumed 7 cream puffs. It all started when my friend Amber, visiting from Virginia, read about a new place in Time Out Chicago. Figuring the place would be a tourist trap of overpriced, mediocre pastry, I indulged Amber and her husband John. Boy was I wrong.

Beard Papa’s specializes in made-to-order cream puffs. With the success of Cold Stone, made-to-order desserts are increasing in popularity. Each variety comes in the same eggy pastry shell but offers different options for toppings (powdered sugar, chocolate and cookie crumb) and fillings (regular custard, chocolate custard, strawberries and cream custard or an assortment of Haagen-Dazs ice cream*). Since treating friends to dessert has become my calling card, I bought us 6 to share, which were ravenously consumed. And then, the next day, I bought 6 more for my 4 person department. After one bite, my boss declared she would go there for lunch. And when she returned to the office, she came bearing more cream puffs. And the next night, John and Amber shared what remained of the half-dozen they had bought that day.

When all was said and done, I had tried each of the toppings and custard fillings. My Virginia friends and I agreed on the following:

The chocolate topping, a classic éclair, was the superior topping. The cookie crumb topping, however, was disappointing.
Each of the fillings were fantastic. The strawberries and cream did not taste a bit artificial and had pieces of strawberry in it. The chocolate was rich. The classic yellow custard tasted fresh and full.
The most unique option was a strawberries and cream filling with chocolate on top.

With 9 different options of custard-filled cream puffs and numerous ice-cream-filled options, one visit isn’t enough. Look for a Beard Papa’s in your area and try them all. But be careful because each box contains highly addictive substances; John and Amber are already reporting a decrease in motivation in the workplace that stems from cream puff withdrawal.

* My opinion is that the cream, puffs filled with Haagen Dazs ice cream would be the optimum choice of presentation at an ice cream shop—a fresh alternative to the waffle cone. At a cream puff shop, however, the ice cream overpowers the puff. It’s worth trying, but go to Beard Papa’s for the custard.

No Scoop Day

2010-03-22T12:35:00.000-05:00

Ben and Jerry’s annual Free Scoop Day is tomorrow. For the first year ever, I found out about it ahead of time…but none of the Chicago shops are participating. Hopefully you fair better.

1st Annual Pi Day Party

2010-03-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday was Pi Day, which occurs every year at 3.14. It offers a universal celebration of math and science...but mostly eat pie. Though I have done no actual research on the matter, the origins of the holiday are mysterious. Some believe it was handed own by the Greek gods themselves, who also gave birth to the Greek alphabet. Others believe the holiday was founded by a scientist who was turned into a pie whilst performing experiments involving centrifugal force. Some believe it was a culinary genius trying to reach a new market of desperate high school geometry teachers. Regardless of the day's beginnings, the day is a gift we must share.

I invited the whole internet to my new apartment (Population: two couches, two chairs and whole lot of empty space) telling people to bring a pie, savory (chicken pot pie, pizza pie, shepherd's pie, quiche) or sweet (pecan, apple, ice cream). Sadly, my 1st Annual Pi Day Party had more stories than pies, the subject of those stories being how there was a pie, but it got eaten. Luckily had made my favorite chicken pot pie (a recipe handed down by Boren's mom) and my famous fudge pecan pie. Other contributions were Manno's homemade apple pie, a store-bought apple pie, a frozen pizza, a $40 fully loaded Uno's pizza and a store-bought pecan pie. For those who didn't mind filling up on more dessert than dinner--we call them rational--it was a splendid day.

But let's not get lost in the deliciousness of Pi Day. Let us also remember (and honor!) the number, the letter, the legend that is Pi. To do that, I present to you a quote by a great man. Actually, it is Boren's favorite quote of mine: "There are too many songs about love. There should be more songs about...math!"

Duck season! Rabbit season! Girl scout season!

2010-03-12T14:27:00.000-06:00

The freezer in my new apartment has ten containers of ice cream in it. (Some people read more than one book at a time; I have my own variation.) Four of them are the different varieties of one of my favorite seasonal offerings: Edy’s Girl Scout Cookie ice cream.

Thin Mint – Easily the best of the three flavors, which is not surprising since Thin Mint is also the superior cookie and is best eaten when out of the freezer. There are other mint cookie ice creams, but none that make chocolate their primary concern over mint. The cookies vary from small sandy pieces to large crunchables. Two “half-gallons”* now grace my freezer.

Samoa – My friend Amber observed that this flavor made with the famous coconut cookie was like a creamy macaroon. The most unique flavor of the bunch, but the cookie doesn’t become an ice cream flavor so much as the cookie is mixed in to vanilla ice cream.

Tagalong – Without chocolate, peanut butter does not seem like a dessert treat to me. The cookies are covered in chocolate, but the ice cream is in vanilla ice cream.

Girl Scout cookie season is short. I like to stock up on my Thin Mint ice cream. Make sure you grab some before it’s too late.

* In the past five years, ice cream companies have shrunk the size of their larger containers. The idea was to keep the pricing the same, rather than charging more for the half-gallon. Edy’s packaging is currently at 1.5 quarts. Somehow, “three-eighths gallon” doesn’t have the same ring to it.

Something Delicious This Way Comes... (Post #100!)

2010-02-14T09:38:00.000-06:00

Seattle's Fremont Solstice Parade is my favorite festival event. At this time, the liberal neighborhood allows many unusual displays in their parade--naked bicyclists, puppets with political messages, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence--but does not allow any written word. This means no tacky logos or lip service corporate sponsorship. Any company that wants to take part in the festivities while marketing themselves must be creative. But this is all expository to how one chocolate company introduced to me the new feminine ideal:

Topless women parading down the street covered in chocolate.

I'll say it again: Topless women parading down the street covered in chocolate. Plus there was strategic gold-dusting that's commonly used for the tips, er, tops of truffles.

And, great gobs of goo, one of them was the girl of my dreams. This girl had sold me chocolate once before at the sponsoring chocolate shop and let's just say the Jasmine Truffles weren't the only thing that caught eye. And the sugar wasn't the only thing that had my heart rate up. And the aphrodisiacs in chocolate weren't the only thing getting me excited. (Whew! Is it getting hot or is it just me?) Needless to say, seeing her walk by covered in chocolate left me hungry.

"Dude," I managed to sputter to James. "I think I've sexually peaked."

Really, what could be better? Marisa Tomei and I may have once shared intimate details about what we like for dessert, but it's not like she offered to share her sundae with me or covered herself in whipped cream. (Down boy!) [The story of Marisa Tomei and I can be read here .]

I explained the situation to James: Not too long ago I had been serviced by one of these chocolate-covered goddesses at her place of work. Having been painfully attracted to her when she was fully clothed, it seemed like a sign to have seen her in this new, toothsome way.

"I should ask that girl out."

"Go for it, man."

"I should ask that girl out tomorrow."

And so it was. The next day I wandered into the chocolate store and--BAM!--there she was looking delicious, even while fully clothed. I wandered in circles around the store pretending to be interested in chocolate. (Well, maybe not pretending...) She offered me free samples. I tried not to drool.

I waited for the other customers to give us some space, you know, so the burning passions that might erupt wouldn't make their chocolate all melty. Polite chit chat between she and I began as I browsed, continued as I made my selection...and ended as I made my purchase.

The move had not been made. What to do now? Go back through the line buying chocolate until I found the courage? No! It was time to act! I wandered back to her section of the store.

"Want some more free samples?" she asked. "Marry me now," I thought. Luckily, more sensible words came out of my mouth as I made my move. But, sadly, she said she was already seeing someone. She politely continued the conversation a bit and I was smooth in my replies, but really I had already mentally checked out. I had a bag of chocolates to eat that I no longer had any obligation to share.

Filler post. (Post #99!)

2010-02-13T14:25:00.000-06:00

Dah. Dah. Dah.

The Nose Knows

2010-02-11T22:47:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, from early evening into the late Chicago night, the corner of State and Lake was permeating the smell of melted chocolate. I searched and searched but found not the source. It shall remain a mystery.

Unforgettable Krispy Kreme Memory Countdown: No. 1

2009-12-04T13:43:00.000-06:00

When I was very young, my mom went back to school for her Master's Degree. With my dad working full-time, my grandparents were asked to watch me.

Granddaddy and I had a schedule to keep on these days. He would greet me when I arrived with a hug from his recliner and a "Heeeey, Pahd-nah!"--that's "Pardner" or "Partner" for y'all city folk. For breakfast, I would have apple sauce, corned beef hash and cubes of cheddar cheese. (Apple sauce remains almost a daily staple for me, while corned beef hash is purchased less frequently but always eaten with nostalgia.) This would be followed by a trip to a playground, either at the Hardee's on Big Bethel Road or the much larger wooden jungle gyms and slides, which I suspect were across Mercury Blvd. at Francis Mallory. Lots of running around and playing and making up games with other kids. The next item on the list was most important: meeting up with the other old men that congregated at Krispy Kreme to smoke, talk and drink coffee.

I remember how the place used to look with the counter that had stools that could spin all the way around, the cigarette ash and the coffee stains. I'd marvel at the doughnuts being made, traveling up and down while the dough would rise until the final stage when the completed doughnut went by on the conveyor belt and up toward the ceiling where they would cool. (While a lot of this image has changed with sleeker, openly throwback design of today's Krispy Kreme, having the doughnut machinery on public display has thankfully stayed the same.) Granddaddy would buy me two doughnuts: a chocolate-frosted cake doughnut and an original glazed. The chocolate frosted always felt like the "meal" doughnut that I'd have to endure to get to the dessert doughnut, the original glazed. (In retrospect, I realize that if I had understood things better then, I probably could have asked for two glazed instead and gotten my wish, but it all made sense at the time. First the meal doughnut, then the dessert doughnut.) Unlike other kids that would come in, I would stay in my seat and behave, which means I met the approval of the tough old men that we saw there every day. I remember that it was always exciting when "Uncle" Jesse was there; something about the man was dangerous, but in a fun-loving way. My mom tells me I would sometimes report back with a mopey voice that "Uncle Jeese's in jail again." I didn't understand what it meant when a person didn't pay their child support; I just knew I missed my friend. The conversation just wasn't the same without him, but when he came back I was always ready to round the counter the give him a big hug.

But a person couldn't sit at Krispy Kreme all day. There was Bob Barker and The Price is Right to be watched, followed by professional wrestling--I think every kid's favorite at my age was Hulk Hogan--followed by soaps and/or cartoons.

There may not be anymore playground at the Hardee's on Big Bethel. There may not stools at the counter of Krispy Kreme. There may not be anymore episodes of The Price is Right with Bob Barker and his skinny microphone. And I may not be able to spend time with my granddaddy anymore. But I do think of these days Granddaddy and I spent together, more than one would probably expect, but most often when I go to Krispy Kreme and take the time to sit and enjoy the moment.

Unforgettable Krispy Kreme Memory Countdown: No. 2

2009-11-20T22:10:00.000-06:00

It was my first date. Or at least I hoped so. I'd only met the girl a few days ago, but we'd already spent more hours together than I'd spent with some of my better friends. We couldn't stop smiling the whole time. I was crazy about her, but was it a date? Started at Sandy Bottom Nature Park, but I suggested we keep hanging out. We ended up at Krispy Kreme. I was a bit concerned because she didn't order anything. But when I sat down to eat my Boston Kreme doughnut, she revealed Item #3,045 that we had in common: Boston Kreme was her favorite doughnut. At this point the excitement was too much and I announced, "Okay, I'm going to hold your hand now." This prompted all of the wonderful things we had to say about one another to pour over the brim and eventually back to her place where I had my first (offstage) kiss.

Unforgettable Krispy Kreme Memory Countdown: No. 3

2009-11-12T12:31:00.000-06:00

I love Krispy Kreme. And Krispy Kreme loves me. This has been proven so many times that whenever I eat their delicious glazed doughnuts, I can't help but reminisce. The countdown begins:

It was college. I had switched out of acting and was starting my first semester with my new major, where I would explore producing, directing and arts administration. I had directed before, but this show was a much more difficult piece. Much to the chagrin of some professors, I was directing off-campus to assure no restrictions were placed on me or my art. And I was spending a lot money for a college production, hoping to recoup my losses, but more so hoping that charging admission wouldn't detract all of my friends from attending. We worked long rehearsals (which gave me a "reputation"), spending as much time as we could in the space with the performers and the designers. The sound designer and I especially clicked during this process. Perhaps it was that we were sitting in the booth together during run-throughs. Perhaps it was that I gave a stamp of approval to a sound collage of city noise that also included a tiger. Or perhaps it was that we would go out for Krispy Kreme doughnuts a lot. It was right across the street from the theatre and hot glazed are hard to resist. What better way to spend our teeny tiny profit? As we continued to collaborate on theatre pieces and eventually recording music, it became our tradition to celebrate with a dozen glazed, often downing the whole thing in an evening.

Remember, remember the pumpkin-y splendor!

2009-11-05T23:17:00.000-06:00

This year’s Pumpkin Challenge brought many new discoveries that will work their way into the regular pumpkin rotation. I learned the wonder of Snapperlantern ice cream—pumpkin and gingersnap cookie dough—which I will attempt to duplicate. Drooooool. I actually ate pumpkin pie before Halloween for the first year of the Pumpkin Challenge. My best friend’s addition of pumpkin to chili made for a very colorful flavor. Pumpkin fudge brownies are, unsuprisingly, incredible. My pumpkin macaroni and cheese was revered by one friend as the best macaroni and cheese she had ever had. And for the first time I put my homemade pumpkin ice cream on top of my pumpkin bread pudding with euphoric results.

In short, this fourth year of the Pumpkin Challenge may have yielded the lowest number of pumpkin items consumed yet—a total of 18 this year as compared to last year’s 30—but was not by any means a washout. I’m wondering how other participants faired; did anyone beat me?

Here’s my list: Snapperlantern ice cream*, pumpkin cream cheese muffin, pumpkin scone*, pumpkin pie*, pumpkin doughnut, pumpkin bread pudding, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin chili*, pumpkin bagel poppers*, pumpkin lasagna, pumpkin fudge brownies*, pumpkin biscuit cookies with cinnamon frosting*, pumpkin quiche, pumpkin cream cheese loaf*, pumpkin tarts with cream cheese frosting*, pumpkin and roasted walnut manicotti*, chewy pumpkin and chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin macaroni and cheese*

*Items that were not consumed in previous Pumpkin Challenges.
Italicized items were my homemade by yours truly. Need any recipes?

Each year, different people help me on my quest by forwarding recipes, buying me irresistable foods they see while shopping and sharing special meals with me. Thanks to everyone who took on this important and noble role. That being said, this years MVPP (“Most Valuable Pumpkin Provider”) Award goes to my parents who helped me get the pumpkin rolling this year by treating me to tasty treats and canned pumpkin for cooking. Thanks, fam!

Field Report: Albino Asparagus Ice Cream!

2009-10-31T14:33:00.000-05:00

This Halloween's spooky tale is from my friend Logan about his trip to Germany. Enjoy!

When it comes to ice cream, there really isn't much to be afraid of unless, of course, we all scream for ice cream to cool the burning acid a mysterious killer dumped on us while we were trying to run away. But even in that case the ice cream is a cool, comforting, life saving substance. I have probably only been frightened by ice cream once, but is because of that that experience that Brad and Marisa have asked me to to supplement their regular blogly offerings with this frightening tale of cold, creamy horror.

It all began in Erlangen, Germany, in the early part of the decade when I was visiting a friend of the family with my German grandmother. That person was Dieter, an Engineer for Siemens corporation. So while I was waxing my mustache and buttoning my leiderhosen, Dieter suggested something that made my monocle pop out, “Would you like to go to the most popular Ice Cream Parlor in Erlangen?” Of course I would like to go to an ice cream parlor. Germany is dotted with many little Italian Ice cream places that are either run by Italians or Turks, but either way they are probably going to have some awesome lemon ice cream.

We arrived at Eishaus Erlangen in time to stand in line while Deiter explained that Eishaus is famous for it's constant rotation of interesting flavors. I learned that Eishaus is run by Germans, but they serve Italian-style ice cream. When we got inside I was terrified by but magnetically drawn to one flavor Spargle. Spargle means asparagus, but it's not the green asparagus that we are familiar with, it's white asparagus. White, anemic, albino asparagus that has been covered in dirt to prevent any exposure to the sun. I shuddered at the thought. Apparently Germany has so many mad scientists that they are going into the ice cream business. I wanted to take refuge in one of the other, more traditional flavors, like Stracciatella or tempting flavors like Chocolate Struessel, but I knew this was my only chance, so I went for the glory.

The asparagus ice cream turned out to be not nearly as bad as I expected. Imagine cream of asparagus soup but sweet, and not quite as vegetab-ly. The flavor was actually very delicate, I even detected some floral notes. I felt a little like a judge on Iron Chef. So the moral of the story is: If you face your fears, you can gain twenty pounds while vacationing in Germany. Next time I'm going to try their Camembert flavor.

Projectile Pie

2009-10-31T10:48:00.000-05:00

My fascination with pumpkins extends beyond gatronomy into aerodynamics. Each year, during the Pumpkin Challenge, I also read up on the popular pasttime punkin chunkin, or its Anglisized name pumpkin launching. The premise of this sport is to construct a device that flings pumpkins the farthest. Many competitions offer separate categories for slingshots, cannons, trebuchets and catapults.

I first heard of the fine sport of pumpkin launching, or punkin’ chunkin’, from my Uncle John, who was lucky enough to attend the 2005 contest in Marion, Illinois. He remarks, "The contraptions designed by engineers, Cub Scout Troops, drunk guys in garages, and serious pumpkin aeronautical professionals inspired the imagination of the crowd. The biggest cannon shot a pumpkin over 4000 feet! And some of the "sling shots" backfired and nearly bombarded their designers."

What is perhaps most exciting is that several physics classes have embraced the sport, participating in competitions and creating their own. Yesterday, I sojourned to the Illinois Institute of Technology, my granddad's alma mater, and stood in the rain with the science geeks (and what I believe was a high school physics field trip) to witness IIT's 5th annual competition. Most of the 8 machines were trebuchets, but there were a few others including The Robotics Team's machine that utilized springs. While the weather did nothing to deter scientists from the noble pursuit of destroying stuff, sadly it did handicap the competition, particularly the loading of the pumpkin launching devices. At first, things were somewhat anticlimactic with several of the machines simply plopping the pumpkin a foot in front of their respective machines. One professor remarked loudly for the crowd to not worry; the very same students that made the failing machines would soon be graduates making our nation's bridges! Thankfully, one trebuchet did fling a pumpkin 185 feet! It was a fun time capped with free apple cider.

The sport appears to be celebrated all across the United States. Next year, search for the closest competetion near you! Or go straight to the top: The World Championships have been held in Delaware since 1986!

Ice Cream is not punk. (Part 2)

2009-10-19T17:25:00.000-05:00

Once again, punks are opposed to having ice cream associated with their image. The Sex Pistols are threatening to sue an ice cream maker for using the tagline "God Save the Cream."

While in London two weekends ago, I went to Selfridges, home of the Icecreamists. I was drawn in by their contemporary design like a mall punk to hair dye and Chuck Taylor's. But it was all fashion, in the name of selling an old product at an inflated price. (Really, Johnny Rotten could just as easily open up another ridiculous lawsuit by claiming they stole his business model as of late.) My choice: bypass the Icecreamists for the Oddono's in Selfridges food court.

(Thanks to my brother Brian for the link.)

Pumpkin Challenge Off-Season

2009-10-13T23:31:00.000-05:00

You may be wondering what I’ve been up to in the off-season. Besides the nibbles Rebecca, last year’s MVPP (Most Valuable Pumpkin Provider), continued to bring me, I also ate a number of pumpkin treats that have never been featured on the annual list of foods consumed during the pumpkin challenge. For example, pumpkin fudge, pumpkin spice trail mix, my mom's delicious pumpkin waffles and even *gasp!* pumpkin pie. (How I went three years of doing this without eating pumpkin pie during the allotted timeframe, I have no idea.)

This year has been slow-going, so if you're in the race you could very well beat me this year!

The Fourth Annual Pumpkin Challenge!

2009-09-19T18:49:00.000-05:00

My apologies for the lateness of this message, since the official start of the 4th Annual Pumpkin Challenge was September 15th.* If you are hearing of this blessed event for the first time, consider your life changed. Every year, from mid-September through Halloween, my beloved readers are invited to consume as many pumpkin foods as possible. Here are the rules:

The item consumed must be a food.
The only beverage allowed is the milkshake.
Food items may not be doubled. (Two slices of pumpkin cheesecake count as one item. The only way it could count for two different items is if the second item has a distinct enough difference of flavor that it warrants a different name AND the item comes from a different source than the first item.)

This year is your best chance for winning. I may have won every year until now--last year, I set the new record at 30 items--but I have a number of distractions this year that could increase your chances. Or try to be this year's MVPP (Most Valuable Pumpkin Provider) by sending me recipes or, better yet, pumpkin products!

Why have was the Pumpkin Challenge created?

Because pumpkin foods are delicious, yet mostly only offered around Halloween and Thanksgiving. The short-term goal is simple: By starting pumpkin consumption in mid-September, we are increasing demand for pumpkin items earlier than most pumpkin seasons starts. The long-term goal is for pumpkin products year round! Hopefully, like me, you are active in the off-season of the Pumpkin Challenge, too.

*If you feel like whining, you may handicap yourself one pumpkin item if you had not already started. Shamefully, that is all I have eaten so far. Last year, I had around 5 at this point.

Gelato italiano in Inghilterra

2009-09-06T13:35:00.000-05:00

(Italian ice cream in England)

If Fortnum & Mason is a great ice cream experience (see previous post), Oddono's is simply great ice cream. Making the finest gelato in London, it is normal to hear Italian being spoken here by the staff and customers, which is sure sign you are in the right place! The finest ingredients and care are used in their gelato and, like those found in Italy, nearly every flavor is uniform without mix-ins.

Their Valrhona Chocolate is the darkest, most explosive chocolate I've had in frozen dessert outside of Italy. (It actually was better than many of the chocolate gelati I had in Italy! ) you just don't get this chocolate flavor in American ice cream where they use more fat and less of the actual ingredients that give the flavors their names. Their Nocciola Piemonte (Hazelnut from Piedmont) was also incredible--easily the best hazelnut ANYTHING I've had in my life. I was also impressed by their Mandarin Sorbet. One of my friends remarked that Oddono's was truly the best ice cream she had ever had in her life. No small statement!

Oddono's Gelati Italiani is located in South Kensington, south of the Royal Albert Hall, the Natural History Museum and the V&A. you can also find their gelato being sold in Selfridges and Whiteleys.

London Licks

2009-09-04T08:15:00.000-05:00

To get to the Parlour Restaurant at Fortnum & Mason, you must first make it through the ever-tempting ground floor. Big enough to contain a football field this floor only sells tea (Bleh!) and chocolate (Huzzah!). To observe the displays under glass, the carpeted floors and the quiet reverence of the customers, one would think they were selling jewelry. There's nothing wrong with a little appetizer dessert before the main course--I can tell you that each of the choclates I tried were delicate, demanding an instant reaction to chew, salivate and swallow slowly--but don't lose your focus or spend all your money on the fancy chocolate. March on!

Somehow I made it to the stairs and up to the parlour with my appetite intact and enough money to afford the decadent desserts that awaited me in the Parlour Restaurant. (It is expensive. Actually, expensive may not be a bold enough term, but it is an experience worth treating yourself to.) Fortnum & Mason had made it onto every "Best of London Ice Cream" list I found online, so I knew I was really in for a high-quality experience. They did not disappoint, dishing up in a fancy goblet with the utmost class. And despite the expense, I went there a total of three times.

The first time, I tried three scoops (Strawberry with 12-year-old Balsamic, Chocolate Macadamia Biscuit and Toffee) with warm, melted Amedei Chocolate on the side. All were very tasty, if not accurately named: I didn't taste any Balsamic or Macadamia Biscuit. The chocolate sauce confirmed Amedei as being the best chocolate money can buy. The Toffee ice cream may have been my favorite of all of their ice cream flavors.

On my second visit, I tried the Beekeeper Sundae (pictured, center): Stem Ginger & Honey, Vanilla Bean and Praline ice creams topped with Fortnum's honey and honeycomb chunks. Ginger is not in my top 10 ice cream flavors, but this was the finest one I've had: not too much spice, but not a diluted flavor.

The third visit--I won't say last, because I will return again--I tried the Rosa Plaustri sundae: R&P (chocolate ice cream with strawberry, marshmallow and biscuit), Frosted Strawberry & Shortbread and Amedei Chocolate ice cream topped with marshmallows and biscuits. Served with warm Amedi chocolate.

Do they sound like the best sundaes imagineable? Try 'em for yourself: Fortnum & Mason is located in Central London's Picadilly Circus, across from the Royal Academy.

The first openly gay...ice cream?

2009-09-01T14:51:00.000-05:00

"A wedding-themed Ben & Jerry’s truck will hand out free Hubby Hubby across Vermont today."

Limited Edition Ben & Jerry's

2009-08-31T14:05:00.000-05:00

Two flavors. Both alike in dignity. These Limited Edition Ben & Jerry's flavors are actually better than any of the other class of 2009 flavors (except Pumpkin Cheesecake*, obviously). Both of these flavors are in the running for best store-bought fruit ice cream, so much so they've made me forget other contenders. So much so I'm finding it difficult to articulate how good they are. My reviews basically just say over and over again, "Me likey. It good." With that ringing endorsement, read on. Make sure to stock your freezer while you still have time:

Raspberry Peach Cobbler: Is it good enough to justify its existence when Ben & Jerry's also has Peach Cobbler ice cream, a fairly new flavor from the class of 2007? Yes, because it is supremely more flavorful. The bites of raspberry ice cream highlighting the bites of peach. They one-up each other until you realize you've finished the pint! Oh, no! It was so good, but now it's gone!

Key Lime Pie: It took a lot of searching to find this one. While my pint seemed to be missing the "fluffy meringue swirls" promised by the package, I was not disappointed. The lime ice cream and "tangy lime twist" were enough to satisfy me. Best to let it sit out a bit before eating to unlock the flavor.

(On another note, I just spent much longer than I should have playing a computer game called Chunk Challenge on the Ben & Jerry's website. UPDATE: I just scored 75,555, almost doubling my previous high score...but I'm not addicted.)

*Speaking of Pumpkin Cheesecake, start readying yourself for Pumpkin Challenge 2009, which starts September 15. Not familiar with the Pumpkin Challenge? Read the rules from 2008.

Greatest Desserts: Blackberry Ice Cream Pie

2009-08-25T15:24:00.000-05:00

I've famously said that one dessert ranks in my top 3 desserts of all time, even though I'm yet to have tasted the other two. It seems an extreme statement to say one dessert is the best dessert I've ever had, but it is no stretch to say that the Mountain High Blackberry Ice Cream Pie at Skyline Drive's Skyland Resort Skyline Drive's Skyland Resort is, and will forever be, one of the greatest desserts.

Skyline Drive is a section of the Shenandoah National Park in the northwest part of Virginia. My family used to vacation there in the fall to see the colorful leaves and go hiking to Dark Hollow Falls and and Stony Man. The smell of the mountain air in the brisk autumnal months is something I can pull up in my memory at anytime. I have been back several times since childhood and continue to have memorable experiences whenever I visit.

Another feature of the park that continues to satisfy over the years is the food. There are couple musts to any overnight trip to Skyline Drive. Breakfast at the lodge is a must; buckwheat pancakes (my favorite) with their special blackberry syrup (also my favorite). All of the lunch and dinner food is also quite tasty, but, as I said, the dessert is what's most memorable. The Mountain High Blackberry Ice Cream Pie is simple to describe--half a foot of blackberry ice cream and toasted meringue with a graham cracker crust and drizzled with my favorite blackberry syrup--but must be tasted to be understood. There are not many times one has astronomically high expectations for something, based on experience and memory, and finds their expectations exceeded! Consistently over the years I have expected to be disappointed just because of the mythical legendary status I have given this dessert, but no! It is always ludicrously wonderful! Substantial detours have been made in road trips over the past 4 years to accommodate my demands to go to Skyline Drive and always I stop and have my dessert.

I also make sure to stop in the gift shop to buy some of their blackberry syrup. Did I mention it's my favorite?

- - -

Speaking of favorites, one of favorite blogs, Melissa's Bookshelf, is growing like mad and holding another giveaway. What are you reading these days?

Step 3 to Becoming a Chocolate Connoisseur

2009-08-21T15:57:00.000-05:00

In Step 1, I learned how chocolate was made by witnessing it first hand at a factory. In Step 2, I learned from a chocolate shop owner about the different tastes of chocolate from the world's regions of origin. Here, in Step 3, I will host a tasting of what many chocolatiers consider to be the finest chocolate in the world.

The biggest shopping spree of my Italy trip earlier this year was at the airport. Stocking up on foreign chocolate at Duty-Free prices made for a much larger carry-on than what originally passed through security. I bought some of my favorites, but the most prized purchase was a box of Amedei Chocolate, 36 napolitaines from 6 different regions of origin. (As I mentioned when discussing fine chocolate after my Italy trip , I first heard of Amedei from Lauren, the owner of Seattle's Chocolopolis.) This would provide the perfect opportunity to experience first hand what different regions truly have to offer in their beans, since each chocolate was 70% cacao. (Less variables to consider.) And, since I'm a family man, I could host a tasting with 4 of my kin.

Soon after my return stateside, my parents, my brother, my sister-in-law and I gathered together on comfy chairs to taste our way around the world...or at least the agrarian part that was within 20 degrees of the Equator. First, we snickered as we read aloud the verbosely-written instructions from the Amedei website on conducting a tasting. Then I explained my instructions: (1) smell the chocolate first, (2) do not eat the whole napolitain in one bite so it can later be compared with others and (3) pause together between chocolate to verbalize our reactions. I also presented strawberries for cleansing the palate between chocolates. They may have laughed at the idea, but they agreed.

At a later date, I had a private ceremony where I ate the 6th and final napolitain from each region, nibbling in a different order and recording my own reactions to compare with those documented at the family tasting. Enjoy our attempts to articulate, our poeticisms and our often contradictory opinions! (The italicized sections are what was printed on the labels.)

Venezuela - Flowery aroma with a strong, sweet flavour. Excellent aromatic harmony and a highly elegant longlasting aftertaste. A great chocolate.
**My sister-in-law's favorite** **My favorite in Round 2**
Bitter aftertaste. Maybe some fruit/citrus. No change in flavor. A dancer on point shoes. Pops of bold flavor between the sweet, like ice cream with hunks of different stuff.

Trinidad - Refined aroma with a pleasant impact on the taste buds. A classic chocolate with a stong character.
Creamier than Venezuela, but gets bitter. more arch to the flavor. Earthier. Delicate. Harsh taste in middle. Creamy, harsh, bitter. Almost smoky.

Madagascar - Delicate, inviting aroma with a scent of roasted hazelnut. Truly creamy with a refreshing aftertaste.
Nut taste. Soft. NOT a refreshing aftertaste. Starts bitter but gets subtly sweeter. Seemed regular. [Editor's note: Gasp!] Not much sugar. Almost typically semisweet. Wood.

Jamaica - Marked fragrance of wood with herbal scents. A powerful chocolate with a strong personality.
**My brother's favorite**
Wood. The sweetest. The strongest/loudest. Like eating a flower. Jump of sweetness at the end. Wood. Earthy. Sweet follow-up.

Grenada - Delicate aroma of cocoa with a flowery, slightly spicy tone. Creamy and very elegant.
**My mom's favorite** **My favorite in Round 1**
Flavor full of spice. Not as bitter. Bitter hints in the middle, but not the aftertaste. Creamy, but not much taste. Spices. Not as aggressive, not as much punch as the others. Fuses bitter and sweet.

Ecuador - Extremely intense fragrance with a strong scent of cocoa. Pleasantly long-lasting aroma.
**My dad's favorite**
Pleasant, even flavor. Consistent. Creamiest. Plumpest. Acidic. Fruity. Like a chocolate Easter bunny [or Pasqua pigeon].

Contraband and Mysterious Berries

2009-08-16T17:18:00.000-05:00

On a different road trip with my dad, we passed through Montoursville, PA and passed by a food cart boasting that it served Eder's Ice Cream. Going to summer camp in central Pennsylvania, Eder's was a legend. All of the counsellors had a green Eder's shirt and as a fledgling aficionado, there was more covetousness in my heart than this church camp would have liked.

So, in my final year as a camper, when an off-camp excursion ended with a stop at Eder's, I had more than ice cream on my mind (even though their "small" fills a 24 oz cup). I slipped a counsellor $20 to buy me one of the green shirts--money was considered contraband at camp. You cannot imagine the jealousy of the other campers, nor the disbelief and amazement of the counsellors.

This being said, there was no question that my dad and I were obligated to stop at this food cart. I already knew from past experience that Meltaway (peanut butter cup) was their signature flavor, but there was one flavor I had never heard of before: Teaberry. Neither had my dad. So we asked, "What's teaberry?"

"Oh. It tastes like teaberries," the enthused high schooler responded. Another mystery solved.

We sampled the flavor and concluded that it tasted like root beer toothpaste.

My college years were wasted.

2009-07-28T09:12:00.000-05:00

The first time I ever heard of the ice cream at Penn State it was my 21st birthday, an alcohol-free all-you-can-eat-dessert bash. My friends David and Dianne handed me a wrapped present, clearly a video tape. Suspecting age-related funny business, I asked: "Porn?" They looked at each other and laughed a little. "Maybe for you." This curious answer was brought into focus when I unwrapped to gift to find a video detailing some of the best frozen dessert destinations in the U.S.A. I watched the video with much longing. One of the places mentioned was Penn State's creamery.

Why I didn't immediately switch schools escapes me now.

The second time I heard of this ice cream, I was in my senior year of college planning out a play with three friends in which we fictionalized a playwright and script, performed a play that imploded on itself, culminated in the performers leaving the stage with the "play" unfinished and the audience unaware that it was the planned ending. (I had very interesting college years.) One of the collaborators was my friend Dave Watkins, an incredible musician currently pioneering the genre of Appalacian Indie Rock. Dave said that our fictional playwright (a playground equipment manufacturer) could be from Central Pennsylvania, where Dave's family had some property. That's when he told me told me his first-hand experience with Penn State's ice cream, which once again had me pondering a transfer to pursue a degree in Food Science.

So when I suggested a 100-mile detour to Penn State's Berkey Creamery to my dad on a recent volunteering trip to Pennsylvania, it was no ho-hum suggestion; it was a life goal that had been long set. Before I tell you about the ice cream--If I'm blogging about it, you can guess it was incredible. I keep my blog positive!--I must tell you some of the facts about this mecca of things dairy:

Average time from cow to cup is three days. Ice cream doesn't get fresher than that!
They produce 1 million pounds of ice cream annually!
Their Ice Cream Short Course offered through Penn State's Department of Food Science has been around for over a century and is taken by big corporate ice cream manufacturers and owners of mom-and-pop operations. (I called and asked. It costs about $2,000, but you were wondering what to get me for the holidays...)

As for the product, there is only one flaw: when purchasing their über-creamy ice cream, they only allow one flavor per bowl. Sheepinshly, my dad and I kept asking for more samples so we could make our choices count. I can honestly say, there has never been another time when tasting the samples resulted in complete and total indecision in my family. We settled on Keeny Beany (Chocolate Ice Cream with Chocolate Chips & Vanilla Bean) and Alumni Swirl (Vanilla Ice Cream with Swiss Mocha Chips & Blueberry Swirl). But there were so many flavors that needed to be tried: Happy Happy Joy Joy (Coconut Flavored Ice Cream with Butter Roasted Almonds and Chocolate Chips), Peachy Paterno (Peach Flavored Ice Cream with Peach Slices), Death by Chocolate... We did not have the foresight Dave had on his recent visit to bring dry ice to pack a couple half gallons for the ride home.

What's that? What do I know about ice cream since me I only post positive reviews? Well, jerk-asaurus, I'll have you know that Penn State's ice cream is the third scoop shop I've reviewed that is featured in ForbesTraveler list of America's Best Ice Cream. (Also featured are Toscanini's in Boston/Cambridge and Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory , not to mention two of the most recommended places by my friends, Graeter's in Cincinnati and Ted Drewes in St. Louis.)

Massachusetts Institute of Toscanini's

2009-07-24T15:13:00.000-05:00

Boston is great for many of the same reasons that make Chicago my favorite American city: lots of history, water, a city park along the waterfront, exemplary public transportation, great church, food that brings other cities to shame, obnoxiously loyal baseball fans, a strong Irish and Italian presence. But until Chicago proves me wrong, the Boston-area has got it beat in the all-important ice cream category.

When I was in Boston in June, I did a lot of walking: South Station to Bunker Hill to MIT to the Christian Science Center and through the Boston Common back to South Station. Being that it's passé for a complete unknown to impress MIT professors with his genius--That is so 1998!--I had other reasons for being across the Charles River in Cambridge.

Toscanini's is not your average ice cream shop. MIT students slaving away over equations (even though it was graduation weekend) while late-20-somethinsg with dreds and septum piercings dished up life-changing experiences to paying customers. The New York Times declared Toscanini's "The best ice cream in the world." While a statement like this is too bold for me to ever make, I can say on gut impulse that one of their flavors has made the top 4, if not higher. Brown Butter had a truffle-like texture, with richness of mascarpone and, as for the flavor, I was glad I was sitting down.

Even though I've tasted what must be the best ice cream in the Boston-area, I will not forget to patronage my tried-and-true, J.P. Lick's. Make sure you try their Oreo Cake Batter and their Strawberry-Rhubarb when it's available. Also make sure to sample (with little to no intention of purchasing) their ever-rotating wacky flavors like Cucumber and Disco Inferno AKA Tabasco.

Sandwich Ice Cream

2009-07-20T13:25:00.000-05:00

In addition to doing the roasting over at Blanchard's Coffee, Tom Thorogood also makes their ice cream. The coffee ice cream they previously sold was purchased from someone outside, but Tom suggested that he start making the ice cream sold using the very same coffee he roasts! Talk about ingenuity! Then, when everyone loved the ice cream he made, Tom was propositioned by one of his fans: Could he pay Tom to make ice cream for him once a week? As a result, Tom now makes ice cream 3 or 4 times a week, experimenting with new flavor ideas and fine tuning his methods. So when I heard that he had a blog where he would sometimes post his ice cream recipes, I knew I was in for a treat.

The flavor that most sparked my interest on Tom's blog was Fluffernutter, since Fluffernutters--peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sandwiches--were first introduced to me by our mutual friend Meggin. I made it Thursday for a dinner party I hosted, delighted by little notes in the recipe. ("Your arm should be tired." After mixing the peanut butter and marshmallow fluff, "Eat some, because why the hell WOULDN'T you?") I had eaten Fluffernutter ice cream once at Rita Marie's after swimming in Lake Pontoosuc in Pittsfield, MA. While the peanut buitter and marshmallow were blended into the mixture at Rita Marie's, Tom chose to instead have balled up peanut butter/marshmallow balls sprinkled throughout. The resulting chewiness created in Tom's version reminded me of a Butterfinger candy bar. Since I will be saving this recipe, I'll be sure to try with chocolate ice cream at a future date.

Duck + Doughnuts = Waddling Pun

2009-07-14T22:07:00.000-05:00

Made-to-order doughnuts! Incredible, ain't it?! Now that I've got you hooked, read on.

On a recent family vacation down to Nags Head (or the Outer Banks, as it has been called since the OBX marketing campaign), my brother initiated me in the latest tradition. Since 2006, when the Virginians in my family make the annual trip south to the beaches of North Carolina, they must go to Duck Donuts. You'll never guess the incredible product they offer! ...I guess you could guess...since I mentioned it as the hook earlier. Oh, bother...

Hot, fresh, made-to-order doughnuts! Eight ways to have your doughnut (Bare, Powdered Sugar, Cinnamon Sugar, Glaze, Maple Glaze, Chocolate Glaze, Vanilla Glaze and Strawberry Glaze) and four toppings to choose from (Peanuts, Shredded Coconut, Chocolate Sprinkles or Rainbow Sprinkles, in addition to the option of ordering with no topping). Only one doughnut outfit and accessory allowed, which means, assuming toppings will only stick to the glaze options, there are 28 varieties of doughnuts one could. (My dad and I checked one another's math, which was no big task since I tutored this past fall.)

I'd never had a hot, fresh cake doughnut before. The first two are surprisingly easily inhaled, like hot, fresh rise doughnuts. But just try and eat a third without skipping a meal. I dare ya. My personal favorite was their subtle Strawberry Glaze with Shredded Coconut and, my old stand-by, Chocolate with Chopped Peanuts. Have fun choosing your own combination. All of the glazes and toppings taste good when scraped off the box with your finger.

There are many other fine food establishments in Nags Head. My family's absolute favorite seafood of all time is the dolphin boat at John's Drive-In on the Beach Road near mile 4.5. Superb milkshakes that come in more flavors than you and the missus got fingers and toes. Made with real fruit!

Stuck on the West Coast? There are doughnut options up north!

New Flavors: Häagen-Dazs Class of 2009

2009-07-12T18:49:00.000-05:00

Häagen-Dazs has a variety of new products this summer. Their Reserve Series has a new addition, Carmelized Hazelnut Gianduja, which was less sweet than I hoped for. (By definition, gianduja is more chocolate than hazelnut, but there chocolate was barely present, much less deserving of naiming the flavor.) Limited Edition Peanut Butter Brittle is another new (and less than accurately titled flavor). It is dominated by a peanut butter swirl and has surprsingly few brittle pieces.

But never fear, dedicated ice cream fans! Häagen-Dazs, my favorite among mass-produced ice cream brands, has come out with a new line of products that is both delicious and inspiring: Five, ice cream made with only five ingredients! As an ice cream chef, this seems quite a feat because there are no stabilizers. What preserves the ice cream's fresh texture? Of those I've tried, each has the texture that is unique to mass-produced ice cream. It isn't quite the homemade feel, but it's close. The ice cream I make rarely has substantial leftovers--if you can imagine--but what leftovers there are tend to crystalize more, freeze densely or have a slightly lumpy quality the next day. (Don't ask what the texture is like after two days; you'll have to ask an inferior ice cream chef!) But waxing philosophical on the chemical properties of dessert was never the mission of this blog...

Thus far, there are seven varieties of this new product line. The more original flavors in this line are also the most interesting: Brown Sugar and Passion Fruit. (It ain't exactly rocket science making vanilla or chocolate using only five ingredients, plus Häagen-Dazs already had those flavors down.) Brown Sugar, while simpler, eclipses Häagen-Dazs other brown sugar themed ice cream, Sticky Toffee Pudding, winner of 2006's flavor search competition flavor search competition. Due to the product's minimalist nature, this new flavor has a uniform texture (meally brown sugar) where I normally prefer something more dynamic, but it is so easy to eat! It is light, but not airy! Seriously, shovel it into my mouth! I love it! What starts as a casual taste quickly turns into a new line on the grocery list. As for Passion Fruit, the fruit is not overpowered, nor diluted by the creaminess of the ice cream. This fruit ice cream packs a punch!

There is one more new flavor worthy of mention: Limited Edition Dark Chocolate. I haven't tried this flavor because no grocery store I've been in for well over a month seems to carry it. If you see it, let me know (a) how it was and (b) where you found it. Or just mail it to:

Marisa's Ice Cream
c/o Brad's mouth
1 Ever-changing St
Transient Town, USA

Fleur-de-lis-cious

2009-07-04T14:43:00.000-05:00

There is life after beignets in New Orleans. So fi you want to get off the beaten tourist path and taste the best homemade ice cream the city has to offer, strike up the brass band and parade on over to the Garden District's Creole Creamery.

Their buttery, baseball size scoops of ice cream come in many tasty, creative flavors. Can't decide? No fear. You can order the ingenious sampler dish, 4 to 6 smaller scoops so that the consumer could taste more of these delicious options:

Red Velvet Cake - Buttery cream cheese ice cream with almost equal parts cake. My favorite!

Cayenne Lime Butter - A subtle mixture of these unlikely flavors that must at least be sampled, if not purchased.

Chocolate Pecan Pie - Fudgy, buttery (Did I mention all of their flavors are buttery?) chocolate ice cream and pecans, which always taste better when consumed in the south.

A Clockwork Orange - The flavor that inspired both a famous book and film. Chocolate and orange are frequently mixed, but this flavor takes it up a notch by adding the textural addition of chocolate orange pieces.

Saffron Pistachio: Another popular flavor, which my friend Alexis described as tasting like soap. I'm sorry to say I agreed, but happy to have tried such an original creation.

A Button Blog

2009-06-19T06:58:00.000-05:00

Candice, over at A Button Blog, has immortalized this blog in a clothing accessory.

Thanks, Candice! Great work, as always!

The End of an Era

2009-05-30T20:51:00.000-05:00

The Hilton Village Parlor and Restaurant is no more. This was the go-to spot for ice cream growing up. Sure, it was clear over in Newport News and not my native Hampton. Sure, it wasn't homemade--they served Hershey's ice cream. Sure, they were always out of at least a handful of their advertised 50 flavors. But it was a wonderful place with a unique character that will be missed.

We'd go there after plays at Peninsula Community Theatre, as cast and audience members. We'd go there after church sometimes, a group of us. We'd go there when, well, I just got a group together for that very purpose.

My best friend James and I played an acoustic set there in summer of 2002. Besides all the toys and games littering the inside--chess boards, a pool table, Foosball and more--they sometimes had musicians inside. Since the owner recognized me from my frequent patronage, I asked if my band could do an acoustic set there (even though the music usually featured inside was more of "listener-friendly" than the punk stylings of Persona Non Grata). Of course we could! She let us set up outside amongst all the old toys and giant stuffed animals that decorated their part of the sidewalk. This type of activity along with the constant state of the Parlor's decor caused some friction between the business and some of the other, more reserved businesses in the otherwise high-end district. But that's what the Parlor was all about: fun.

That's not to say it was all giggles. Connie, the owner was generally friendly, but occasionally testy with customers. But in a down home way, not a "I don't know, I just work here" way. The owners were a just a different crop of folks. (Her husband once ran for public office, though the signs advertising this indicated he was running as a write-in vote!) But the owners were present and had pride in running their own business. I think it was only family that ever worked there, with maybe a few close friends thrown in, which means everyone was working there because there was some sort of investment. It wasn't just a summer job at DQ.

But now DQ is what's left, but there's no such thing as Blueberry Cheesecake soft-serve. Oh, and there's Lame Stone, which will happily overcharge you for low-quality, melty ice cream. Welcome to the death of small town America. We're not talking a one-horse town here, there are 1.8 million people in the metropolitan area. Is it too much to ask for a handful more local eateries on our side of the water? Do we really need another chain restaurant destroying the identity of our cities into one big suburban strip mall?

Excuse if this particular entry lacks focus. The loss of this business represents many things to me, not just a place to get ones ice cream fix. I don't think many of my readers are from Hampton Roads, but if you are, I invite you to share any memories of the Hilton Village Parlor & Restaurant in the comments.