Tuesday, August 3, 2010

I Scream for Ice Cream

So.....this month's Portland Monthly magazine features an article entitled "Cold Fusion" which reviews (supposedly) the best licks in town - when it comes to ice cream.  This got me thinking about my fascination with exotic ice cream flavors and some of the best ones I've tried and made.  When I lived alone in a small apartment in San Francisco's Mission district, I had the good and bad luck of being directly across the street from an Indian ice cream parlor.  To say that the flavors were exotic is an understatement.  Kulfi, Cardamom, Mango, real Pistachio..... (sigh).  My favorite was Rose ice cream.  It was creamy, perfumey, girly and just plain delicious all in one taste.  I have yet to even ATTEMPT to recreate this flavor experience.

I have, on the other hand, successfully recreated my own version of an Indian Cardamom ice cream, which is insanely delicious as well as easy to make thanks to the little ice-cream machine I borrowed/stole-2-years-ago from my sister Sabrina.

I will share the recipe for this delight shortly, but first, let me tell you about some other ice cream flavors I consider to be exceptional for one reason or another.  (Also, please know that I've had ice cream in Bariloche and Buenos Aires and that my perspective is somewhat skewed as a result).

#1. Basil ice-cream at Pix Patisserie.  Now. It's been a while since I had this particular delight.  At least a year and a half, yet the very experience is burned in my memory as a sensation I will never release.  The creaminess of the ice cream along with the very fresh, very real basil flavor were a complete shock to my unsuspecting taste buds.  I have not successfully been able to recreate the recipe for basil ice cream on my own. :o(

#2. Fior di Latte.  My brother works for a major airline and is able to fly anywhere in the world pretty much free of charge.  I know, poor guy.  He recently visited Switzerland and came back raving about an ice cream flavor that blended the cold, creamy texture of a dessert we all love with the sweet, scalded milk flavor of our (not TOO distant) childhoods.  I'm not sure where he got the recipe (Google is practically no help as I recently discovered) but we made this when I visited him in San Francisco this last January and it ROCKED MY WORLD.  I have been trying to figure it out on my own in the last couple of weeks but can't seem to get the consistency just right.  I refuse to give up, so stay tuned.

#3. Lavender Lemon.  Okay, so this one is a complete fantasy and a flavor inspired by a pancake mix I picked up in Maui this last May.  I recently tried to concoct this type of ice cream (well, in this case it was frozen yogurt) by using some fresh lavender flowers, but the flavor never quite took.  Denise thinks that using lavender honey or creating a lavender syrup may help the flavor to infuse more.  On my to-do list.

#4. Finally....the recipe for Carol's Cardamom Ice Cream.....keep it close to your heart:


Ingredients

1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
2 Cups Half &Half
1 TBSP Honey
½ Cup Brown Sugar
½ Cup Sugar
1 ½  TSP Cardamom
1 ½ TSP Cinnamon
1 ¼ TSP Vanilla Extract
2 TSP Lemon Juice
1 Pinch of Salt

Instructions

*Blend all ingredients together and freeze according to your ice cream maker instructions.

6 comments:

  1. Give me back my ice cream maker! Just kidding; you are putting it to great use! Love this.

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  2. I know, I have to give back the ice cream maker, and God forbid I should post something about French press coffee............

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  3. I'm glad someone got use out of it. Fior di Latte: just straight up unflavored ice cream. 1/2 milk, 1/2 cream scalded. You can get hectic (like me) and deal with egg yolks and let it sit for hours, but you can also just mix the milk and cream and scald it and put in 1/2 cup raw sugar...then throw it in the ice cream maker. mmm

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  4. Thank you Sebastian!!!!! I miss cooking/baking with you. When will you come to PDX?

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  5. wow...i got your attention!! my a-hole sisters won't answer my text messages. just kididng. i'll come soon...i have a new schedule with 2 consecutive weeks off per month.

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  6. do you make any ice cream with Splenda?

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