July: Ice Cream & Independence

For those of you who have gotten to know our team over the past few months, you'll notice that wereally like our ice cream. It's no wonder we're excited about Ice Cream Month, but more than that, we're excited to celebrate this fun occasion with our friends at Real Simple. Throughout the month, we're asking everyone to help add their favourite local ice cream to the Real Simple Ice Cream Social guide. Have a go-to ice cream flavour? Share yours with us.

Next to ice cream, the team's top foods are probably burgers and hot dogs, which are some of the food highlights of the wonderful holiday that is Independence Day. We want to wish everyone a very happy Fourth of July :) Tell us what barbeque delights you will be enjoying this weekend. And if you're not in the U.S., do join our celebrations by sharing with us your fave American-styled barbeque in your city, too. (Yes, count on us to turn a patriotic national holiday into a food thing!)

Ice Cream Sandwich

The long awaited launch of the next version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, is upon us.  This is said to be the version that will finally merge the development forks of phones and tablets, and we’re about to find out if it’s going to live up to all of our expectations.  Join us for the live blog to follow along and get in on this ice creamy treat.

Dorie and Oprah and Chocolate-Banded Ice Cream Torte

Thank you Dorie ( DorieGreenspan ) for mentioning my variation on your cake as one of your favorites to the people at O (Oprah!) magazine. What an honor. Dorie is an inspiration who takes the time to respond and encourage people to follow their passion. I have several of Dorie's cookbooks, and many recipes have become favorites at our house. I look forward to trying many more. {You can read all about Dorie and the baking group called Tuesdays with Dorie in the May 2011 edition of the Oprah Magazine.}

And thank you Oprah for including my adaptation of one of Dorie’s recipes on the Oprah websitethat I morphed into popsicles: Chocolate-Banded Ice Cream Torte.

Here is my post about this recipe... 

Chocolate and raspberries are a classic, indulgent and tasty combination. In this recipe, Dorie freezes them together in a delicious ice cream cake that appeals to the over 10 set!

Chocolate “Ganache”

The chocolate part of the dessert is basically an unbaked flourless chocolate cake: chocolate, butter, sugar, and eggs. Although it’s called a ganache in the cookbook, technically a ganache is just cream and chocolate (no eggs or butter).

{Warning: This dessert contains raw eggs, so you should be careful since there’s a chance the egg may be contaminated with Salmonella, a bacteria that can cause food poisoning. Use only properly refrigerated, clean, sound-shelled, fresh, grade AA or A eggs.}

As for the chocolate, I used Bernard Callebaut, who is internationally recognized for producing the best chocolate in Canada and throughout the world. When I was in Saskatchewan, I was able to pick up some Callebaut chocolate at one of his locations. After returning to Ottawa, I found out that my favorite local chocolatier, Truffle Treasures, uses Callebaut chocolate in her truffles, and I can buy Callebaut at her store too.

To make the chocolate ganache, first I melted the chocolate and butter and then added the sugar. After this mixture had cooled a bit, I added the eggs one at a time. {You don’t want the mixture to be too hot when you add the eggs or it will coagulate and you’ll have bits of scrambled eggs in the chocolate.}

Scoop, Eat, Repeat

People are creatures of habit. Once they’re comfortable with something, they stick to it. If they try something new, they usually end up going back to what they know they like. So how much does that apply to ice cream flavors?

Let’s say you’re a fan of vanilla. When faced with having to choose between over 100 different flavors how often do you fall back on that flavor? Now don’t get me wrong, vanilla is a wonderful flavor (and definitely one of our most popular!). But variety is the spice of life. Large selections can be confusing so why not try your favorite flavor with a twist? Hershey’s^® uses great tasting inclusions (like peanut butter cups, maraschino cherries, fresh roasted nuts, and more) to spice up basic flavors.

So next time you’re buying ice cream why not try a scoop of something different – like our White House Cherry, Deep Dish Apple? You might be surprised how much you like other flavors… And hey, if you don’t, don’t worry. Your favorite flavor will always be waiting.

Gelato

I was talking to a friend on my mobile phone… asking me where I was currently at since he was hearing loud music and some noise. “I’m eating at Giardino Gelato”, I said. He was somewhat confused of what I was saying, so I said “I’m eating ice cream” instead.

Filipinos know ice cream orsorbetes, and know no other term for the frozen treat. I only found out about gelato back in 2005 (I think), from the Italian ice cream cart, Fiorgelato.

But is there really a difference between gelato and ice cream? Well, obviously, aside from it’s spelling  and term, they are pretty much the same. Gelato is an Italian word for ice cream or sorbet which means a sweet treat served frozen, but basically it just means “frozen”. However, most gelatos are made different from the american ice cream recipe. If you have tried gelato, you would notice the distinct less-sweet-taste compared to the traditional ice cream. Most gelatos are made with 4-8% butterfat than the regular ice cream with 14% butterfat. This is also the reason why gelatos can be stored for months compared to the conventional ice cream.

Would I prefer gelato over traditional ice cream? I would say, it depends. Sometimes I love to eat something sweeter. Ice cream has that full taste which gelato doesn’t have. I feel like I’m on a diet when I’m eating gelato. I think traditional ice cream would quench that sweet frozen craving (which I experience time to time .

Is eating gelato a healthier choice? I would still agree to the saying about too much of anything is bad for you. No matter how many times a food endorsement claims that it’s 100% fat free or 99% low in calorie, it is still better to watch your diet. Just find the enjoyment of discovering new taste in a watchful manner.

Ice Cream Cupcakes Recipe & Free

So I know you’ve probably been stressing out over what to give your kid’s teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week.
I mean…you HAVE been thinking about it, right?
Because if you haven’t, you totally should.
But just in case…I took the liberty of coming up with a super cute idea for you.
(Amy might have helped a little too.)

You really didn’t think I was going to send you to school with ordinary cupcakes did you?
I mean, come on… we want this to be the cupcake that your child’s teacher measures all future Teacher Appreciation cupcakes by. We want the ladies in the office ooh and ahh-ing!
We care about stuff like that. Don’t act like we don’t.
The good part is that these are incredibly easy to make and Amy has designed cute free printable tags! So maybe you can make a few extra cupcakes to keep at home, ?

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Eton Mess Sundaes with Ice Cream, Raspberry Sauce, and Crushed Meringues

This yummy take on a classic British dessert is as easy and elegant as it gets. I served this to my Book Club last month, and there was NADA left over.  It got a ringing endorsement from King-Man, too. Several times. Oh, and then from some friends who were in town visiting. Hey, it was making everyone happy, so why recreate the wheel dessert? It's easy to keep the ingredients on hand, and easy to serve.
I first saw a recipe for Eton Mess by Ina Garten featured on the cover of her newest cookbook, How Easy Is That? Ina's version is a parfait with layers of whipped cream, berry sauce, and crushed meringue cookies. I took that idea and turned it into an easy ice cream sundae. The combination of flavors and textures is hard to beat.
Wondering where Eton Mess got its name? It is a classic British dessert that originated at Eton College in the 19th century and is served at their annual cricket games against Winchester College. Read more about its history and name here.