Elisa's search for perfect ice cream
My plan for August is to savor every second of the last days of Summer. There's nothing better than enjoying a cool, delicious treat as you soak up some of the sun's rays. But finding the right ice cream, now that can be a challenge.
Growing up spending Summers in France, getting an ice cream from the boulangerie (bread & pastry shop) was an extraordinary event. They were homemade and tasted like nothing I'd ever eaten. Chocolate was always a favorite - rich and intense;
cassis sorbet was an explosion of tangy berries, still heavy with the warmth of the sun; pistachio was a concentration of nutty green. What these had in common was flavor. Making ice cream or sorbet was almost an excuse to showcase the chocolate, the cassis and the pistachios.
The boulangère knew how to add just the right balance of cream or sugar so they would enhance her flavors, not overpower them.
As I grew up, I fell prey to all the “light” concoctions and frozen yogurt out there. I wanted to believe the hype (“indulge without the guilt,” “waist-line friendly,” etc.) But, I was never quite satisfied (and certainly not happy with my waistline!)
Indeed, these all tend to be low on fat, so consequently low on flavor, and high on sugar. Sugar is an addictive food - the more we eat, the more we increase our taste, and our need, for it.
These days, finding that perfect ice cream and sorbet - with full-bodied texture yet not too heavy, and never too sweet - has become a favorite sport of mine. So I was devastated when my beloved ice cream shop, Payard Bistro, closed this Summer. Their ice cream brought me right back to childhood.
Yet, I had also developed a more adult love affair with their chocolate sorbet, much to the amusement of my husband. In sorbet as opposed to ice cream form, the intense dark chocolate is pure, unadulterated bliss.
Luckily, I discovered by chance that a pastry chef at Jean-Georges makes quite the exact replica. You can sit at the bar at Nougatine for an affordable treat as you people-watch and admire Central Park's greenery.
I also experimented with a home-made cherry “sorbet” for the lazy, no work involved! To create a fruity cold bon-bon, I take advantage of Summer's abundance of cherries and pop them in the freezer in a plastic baggie (don't forget to wash them first.)
My little “candies” are the perfect, melt-in-your mouth morsels to end a meal.
When shopping for ice cream to eat at home, I check the ingredients for a short, recognizable list. Be careful, even “all natural” brands such as Ben & Jerry's use high-fructose corn syrup in certain flavors.
Some of my stand-bys include Ciao Bella's coconut sorbet and Ronnybrook Farm Dairy from the Chelsea Market or other Green Markets.
New concoctions made with agave syrup (an unrefined sweetener preferable to sugar) and non-dairy milks are sprouting up too, although I have yet to find one anywhere near Normandy standards.
Please don't hesitate to share your favorite ice-cream discoveries. In the meantime, Bonne dégustation!
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