On ice cream.

[mrissa]

It's a good thing my mom is not the sort of mom who goes through her kid's garbage, because she's coming here today, and with five ice cream eaters, we finished off four ice cream containers last night. All of them mostly empty to begin with; nobody ate embarrassing amounts of ice cream. But it still looks pretty impressive piled up there in the trash. Blood orange sorbet, lemon sorbet, caramel ice cream, and chocolate peanut butter ice cream.

My freezer has a bit more room in it just now.

It still has several varieties of ice cream in it, too. (Well, I'm not baking as much as I do when I have more energy, and I still want to be able to offer dessert, so....)

I also seem to have convinced Roo's other aunties that if they eat up his favorite pink ice cream (favorite at Auntie Mrissa's house, at least), I know where to buy more. This is good. Aunties should be able to enjoy their sorbet without feeling like they'll make the Robin sad.

I am worried about a great many things today/this week, and thinking about a great many more without worry. Maybe you'll even hear about some of them later today. For now, though, ice cream. Nobody is worried about ice cream! What are your favorite ice creams? What makes for a good ice cream? Or do you just not get what the fuss is about ice cream?

Comments

[redbird]

I can't seem to get my favorites--the cinnamon vanilla from Peter's on Atlantic Avenue (now out of business), Ben and Jerry's chocolate orange. On the other hand, Toscanini's blueberry and the canteloupe and the orange from Maple Delight are fine things.

Locally, I'm fond of Ben and Jerry's vanilla and their chocolate, and have a weakness for Breyer's peach.

Maybe I should get that ice cream maker cattitude and I were talking about after visiting papersky and family.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I used to like the chocolate orange gelato at Mondo Gelato in Berkeley. I'll bet I still do, but somehow I don't get there as often now that it's more than a BART ride away.

Sebastian Joe's (local place) does a very good blueberry, too. Also they do blueberry sorbet and blueberry mint sorbet, which are different kinds of nice.

[dreadmouse.livejournal.com]

Any combination of chocolate and mint is tastebud heaven. Mind you, if it was possible to smoke or snort a Junior Mint I would, so I may be biased.

[buymeaclue.livejournal.com]

Yes. Very, very yes.

[miz-hatbox.livejournal.com]

Heh. I'm with you on that one.

Do you remember the peppermint ice cream at Howard Johnsons restaurants as being good or bad? My childhood memory is that it was really good, with bits of hard mint candy mixed in. But now that I am an adult I have never found any peppermint ice cream that matches the memory (it never has a strong enough flavor, or hard candy bits), so I don't know whether HJ was really good or whether I'm misremembering.

Mint chocolate chip sort of comes close, but it's not quite the same.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

You want McConnell's pink peppermint ice cream with crushed peppermint swirled into it. It's available in some grocery stores:

http://www.mcconnells.com/

[skylarker.livejournal.com]

Mint Chip is a long-time favorite of mine, along with Cherry Nut (with big chunks of cherries and walnuts therein.)

[ckd]

I often walk past the Junior Mint factory here in Cambridge. It's an olfactory treat to cut past the back of the building when they're producing; you get the chocolate and mint smells as you walk past the respective exhaust ducts....

Also, we have good ice cream around here. There's a Toscanini's about a block away from the Junior Mint factory, for just one.

[dreadmouse.livejournal.com]

Oh God, I'd never leave! They'd find my body curled up under the biggest vent, the stain of evaporated drool marking the lake which used to be.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

You should try Fazermints. Finnish mint candies. Bring down the tsar with chocolatey goodness!

[pariyal.livejournal.com]

Ooh, mint ice cream. I know two places in the Netherlands that have it, one on the other side of the country and one forty minutes away by train; I've been known to take my girls to the latter to get some. I can make my own when B goes to Brussels (he does that once a month for study) and brings mint syrup, but it's just not the same. What is it that makes Dutch people not like mint ice cream enough to keep it in the shops?

[buymeaclue.livejournal.com]

I haven't been able to get too excited about ice cream, lately.

But I tend to prefer it be ice-y rather than creamy.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Sorbets?

[buymeaclue.livejournal.com]

Breyers instead of Dean.

Well, or fancy ice cream instead of either, and I'm enough of an ice cream snob (when I feel like ice cream) that for myself, I'll mostly buy the good stuff. But I do love me some Breyers fudge ripple.

(This was a great source of contention at home. It took me _years_ [I do not exaggerate] to convince my dad to buy _chocolate_ ice cream, and then he insisted on buying this Dean's stuff that was disgusting, all goopy and gross. "No one else likes your ice cream," he would say. But then I would go out and buy my own ice cream instead of putting it on the list--and it would mysteriously vanish almost instantly. "If no one else likes my ice cream," I would ask, "why do they keep eating it?")

But yes, sorbets, please.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I don't know Dean, I'm afraid.

Good chocolate ice cream is rare and difficult but definitely worth the time/energy if you can get it.

If you're in town visiting your sister again and feel like going out, we will take you to Sebastian Joe's for sorbet, and happiness will almost certainly ensue.

[wilfulcait.livejournal.com]

Of grocery store ice cream, dulce de leche, and banana on the rare occasions one can find it.

Of ice-cream store ice cream, in the fabled land that is Cambridge, chocolate sherry, malted chocolate, sweet cream, and ginger.

Of home-made ice cream, peach.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

We have a regular grocery store source of banana. It's very good, especially with hot fudge.

[zalena.livejournal.com]

I love extremely creamy high fat icecream. Haagen Dazs is always a good bet. My favorite flavors are strawberry and pistachio, though I like other flavors, too. When it gets really hot, I eat mostly sorbet, because the cream feels too heavy. Ex used to make this thing out of frozen whipped cream and candied fruit that was very good, but I think I'll let that one slip into the past.

The thing about ice cream, and any simple pleasure, is that it can serve as solace or distraction from those things that are more complicated about the human experience.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Is strawberry sorbet a warm-weather favorite, or do you have some other sorbet you like better?

[zalena.livejournal.com]

Strawberry sorbet is good, but I LOVE mango sorbet.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty fond of mango sorbet, too. And passion fruit. Love the passion fruit.

[miz-hatbox.livejournal.com]

Oh, ice cream is one of those foods I have a hard time resisting, so I generally avoid it because I love it so much. I like ice cream with bits of things mixed in, or interesting flavors done well. Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia is a big favorite, but I also like nonstandard ice creams like green tea or candied ginger. (I think if someone ever made a chocolate chip/candied ginger ice cream I probably would probably become addicted.)

There was a place in Issaquah called Farfar's that burnt down a couple of winters ago. Farfar's (Danish for grandfather, iirc) had a super-rich Danish sweet cream base on which they based their flavors, but the cool thing was that the owners were an Asian couple who also included Asian-influenced flavors like red bean, ginger, or durian. (You couldn't get a durian cone; it was only sold by the quart so the smell wouldn't contaminate other ice creams in the showcase. I was never brave enough to try it, but I understand it had a devoted following). The mandarin orange/chocolate chocolate chip was a big favorite. (and they were right down the street from our favorite Chinese restaurant, which made them very very convenient)

There is a gelato place near Pike Place market that every so often has really unusual flavors--I once had a black-pepper gelato there, and another time a cucumber flavor. The cucumber flavor tasted like almost like honeydew melon--very light and refreshing. I don't know how to explain the black-pepper flavor--it was obviously a vanilla base with an infusion, so you wound up with all the aromatic "pepper" flavor but no sharpness. That was good.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I like Stuff In, too. Chunks are good. Not the only form of goodness, but definitely good.

Yes, Farfar is how Scando languages say "paternal grandfather." My dad is the dog's Morfar.

I know just where I'd take you for ice cream if you were in the Cities, except that there's more than one option. Ohhhh, so much good ice cream.

[miz-hatbox.livejournal.com]

Heh. If I ever go to the Cities (not entirely outside the realm of possibility; I have college friends there) we will have to go for ice cream. Yay ice cream!

[zalena.livejournal.com]

This reminds me about the Chinatown Icecream Company in New York. They had lychee nut icecream that I really miss.

[miz-hatbox.livejournal.com]

I remember them! I remember the lychee ice cream... and the ginger ice cream...the coconut fudge ice cream... Oh, so good.

Did you used to live in New York? If so, where? (I lived right on the cusp between Brighton Beach and Coney Island)

[zalena.livejournal.com]

Manhattan on the corner of 90th & 3rd.

[scottjames.livejournal.com]

Any combination of chocolate and raspberry ranks among the elite of flavor combinations. The "Dreamery" brand of chocolate with black raspberry (I forget the precise name) is most, most excellent. For store-bought ice cream.

And, of course, I was a big fan of Ben & Jerry's Peanut Butter and Jelly ice cream--but I think I was the only fan, because I have not seen it in years.

Or chocolate sorbet. That's good stuff. Like eating a frozen brownie.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

When you two come to visit, we'll take you to Sebastian Joe's for their raspberry chocolate chip, or if they have it their Bailey's raspberry chocolate chip. Or else to Bridgeman's for their raspberry fudge torte sundae. Or else you can describe for me what Liz likes in ice cream and I can spoil her at your expense if it's different.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

After I became lactose-intolerant, most ice cream started tasting thick and milky and icky to me, which is a pretty good illustration of what your brain does for foods that cause bad reactions. I did discover Breyer's lactose-free ice cream, and sometimes have a container of that in the freezer, although it's not as OMG WONDERFUL as ice cream used to be.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

If I became lactose-intolerant -- well, a lot would have to change, because I get a lot of my calories from dairy. (I drink three glasses of milk a day, and I'm not a big eater.) But one of the first things I'd do is start eating boysenberry sorbet with dark chocolate chips on it as a favorite dessert instead of an occasional dessert.

Because it's pretty awesome.

[greykev.livejournal.com]

I grew up loving tin roof sunday, but have not seen it for lo these several years since I left Omaha. Anymore I buy the best quality vanilla (authentic flavor with bits of bean-in) I can find and doctor it up to suit my mood. I am hoarding a lovely chocolate-raspberry sauce I got at a healthfood store in Emporia. I will be sorry to finish it. I'm a fan of strange (to me) flavors, (ala eggnog gelato) and enjoy the consistancy of gritty home-made icecream from a crank bucket.

Urg. The back of my mind just piped up that ginger-molasses-cloves might taste good today. Silly brain, no ice cream for you.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I believe Bridgeman's has tin roof sundae, so next time you're up, we can see.

I like doctoring vanilla, too, though.

I had almost forgotten the eggnog gelato. Sigh.

Ginger-molasses-cloves says to me, "Bake raisin cookies! Bake Guinness gingerbread!" Which I will likely not do today, but I might.

[(Anonymous)]

What's wrong with eggnog? (aside from potential salmonella) I grew up with my brother's (virgin) eggnog as a central part of holiday foods, as much as the little plates of Hershey bars and new year's pudding.

Do you think raisins go well in ice cream? I think they'd get tough and chewey. Maybe a crushed raisin ribbon...

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Dear anonymous commenter:

Eggnog is extremely, extremely rich. So is gelato. For me, this is a problem.

I do think raisins would get tough and chewy, unless you had the ice cream at the precise right temperature. And I would go with pureed rather than crushed raisins, in a ribbon.

[aquaeri.livejournal.com]

One of my favourite flavours, when it's available, is rum-n-raisin. So you could probably add whole raisins if you'd soaked them in alcohol first.

[palinade.livejournal.com]

I am partial to Ben & Jerry's, Hagen Daz, or other smaller dense ice creams. I had a Dove bar once and I think it burned out a few brain cells, it was that rich.

Current favorite flavors: B&J's Blueberry cheesecake (I found it only in VT a handful of years ago), Karmel Sutra. I also really like Rocky Road, but haven't found the perfect one yet.

[laurel]

Growing up I never much cared for any desserts all that much-- save for ice cream. I've learned to like other sweets since then (probably shouldn't have!), but ice cream is still a favorite.

Sonny's blood orange sorbet is one of my absolute favorites right now and it's dangerous that Crema is just up the street from us. Dangerous, I tell you!

I've been pretty good about not indulging of late, but boy is it hard with Sebastian Joe's and Crema around.

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

McConnell's. A local store in Santa Barbara, but they also sell pints in selected grocery stores. All the ingredients are natural, some flavors are seasonal, and they're all delicious. My favorites are peppermint stick, Bordeaux strawberry (with strawberry chunks), ELberta peach, blueberry, macadamia nut (mild, slightly salty caramel-based ice cream with large and plentiful chunks of macadamia), island coconut, and cinnamon.

http://www.mcconnells.com/

[matastas.livejournal.com]

I just want more cloudberries.

Well. I want ice cream too, but hey.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

You know where we live.

[seagrit.livejournal.com]

Sadly, I haven't been wanting sweet stuff lately (still!), but before, my favorite regular ice cream purchase was a chocolate rainbow variety. Mmmm, five different flavors of chocolate (none of them mint or coffee types) laid next to each other like neopolitan flavors. And one of them was white chocolate flavor!

On an unrelated dessert note, I had the most wonderful apple dumplings last night. Kellogsville Christian School made them, I bought and baked them, and our dinnerguests (and ourselves) really enjoyed them.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

I have never heard of chocolate rainbow ice cream, but it sounds outstanding.

[kythiaranos.livejournal.com]

Ice cream is good. The hubby bought some mint chocolate chip this weekend when he went grocery shopping, but I've been putting off eating it because of my cold. The Little Guy loves ice cream--as far as he'd concerned, everything we eat that comes in a bowl is one of two things: ice cream, or cereal. Sweet stuff being ice cream, of course, and anything remotely nutritious is cereal. He's at the moochy-little-bird stage, and hangs around with his mouth open, peeping, whenever someone's eating. Maybe I'll lose some weight, since he's eating his own meals and a quarter of everything on my plate.

[windcedar.livejournal.com]

Yay for ice cream! I love the mint and grated chocolate kind, though around here they only seem to sell the mint and chocolate chip ice cream, which I do like, but am not as addicted to fond of. I suppose I could grate the chocolate and add it myself. *too lazy* :)

[mkille.livejournal.com]

I had a maple ice cream milkshake recently, and I'd be happy to have that again. Ginger ice cream, yum. Generally I don't like ice cream with big chunks of fruit in it, but I like fruit ice creams, and I like ice cream with big chunks of other things (chocolate, gumballs, candy, etc.). I much prefer "creamy" ice cream to either hard hard or soft serve.

[(Anonymous)]

No one has listed my personal favorite: rum cherry. There are others that are good, but this is by far my favorite. For store bought ice cream, I really like Java Chip from Starbucks and Breyer's mint chip (I think the common theme here is very dark chocolate chips).

Heathah

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Yah, very dark chocolate chips are good. This is why I keep Ghirardelli chips in the house to doctor otherwise-good flavors of ice cream.