I have no idea what ice cream has to do with 90210, but the CW network has come up with a stunt to promote the revival of that icon of '90s teen dramas:
To promote its already much-hyped ZIP Code revival, The CW will give away 100,000 ice cream novelties over the Labor Day weekend. The network has hired ice cream trucks to drive around waterfront locations in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago to distribute the tasty treats.
The story at TV Week says there will likely be ice pops and "something from the chocolate family."
We'll be fine as long as there are no sideburn-shaped creamsicles.
The Boston Globetaste-tested six brands of vanilla ice cream: Edy's, Whole Foods' 365 Organic, Brigham's, Häagen-Dazs, Breyers, and Ben & Jerry's. No one brand was the clear winner but 365 Organic scored the lowest.
Mister Softee may not be the best soft serve you'll ever eat, but on a hot day, a cone full of creamy goodness may just be what you need. Young Yun captures the beauty of Mister Softee's chocolate-dipped and strawberry-dipped cones.
Here's a pop quiz from Mental Floss reminding us how much discontinued Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream flavors sound like MySpace band names. Or is it the other way around? Rumor has it Jerry himself only scored an eight out of ten on this tricky test. While "Apple Butter" might make a great autumnal flavor—mmm, cinnamon and roasted apple chunks—it's actually the name of an experimental rock group from Baton Rouge.
At the Museum of Science Boston last weekend, I tried Dippin' Dots for the first time in years. I used to eat them as a kid at sidewalk fairs and beach town boardwalks, usually paired with a towering cone of cotton candy and paper cup filled with fruit punch.
As far as I remembered, Dippin' Dots were only available in such "flavors" as rainbow and bubble gum. But evidently, times have changed. The museum cafeteria was serving tiny beads of chocolate chip cookie dough, Oreo, and Moose Tracks. According to the official Dippin' Dots website, that's just the beginning: there's also Tropical Tie Dye, raspberry sherbet, and no sugar-added fat free fudge.
We're over the Fro-Yo Wars. The real soldiers in the battle for frozen dessert affections make ice cream with real butterfat, not some mamby pamby imitation with ingredients you need a chemistry degree to pronounce.
With so many ice cream eating days here in sunny SoCal, it's no surprise that Los Angeles has some of the country's best ice cream shops—mixing unique, often unusual flavors. Start drooling after the jump.
Stephen Colbert must have read our post on Ben & Jerry's new Elton John-honoring Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road flavor. At first we didn't recognize the "brickle" part either, but Colbert made perfect sense of the word: "some sort of English treat made from candied lamb cartilage." Colbert demands an apt warning on his own flavor, Americone Dream, now that it will be produced and sold next to Sir Elton's brickle. "May contain traces of sequins." Watch the clip after the jump.
Step aside Phish Food, Cherry Garcia, and Dave Matthews Band Magic Brownies. There's another music-inspired Ben & Jerry's flavor on the scene: Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road, made of chocolate ice cream, peanut butter cookie dough, butter "brickle," and white chocolate chunks. Brickle, you ask? Besides the punny allusion to Sir Elton's 1970s album and song, the made-up word refers to a toffee-like brittle.
Sir Elton has visited all 49 states, and the missing 50th is Vermont—but not for long. In honor of his sold-out show on Monday, July 21, the local hippie ice cream heroes created this flavor, available at the Ben & Jerry's Vermont scoop shops between July 18 and July 25. All proceeds will benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
Friend of Serious Eats and Roadfooder Stephen Rushmore embarked on an insane 50-stop journey with two other Roadfooders, searching for the best ice cream in New England. They covered six states and hundreds of miles and came to some surprising conclusions. Stephen gave us the scoop on his incredible ice cream journey.
Oh, the crazy, tasty things kids do these days. Albany, New Zealand-based gelato maker James Oliver of Zest Gelato is only 22 years old, but his unconventional flavors are already making a mark. His bacon-and-egg-flavored ice cream won a silver medal at this year's New Zealand Ice Cream Awards, while his manuka honey gelato and his toasted coconut, lime, and mascarpone ice cream both grabbed golds. He also won a silver medal for his poached pear and blue cheese ice cream, which contains pears Oliver poaches himself and chunks of blue cheese. This is not your father's French vanilla. [via Coldmud]
Vanilla ice cream with pie is a classic combination, but why not try something different?
My three favorite words in the language of desserts are à la mode. In fact, I love ice cream so much that I frequently wish I could invert the formula, as in, "I'll have three giant scoops with a sliver of pie on top." But when it comes to the dizzying array of cakes, crumbles, and crostatas made from all sorts of ingredients—chocolate, coffee, fruit, nuts—why do we so often limit ourselves to crowning our sweets with dollops of plain old vanilla?
Don't get me wrong—I have nothing against vanilla ice cream. I just don't understand why it is the end all be all flavor for spooning over baked goods. There are so many other enticing, rich, and exciting options out there. Sure, vanilla is a classic pairing that won't interfere with, say, the lavender essence in your pound cake, or the toasted walnut crunch mounded inside your roasted apple, but it might not be your dessert's best compliment either.
I've spent the past week developing and compiling a small collection of recipes for à la mode alternatives—ice cream flavors that, while delicious enough to stand on their own, are even better when paired with tortes, brownies, and the like, because they enhance the dessert's primary flavors. Check out my recommendations after the jump.
With the dust still not settled on the strawberry ice cream issue, another ice cream controversy is a-brewing here at Serious Eats World HQ. This time it's a vanilla ice cream question that has us vexed.
Do the little black vanilla bean dots in certain brands of vanilla ice cream necessarily connote quality? In other words, are the vanilla ice creams with the black specks better than ones that are just plain vanilla (ha, ha)?
I think the answer is no. There are plenty of high-end vanilla extracts around that probably provide as much or more pure vanilla flavor than those little black specks. Certain serious eaters, who will remain nameless, swear by those little black specks. Once again I am calling upon serious eaters everywhere to settle this internecine dispute. What do you think: Do the specks make a difference?
Earlier this week, I took a class at the Brooklyn Kitchen called Ice Cream for Everyone, taught by Elise Maiberger. Basically, it was an introduction to the wonderful world of homemade ice cream making, from simple vanilla to vegan coconut.
In addition to four tasty scoops, each student also received a packet filled with recipes and useful information. I thought Elise's "Tips" page was such a great idea that I decided to make my own, which includes much of her indispensable advice. After the jump, read my top 10 ice cream making tips.
There’s nothing more exciting than a “best of” list from a national publication, probably written from a cubicle and based on surfing a few websites. People who actually live in the spotlighted regions perk up when an outsider chooses the best. Blogger Andrew Huff of Gapers Block, for example, was not a fan of Forbes Traveler's choice for best Chicago ice cream in a recent national round-up, and I am totally with him.
Writing about America’s best ice creams in the middle of summer is as journalistically unique as a story about Britney Spears gracing us with another crotch shot. But, geez, you figured Forbes could at least pony up and send a writer out to the Midwest who actually went beyond choosing an 80-year old soda fountain that Al Capone may or may not have patronized, as the best and only option from Chicago.
Margie’s Candies is certainly charming and the 25-scoop Royal George sundae could feed the entire pre-weight loss cast of The Biggest Loser. But the lure of Margie’s is way more about nostalgia and sundaes as big as Jay Leno’s head, and even in these categories, there are rivals. After the jump, find my guide to the best Chicago-area ice cream.
There's a fiery internal debate concerning strawberry ice cream going on here at Serious Eats World Headquarters that we'd like the Serious Eats community to settle. I am a huge fan of strawberry ice cream. When it's good, strawberry ice cream is as good as ice cream gets. That means it has an intense strawberry flavor, is magnificently creamy and smooth, and avoids the classic strawberry ice cream pitfall of having too many frozen chunks of not-very-sweet strawberry.
The other serious eaters in the office beg to differ.
A new bill passed by New York lawmakers will regulate the sale of ice-cream and sorbet containing wine, prohibiting sale to anyone under age 21 (although ice cream makers do not need a liquor license). Alcohol content must also be limited to 5 percent by volume, and warning labels must be placed on the product. If you're looking to get pleasantly buzzed, just know that you're gonna have to eat a lot: two gallons of wine ice-cream or one pint of wine sorbet are the equivalent to one glass. [via Gothamist]
Forbes Travelerhas compiled its list of America's best ice cream. For insight into the current ice cream trends in America, the magazine turns to David Lebovitz, author of The Perfect Scoop, who says he’s seen “an explosion of handcrafted ice cream and gelato places opening up that use fresh, pure ingredients." This is exactly the kind of explosion we like! Ed's already laid out his favorite ice cream "scooperies" in New York, after the jump Forbes' list of best ice cream around the country.
Ice cream sandwiches are the quintessential summertime treat—sweet, refreshing, and pre-rationed into eat-with-your fingers portions. While there are numerous versions of these icy treats available in supermarkets, they are simple and fun to make at home. Especially if you use Tovolo Ice Cream Sandwich Molds.
Photo blogger Rion Nakaya stumbled upon a unique gelato flavor while visiting Sainte-Maxime in France: Smurf, or Schtroumpf in French. I'm not sure I'd want to know what Smurf tastes like, but it's nice to know that the option exists in the form of neon blue gelato. Kind of.
Today is "Bump Day" at Baskin-Robbins. To celebrate soft serve, the latest addition to their menu, expectant mothers can enjoy a free cone at participating locations until 10pm. Just don't expect to be served for two—the give-away is limited to a kiddie-sized 3 oz.
You can grab yourself a free scoop of the Dazs's Vanilla Honey Bee flavor ice cream today between 4 and 8 p.m. at participating Häagen-Dazs locations. Find the nearest location here, but call ahead to check if your local shop is in on the free scoopage.
I love the pre-formed balls of ice cream in Andreea's photo from her weekend in Nice. And check out those awesome flavors: tomato basil, rosemary, and black olive, anyone? Read more about Andreea's trip in her blog, Glorious Food and Wine.
Many years ago, someone much wiser than I once told me, "If something's free, take it."* You might want to heed that advice tomorrow (April 29), as Ben & Jerry's does its annual Free Cone Day in celebration of its anniversary. You can find a participating Ben & Jerry's shop here.
* Other useful advice from that same person: "If there's a chair, siddown!"
Everyone—or everyone in New York, at least—has nutrition facts on the brain this week. The new city law forcing restaurants to post calorie counts has unwitting citizens balking at 480 calorie scones (Starbuck's), 1,590 calorie mango berry daiquiris (T.G.I. Friday's), and whopping 2,310 calorie Bloomin' Onions (Outback Steakhouse).
In an effort to prove that it is possible to savor, splurge, and indulge without sabotaging your waistline, I decided to share my top picks for low-calorie ice cream treats. Over the years I've become somewhat of a connoisseur. Because while it's important to me to fit into my skinny jeans, it's equally imperative not to skip dessert.
In celebration of its 30th birthday a few weeks ago Ben & Jerry's released Cake Batter ice cream. The flavor, which is a mixture of vanilla ice cream, yellow cake batter, and chocolate frosting, joins the ranks of more than 200 others the company has produced over the past three decades. From the simple (Strawberry,Butter Pecan,Chocolate Fudge Brownie) to the sensational (Bananas on the Rum,Pumpkin Cheesecake,Coconut Seven Layer Bar), there's no denying that Ben & Jerry's makes some great scoops. But I must admit, while I love ice cream, cake, and ice cream cake, I'm not a fan of cake ice cream.
Here is a food memory: I am ten years old. My best friend and I are standing at the take-out window of our local ice cream parlor. We are wearing matching jean skirts and Minnie Mouse T-shirts. We have both ordered cones of cookies 'n' cream. The waitress disappears and reemerges a few minutes later with a cone in each hand. The scoop on the right is encrusted with huge chunks of Oreos, like chocolate meteors. The scoop on the left has clearly come from the bottom of another barrel—it is mostly vanilla, dotted only here and there with crumbs.
My best friend and I begin to wiggle and squirm, bumping into each other as we vie for the better cone. At first I think I've got it. But she is taller than me—her arms are longer—and at the last second her fingers inch past mine and she snatches it from the befuddled waitress.
When I was little, my dad used to take me to the Museum of Science in Boston. Much to his chagrin, my favorite exhibit wasn't the Theater of Electricity, or the Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton, or even the baby chick hatchery. In fact, what I liked best wasn't even an exhibit at all—it was the gift shop, where they sold Astronaut Ice Cream.
It's been about twenty years now since I last had something freeze-dried for dessert. So when I stumbled across a website that sold the stuff for $2.50 a pop, I figured, why not?
When you're dieting, real treats are important. How do I define a real treat? Something that makes your eyes grow big as plates when you peel or unwrap it. Something crazy good that doesn't break the bank calorie-wise (less than 200 calories) and that doesn't send you into a guilt-induced food coma. Something creamy, crunchy, and delicious (for me it's something that's also chocolaty). Something substantial enough to savor through a full half-inning of the new baseball season.
A sweet-and-spicy though not very juicy Golden Nugget Mandarin orange, my current favorite citrus fruit, is delicious, wonderful even, but it's not a treat. A perfectly ripe banana with lots of light brown speckles on its skin is a beautiful thing, but it's not a treat. A small bag of lower fat baked potato chips doesn't qualify as a treat either, because although they might be perfectly fine, they're not the real thing, and I know exactly what I'm missing in every pleasant but not great bite.
Until last week I had never found a treat that fit all my criteria, until a plain white box was delivered to our door at Serious Eats that was literally the answer to my prayers.
I've never been a fan of American Idol. It always seemed like an ultra-glorified version of college a cappella to me. But then, perhaps I'm biased. I went to a small liberal arts school in New England, where it was practically impossible to walk across campus without being aurally assaulted by an all-vocal version of "Karma Chameleon". The show just raises so many questions: Why don’t the contestants get to sing original work? Why must they be under 30 years old? Why is Simon Cowell's chest so horrifyingly tan?
And now, why has Edy's/Dryer's created a line of American Idol ice creams?
This three-minute montage of ice cream and other frozen novelties melting into puddles of goo and resolidifying back into their original forms is oddly soothing. And saddening. I can't help but think, "Oh my god, I would've totally eaten that, prior to its transformation from solid to liquid, nooo!" every few seconds.
Witness the fleeting life of ice cream (when not in a freezer, that is), after the jump.
When it came to ice cream, I thought I had tried it all: gelato, sorbet, low-fat, super-premium, soft-serve, frozen yogurt, sherbet, scoops, cones, sandwiches, sundaes—the list goes on and on. But last week, for the first time in my life, I had spumoni.
I was blown away—it tasted like a cross between ice cream and Italian ice, with tiny bits of fruit and nuts mixed in. The cup I had, at Brooklyn's legendary L & B Spumoni Gardens, was a combination of chocolate, vanilla, and pistachio. After all that pizza I was only intending on eating a bite or two, but it was so delicious that I devoured the entire thing.
Because everyone likes bacon and there's no reason to restrict its intake to breakfast, ice cream expert David Lebovitz experimented by making candied bacon ice cream. Considering that the resulting smoky/salty/cinnamon-tinged dessert got a thumbs up from his butcher, it seems that his recipe was a success.
It's not real, folks. Just a nutty mock-up from Slate.
Last we told you, ice cream hippie overlords Ben & Jerry were endorsing Barack Obama and had created an actual flavor in his honor called "Cherries for Change."
Online magazine Slate was apparently not impressed with that name so it held a an Obama ice cream naming contest. So far Slate has endorsed Yes, Pecan as its front runner.
Not bad, but maybe Serious Eats can collaborate and one-up Slate? What would Hillary Clinton's ice cream be? What about John McCain's?
Posted by Lucy Baker, February 28, 2008 at 3:45 PM
In 1986, after much petitioning on behalf of schoolchildren, the corn muffin became the official state muffin of Massachusetts. Delaware claimed crab puffs, New Jersey invented salt water taffy, and Missouri is the home of Ozark pudding. Every state, it seems, has a handful of foods to call their own. Yet out of all fifty, not a single one has an official ice cream flavor.
Wandering through one of my local gourmet stores on my way to see my mother-in-law, Hilda, I spotted a pint of a Häagen-Dazs flavor I had been hearing about but had never seen. Vanilla Honey Bee is a new Häagen-Dazs flavor that comes complete with a cause (saving the honeybees from Colony Collapse Disorder) and a story (pollinating bees are responsible for way more than honey, as in (by some estimates) 33 percent of what we eat).
I quickly came up with a plan to serve three causes with one little pint of ice cream: Taste the new flavor, help save honeybees, and bring my mother-in-law a treat. I bought a pint of the Vanilla Honey Bee and a pint of Blue Moon Pear Ginger Sorbet, figuring I would make a mighty tasty creamsicle for her—she has developed a serious sweet tooth as she has gotten older.
Posted by Emily Koh, February 24, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Now you don't have to feel guilty about your late-night snacking. In fact, there are products made specifically for your midnight munchies—if you happen to live in Japan.
Morinaga/Eskimo is launching its new brand of premium ice cream for late night called Mayonaka no Zeitaku ("Midnight Indulgence").
With each cup clocking in around 140 calories, it's specifically targeted to the health-conscious woman who doesn't want to compromise her sweet cravings. (Morinaga/Eskimo's research shows that 43 percent of women between ages 20 and 40 eat ice cream around 11 p.m.) And if you want to get really elaborate, there's even a cute little "Midnight Story" illustrating that, yes, ice cream is exactly what you crave in the middle of the night (Japanese only). [via Japan Marketing News]
Posted by Lucy Baker, February 21, 2008 at 4:15 PM
Gelato from Otto
Recently, I had a great meal at Salt in the West Village. Even better than my wild salmon and braised fennel entrée was my dessert: upside-down pear cake with a scoop of homemade rosemary ice cream. It was fragrant, herbaceous, and creamy, with only a slight hint of sugar.
Dishes that blur the line between sweet and savory are all the rage in New York right now, from Tailor'sblack olive clafoutis to P*ong’sstilton soufflé. Mario Batiali's Otto serves an olive oil gelato that is simply out of this world. It’s got me thinking: how long before savory ice cream flavors hit supermarket shelves?
As if the Democratic race couldn’t get any feistier, our favorite tie dye-sportin’, cow-milkin’ Ben & Jerryjust got involved. They want Obama, and they've even created a “Cherries for Change” flavor in his honor. We ask—is it just Cherry Garcia with a label slapped over it? And how will lactose-intolerant voters react?
It may not be a real sundae, but looking at Kate's illustration of the anatomy of a banana split still makes me hungry. I'd triple the amount of whipped cream though. Check out more of Kate's artwork at Little Doodles.
Posted by Erin Zimmer, January 30, 2008 at 2:30 PM
The Illinois Primary will roll around on February 5, and among the candidates, Jim Oberweis (R-Sugar Grove) is getting an endorsement nod from the Tribune Editorial Board. The ice cream heir-turned-politician, who asserts that his namesake brand has the highest dairy fat content of any ice cream in the world, has clearly failed to incorporate enough frozen fattiness into past campaigns. He lost a gubernatorial race in 2006 and two Senate races, one in 2002 and 2004. Next week, Oberweis will be at it again, vying for Congress in the 14th district—hopefully with way more butterfat in hand. Who said ice cream can't buy votes?
After reading about Boots in the Oven's gastronomic adventure at the Fat Duck, the dish I wanted to try the most was the egg and bacon ice cream The restaurant's chef and owner Heston Blumenthal demonstrates how to make this dish on the Discovery Channel's Kitchen Chemistry. While no ice cream recipe would instruct you to curdle your eggs, he purposefully cooks the ice cream base at a higher temperature to intensify the eggy taste.
Wow, it turns out that people are as passionate about their local food as they are about their sports teams. There were many claims and counterclaims being made by Boston and New York food advocates on yesterday's post, so I thought it might clarify things if I broke down the comparison food group by food group, much the same way newspapers, magazines, sports radio shows, and talking heads on television break down a football team: offensive line vs. offensive line, linebackers vs. linebackers, quarterback vs. quarterback, coach vs coach, and so on.
Posted by Lucy Baker, January 14, 2008 at 11:30 AM
Going home for the holidays is always a nostalgic experience, especially when it comes to food. I spent a week at my parents’ house in Massachusetts, and the first thing I did after dropping my suitcase by the front door was head straight for the fridge—or more specifically, for the freezer. Every year, in anticipation of my brother’s and my arrival, my mother stocks up on all the ice cream flavors we loved as kids: Oreo-mint, cookie dough, chocolate-fudge brownie.
As I dug my spoon into a carton of Ben & Jerry’s (no bowl necessary), I tried to remember the first time I ever tasted ice cream. How old was I? What flavor was it? Was the ice cream store-bought or did we go out to a special shop like Friendly’s or the Newport Creamery?
While I couldn’t recall the specific moment my love of the sweet stuff was born, I did remember—quite vividly—an ice cream treat I adored as a kid. One I had forgotten about. One I hadn’t had in years: the Hoodsie.
As announced earlier this week, the Culinary Workers of Union Local 226, mostly Vegas casino and restaurant workers, endorsed Obama. Yet another foodandcampaign'08overlap. Beyond just thumbs-upping Obama, the union's secretary treasurer compared their choice to a Baskin Robbins trip: “Maybe you have a certain flavor you want. But you generally look around, don’t you? And you test a few.” Hm, better idea. How about ice cream just runs for president.
So the New Year may have inspired us to scale back on the bacon and amp up the spirulina dosage, but this time around, thanks to the marvels of plastic and thermodynamics, there’s less need to adjust our ice cream intake. Though REI calls this wondrous ball Camper’s Dream, it could be just about anybody’s dream: calories are burned as ice cream is made. You simply insert ice and salt in one cavity of the ball and an ice cream base, which may be as simple as cream mixed with sugar and flavoring, in the other; toss, shake or gently kick the ball around for 10 minutes or so, and enjoy deliciously guilt-reduced homemade ice cream. The balls come in two sizes—the regular ball makes about one pint of ice cream and the “Mega” size makes about a quart—and a range of different colors. Happy New Year, indeed.
About the author: Amanda Clarke is a recovering restaurant pastry chef with a background in architecture. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, where she writes, tests, and develops recipes and works on freelance food-styling gigs between walkings and feedings of her two dogs and husband.
Posted by Wan Yan Ling, December 24, 2007 at 10:00 AM
Editor's note: Wan Yan Ling, aka the Grocery Ninja, is in Asia over winter break. She checks in with a Snapshots from Asia piece filed from the sweltering heat of Singapore.
You often hear about turf wars in relation to street gangs, but here in sweltering Singapore, turf wars are fought by geriatric ice cream men jostling for favorable positions along busy streets. These men show up on motorbikes with dry-ice-filled metal carts attached, staking their claims on prime real estate. With a giant umbrella for shelter from the relentless heat, they display their wares—airtight containers to keep sugar cones and wafers crisp despite the island's 99 percent humidity, loaves of cottony, rainbow-hued bread, and little Dixie cups—as well as a menacing butcher's knife and plastic chopping board.
Aside from the usual Neapolitan flavors, local favorites include honeydew, mango, durian, sweet corn, and taro, a potential headache for the indecisive solved by opting for the "everything" flavor, where all the flavors are mixed (much like a tropical tutti-frutti but tasting, really, of watered-down durian—testament to the king of fruit's pervasiveness).
David Lebovitz discovered the easiest chocolate and banana ice cream recipe ever by accident while developing recipes for a liquor company. You don't even need an ice cream machine; the alcohol keeps the ice cream from freezing too hard. Don't miss his banana peeling instructions that come after the recipe.
There is an ice cream shop en route to the elementary school I used to attend called the Bubbling Brook. We used to stop there on many an afternoon, the entire carpool spilling out of the minivan to line up for what "The Bub" did best: rainbow sherbet (heavy on the raspberry), or a chocolate-vanilla twist with chocolate dip, which inevitably cracked and dripped down faces and shirts and onto leather-upholstered backseats. But the Bub was a seasonal place, and I can still taste the bitterness of the disappointment—just as clearly as I can the sweetness of that sherbert—of the day when we drove by only to find that it had closed for the winter, the windows through which the ice cream passed firmly shuttered against the long, cold months ahead.
I'm more of a mocha-chip girl these days, but I still feel a little twinge of sadness around this time of year at the sight of so many shops shutting down until spring. When it comes to ice cream, why must we be fair-weather friends? Surely I'm not the only one who would splurge on a cone on a snowy day or stop in for a pint to eat later, under the covers with a mug of hot chocolate. And think of all the missed seasonal flavor opportunities: cranberry-gingersnap or kumquat-eggnog swirl.
The above photo is not photoshopped—it really is a bowl of ramen topped with soft serve ice cream, cones and all. I love ramen and I love soft serve ice cream, but methinks the combination of the two would not placate my rumbling belly. Japan it UP! has more details about the ramen shop, which also offers yogurt ramen, hot cocoa ramen and coffee ramen.
Posted by Adam Kuban, October 10, 2007 at 11:45 AM
Because we're oddly fascinated by ice pops here at Serious Eats, and in the interest of keeping you abreast of what's going on in the frozen-treat sector, we present you with this Bratz concoction:
Never before have vapid gumball eyes been more appropriate in a Popsicle context. The backside, after the jump.
If you don't agree with today's Beaver and Steve comic strip declaring ice cream as the best thing ever (come on, you know it's true), beware of the Lobster of Contempt that may be summoned to punish you and your foolish opinion. My manifestation of contempt would totally kick your ass if you told me you preferred steamed broccoli to the sweet, creamy wonder that is ice cream.
Check out the rest of Beaver and Steve's adventures, which are as random and funny as you would expect coming out of a friendship between a beaver and a reptile.
I'm so glad Robyn is going to be back in the office tomorrow so she can find good Photos of the Day. I'm spotty at best and just end up teasing Robyn by posting photos from her own Flickr account.
Past the jump, a bonus PotD.
[Note to Robyn: DO NOT CLICK PAST THE JUMP. You will ruin the surprise we have for you here at the office.]
Everyone has, or at least needs, at least one truly local favorite joint in their lives, a go-to place for real, honest food served in a straightforward setting. I have a bunch of them in New York City, and I live and long to discover them elsewhere. Sometimes all it takes to discover a local favorite is friends who live in proximity to one of these gems. Our friends Tom and Vicky Kaiser have a house in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts, a shore town an hour or so from Boston that's just north of New Bedford, and they turned me on to the Oxford Creamery, a truly undiscovered and unhyped local fave.
Just how under the radar is the Oxford Creamery? Jane and Michael Stern, my friends over at Roadfood, live less than two and a half hours from the Oxford Creamery, and they have written nary a word about it. There are two books dedicated to seafood shacks, The New England Clam Shack Cookbook and New England's Favorite Seafood Shacks, and neither mentions the Oxford Creamery.
Just what is there to discover at the Oxford Creamery?
From left: Häagen-Dazs's pomegranate ice cream bar and the one from Sheer Bliss.
It's the Ice Cream Bar Fights coming to you from Serious Eats world headquarters. Today's battle is between two heavyweights:
In the near corner, weighing 3 ounces and measuring 3 3/8 inches tall, 2 inches wide, and 7/8 inches thick, from Oakland, California., Häagen-Dazs Pomegranate Dark Chocolate Ice Cream Bar.
In the far corner, weighing 3 ounces and measuring 3 1/4 inches tall, 2 inches wide, and 7/8 inches thick, from Hallandale, Florida, Sheer Bliss Pomegranate Bar Dipped in Rich Dark Chocolate.
At a time when a heat wave is sweeping parts of the country, it's only natural that our thoughts would turn to ice cream. And, being the consummate guide to American noshery that it is, Ian Jackman's Eat This! naturally has a chapter on the stuff. Also along for the ride in the ice cream chapter is candy—the two just go so well together, no? After the jump, Jackman's ice cream and candy picks.
As is always the case with our Cook the Book feature, we've got some of these bad boys to give away. Details here.
The original Hartsdale, New York, location of the Northeast-based ice cream franchise Carvel is closing after 71 years of operation to make way for a retail mall due to the waning hunger for ice cream from local residents. Even if you've never been to a Carvel shop, you've probably reaped the rewards of founder Tom Carvel's advancements in the field of ice cream technology, as he invented the soft-serve ice cream machine. All Cookie Pusses around the world hang their vanilla and chocolate ice cream–layered heads in sorrow.
Wait—you don't know who Cookie Puss is? Read the full story about this ice cream wonder, a "celestial person" in the shape of an upside-down hot air balloon with an ice cream cone for a nose. Watch his amazing ability for interstellar travel in this Carvel commercial from 1982:
When I tell my friends that I spent my weekend making ice cream (which has so far happened five times this summer), they usually comment with something like, "Oh, that sounds cool. I'd like to do that, but I don't have an ice cream machine."
Well...that's no excuse.David Lebovitz's post about making ice cream without a machine should instill confidence in those who want to make ice cream but who only have a bowl and spatula on hand. The manual method takes more attention, labor, and time (2 to 3 hours) than just popping the ice cream base into a machine, but as dddg commented on David's post, at least you'll burn some calories before digging into a bowl of sweet, fatty, dairy-filled goodness.
Häagen-Dazs vs. Ben & Jerry's—it's the ice cream battle of our time. It's like the Yankees vs. the Red Sox, Ali vs. Liston, or the Knicks vs. the Heat in the old days. There's plenty of bad blood—or should I say curdled cream?—between them. Older ice cream eaters might remember that in 1984 Häagen-Dazs tried to limit distribution of Ben & Jerry’s in Boston, prompting Ben & Jerry’s to file suit against Häagen-Dazs's parent company, Pillsbury, in its now famous “What’s the Doughboy Afraid Of?” campaign.
Every ice cream lover I know chooses sides in this war, and make no mistake about it, this is a battle royale. Who you pick says a lot about who you are and comes perilously close to making a fashion statement. This choice is most assuredly a value and values judgment.
So pick your pleasure. Are you down with Häagen-Dazs or Ben & Jerry's? Life's full of tough choices, and this is certainly one of them.
To help you, we're going to supply a little background info on each. At Serious Eats, an educated consumer is our most important product.
Is it just me or are the vapid red eyes of La Mariposa's Pink Panther ice pop somewhat hypnotizing? Yes, yes, I do believe that they're speaking to me...
Wait, what's that? [cups hand around ear] You want me to destroy all other ice pops so that only the Pink Panther variety may reign supreme in the vast world of frozen treats? And you want me to obliterate the competition by eating each single-serving treat one by one? OK, I'll get right on that, oh sweet and creamy master.
It's July and serious eaters' gustatory thoughts turn to ice cream. Every city has its creamy delights, its "drips-run-down-the-side-of-your-face" pleasures, and here at Serious Eats we have decided to explore the ice cream culture of every state and city we can, in the US and beyond. Today we explore the Eternal City, Rome. We have been inspired to do so by a enlightening (hey, it is the Eternal City) story in the New York Post by David Appell. I like his fundamental premise: "Partly because of its size, the Eternal City has some of the finest gelaterie on the planet. Unfortunately (and any New York City bagel lover can understand this) there are plenty of hacks gelato serving gelato-ish--bluntly, people who don't know from it." Sounds like Appell subscribes to the Serious Eats mantra: Passionate, Discerning, Inclusive
Appell's Top Five:
Giolitti: 107-year-old original location near the Pantheon, Belle Epoque setting with lots of marble and mirrors; his favorites: gianduia, chocolate, semi-freddo ai torroncino (runny pink ice cream cake), Via Uffici del Vicario 40, one other location
Al Settimo Gelo (Seventh Gelato Heaven) NE of the Vatican in the Prati neighborhood near Piazza Mazzini, very friendly service; Appell's favorites: a la Barolo, cardamon, "Iranian" (cream with rosewater, saffron, and pistachio) Via Vodice 21/A
Gelarmony: vaulted space also in Prati; Sicilian orientation; Appell's picks: cannoli, cassata (ricotta/candied fruit), profumi di Sicilia (jasmine), vitamine dell'Etra(orange, lemon, and grapefruit). Get your ice cream on a brioche. It's what Sicilians do. Via Marcantonio Colonna 34, one other location
Alla Scala: located in a small piazza across from the baroque Santa Maria della Scala church in the Trastavere neighborhood; Appell's picks: pear, pineapple, kiwi, banana, fragola (strawberry), or frutti di bosco (forest berries). Via della Scala 51
San Crispino: Two blocks from the Trevi Fountain; Appells favs: Vahlrona cocoa, the zabaione (Custard made with reserve Marsala) and the house San Crispino--cream subtly sweetened with honey. Appell's complaints: you can't window shop (the bins have lids), don't ask for a sample (not gonna happen) and don't think of sitting down (you can't). San Crispino is my personal fave in Rome, but Appell is spot on when it comes to the place's attitude. But I had a grapefruit ice cream there that I still remember every lick of. Via della Panetteria 42, two other locations.
In his series of videos about life in Japan, Kevin Cooney takes us on a stomach churning tasting tour of Namjatown'sIce Cream City. What could be so bad about a city of ice cream, certainly one of the best things to have ever been concocted by humans? This city may contain the flavors of your dreams, but it also contains the flavors of your nightmares. Twisted nightmares at that, mostly featuring sea life. Observe:
[video contains some strong language]
Here are some choice quotes if you don't want to watch the nine and a half minute video in its entirety:
Octopus: "Oh my god. Oh. Oh my god, this is horrible. It's a sucker. There's an actual sucker..."
Squid: "That is the most aquatic ice cream I've ever had in my life."
Shark Fin Ramen: "I think whoever decided to make shark fin ice cream should also be put to death for crimes against my mouth."
Saury: "It's in fact chocolate and fish, together at last, fish and chocolate. Fish and chocolate. Peanut butter and chocolate—I can get that, can wrap my mind around that—but fish and chocolate...god, why?"
After tasting the last ice cream he breaks down and gives the impression that he's about to die. I think a strong message here is that sea life and ice cream don't mix well.
If Kevin's expressions of nausea amuse you (they sure amused me), be sure to watch part 2 of the ice cream horror where he painfully digs into octopus, curry, and snake flavored ice creams. [via TV in Japan]
This beautiful, glimmering hot-pink watermelon ice cream treat is superlocal's favorite popsicle. Sadly, it might only be available in Korea. I wonder if it tastes as magical as it looks.
Leche merengada, or meringued milk, is a frozen cinnamon and lemon flavored meringue from Spain. It can also serve as a beverage if you prefer not to freeze it. As as I'm not going to Spain anytime soon, I'll definitely try David Lebovitz's simple recipe from The Perfect Scoop.
For some reason, sherbet was something I only sparingly ate as a kid, usually in the flavor "rainbow" (a random mixture of artificial flavors that somewhat resembles real fruit, but not too closely or else kids wouldn't like it) and colored with fluorescent pink, green, and orange. I'm going to attempt to make Davi
The Boston Globe 
Stephen Colbert must have 
Step aside Phish Food, Cherry Garcia, and Dave Matthews Band Magic Brownies. There's another music-inspired Ben & Jerry's flavor on the scene: Elton John's 
With the dust still not settled on 
A new bill passed by New York lawmakers will regulate the sale of ice-cream and sorbet containing wine, prohibiting sale to anyone under age 21 (although ice cream makers 
Forbes Traveler 
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You can grab yourself a free scoop of the Dazs's Vanilla Honey Bee flavor ice cream today between 4 and 8 p.m. at participating Häagen-Dazs locations. 
Everyone—or everyone in New York, at least—has nutrition facts on the brain this week. The new city law forcing restaurants to post calorie counts has unwitting citizens balking at 480 calorie scones (
In celebration of its 30th birthday a few weeks ago 
Here is a food memory: I am ten years old. My best friend and I are standing at the take-out window of our local ice cream parlor. We are wearing matching jean skirts and Minnie Mouse T-shirts. We have both ordered cones of cookies 'n' cream. The waitress disappears and reemerges a few minutes later with a cone in each hand. The scoop on the right is encrusted with huge chunks of 
When I was little, my dad used to take me to the 
When you're dieting, real treats are important. How do I define a real treat? Something that makes your eyes grow big as plates when you peel or unwrap it. Something crazy good that doesn't break the bank calorie-wise (less than 200 calories) and that doesn't send you into a guilt-induced food coma. Something creamy, crunchy, and delicious (for me it's something that's also chocolaty). Something substantial enough to savor through a full half-inning of the new baseball season. 
I've never been a fan of 
Now you don't have to feel guilty about your late-night snacking. In fact, there are products made specifically for your midnight munchies—if you happen to live in Japan.
As if the Democratic race couldn’t get any feistier, our favorite tie dye-sportin’, cow-milkin’ Ben & Jerry 
The 
As announced earlier this week, the 
So the New Year may have inspired us to scale back on the bacon and amp up the spirulina dosage, but this time around, thanks to the marvels of plastic and thermodynamics, there’s less need to adjust our ice cream intake. Though REI calls this wondrous ball 
There is an ice cream shop en route to the elementary school I used to attend called the 
naturally has a chapter on the stuff. Also along for the ride in the ice cream chapter is candy—the two just go so well together, no? After the jump, Jackman's ice cream and candy picks.
The original Hartsdale, New York, location of the Northeast-based ice cream franchise 
When I tell my friends that I spent my weekend making ice cream (which has so far happened five times this summer), they usually comment with something like, "Oh, that sounds cool. I'd like to do that, but I don't have an ice cream machine."
