Defining Gelato

Gelato recipes usually include more egg yolks, more milk and less cream. Technically, the difference between ice cream and gelato comes down to the amount of fat and air. Ice cream tends to have more of each: It contains at least 8 percent butterfat. Ice cream makers then aerate the mixture as it freezes, adding 10 to 25 percent volume to the mix. Gelato typically begins as a custard base of eggs and milk or cream. But these days, many gelaterias use stabilizers to mimic that custardy texture. Gelato contains anywhere from 3 to 10 percent butterfat and very little air, making it denser.

Defining Sorbet

Sorbets are frozen concoctions that are all about fruit. They depend only on sugar, lemon juice and fresh fruit for flavor.  Everyone loves sorbet.  Everyone.

Liquid, Gas, and Solid

"The truth is, ice cream is really hard to screw up."

And so began the in-store demonstration by Ben Van Leeuwen, co-founder of Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream.  If you are not familiar with their product I urge you to pick up a pint at Whole Foods today.  Van Leeuwen's products are everything you want an ice cream to be: startlingly simple with the kind of taste that transports your soul to a happier place.  Was that description rather dramatic?  Yeah, sure.  But am I joking?  Nuh-uh.  

Those of us in NYC are lucky enough to be able to get scoops at the various Van Leeuwen's trucks parked around the city.  This ain't no Mr. Softee.  And thank goodness for that.  

Along with Ben's brother and wife, the trio Van Leeuwen thought it would be a good thing if a truck served organic ice cream that used local ingredients.  After realizing there was nothing out there that met that criteria, they started producing the treats themselves.  That was a year ago.  Now the egg custard colored trucks can be found all around town including Soho and Union Square.

The reason behind food philosophies is often as simple as it is successful.  When I was barely out of my teens, I asked Patricia Curtain, long time cook at and illustrator of several Chez Panisse cookbooks, why you have to use unsalted butter when making a pie crust if you just going to add salt to the dough later.  "Because it tastes better," was her reply.

You really can't argue with that.

Ben Van Leeuwen has this same straight forward, "no duh," approach to his craft.  He stressed that it is imperative to use the best ingredients because with ice cream because you really aren't doing much to alter what you started with.  BVL (he didn't say I could call him that but it just feels right), is passionate about doing what is right for the sake of good. 

On the night of this class at The Brooklyn Kitchen, he happily shared with us his opinions about the best chocolate (Michel Cluizel), the best pistachios (from Bronte, Sicily) in addition to the different methods of drying vanilla, the ideal ratios of fruit to butter fat, and the dreadful, common employ of artificial stabilizers in mainstream ice cream production.  

Some of Ben's more memorable quotes:

• In regards to letting the eggs in one's custard cook - "It's awful.  It's just horrible.  Don't let it happen."
• When asked about making coffee ice cream - "Use really good freeze dried coffee.  Sorry.  It's pretty unromantic."
• "Nut oils can do weird things."
• About sourcing new ingredients - "I didn't find anything, anything awesome."

I'm pretty sure a new-thought religion could be based on that last one - if it's not awesome, why bother?

So, what did I learn?

• Both chocolate and vanilla are originally from Mexico.
  
• I should be using a double boiler to make custard (egg are less likely to cook/clot)
  
• Cool your custard in an ice bath
• I should be experimenting with duck eggs
• Breyer's adds vanilla wood pulp to their ice cream to give it an handmade look
• Natural vanilla has 350 flavor components (wow!)
  
• Ice cream is liquid, gas, and solid - water is the solid, cream is the liquid (lower freezing point than water), and the gas is the air infused through the custard by way of churning.  

Someone asked BVL what was the weirdest flavor he'd ever made and the answer was Szechwan pepper (infuse custard with 1 tablespoon of the peppercorns) - I will definitely be trying this in the next few weeks.  I told him I had bought kaffir lime leaves and thought maybe a sherbet or a sorbet?  Maybe a syrup?  "Definitely a sorbet.  And those leaves aren't like bay leaves.  You could put some in there."  Um, okay, cool!

During the evening's demonstration, Ben made two flavors of ice cream: chocolate and earl grey tea.  And, this is really exciting, we got to taste a flavor he currently is experimenting with - green tea.  We were sent home with a half pint of our choice to freeze up at home.  I took the earl grey and let me tell you, this stuff reigns supreme.  Thanks, Ben!

Defining Granita

Granita is sorbet's Sicilian cousin.  It is coarse and crystalline and will thrill you on a humid day.  

Defining Ice Cream

Ice cream, ice-cream, or the ever charming, iced cream, is a frozen dessert usually made from milk and cream combined with fruits or other ingredients, such as chocolate. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with honey, corn syrup, or artificial sweeteners. In some cases, artificial flavorings and colorings are used in addition to, or instead of, natural ingredients (booo!).

The mixture is stirred slowly while cooling to prevent large ice crystals from forming. If all goes well, the result is positively delicious!

Defining Ice Milk

In my quest to take a baby step or two away from heavy whipping cream, I started wondering - whatever happened to "ice milk?" I seem to recall the term but hadn't heard of it in years. I Googled ice milk recipes and didn't yield much. Further checking revealed that "ice milk" disappeared from the scene in the mid 1990's. Man, I wish the goatee would do the same but I'll save that for another day.

Then it hit me like a ton of Webster's, I need an ice cream dictionary!

Ice milk or iced milk is a frozen dessert with less than 10% milkfat but with the same sweetener content as ice cream. In the United States, the term is now virtually unknown. A 1994 change in the Food and Drug Administration rules allowed ice milk to be labeled "low-fat ice cream."

Ice milk of the '60's, '70's, and '80's, however, was a fairly different product from low fat ice creams of today. In the past, ice milk was simply a low butterfat version of ice cream. With less fat, it retained an icier, almost sherbet-like texture. Manufacturers of today's low fat ice creams attmept to duplicate the texture of ice cream by using gums and stabilizers (boo!).

Honey Vanilla Ice Cream or, I love this job

Honey Vanilla Ice Cream is delicious and I love it. In fact, I love it so much that I could take a bath in it. I love it so much I could put it in a tux and take it to the prom. And I'm betting that in some countries, it's a form a currency. Luckily, it's not at all difficult to make. But I don't think you want to let on to to that. I think you want to impress your guests by nonchalantly implying that making it was wildly complicated.

I've done two batches thus far and both tasted amazing. The second one had a better consistency as the first was a little lumpy.

What I learned:

• If you are making custard and the phone rings, don't stop stirring to answer it. Your custard will be a little lumpy and if you forget to strain it before putting it in the machine, your ice cream will be, too.
  

Honey Vanilla Ice Cream

2 c milk

3/4 c honey

dash of salt

2 eggs, beaten

1 c half and half

1 cup whipping cream

1 tbs vanilla

Heat milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat but do not boil. Stir in honey and salt.

Pour small amount of hot liquid into eggs then mix into the milk mixture. Stir mixture over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.

Cool thoroughly at room temperature. Stir in cream and vanilla then refrigerate until cold.

Prepare in ice cream maker as per manufacturer's instructions.

The Sweet Taste of Success!

Well, it worked. The stars lined up, the angels sighed sweetly, and I had success with the machine - huzzah! Behold, Mango Ice Cream. I would not lie to you, 'tis delicious, doesn't rely on a frightening amount of double cream, easy to make, and it holds its shape rather nicely.
3 c chopped frozen mangos - I got them at Trader Joe's 1 1/4 c sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 c mango nectar
1 c half and half
2 tsp pure vanilla extract


In a blender, combine 1/2 c sugar with the mangos and salt. Blend until smooth.


In a separate bowl, combine nectar, half and half, the rest of the sugar, and the vanilla.


Mix both lovely concoctions.


Follow ice cream maker's directions.

What I learned:

• You can spell it "mangos" or "mangoes."
  
• Food styling is an art unto itself
• I can eat a lot of ice cream

Who's on First?

My first batch was boysenberry ice cream. The recipe called for heavy whipping cream and whole berries. Dutifully, I followed the instructions which said nothing about mashing up the fruit but just throwing the berries in. So, that was my first lesson:

MASH UP THE FRUIT!

After making the custard and pouring the whole thing into the machine, I knew something wasn't right. In a panic, I fished out some of the fruit fruit with a spoon then started smashing them with a fork. It wasn't cute. Because I am a Libra (always searching for balance/somewhat noncommittal) I squished half of the berries and left the other half whole. What I learned:

• Squish all of the berries. The whole, frozen berries lacked flavor and were too big to chew comfortably.
  
• Strain the berries after mashing them. The seeds were bitter and got in the way of fully enjoying all those calories.
  
• This is just a personal preference but I realized I don't love large amounts of heavy whipping cream.

So, now, here's the challenge - how to make delicious frozen desserts with minimal heavy (double) cream?