Gelato
It’s Memorial Day and thusly the beginning of the summer. It’s going to be a long, stressful one and I’m spoiled on Italian gelato once again. There’s an artisinal gelataio here in the city but they charge you $5 per tiny cup. It’s much cheaper in Rome. But I’m hooked! What am I to do?
I used part of my entertainment budget for the month of May as well as leftover money on a Visa check card I got for Christmas and I purchased the Kitchen Aid ice cream maker attachment. I like the idea of it because it’s one less thing to have on my limited counter. It’s basically a bowl you freeze and then attach it onto the workhorse mixer and voila, ice cream. I’ve been thinking of getting it for a while and since I had that Visa balance I needed to use, I sprang for it. I’ve made the first batch. If I were less lazy, there would be a food feat picture on this post.I started off with baby steps and made a plain custard gelato, the bright yellow color being due to the fresh egg yolks. It’s divine. I want to get good and make amazing flavors of gelati and sorbetti of whatever’s good at the market.
Gelato quite literally means “frozen” as numerous travel guides inform people. Trailer Park Sally defines it as “Italian ice cream”. It’s not. It’s not ice cream. It is the apex of the warm weather and it’s flavors are more the thing than the thing itself. A serving of my favorite, nocciola, tastes more like a hazelnut than hazelnuts themselves. Who knew dessert would suddenly trust me back into Plato and his world of the Forms?I’m determined to embrace the summer (though we haven’t seen 90 degree heat and 90% humidity hell yet). My food goals as as follows:
Gelato: Fruits and nuts and possibly other things like honey. I really have no interest in making a chocolate version. That may change.
Gazpacho: I may need to get a blender to make it less painfully. Or my mini food processor will have to do.
Zabaglione: The king of custard. If i can somewhat approach that perfect cupful I had in Rome, I’ll be happy.
Posted on May 25th, 2008 under Life • 
Print
• 
Email
• RSS 2.0 feed • Leave a response, or trackback