"FrozenCustard" news and stories

Gabrielle Carbone, co-owner of the Bent Spoon Photo: Eating in Translation/Flickr

Since Gabrielle Carbone and Matthew Errico opened the doors of Princeton, N.J.'s The Bent Spoon in 2004, their ice cream shop has become synonymous with high-quality, imaginatively flavored ice cream, winning over countless customers with flavors like cardamom-ginger, dark chocolate habanero and mint julep. Called one of the Top Nine Ice Cream Places in America, it's one of a growing number of ice cream shops that have shaken off the shackles of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry to bring frozen dairy into the brave new world of small-batch, artisanal production and top-shelf organic and seasonal ingredients.

As we're entering the height of ice cream season (though true aficionados would argue that ice cream has no season), and with National Ice Cream Month around the bend, we turned to Carbone for a primer in All Things Ice Cream.

What makes good ice cream?
Oh man. You know, it kind of boils down to good ingredients. You can make good ice cream hands down if your dairy and eggs are good. The organic yolks we use are bright orange and creamy, and our dairy is hormone-free. It's great if the recipes are good, but if you start with good ingredients, you end up with good stuff.

Oyster ice cream, bourbon-vanilla ice cream swirled with sea salt and Dolly Madison, after the jump.

A trip down to the shore is one of the best things you can do in the summer. The air is cooler than it is inland and tangy with salt. The people all seem to have smiles on their faces, playing in the water or simply relaxing on a towel in the sand. But even more attractive than the sand and surf is a boardwalk, if you're lucky enough to find a beach that has one. Boardwalks range in size from a few shops to small carnivals, with rides and games. The best thing about them is always the food. They offer both sweet and savory - none of it healthy and all of it delicious. The Travel Channel has a list of the best boardwalks, but here are some of the summer favorites you should be able to find at almost any of them.

1. Salt water taffy - Legend has it that this treat got its name when a candy store in Atlantic City was flooded with ocean water, but it was probably just a gimmick to sell the chewy candy.
2. Fudge - Fudge goes right alongside taffy in boardwalk candy stores. It's a staple of tourist areas, inexpensive and indulgent, and it holds up better than a chocolate bar in the sun.