Imagine you're at your desk and the 4 p.m. munchies strike. You walk over to the vending machine and are faced with chips, soda or freshly customized ice cream from the MooBella machine. Disaster or delight? Probably both.
With 96 possible variations, based on 12 flavors, 3 mix-ins (candy, cookies, etc.) and two varieties (premium and light), it will take a while to get bored. Variations include pistachio chip and mocha cookie. The company says the 100-percent all natural dairy ingredients are shelf stable until mixed and flash frozen right inside the machine. Will this strange and mysterious process yield a deliciously creamy frozen treat or one that's slightly off?
The first machine is located at Northeastern University, but 100 are scheduled to be installed throughout New England in the near future. We'd love to hear from anyone who's tried the stuff. Spill it in the comments!
'The Perfect Scoop' Recipes by David Lebovitz Photographs by Lara Hata Ten Speed Press -- 2007 Buy it on Amazon
Clinging to the very last bit of warm weather, we hoped that making several batches of ice cream would encourage Mother Nature to hold out on cooler weather for a little longer. David Lebovitz, a well-known pastry chef, received much of his training at Alice Waters' Chez Panisse in California. Now based in Paris, Lebovitz merges all things sweet and makes them manageable for the home cook. "The Perfect Scoop" is a testament to how ice cream should be made: creamy, sweet, savory and with unlimited creativity.
While ice cream takes center stage, Lebovitz also includes recipes for sorbets, sherbets, granitas, sauces and toppings. Boasting both classics, such as Malted Milk and Tin Roof Ice Cream, and more modern flavors of Crème Fraiche, Goat Cheese and Roquefort Honey Ice Creams, this book lends itself to a wide audience. Strawberry and Mojito Granitas will be a big hit at the next autumn barbecue, and adults and children alike with be excited to see the bright fruit sherbet and sorbet combinations.
See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.
Could you tell a Nutty Buddy from a Drumstick or a Bomb Pop from a Firecracker? Take this frozen treats identification quiz on Slashfood.
Frozen Treats ID
What's the point of summer? Nibbling ice cream stuffed cones all the way down to their tips. Can you name these three from left to right?
Nutty Buddy / Snickers Cone / Drumstick
Drumstick / Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough Cone / King Cone
King Cone / Drumstick / Nutty Buddy
Drumstick / Nutty Buddy / King Cone
What would you do for a Klondike Bar? Well, for starters, figure out which one it is! What's the order, left to right?
Husky / Eskimo Pie / Klondike Bar
Eskimo Pie / Klondike Bar / Husky
Klondike Bar / Dove Bar / Eskimo Pie
Eskimo Pie / Klondike Bar / Dove Bar
Here are two frozen on-a-stick renditions of a sweet dessert treat. Name 'em left to right.
Klondike Tiramisu / Good Humor Tiramisu
Good Humor Chocolate Eclair / Eskimo Pie Chocolate Eclair
Popsicle Banana Nut Sundae Bar / Eskimo Pie Banana Nut Sundae Bar
Eskimo Pie Chocolate Eclair / Good Humor Chocolate Eclair
The gumballs at the bottom of this conical confection give your chattering teeth something to chew on.
Screwball
Shocko
Drillbit
Warhead
Woo-hoo for red, white & blue! Extra points (okay, not really) if you can remember the flavors.
Rocket Pop
Bomb Pop
Firecracker
Astro Pop
Three super-sour flavors come together in this palate-punching pop. What's it called?
Triple Shock
Sour Blast
Triple Blast
Roman Candle
This ice tream truck classic boasts a crumby coating and a fun, fruity pink center. We'll share the flavor, but the name of this chilly novelty is what?
Strawberry Colonel Crunch
Strawberry Kruncher
Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberry Whitehouse
The details are a li'l bit sticky, but we're sure you can ID these choco-luscious confections from left to right.
Dove Bar / Good Humor Bar / Haagen Dazs Bar
Dove Bar / Haagen Dazs Bar / Eskimo Pie
Good Humor Bar / Eskimo Pie / Haagen Dazs Bar
Haagen Dazs Bar / Eskimo Pie / Dove Bar
Lick away the summer days with this classic choco-pop.
Jell-O Pudding Pop
Yoo-hoo Pop
Fudgesicle
Blue Bunny Big Fudge
One of these delicious treats is actually dairy-free. Which might that be?
Left
Right
Rooty tooty - this is one fruity pop! What's it called?
Froz Fruit
Haagen Dazs Fruit Bar
Popsicle
Jell-O Fruit Pop
Chilly little beads pack mega-sour flavor into a convenient little cup.
Blue Bunny Buckshot
Dippin' Dots
Popsicle Shots
Tear Jerker
Chopped nuts are the star of this classic ice cream truck confection.
Colonel Crunch
Toasted Almond
Nutty Buddy
Crunch Bar
This luscious, lightened-up ice cream sandwich tastes every bit as great as its full-caloried counterparts.
Skinny Cow
Slenderella
Slim-A-Bear
Slender Pie
This dreamy treat is a perfect pairing of fruit and cream - all on a handy stick.
Big Stick
Creamsicle
Otter Pop
Dreamsicle
Chocolate covered mini chunks of ice cream are a super-quick fix for a chilly treat craving. Name these two from left to right.
Same-sex marriage is legal in Vermont as of today and to celebrate, Ben & Jerry's has renamed its Chubby Hubby ice cream flavor "Hubby Hubby" for the month.
"From the very beginning of our 30 year history, we have supported equal rights for all people," Walt Freese, Ben & Jerry's CEO, said in a statement. "The legalization of marriage for gay and lesbian couples in Vermont is certainly a step in the right direction and something worth celebrating with peace, love and plenty of ice cream."
First, we were reminiscing over cartons of fresh-picked berries. Now we're swooning over seasonal sweet corn custard. That a typically savory grain could be made into such a sweet-sounding dessert is not unusual. (After all, who hasn't -- knowingly or not -- indulged in a little high-fructose corn syrup?) But the fact that it was whipped into such a smooth, butter-colored custard is a rare treat, indeed.
This multiscoop serving was captured by Andrea from High/Low Food/Drink after a late-night run to pick up a pint from restaurateur Danny Meyer's iconic New York Shake Shack. Though Andrea admits the yellow kernels were added at home "for artistic effect" only, they pop beautifully against the blue bowl, making the sweets look all the sweeter.
Cold Stone Creamery last month introduced an ice cream that doesn't melt, which has led New York Magazine to say this week that Cold Stone's Jell-O-like dessert is proof positive that ice cream has become the latest playground for culinary innovation.
Indeeed, the world of frozen cream is much changed from those triple-threat Neapolitan cartons of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry many of us grew up with.
Just last month, our editors were smitten by Vosges' new curry coconut ice cream at the Fancy Food Show, Gourmet recently featured the wackiness that is San Francisco's Humphry Slocombe shop (prosciutto ice cream, anyone?) and Jeni's in Columbus, Ohio, peddles Thai chili ice cream alongside not so plain honey vanilla. In New York, Wylie Dusfresne serves a perfect miniature "everything" bagel -- made entirely of ice cream, naturally -- at his restaurant wd-50.
'Ice Cream Mix-Ins' Recipes by Jeff Keys Photographs by Zac Williams Gibbs Smith -- 2009 Buy it on Amazon
Ice cream mix-ins can make or break an ice cream cone. When this book first plopped onto our desk, Reese's pieces and chocolate chip cookie dough flitted through our mind but we put it a while for some time ... until now. Filled with unique and luscious mix-ins for classic ice creams and sorbets, this book helped us create delicious, creative desserts.
Mix-ins and recipes for vanilla, chocolate, coffee and crème brûlée ice creams include Orange Blossom Honey Vanilla, Chocolate Kentucky Bourbon and Double Espresso. The book also dives into fresh sorbets like Mango and Pear and international ice creams such as Tamarind and Untamed Ginger.
Takeaway tips: Author Jeff Keys is no dummy. Not only does he take into consideration that not everyone has an ice cream maker, he realizes not everyone has the time to churn fresh cream. Solution: he provides an "Easy Mix-In Version" in numerous recipes that teaches the reader how to mix some of their favorite ingredients into softened premium ice cream.
See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.
When I was a kid, ice cream was synonymous with summer. I had a trained ear and could pick out the perky chimes of the ice cream truck from miles away. Ice cream is a cool, satisfying summer treat, but a scoop a day can keep the bikini away.
Most people don't know that one pint of many commercial ice creams contains more fat than you should eat in a whole day. That doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy this calcium-rich treat. Making your own is immensely satisfying, and without having to worry about loading up on fat and calories while avoiding crazy preservatives that no one can pronounce.
Get Jennifer's Vanilla Bean Ice Cream recipe after the jump.
A simplistic approach to ice cream. Photo: Sir Mildred Pierce
It's National Ice Cream month, and who -- the lactose-intolerant aside -- doesn't like ice cream?
Well, Southerners. America's favorite dessert is still a third-tier treat below the Mason-Dixon line, where cakes and puddings have a firm hold on the region's collective sweet tooth. Even in the most sweltering of Southern summers, New Englanders out-gorge their Southern neighbors. (Heck, New Englanders hang onto their ice cream eating edge straight through the winter, when their freezers are sometimes warmer than the air outside.)
Nobody's quite sure why Southerners never took to ice cream, although North Carolina food writer Sheri Castle confirms the phenomenon: "It's just not a big thing," she says. She suspects the relative paucity of milk cows might have contributed to ice cream's historical absence from the local food scene.
But a few serious ice cream makers are bent on tweaking the Southern tradition. Shops such as Ultimate Ice Cream in Asheville, N.C., and Morelli's in Atlanta are now providing a gentle -- and delicious -- introduction to the genre.
This cloudy drift of buttermilk ice cream, made and photographed by Molly Watson of the Dinner Files, looks less like dessert than something out of a lactose-fueled dream. While it was undoubtedly delicious, it's so serene and ethereal that eating it seems almost sacrilegious.
National Ice Cream month starts today, however, and its devotees -- and really, anyone -- will have difficulty resisting a treat that looks this luminous and fresh. Indeed, the notion of spooning it straight from that frozen metal bowl is enough to inspire dreams of its own.
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.
Is there one food about which you -- despite maybe being a food snob the rest of the time -- are not at all fussy? About which you say, "I don't care who makes it: I'll eat it!"
We realized after chomping down our second ice cream of the day that perhaps, perhaps, we are not so discerning about the stuff. It was late at night, and Häagen-Dazs Five (mint) had us rather over the moon. Then we realized that really, we've rarely met a decently-made ice cream that didn't sway our affections at least a little bit.
It's one of those foods that, as long as its basic components are intact, fails to register on the Picky Meter. Such eats are a relatively rare breed; they exist largely to answer a timeless and bottomless craving, and their combination of ingredients hits the pleasure buttons that in turn short-circuit the ability to criticize -- and to say "no."
Here are five we think might hit those buttons. Vote for yours, and if it's "other," hit the comments to let us know what it is!
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