Del Monte's brand new Fruit Chillers line is sure to be a hit with both kids (and adults) this summer, even though it is a little on the cold side right now in most parts of the country. The Chillers are individual sorbet cups, but there are a couple of things that set them apart from the average individually portioned kids dessert. The first, and most important, thing is that they are made with real fruit purees, rather than concentrated juices that have artificial colorings and flavors added to them. In fact, there are no artificial flavors in them at all and they contain 100% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C (150% in the mango flavor) and 3/4 serving of fruit, based on the nutrition pyramid. The other interesting thing about these is that they are not found in the frozen foods section of the grocery store. They are packed sealed and unfrozen, so you can simply pop them in the freezer before you are ready to eat them. The Chillers are fat free and contain about 190 calories per 4.5-ounce serving.

For a foodie, especially a Slashfoodie, one of the best things about winter is that it signifies a changing of the guard, so to speak, when it comes to produce. Apples, pears and citrus replace the berries and melons of summer, opening up a whole new season of possibilities. Capogiro Gelato expresses all these possibilities with their seasonally changing menu, now geared up for winter. I was fortunate enough to sample some of the flavors from their summer line earlier this year and, this week, had the opportunity to indulge in a few of their winter offerings, as well.

While they still have their classic Italian and chocolate flavors available, Capogiro's holiday table menu is extensive, including Apple Cider with Clove Sorbetto, Castagne (Chestnut) Gelato, Cannella di Saigon (Cinnamon) and Melograno (Pomegranate). The flavors I tried were Zucca (Lancaster County Neck Pumpkin), Apple Cider with Clove, Sweet Potato with Pecan Praline, Meyer Lemon with Vodka, Moro (Blood Orange) and Pure King Leo Stracciatella.

Personally, I can't get enough of the salty-sweet pleasure that comes from eating Sea Salt Caramels and, with the exception of a handful of people who don't seem to like caramel in any form, they're popular with everyone who tries them. So, when Faith, a commenter, mentioned that there was a shop that sold salty caramel ice cream, it sounded like a tip that was worth checking out. Jeni's Fresh Ice Creams does indeed carry Salty Caramel Ice Cream as one of their signature flavors, but their other flavors sound equally as impressive. They include:

• Gravel Road - salty caramel with chopped smoked almonds added
• Honey Vanilla Bean - simple and delicate, with Ohio honey and Madagascar vanilla
• Queen City Cayenne - milk chocolate "Cincinnati style" ice cream with cayenne and cinnamon
• Thai Chili - Krema peanut butter with toasted coconut, cayenne and coconut milk
• Black Coffee - cream steeped with just-roasted coffee (no water). "It tastes like coffee smells."

It all started with mango - the craze for tropical flavored sorbets. Now, the "it" flavor is coconut, and The San Franicsco Chronicle has done a taste test of store-bought products. Two coconut sorbets tied for first place with 69 out of 100 points: Ciao Bella and Sharon's, which is the best deal since it's only $1.99 at Trader Joe's. Palapa Azul and Mudslinger's FreeStyle tied for second, and the last two, Seattle Sorbets and Whole Fruit were dissed for an "artificial taste."

Of course, you can also make coconut sorbet at home. Sharp Cookie is Loco for Coconut Sorbet, The Scent of Green Bananas keeps it simple with just three ingredients, and Andrea's Recipe Box experiments with Cream of Coconut.

• The Globe says that this is "the best time to experiment" with eggplants.
• Take the paper's Tomato Personality Quiz. The Globe also says that "no other summer crop is as beloved as a tomato." I'd like to hear what the eggplant has to say about that.
• Lime Rickeys: Summer in a glass!
• More summer foods: sweet squash, peaches, and other fruits.
• Over at Dishing, the Globe's food blog, writer Joe Yonan cleans out the pantry (he's moving to be the new food editor at The Washington Post).
• This week's recipes: Yellow Plum Sorbet, Chocolate Walnut Zucchini Cake, and Spicy Lime-Marinated Cabbage and Onion.

Two childhood friends from Queens, New York have created Wine Cellar Sorbets for sale through gourmet stores and restaurants. While they were originally looking for products to sell in a wine bar/restaurant business they decided to go the product route instead and now make a range of grape flavoured sorbets. They are currently available across New York and New Jersey.

There are currently seven different 'vintages' or flavours

• Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Central California (New Vintage)
• Zinfandel 2004 Central California
• Pinot Noir 2004 Oregon
• Champagne N.V. California
• Riesling 2004 New York
• Sauterne N.V. New York
• May Wine N.V. New York (blush)

[Found via CoolHunting]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: if you're going to make ice cream at home, it is worth it to get an ice cream maker. In fact, it is necessary to get an ice cream maker because it ensures that you will always get the optimal results from your frozen desserts. There are a wide range of ice cream makers to choose from, but there will definitely be at least one that fits your kitchen and your budget. After a batch or three of homemade ice cream, every single one will pay for itself in taste alone.

Ice Cream Ball - play with it and make ice cream. It's a great way to give your kids something to keep them occupied while they wait for the ice cream to be ready. $29

Cuisinart 1.5-qt. Yogurt, Ice Cream and Sorbet Maker - a great, easy-to-use all-purpose machine that can handle most family-sized jobs. Keep the extra freezer bowl in the freezer at all times so you're ready to go. Recommended by me (I own this model, pictured, and love it) and America's Test Kitchen. $49.95

The best time to dig into a bowl full of ice cream or sorbet is when it is just beginning to melt. At that point, the flavors are stronger and the texture of the treat is at its creamiest. This photo of raspberry sorbet from Mommy Cooks seems to capture that moment between melting and frozen perfectly. The homemade sorbet is as brightly flavored as it is brightly colored, and it is easy to make. Adding fresh berries on top of the dish at serving time adds a final touch to a beautiful dish, although it might be hard to save berries if they look that perfect; I tend to eat them by the handful whenever they come within arm's reach.

There is absolutely nothing un-chic about the packaging for a pint of Haagen Dazs (Ben & Jerry's, though might be a little much), but if you want to bring the pint to the table and scoop right in front of your guests, these little ice cream serving containers are perfect. They come in either silver plating or mango wood and fit a standard pint size container for ice cream or sorbet.

The containers are available from Vivre for $95.

[via: CribCandy]

After much debate about the sorbet vs. ice cream issue in a post earlier this week, we can conclude that sorbets, by definition, do not contain any milk products. We also know the different fat contents that make the difference between low fat and regular ice creams. But what of other ice cream terms? Here are a couple of handy definitions that should help clear things up:

• Sorbet - does not contains dairy; always very light in flavor
• Sherbet - almost always has a fruit component, but also must contain dairy to produce a dessert that is lighter than ice cream, but richer than sorbet
• Frozen yogurt - contains dairy that has been cultured (though most do not contain active cultures), and is churned to resemble soft ice cream, with a smooth, rich texture.
• Ice milk - just like an ice cream, but made with milk rather than cream; a little used term for strict constructionists of the word "ice cream," since most home chefs would say ice cream anyway
• Ice cream - must have at least 10% milkfat (or 8% if there is a mix-in) by volume (if sold commercially); may or may not contain eggs
• Frozen custard (also called French ice cream) - ice cream that is made with at least 1.4% egg yolks, giving it a richer texture than ordinary ice cream.
• Gelato - ice cream with a mixture of milk and sometimes cream in the base, often including eggs. It is churned less than regular ice cream and has less air in the final product, which gives it a dense texture.

The Ultimate Ice Cream Book is a huge compendium of ice creams, sorbets, gelatos and various other frozen concoctions that are guaranteed not only to satisfy your sweet tooth, but cook you down on a hot day. It has more than 500 recipes, counting all of the variations offered on the 149 basic recipes. There are a couple of cone recipes, several for milkshakes and other ice-cream-based liquid treats and even a handful for ice cream toppings. After all, what would a hot fudge sundae be without the fudge sauce?

The contents of the book are arranged in alphabetical order, not by theme, which makes it quite easy to navigate. Unlike many other cookbooks, it omits the seemingly now-obligatory explanation of every component in ice cream and the precise difference in technique, consistency, etc that is at the front half of most cookbooks. This is actually a rather refreshing change because it gets straight to all the recipes without wasting any time. Top temptations include Oreo cheesecake ice cream, lychee sorbet and chocolate malt ice cream, but you're sure to find more than one ice cream or sorbet to suit your fancy in here.

Acai is all the rage these days. The berry that hails from the Amazon rainforest is an antioxidant powerhouse that blows even blueberries and pomegranates out of the water. Fitness-conscious people love acai for its energy-sustaining properties. I have no idea what it is in the acai berry, but I remember the first time I tried it - it was the Acai smoothie at Jamba Juice. I think I was awake for four straight days.

You can add acai berries to smoothies and drinks, but now Belizza has used it as a base for sorbet. That would make it dessert! Belizza's acai sorbets come in three flavors - acai banana, plain acai, and acai mango.

Bea, of Le Tartine Gourmande, was inspired to use her pizzelle maker to create some homemade cones to serve with a light, refreshing sorbet. Using the same principle that is applied to making tuiles, in which a warm, thin cookie is quickly shaped before it has the chance to cool, she twisted her crisp pizzelles into perfect, miniature cones. Normally, one might use a dedicated waffle cone maker to produce homemade cones, but getting multiple uses of out an appliance you already own is a brilliant idea. The tiny cones were just like thin, crispy waffles and Bea says that they went beautifully with the sorbets. An alternative use for pizzelles, which can also be bought in stores if you do not have the equipment to make them at home, is to use them to make crispy ice cream sandwiches! Debbie, at words to eat by, has a recipe for chocolate pizzelles for a flavor variation that might be perfect for pairing with ice creams, rather than fruity sorbets.

Beer does not immediately spring to mind when asked to think about desserts. Whether you like dark or pale ales, chances are that you are more likely to want a beer with your pizza than with your creme brule. Restaurateurs and brewers, however, are seeing things in a different light. With the proliferation of microbreweries, including restaurants and pubs that brew their own blends, a wider variety of beers are showing up on menus and the unique flavors in some brews - from honey to blackberry - are helping to put some beers on the dessert menu on a regular basis. Strong, dark beers can have a noticeably bitter after taste, but many pair well with fruit to make sorbets. Dairy can mute the flavors of some malts, but also conceals lingering bitterness, so it pairs well with stronger ales. Wine and champagne have long been making appearances in desserts - why not beer?

Guinness has appeared, with success, in ice creams already and there are commercial varieties of beer ice cream as well, though unique new flavors will not have the same lure of a brand name to draw consumers in.

[Photo Sydney Morning Herald]