What Ice Are You

 Believe it or not there are people who don't like ice cream. What do they do when the temps get hot and sticky? Turn to the refreshing alternative of ices and slushes. They're a breath of chilly air on a stifling day.

What are ices exactly? Flavored frozen water that can be served a variety of ways. There is Italian ice which is derives from the centuries old recipe of granita. Granita is also an easy make. This Sicilian treat which first came to Philadelphia in the early 1900's is an easy make. It's pureeing any kind of fruit and freezing it with water. After it pouring it into a shallow pan (an ice cube tray is perfect) .It's flaked with a fork for about two to three times before a final freeze of four hours. A great summer dessert is coffee granita served with a puddle of chocolate syrup and whipped cream. You usually have to make this at home because it's rarely served in ice cream shops and restaurants. Italian ice , however is popular. Thanks to chains like Ritas' there's all sorts of flavors. They have everything from fruit to soda flavored ices along with mixing the ices with gelato and regular ice cream. Italian ice is also called water ice in South Jersey and Philadelphia.Family owned chaine like Strollo's at the Jersey shore offers fruits, root bear and cappuccino flavors. These are more refreshing than a scoop of ice cream. You don't feel as thirsty as you do after eating a cone.

Many people love a sorbet. This is also a water ice. Many people confuse it with sherbet which has either milk or cream in it. Sorbet is another easy make at home.It's a combination of sugar and pureed fruit.There's always a lot of sugar used, about three quarters of a cup to create a creamy texture. Lemon or lime juice is added to counterbalance all the sweetness. Many people practically live on  Slurpee's, Icees and slushies during these hot days. Slurpee's have been around since 1966 and are popular throughout the world. They're an easy ice fix if you want something fizzy and cool. The same goes for Icee's which has such unusual flavors like Mermaid and Sugar Plum( all are fruit based). Again these are a great sip when you don't want ice cream. The problem with these however is that you have to go out on a hot day or night. You could easily create something at home thanks to Zoku slush maker. This is a long metal cup that's chilled in the freezer and then placed in an outer cup. Any kind of regular soda can be poured into it for a tasty slushie. The soda cannot be diet nor can you use seltzer. These don't freeze will and you'll wind up with a big chunk of ice.

There are so many different types of ices out there. They're all refreshing and cooling.They're perfect during these hot ,, sticky days.

Your Ice Cream Guide

Ask anyone what's the difference between a sorbet and a sherbet and you'll be met with a shrug. Query about semifreddo and you may get a blank stare. Know the difference between French or Philly style ice cream? If you don't you may need the ice cream guide.

We're in the middle of an epic heat wave here in the New York metro area. Any icy treat  is appreciated. As long as it reduces body heat , it's perfect. Yet many don't know about the different types and if one is better than the other. Take hard and soft serve ice cream. Most affectionados  just think it's a question of texture but it's much more. Soft serve is lower in milk fat by almost ten per cent .It has  only 2 to 3 per cent while hard ice cream has 10 to 18 %.. Also it's stored at a higher temp of -4 C  while the other is -18 C. Soft serve  has air whipped into it at the time of freezing. Some ice creams have French or Philadelphia style written on their cartons. French ice cream is essentially frozen custard thanks to the inclusion of two or three eggs. Philly or American style just has milk cream and sugar in the recipe. The first is a bit more labor intensive to make at home. It involves cooking a custard, making sure that the mixture is cooked properly or the home chef will ind up with a pot of sweet scrambled eggs. Philly style is easier  and it highlights the taste of the cream and milk. Both can have add ins such as fresh fruit or cocoa powder along with fresh mint to liven it up.

What is semi freddo? It's kind of like a French ice cream loaf but not quite.Think more frozen mousse made from zabaglione, Swiss meringue and cream, The three components are swirled together and then poured into a loaf pan.It's frozen for at least six hours before serving.It can be made with fruits, espresso and chocolate. along with hazelnuts and almonds. It's a nice alternative to an ice cream cake for any summer birthday celebration. Another head scratcher is sorbet and sherbet. Sorbet is purely sweetened or flavored water and is easy to make. Sherbet has milk as a basic ingredient along with a creamier texture. Both can be made at home. thanks to any good ice cream maker., Sherbet is made mostly with fruit however it can be made with cocoa powder for a refreshing change from ice cream.What is Italian ice and how is it different from gelato? Italian ice, sometimes known as water ice in the Philadelphia and Delaware regions,is basically water blended with concentrate, puree or just plan juice. Some Italian ices may have egg whites which act as a binder. Gelato is more of an ice cream, except that it has less air and is denser in texture and flavor.Traditionally it contains more milk and less cream along with being a bit more experimental with flavors and flavor pairings.

This is the time for any frozen treat for relief from the heat. Whether you have a scoop of French vanilla or a cup of strawberry ice, it's time to cool down. Keep the hot weather at bay with any of these chilled treats.

A Quick Ice Cream Fix

Home made ice cream is always a treat but a chore to make.It's getting the salt, making a large batch and then waiting for hours for the finished product. However there's  a gadget that will remedy it.  The Zoku  Ice Cream Maker is a neat - yes, neat and fun addition to any ice cream lover's kitchen.

Zoku not only makes this ice cream makers, it manufactures other fun household items from their Hoboken,, New Jersey offices and factory. The company basically started with a simple idea - how to make popsicles freeze faster. The answer was the Quick Pop Maker which gives a perfectly formed, perfectly frozen pop.(they've since expanded it to make stenciled pops and a pop kit where you can make multi flavored popsicles).The company has won several design awards and have even been included in the Henry Ford Museum as well as in  the Chicago Athenaeum Museum For Architecture and Design. Their dino-Pop Molds are cute enough with Lucy the Cavegirl along with a mini T  Rex
an other dinosaurs. Zoku also makes deep sea ,polar and outer space themed molds,perfect for parents who want their little ones to have healthy treats. They have truly cool slushie makers that can even give you a great iced coffee. I bought the ice cream maker that can also makes Italian ice as well.I  bought it off Amazon  but they can also be found at Sur La Table, Williams & Sonoma along with the Zoku website itself.

Is the Zoku easy to make? Yes, if you;re making ice cream. The actual bowl, (there's two, an exterior  sleeve that's plastic and you could put the ice cream in it after it's been made) and an interior bowl. This is where it happens.It's composed of a plastic exterior and a metallic inner one. filled with a refrigerant liquid.

Place the inner bowl in the fridge overnight  for twelve or more hours. I made a non dairy sherbet  with almond milk, pureed strawberries and agave syrup. I had started out with the idea of ice cream but the almond milk was too thin. It did make for a nice fruity dessert that fluffed up nicely when shaved. I then tried that summer classic.Italian lemon ice. This was a bit more involved to make.  The recipe had to be amended to  suit the bowl's size. Three lemons were peeled (yes, peeled, which resulted in bloody fingers surprisingly ) cut up and then pulverized in my mini processor. A simple syrup had to be made with white sugar and water. Then the lemon mash has to be strained to get rid of the pits and pulp .It's added, cooked for a few minutes in a soupy kind of mix and then poured into the bowl. It has to be cooled in the fridge for two hours before it's poured in the inner bowl. I didn't stir it with he accompanying paddle spoon. I let it freeze overnight  to look like

It wasn't white. It wasn't fluffy. It was too tart. In other words  better luck next time.


The Zoku Ice Cream Bowl screams to be tried out again. Next time.I am going to try the traditional vanilla ice cream one. Should be easy. and a true treat to make.

A Little Cheating

Every now and then even the most health conscious foodie falls off the healthy grub wagon. Let's face it , unlike other addictions bad food is all around us.It exists in stores  at parties , even within in our grasps. It's hard to keep a healthy diet - however sometimes a little cheating can actually help.

Salt and sugar are the worst temptations. They're everywhere. However once in a while some fries or milk chocolate can satisfy. If you're planning on a salty treat, then just have a handful or share with someone.There are all natural chips such as The Good Earth olive oil fried potato chips or Food Should Taste Good chips and crackers. These are all natural as are the Back To Nature brand cheese crackers which also have unbleached flour and no preservatives. Barbecues are big this time of year and there's all sorts of stuff being offered. Stick with a few nibbles to satisfy yourself  and then make a beeline for the vegetable platter. Fill up on the healthier option of tomatoes, broccoli florets and cauliflower bits.

Sweets are always a factor in cheating. Let's face it , it's hard to resist cookies or cupcakes.It's the time of year too for ice cream in any form. The best bet is have a mini cupcake than a larger one and nibble a few cookies to satisfy that sweet tooth. You can also try the Back To Nature brand which has a wide variety of the kinds of cookies people love. As for ice cream, a kid size cone or cup will do nicely. You still get the taste but not all the calories or fat that would go with the  adult sized one.Another alternative is trying an Italian or plain ice ,sherbet or sorbet which has no dairy in it. These are water based so you don't have that fat. You can also freeze fruit like grapes or peach slices and have them as a different frozen treat.

Cheating on a healthy diet is OK every now and then. Satisfy that salt or sugar craving and then go back to what's good for you. Temptation is fine. Just sate it and then go back to eating better.