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.

The Urge For Summer Food

Sometime in January or even February everyone gets a hankering for summer dishes, whether they be salads or ice cream. It could be that the cold weather is getting to us or we just miss those flavors. Don't deny yourself that grilled burger or ice pop. Go for it  - despite the temps

Who doesn't miss a juicy flame broiled  burger? You can still barbecue if the weather is crisp and cold. Fire up the grill, using any charcoal left from the previous summer. Wood chips can also be used too to give more flavor. The same goes for ribs and chicken too. Think of this method when you're busy with Super Bowl cooking too. If it's too snowy, sleety, or rainy, then use an indoor grill. There are some very good ones out there such as the Hamilton Beach or Proctor Silex . The  George Foreman Grill also has a panini press for sandwiches. If the weather thaws a bit then think of a picnic at your favorite park or beach. Even if the temps dip, you can still pack hoagies and salads, but also include a thermos of hot soup or hot beverage to warm you up. Salads too can be made. You don;t have to wait til Memorial Day to b real out the slaw and macaroni salad. The winter provide Savoy cabbage, a much more tastier leaf than the average cabbage.You can make it the same way as your warmer weather slaws. Macaroni salads are also welcome along with potato salads. In fact, these would be the preferred dishes for a pot luck football party.

The winter strangely also brings a taste for ice and ice cream. You can still have popsicles. Stores still sell them however you don't know how long they've been in the freezer section. Make your own by using molds and juice. Better yet try the Zoku Slushie Maker. This cup takes any drink and turns it into a refreshingly chill slushie. Use already made coffee drinks for a refreshing afternoon snack or a Pepsi for a bracing treat after grueling housework.If you;re on a healthier bent. then
use fresh juice r smoothies to pour into the chilled inner cup. For some reason we crave ice cream when the weathers gets frosty. Indulge yourself. Cones can still be bought so have fun with them.They're a rainy day treat . Dip the cones tops in melted chocolate and sprinkles for added flavor. Waffle bowls are a summery treat and they can be adapted for winter cravings. Hot fudge or hot caramel can always be poured in top. Hot fudge is easy to make and it's so good on something as simple as vanilla ice cream. The same goes for caramel sauce It's just three ingredients - butter , heavy whipping cream and sugar. Both sauces can also be drizzled over fruit or that most summery of cakes - the pound cake.

Indulge those summer cravings with summer foods. It's a nice break from heavy winter flavors and foods. Go for the burgers and ice cream while the weather is still chilly.

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.