tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52542913438673612762024-03-13T15:48:48.436-07:00One Scoop At A TimeI'm an utterly hopeless ice cream addict. With the New Year came the spirit to start my own ice cream adventure and share my addiction with family and friends. This blog chronicles my attempts at becoming an ice cream maker -- one scoop at a time.miz creamconehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03383136006730818875noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254291343867361276.post-43000882819191671132010-10-18T12:55:00.000-07:002010-10-18T13:05:18.554-07:00How to Buy Artisanal Ice Cream in San Francisco<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-6clbcFiIPLwzMJXF6OOrk6SOWbc4oB4jBucKAyhdrbOI9bsfUi30wITqO63FF2E0mJaOGRLP8bUR-xyjAkzZConw_RINbhPVNc-8d2FX2wGI0Tk7iU6Pa5Cjs-4rqgcHLDpn8gO9xMZ/s320/IMG_0830.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bi-Rite Creamery menu board</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This <a href="http://blogs.sfweekly.com/foodie/2010/09/how_to_buy_artisanal_ice_cream.php">blog post</a> from SFWeekly is spot on hilarious about our local ice cream scene. LOL!miz creamconehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03383136006730818875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254291343867361276.post-70674480267805056972010-08-25T13:34:00.000-07:002010-08-28T21:50:42.128-07:00This is why I make my own ice cream!<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Today I learned that Haagen Daz, Breyers and Baskin-Robbins are getting their milk from dairies that inject their cows with genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bovine_somatotropin">rBGH</a>). Gross! Ben and Jerry’s on the other hand has chosen to be rBGH free. This is surprising news, considering many other countries, including my Canada, has banned the use of this hormone. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">How evil is Monsado, who developed rBGH, and the FDA! And </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I’m particularly disappointed with Haagen Daz, which until now was my favourite store bought ice cream. Boooo! <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-robbins/is-your-favorite-ice-crea_b_686629.html">Read on...</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">P.S. I use <a href="http://www.cloverorganicfarms.com/Products_Organic_Whole_Milk.asp">Clover Organic milk</a> in my ice cream. </span> </div>miz creamconehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03383136006730818875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254291343867361276.post-41096360836194882282010-08-23T14:42:00.000-07:002010-08-23T14:52:03.854-07:00Ice Cream Smackdown!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfKHhJLCxQqxwfTuSBjGNQflnOv8K7uGjiSwo-LRXcmt-NpXHLDBeYc7nm9Aosx8pSOW05jI2LJNX_e-k3IfPazhVm3EWqBc9URr-aNP5-h9tOh5njT_jkfdKTwRleyjJmDWaf2djhtUj/s1600/IMG_0780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfKHhJLCxQqxwfTuSBjGNQflnOv8K7uGjiSwo-LRXcmt-NpXHLDBeYc7nm9Aosx8pSOW05jI2LJNX_e-k3IfPazhVm3EWqBc9URr-aNP5-h9tOh5njT_jkfdKTwRleyjJmDWaf2djhtUj/s320/IMG_0780.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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My friend Aaron invited me to enter an ice cream smackdown party hosted by the lovely Alexis. It was so much fun! Alexis went all out with the details and decorations. My favourite touches were the ice cream dish set, adorable ballot cards and portable coolers to keep the ice cream from melting while everyone sampled all the creamy goodness -- genius!<br />
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Competition was fierce. Seven handmade creations were judged -- pyscho chocolate, salted pistachio, jackfruit, banana caramel swirl, salted caramel brownie sundae, blackberry and maple walnut spice (made by yours truly). After several rounds of tasting, the ballots were counted and it was a decisive win. Salted caramel brownie laid the big smackdown! Salted pistachio and maple walnut spice tied for second. Yippee, yippee! I seriously HEART my little second place trophy. It's the cutest. (That's Aaron trying to gnaw on it). This really made my day!<br />
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Thanks again Alexis for a super fantastic time and congrats on the tie. She made the delicious pistachio. :)miz creamconehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03383136006730818875noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254291343867361276.post-16041024496241102752010-08-14T02:13:00.000-07:002010-08-23T11:15:04.185-07:00Maple Spice and all things nice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiroaaUa0h1rtSt1f9BD4N3DiboK5vD_o10Z6gmxtj4GH5AXLjNn4GhO8xUH45pEGQ6tjDlwHgdCFUFcpSXS9UJZ2fNtEAo0m4CpqySSxDnrxNagXnGGFXy6JMSu_tPfvrKe5V86HoEifw_/s1600/IMG_2424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiroaaUa0h1rtSt1f9BD4N3DiboK5vD_o10Z6gmxtj4GH5AXLjNn4GhO8xUH45pEGQ6tjDlwHgdCFUFcpSXS9UJZ2fNtEAo0m4CpqySSxDnrxNagXnGGFXy6JMSu_tPfvrKe5V86HoEifw_/s320/IMG_2424.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I made maple walnut ice cream a couple of weeks ago and haven't eaten pancakes lately so I had plenty of leftover maple syrup to try the egg-less <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/04/dining/04apperex3.html?ref=dining">maple spice recipe</a> from the recent New York Times <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/04/dining/04appetite.html?ref=dining">article</a>. This ice cream was jazzed up with cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Brilliant! It came out smooth and creamy with a hint of spice. It also maintained its texture a lot more than the Blue Bottle coffee ice cream, which I made without the eggs. <br />
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David Lebovitz said in the New York Times article (which I missed the first time I read it, oops!) that alcohol or liquid sugars like maple syrup or just raising the sugar content help with the texture and prevent it from freezing rock solid. Aha! It has nothing to do with eggs or heating milk without cream. My declared cousin, Lyndsay, talented proprietor of <a href="http://cococakecupcakes.blogspot.com/">Coco Cake Cupcakes</a> and fellow<a href="http://cococakeicecream.blogspot.com/"> ice cream maker</a>, also noticed this when she made her delicious Vietnamese coffee ice cream using sweetened condensed milk.<br />
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Sugar and spice and all things nice<br />
That's what good girls <i>and</i> ice cream are made of.<br />
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(But I'd still like to know what good boys are made of... ;)miz creamconehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03383136006730818875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254291343867361276.post-88940189051465204452010-08-13T20:47:00.000-07:002010-08-14T08:27:19.249-07:00Blue Bottle Buzz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVuBK1wpPXyKQxdVdbG1pAa0Q-pbv0tMdxbFBJruCWHx42jYD4KP8Bz07Ps1lIxUO14hqmvgTVt03COJbqwniMjWfx6DYJO1R_Q9f_rGuAZqPriVjkJe0jdQ3fhqpSkCYr3Aw0XDYfXNrt/s1600/IMG_2402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVuBK1wpPXyKQxdVdbG1pAa0Q-pbv0tMdxbFBJruCWHx42jYD4KP8Bz07Ps1lIxUO14hqmvgTVt03COJbqwniMjWfx6DYJO1R_Q9f_rGuAZqPriVjkJe0jdQ3fhqpSkCYr3Aw0XDYfXNrt/s320/IMG_2402.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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Coffee is the only thing I like about mornings. Bad coffee gets the job done. Good coffee is an added bonus. For an amazing coffee, I'll get up at the crack of dawn and wait in a block-long line. And that's what I do every Saturday morning at the <a href="http://www.bluebottlecoffee.net/">Blue Bottle</a> kiosk in the Ferry Plaza. Based in Oakland, the company roasts organic coffee on vintage gear, puts it in compostable bags and gets the beans to their customers within 48 hours. Each cup is dripped meticulously leaving you with the most aromatic and flavourful java to satiate your addiction. But how would Blue Bottle translate into ice cream?<br />
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Following another David Levobitz recipe, I heated the coffee beans with the milk and let it stand for 20 minutes. Then I strained the mixture into a bowl of cream, pressing firmly on the beans to extract as much coffee as possible. At this point, I was skeptical of how this would turn out as the flavour seemed weak and the colour looked more like vanilla than coffee. I also wondered if it was worth the expensive bag of Blue Bottle or if regular Safeway coffee beans would suffice.<br />
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The result was quite satisfying and I could detect the distinct Blue Bottle taste, especially being so familiar with their coffee. (Although I probably won't use Blue Bottle again for economic reasons. If I'm paying $24 for <a href="http://store.bluebottlecoffee.net/Detail.bok?no=67">beans</a> I'd rather have the bag last longer and enjoy it as coffee). As an egg-based ice cream, it was creamy but not as much as I expected. In fact, several days later, the texture had gone a bit icy and dry. (If you look carefully, you can see it in the pictures). Hmm...there goes my previous theory that heating the milk without the cream makes it creamier.<br />
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I brought some ice cream over to my neighbour, who happened to have a container of coffee Haagen Daz in his freezer and we did an impromptu taste test. To my surprise, we both thought my Blue Bottle was way better and the Haagen Daz tasted bland in comparison. Wow! I always held Haagen Daz to high standards but it must be the difference between good and bad beans and homemade versus store bought! Now if only my neighbour would post a testimonial...miz creamconehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03383136006730818875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254291343867361276.post-27674161490100853382010-08-08T15:00:00.000-07:002010-08-14T02:28:12.174-07:00Oh, Maple Goodness (OMG!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2onq_E3Lp8sxjJ5pKO8Lwz8irOrTualMIJH8elOzsc3KjH2dOzQItyXByPWgreGsHy8H3dL07rnuxEJq9iNWTElEu14MgpmEDMErYFInyn2MlcbG_GpD1ghV84d5a-kKgSYmGaSMcjyp/s1600/IMG_2389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2onq_E3Lp8sxjJ5pKO8Lwz8irOrTualMIJH8elOzsc3KjH2dOzQItyXByPWgreGsHy8H3dL07rnuxEJq9iNWTElEu14MgpmEDMErYFInyn2MlcbG_GpD1ghV84d5a-kKgSYmGaSMcjyp/s320/IMG_2389.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Canadians have an affinity for anything maple. Our flag bears the maple leaf. The province of Quebec produces the largest amount of maple syrup in the world. And apparently Canadian baby boomers are the biggest eaters of maple walnut ice cream. According to an Angus Reid study, Canucks over the age of 55 prefer nuttier ice creams like maple walnut and praline pecan, while the younger generation prefer chunkier and more textured ones like chocolate chip cookie dough. Well, call me Gen X and a Canadian who really enjoyed making and devouring this simple but hard-to-find-in-America deliciousness. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I used a recipe found in "A Perfect Scoop", one of the best ice cream books out there by David Lebovitz. Using all organic products plus Grade A maple syrup made in Canada, natch, I churned out 3 pints that I think rivaled the quality of Haagen-Daz. For some reason, this batch had the perfect texture and consistency. Usually I need to let the ice cream soften for 20-30 minutes at room temperature before eating it but this time I could dig my spoon in right away. I think this was a result of not cooking the milk, egg and cream together to form the custard base. Instead I just heated the milk and egg then strained the mixture into a bowl of cream. How creamy and luscious it turned out with an understated maple flavour. The best part of the ice cream came from the genius of David Lebovitz. He suggested to use "wet" walnuts where you glaze the nuts with maple syrup -- such a subtle detail, which created tiny bursts of crunchy pleasure every time I bit into one.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I've a friend and co-worker who loves to joke with me about making ice cream and this blog. He's so hilarious that I brought him a container of my maple walnut to the office, which he shared in a meeting. My taste buds knew this was one of my best ice creams. But it was extremely flattering when a work bud, who's never emailed me before wrote, "OMFG, your ice cream was so good!" YAY! It makes me happy knowing I could make someone add the <i>"F"</i> to "OMG" with my ice cream. Now that's oh, maple goodness!</span></div>miz creamconehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03383136006730818875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254291343867361276.post-74280289617174314102010-08-04T13:27:00.000-07:002010-08-08T15:12:25.735-07:00To Egg or Not to Egg?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-BWbNRiEIApP79cojj9c6gKLls0K2GfGbwAgR9CKC4b-6HiA346n4uXU6KurQb4Ww0JVFwoaSl0o434rukRQwgt-eOBfIXV1rnukxQUXCM8RrTHWSH5cmeJvIZntOV0V6yapDsJ5UwcI/s1600/eggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-BWbNRiEIApP79cojj9c6gKLls0K2GfGbwAgR9CKC4b-6HiA346n4uXU6KurQb4Ww0JVFwoaSl0o434rukRQwgt-eOBfIXV1rnukxQUXCM8RrTHWSH5cmeJvIZntOV0V6yapDsJ5UwcI/s320/eggs.jpg" /></a></div>The New York Times posted an excellent <a href="http://nyti.ms/b3rwG3">article</a> today about going egg-free to create a lighter, more intensely flavoured ice cream. It's certainly food for thought. What I absolutely love most about ice cream is its creamy, decadent richness, which comes from using an egg-based custard. In the article, David Lebovitz, author of "A Perfect Scoop" (my bible), says this new egg-free ice cream goes against the Haagen-Daz style of “fat-is-flavor”. But isn't fattening the very point of ice cream? <br />
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In any case, I'll definitely try out these egg-less recipes to compare. At the very least, it might help spare me some calories.miz creamconehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03383136006730818875noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254291343867361276.post-49500486237829699252010-04-29T16:52:00.000-07:002010-04-29T16:54:01.658-07:00What Do Ice Cream and Hip Hop Have in Common?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9APYL-YzXaTRCUdFFeGVYCPW7bEaTVBJPChbnWPP6mGYfQ0IoSsl8izU5sfsRMXnOKUsjkbp5sWIcNUCouSd9_ucQW8aklzdVq0BQ7NWHJZc0UGzxJGdZBB2OXUIXW00OLmviNo0isPPO/s1600/its-it.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9APYL-YzXaTRCUdFFeGVYCPW7bEaTVBJPChbnWPP6mGYfQ0IoSsl8izU5sfsRMXnOKUsjkbp5sWIcNUCouSd9_ucQW8aklzdVq0BQ7NWHJZc0UGzxJGdZBB2OXUIXW00OLmviNo0isPPO/s400/its-it.jpg" width="273" /></a></div>An excuse to party! It's It, Adidas Berkeley and a crew of three are hosting The Original It's It Ice Cream Social. You can dance, drink, eat ice cream and get free stuff all night this Friday at Azul Lounge and Bar (11 Tillman Street). Just so you know, It's It is a local San Francisco treat -- delicious vanilla ice cream sandwiched between two chocolate covered cookies. Whoop whoop!miz creamconehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03383136006730818875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254291343867361276.post-806371241791811672010-01-14T14:09:00.000-08:002010-08-04T13:32:49.940-07:00Snow Cream!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSSe2Du2gvUQP20FlQ6bAQNxpEyb-fCC95EhtG5bB-CBQvyxJzoebwXn4OcockTQMd23hr1kobq9WOixVFHfdp5N8ljaxErnYDrHO47JnQ9g8iVNM0xMpKC1aTuzefPGkJb6p2aYEVsTrA/s1600-h/n810515550_5686910_4579.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSSe2Du2gvUQP20FlQ6bAQNxpEyb-fCC95EhtG5bB-CBQvyxJzoebwXn4OcockTQMd23hr1kobq9WOixVFHfdp5N8ljaxErnYDrHO47JnQ9g8iVNM0xMpKC1aTuzefPGkJb6p2aYEVsTrA/s400/n810515550_5686910_4579.jpg" /></a></div><b> </b><br />
Growing up in Canada, you'd think I would've had snow cream before but I haven't! It's also a shame that I found this recipe now and not when I was home for Christmas. Trust me, there was plenty of snow to make this with.<b> </b><br />
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<b>Snow Ice Cream</b><br />
Snow (8 cups)<br />
Sugar (1 cup)<br />
Whole milk or heavy cream (1 cup)<br />
Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)<br />
The amount of each ingredient really depends on the type of snow - light and fluffy or wet and icy. Gather *clean* snow, add about 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of milk or cream to start. Then mix together.<br />
<div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></div>miz creamconehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03383136006730818875noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254291343867361276.post-75057454819201508282010-01-05T20:03:00.000-08:002010-01-05T20:06:54.630-08:00Room to Grow?Haagen-Dazs plans to expand its Bay area presence and will open 25 new retail locations. Competing with Ben & Jerry's, Coldstone Creamery and local gourmet faves Mitchells, BiRite and Humphrey Slocumbe plus the current froyo onslaught, will it survive? <br />
<a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/business-headlines/ci_14046850?nclick_check=1">http://www.mercurynews.com/business-headlines/ci_14046850?nclick_check=1</a>miz creamconehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03383136006730818875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254291343867361276.post-72043984789353107272009-12-22T14:08:00.000-08:002009-12-22T15:38:43.001-08:00Peter Peter Pumpkin Ice Cream Eater<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgroB8sJLV1NkMWY9-PmFdmMDI8SMDe80TzCUbav8uHy9QVewAxc_VnPeNceWxF6j01OlevKUzAWJ4kF1rW9rUG107lUm2sLtUnpi6NZnYgC96_wGO-xh0KkiMT6p_UXAvrewby2Vk6AGLb/s1600-h/IMG_7093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgroB8sJLV1NkMWY9-PmFdmMDI8SMDe80TzCUbav8uHy9QVewAxc_VnPeNceWxF6j01OlevKUzAWJ4kF1rW9rUG107lUm2sLtUnpi6NZnYgC96_wGO-xh0KkiMT6p_UXAvrewby2Vk6AGLb/s400/IMG_7093.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div>The jury's out. My pumpkin pie ice cream (with cinnamon cookies representing pie crust) is just alright. Everyone who sampled it said the flavour was good but the texture was off. And I agree. Perhaps it was from adding an extra tablespoon or two of rum (I couldn't resist!) or not letting the ice cream soften at room temperature long enough, but the ice cream wasn't as creamy as I hoped and it came out more icy in texture. There was also a dry after taste perhaps from too much cinnamon? All in all, this pumpkin ice cream is enjoyable enough for me but I wouldn't serve it to Peter or future guests. It was a fun experiment though! <br />
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Here's the <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2009/11/pumpkin_ice_cream_recipe.html">recipe</a> for those interested. I found it on a blog by David Lebovitz, the god of ice cream.miz creamconehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03383136006730818875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254291343867361276.post-62150382036369893442009-11-28T00:38:00.000-08:002010-08-08T15:17:12.554-07:00'Tis The Season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqmFFPFDtnE3wUPwHx4Kqtt3ADBKcmSOSsGtsxGyCNf6jcPDAB2oua7Ob5JzzHuf0pNiPTrxrYLlVp0Oly_wDgOqPcL6H_pyxaiCOGzP2ByRB6mUJZHr18jd7yVhnOasHcCAFcihBbGZ89/s1600/IMG_7082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqmFFPFDtnE3wUPwHx4Kqtt3ADBKcmSOSsGtsxGyCNf6jcPDAB2oua7Ob5JzzHuf0pNiPTrxrYLlVp0Oly_wDgOqPcL6H_pyxaiCOGzP2ByRB6mUJZHr18jd7yVhnOasHcCAFcihBbGZ89/s400/IMG_7082.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm5o8LshG5PVS-2TrRhNt8Kc9E72qhUYdmKoaVfJrdb9WLJIMCbbJE4pagNDzl2eNngt9eDHjgqlgZqMSLmG9c6g0a847RBIjuzgPPN0veMLLNalDJHV-5iToUlu638TPXbRZZOcfBPaza/s1600-h/IMG_7079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm5o8LshG5PVS-2TrRhNt8Kc9E72qhUYdmKoaVfJrdb9WLJIMCbbJE4pagNDzl2eNngt9eDHjgqlgZqMSLmG9c6g0a847RBIjuzgPPN0veMLLNalDJHV-5iToUlu638TPXbRZZOcfBPaza/s400/IMG_7079.JPG" /></a></div>I love this time of year, especially in San Francisco. You can feel the season change, just enough to bring out the sweater, scarf and boots, yet it never gets that cold. It's also a fun time of year because my birthday is in November, Thanksgiving arrives with 2 days off and Christmas comes before we know it. Bah, it's hard to be humbug!<br />
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So in the spirit, I got back into ice cream practice with two seasonal staples -- pumpkin and eggnog. But they both seemed boring on their own. I rummaged the cabinets and found some leftover walnuts and Trader Joe's cinnamon schoolbook cookies. I toasted the walnuts and crumbled the cookies but now I can't decide which belongs with which ice cream. The texture and taste of the cookies could resemble the crust of pumpkin pie while the crunchy, salty nuts could balance the richness and sugary sweetness of egg nog. I think that's the pairing! I'll let you know how it turns out in the morning after it goes through the maker. Then I'm shopping! It's also that time of year for fabulous sales. Too fun!miz creamconehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03383136006730818875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254291343867361276.post-3700799959101804402009-11-27T23:45:00.000-08:002009-11-28T01:48:52.018-08:00A New Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh2id9oxMDxJsqVinRgi5oK0tfOwwkVJjSjt26CF6vddJ1_uaup3vbpi6jI8uruX11GUYxXOf8RhJiY7qLPCSktnorKGolg8bDQpEDuBUpP4xyLffKQ1L2GRlq0daNIGcjL8toXojJd9EN/s1600/IMG_7072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh2id9oxMDxJsqVinRgi5oK0tfOwwkVJjSjt26CF6vddJ1_uaup3vbpi6jI8uruX11GUYxXOf8RhJiY7qLPCSktnorKGolg8bDQpEDuBUpP4xyLffKQ1L2GRlq0daNIGcjL8toXojJd9EN/s400/IMG_7072.JPG" /></a><br />
</div>From an old 1908 Victorian in historic Nob Hill to a shiny new condo in up and coming Rincon Hill, my ice cream maker has a new home. And it loves it! No more shoddy kitchen. No more cramped counter space. Best of all, no more ants marching single file straight into my fridge and freezer. Ice cream making and cooking will never be the same! The only sign of ants now is this.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht8lO8SCvfGDGvDv0uiekTltbwa04VNuzCAnYmBYG5mitCV71297dxa9ZJ5JFzGEoRzPCa4dWdiOhYQu_uYVcQiRd8s-1xtmxGXtRpZkQXx2uCTaS97mboh-vY3CvrwESOi-KaKy0FQYQR/s1600/IMG_7077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht8lO8SCvfGDGvDv0uiekTltbwa04VNuzCAnYmBYG5mitCV71297dxa9ZJ5JFzGEoRzPCa4dWdiOhYQu_uYVcQiRd8s-1xtmxGXtRpZkQXx2uCTaS97mboh-vY3CvrwESOi-KaKy0FQYQR/s320/IMG_7077.JPG" /></a><br />
</div>Well, hello there Mr. Ant. Aren't you cute? I promise not to Raid you! (Special thanks to Deirdre, my former upstairs neighbour, for the perfect housewarming card!)miz creamconehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03383136006730818875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254291343867361276.post-53368815746543129152009-09-06T21:34:00.000-07:002010-08-14T02:34:54.738-07:00An American Original<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9TkV48sC43d1vwhPpHNhyphenhyphenwvaDxuCK8l58aLxUAiFG2E5KvSNO5N84enQ5bwSOLgQVFTU47u0NIUyz0XicLE8lwGfs5hTNhU2ywA8PQc3axXakmHqR88KAgAwbnXFw_KGl7-BfNpnWdjoy/s1600-h/IMG_0471.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378584956074467330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9TkV48sC43d1vwhPpHNhyphenhyphenwvaDxuCK8l58aLxUAiFG2E5KvSNO5N84enQ5bwSOLgQVFTU47u0NIUyz0XicLE8lwGfs5hTNhU2ywA8PQc3axXakmHqR88KAgAwbnXFw_KGl7-BfNpnWdjoy/s400/IMG_0471.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>After ascending the top of Angel Island, a hearty lunch and margaritas at Guaymas in Tiburon and a pretty ferry ride back to San Francisco, my friends and I craved dessert. Jason wanted Cara's Cupcakes but it just closed so we opted for ice cream. Unfortunately, the long line of tourists, overly-sweet smell of chocolate along with a pricey $8.25 hot fudge sundae at Ghiradelli Square prompted us to give up our killer parking spot and we headed to Swensen's Ice Cream Parlour - by far the better move.<br />
<br />
This is the first and original location that Earle Swensen opened at the corner of Union & Hyde (a few blocks from my apartment) in 1948. Now there are over 300 Swensen's ice cream outlets worldwide churning premium ice cream "as good as (Earle's) father used to make." Sarah emerged with a hot fudge sundae and I came out with mocha fudge in a waffle cone, both for under $10.<br />
<br />
The menu at Swensen's is traditional. It even sounds retro - <span style="font-style: italic;">Rocky Road, Cookies and Cream, Almond Praline Delight, Mocha Fudge</span> compared to <a href="http://www.humphryslocombe.com/%7C_Home_%7C.html">Humphrey Slocombe</a> and <a href="http://biritecreamery.com/">Bi-Rite Creamery</a>, who concoct innovative flavours of green tea black sesame seed, kumquat poppy and pistachio bacon. Sometimes in today's age of artisanal and gourmet, old-fashioned is a nice return.miz creamconehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03383136006730818875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254291343867361276.post-91797361932979539062009-09-01T15:26:00.000-07:002009-09-01T17:02:44.647-07:00Hubba Hubba Hubby Hubby<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDwDc8TrF0fdnKGgCXGrFZZZFOhN9GHAa60zuCrKzNkOyEeMRvMIlDGjDnUJkMeaNCU1P7HTyHxOSdY82CW-n1R04eFJ0230waIicc_3_7ithqbB2LtW3o6lD3r9yVvMB54h7xOJOOpLn/s1600-h/hubby-hubby.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixDwDc8TrF0fdnKGgCXGrFZZZFOhN9GHAa60zuCrKzNkOyEeMRvMIlDGjDnUJkMeaNCU1P7HTyHxOSdY82CW-n1R04eFJ0230waIicc_3_7ithqbB2LtW3o6lD3r9yVvMB54h7xOJOOpLn/s320/hubby-hubby.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376630908121987026" border="0" /></a>Way to go Ben & Jerry's! To celebrate Vermont's new same-sex marriage law, which passed today, the ice cream maker renamed their signature Chubby Hubby flavour to Hubby Hubby. Too bad it's only available in Vermont. I wanna get my hetero-hands on the special sundae in stores only!<br /><a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/09/ben-jerrys-chubby-hubby-renamed-hubby-hubby-in-support-of-gay-marriage.html">http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/09/ben-jerrys-chubby-hubby-renamed-hubby-hubby-in-support-of-gay-marriage.html</a>miz creamconehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03383136006730818875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254291343867361276.post-80630787374974944922009-08-14T17:23:00.000-07:002009-11-28T01:49:20.254-08:00The Best Ice Cream Parlours in SF<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvl-LIrvOxqMen4Q5RI27HlSBoIktEu9ZJF8nITDp9Q-GSavL0nIJqNzraUNsbQcnFKhI_wSfzya9HYidu3ZMmlYxcfL25zxU9_gAJ51h4eTNyz8WudFivoBSQJW54cswnQFDKwfoEjH8Y/s1600-h/rs-8-great-ice-cream-parlors-san-fran-608.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370071916714819906" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvl-LIrvOxqMen4Q5RI27HlSBoIktEu9ZJF8nITDp9Q-GSavL0nIJqNzraUNsbQcnFKhI_wSfzya9HYidu3ZMmlYxcfL25zxU9_gAJ51h4eTNyz8WudFivoBSQJW54cswnQFDKwfoEjH8Y/s200/rs-8-great-ice-cream-parlors-san-fran-608.jpg" style="display: block; height: 125px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></a>I'm finally back and sorry for the hiatus. Life got very busy after my last post in March. I traveled to Peru (Andes mountains trek, Machu Picchu and Lima), New York, Boston, Calgary, Banff and Vancouver. At work, I clocked in some long hours and launched a couple of brand new products into the market. I'm also searching for a home to buy and training for a half-marathon. Does that help justify my absence from this blog?<br />
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Lately it seems all my spare time is devoted to running. I assume I'm burning lots of calories so it's a perfect time to get back into ice cream because I can do it *guilt-free*! I'll try to be super diligent, dust off the ol' machine and start making some more. Until then I'll get my post-run ice cream fix at some of the best parlours (spelled the English and Canadian way) in town. Here's the top eight according to Gourmet magazine.<br />
<a href="http://www.gourmet.com/restaurants/2009/08/ice-cream-parlors-in-san-francisco">http://www.gourmet.com/restaurants/2009/08/ice-cream-parlors-in-san-francisco</a>miz creamconehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03383136006730818875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254291343867361276.post-26466048937612932112009-03-23T16:14:00.000-07:002010-08-08T15:19:51.826-07:00Ice Cream War<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHHTlIT7AmHafm2iQP2mqmf5jrqV6GtSzsKKmSp3j0EoKlq8C9NAXvnHxid0AokutRw1TipQtBUC9QKmENN3yzGiuE0MSBNHo_r0SsyDya_QOETVdUXfIKGqGHX18qQ-duNrtkpn0o7Sdj/s1600-h/dia_haagendazspot1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHHTlIT7AmHafm2iQP2mqmf5jrqV6GtSzsKKmSp3j0EoKlq8C9NAXvnHxid0AokutRw1TipQtBUC9QKmENN3yzGiuE0MSBNHo_r0SsyDya_QOETVdUXfIKGqGHX18qQ-duNrtkpn0o7Sdj/s320/dia_haagendazspot1.jpg" /></a></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit09_0Z0sORNoioYhklrvxT1r9sn1-oD-1kJgbLwhxFUMZU2AjT147PnAdp3PpK9AZO20kVJJAqB17yx4RELwnT-aqgiKJAlT-bHUx3fkZkqxJALp7GAGfrqERJU1LHUy5_HrWSAtVWGHq/s1600/B&J.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316528730602579730" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit09_0Z0sORNoioYhklrvxT1r9sn1-oD-1kJgbLwhxFUMZU2AjT147PnAdp3PpK9AZO20kVJJAqB17yx4RELwnT-aqgiKJAlT-bHUx3fkZkqxJALp7GAGfrqERJU1LHUy5_HrWSAtVWGHq/s320/B&J.jpg" style="margin-top: 0pt;" /></a></div>I just learned from another friend who's into ice cream that Haagen-Daz is reducing the size of their pints from 16 ounces to 14 ounces, prompting Ben & Jerry's to strike. No wonder Haagen-Daz is on sale at the supermarket. They're trying to sell off the bigger pints! But in this economic recession, is it better to downsize pints or people?</div><div><a href="http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=101869">http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=101869</a></div>miz creamconehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03383136006730818875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254291343867361276.post-15071526791572589782009-03-21T22:05:00.000-07:002009-09-01T17:04:53.480-07:00Been Caught Cheating<div>I know you're supposed to "eat your own dog food" but tonight I'm cheating and enjoying my favourite ice cream of all time - Haagen-Daz Caramel Cone. But let me explain! As I walked down the aisle at Cala Foods today, I saw 3 pints for $10. How could I resist a sale? I guess this means I need to start searching for a caramel cone recipe to make but this Haagen-Daz original is gonna be hard to match.</div>miz creamconehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03383136006730818875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254291343867361276.post-42676326542779399022009-03-11T21:52:00.000-07:002010-08-08T15:24:32.189-07:00A Fine Balance<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglsCrW1U634qaBcTtN4PSA04yDRNF9HIoMrsMpIxWkK1g7UGvJJw-cJ0yLOdRI2aT0s1XYnwXHetaeMwuALg4PX7cjcAawqwD0CL314JKYf1K-d8vUpBsT89DC-rdH5PVr0QQCobcPbJpa/s1600-h/IMG_4817.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312188570493247730" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglsCrW1U634qaBcTtN4PSA04yDRNF9HIoMrsMpIxWkK1g7UGvJJw-cJ0yLOdRI2aT0s1XYnwXHetaeMwuALg4PX7cjcAawqwD0CL314JKYf1K-d8vUpBsT89DC-rdH5PVr0QQCobcPbJpa/s400/IMG_4817.JPG" style="display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" width="400" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8rUefYZoASvNOFrtZQrlTbeHyEjdHjTSCPFc_weu1eaU4YyQZTCQYigiBRsiZJCyFZm845AA55mE58Iw3v2DAQ3fSblMRBwmJRujLOh0rkR7C72eptjzuHIQ8h-n1Xv0qC6yAWAGVuFb/s1600-h/IMG_4832.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312188566163222450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8rUefYZoASvNOFrtZQrlTbeHyEjdHjTSCPFc_weu1eaU4YyQZTCQYigiBRsiZJCyFZm845AA55mE58Iw3v2DAQ3fSblMRBwmJRujLOh0rkR7C72eptjzuHIQ8h-n1Xv0qC6yAWAGVuFb/s400/IMG_4832.JPG" style="display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" width="400" /></a>It just keeps getting better and better. Tonight I made double chocolate peanut butter ice cream and took it one step further by tossing in chunks of peanut butter cups. Striking the right balance can lead to perfection and this came pretty darn close. <br />
<div><br />
</div><div>This is why I love Haagen Daz more than Ben & Jerry's. B&J overdoes the extras, while HD manages a nice balance of ice cream and extras, which leaves me wanting for more. I was concerned this batch of ice cream would get excessive if I added chunks of PB cups since there was already a double dose of chocolate (the remainder of the Scharffen Berger bar and cocoa powder) plus the creaminess and richness of all-natural peanut butter drizzled in. But fortunately it worked! </div><div><br />
</div><div>Next time though, I'll use Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, my favourite mass-produced chocolate bar, instead of Trader Joe's. The practical side of me knew I'd get more bang for my buck if I bought the Trader Joe's branded 16 ounce container from the specialty grocery store chain versus individually packaged Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Now I have lots of leftover PB cups to nibble on when I'm not getting fat on ice cream. <br />
<div><div><br />
</div><div>Speaking of...somebody please tell me to put down my spoon *right now* as I'm starting to feel a bit sick from eating too many scoops of this chocolaty-peanuty fineness. All you people on diets out there, you're missing out! </div></div></div>miz creamconehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03383136006730818875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254291343867361276.post-12306462135592854942009-03-10T21:55:00.000-07:002009-09-01T17:05:25.064-07:00Win, Lose, A Draw<img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; text-align: center; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 135px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLuKj6E9IJGmcC6H-A0O3hYCBodjaoqww-NS4YU5XC6BG_u-H_dcY0IDYfJCkvW1413Oq6AWLFyUOPSPeLb8pE0ApR7q1ipJnf33-zEix863FwRANnkCrZL0FNbf6zdS9cP6YFjMVdDDFB/s200/milk_movie_poster_l.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311976010480640914" border="0" /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyah62Ol9aTYzMLo00-PhyJb4qrvaSfIn1m-9VIo2ZJLicFbUxsLKzBPfDvEj_ZC_sPrg37fptPBn39bht7sN5_KV1G0XQa1jQLCm16bYgWfo22BUi1VBPB_Sw8euVJ3QEsAwsmfeHjHa0/s1600-h/the_wrestler_movie_poster_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 135px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyah62Ol9aTYzMLo00-PhyJb4qrvaSfIn1m-9VIo2ZJLicFbUxsLKzBPfDvEj_ZC_sPrg37fptPBn39bht7sN5_KV1G0XQa1jQLCm16bYgWfo22BUi1VBPB_Sw8euVJ3QEsAwsmfeHjHa0/s200/the_wrestler_movie_poster_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311976190024336690" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: left;">The two chocolate ice creams battled to a draw and were devoured by the Oscar party-goers. (Thanks Annika for hosting!). It was difficult to determine which was the party favourite. My friend Jason, a food connaiseur in his own right, preferred the "Harvey Milk Chocolate" because it was just like biting into a piece of dark chocolate. I, on the other hand, loved "Mud Chocolate Wrestling" since it tasted exactly what chocolate ice cream should be like - creamy, velvety and not too dense or over-powering. Good thing Sean Penn won the Oscar for playing Harvey Milk because I awarded the Oscar for <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Best Ice Cream</span> to the other one, "Mud Chocolate Wrestling." I wonder if Mickey would agree...</div>miz creamconehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03383136006730818875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254291343867361276.post-37275692136291438852009-02-21T22:59:00.001-08:002009-09-01T17:05:41.964-07:00The Surprise Ingredient<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_mgDpFGucKdeWoPPP-ZNkSKH6A_o_cYIidBA596GkY08MZZlHhe38pYOEsOwCxil__0YWyiTSyg_XVKonjcdQKyWxLwyLe0m5mBTQB-FlpDr3V2UZqvLPoThQnCidqLp6V9XC2WpKRsXV/s1600-h/IMG_4827.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_mgDpFGucKdeWoPPP-ZNkSKH6A_o_cYIidBA596GkY08MZZlHhe38pYOEsOwCxil__0YWyiTSyg_XVKonjcdQKyWxLwyLe0m5mBTQB-FlpDr3V2UZqvLPoThQnCidqLp6V9XC2WpKRsXV/s320/IMG_4827.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311807642699215330" border="0" /></a>The second chocolate recipe I tried tonight had an ingredient that I never thought to use in ice cream - cream cheese (1/4 cup). This was the first time I used half-n-half instead of whole milk/heavy cream and this version doesn't have eggs. I also halved the amount of Scharffen Berger since too much fine artisan chocolate can be overwhelming. This recipe was simple and quick to make and had a syrupy texture after cooking compared to the base of yesterday's ice cream, which turned out so rich and thick, it was like a frozen mousse. It'll be interesting to see how this one comes out after a night of refridgeration and a churn in the machine. <div><br /></div><div>As mentioned in my previous post, the ice cream will be dessert for a small Oscar get-together tomorrow. My friend Kymm is a huge Mickey Rourke fan and she convinced me to see his movie, so I'll dedicate this recipe to her and call it, "Mud Chocolate Wrestling." </div><div><br /></div><div>And in honour of a great movie and an even greater man, I'll name the batch of ice cream I made yesterday, "Harvey Milk Chocolate."</div>miz creamconehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03383136006730818875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254291343867361276.post-30636541553715415842009-02-20T21:42:00.000-08:002010-08-08T15:27:37.451-07:00Next Up, Chocolate<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbLKmJL0EAQgS9TQvxxIDN_VowfR7BfJzpK9vJgceC8HSbfgd9E35Lgi1VoEtnA1N-5KtiZo_N_DJXMVtSoGZmHkH8atSEJQU3kr8vmf-EjSVX4NSKl8Vk58_A8qedW8WdTIxvPLiGjPK/s1600-h/IMG_4798.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305512205846087170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbLKmJL0EAQgS9TQvxxIDN_VowfR7BfJzpK9vJgceC8HSbfgd9E35Lgi1VoEtnA1N-5KtiZo_N_DJXMVtSoGZmHkH8atSEJQU3kr8vmf-EjSVX4NSKl8Vk58_A8qedW8WdTIxvPLiGjPK/s320/IMG_4798.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" /></a>After a busy few weeks and a weekend trip to Vancouver, I'm back to making ice cream and about to complete a Neapolitan trifecta - I attempted vanilla, strawberry and now chocolate! <br />
<div><br />
</div><div>I'm trying two chocolate recipes (one has an unexpected ingredient) to see if there's a noticeable difference in taste, texture and consistency. I'm bringing both to an Oscar gathering on Sunday for a taste test and curious to know which they'll like better. But I'm 100% sure that choosing quality chocolate is the way to go. I picked Scharffen Berger over Hersheys or Ghirardelli, and yes, I used the entire 9.7 ounces (275 g) of dark chocolate bliss. Organic Clover milk, cream and eggs were also used. Once I heated and cooled the base mixture, it turned out thicker and creamier than any of my previous batches, like a pudding, and the chocolate flavour was super intense and decadent. I can't wait to throw it in the machine tomorrow and try in its frozen form! </div><div><br />
</div><div>But this may be the last time I splurge on such wonderful ingredients after seeing the bill at the Whole Foods check-out counter. I'll either have to start making more economical, recession-friendly ice cream or possibly give up shoe shopping. </div>miz creamconehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03383136006730818875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254291343867361276.post-43800842201015747332009-02-02T19:36:00.000-08:002009-12-22T13:23:58.353-08:00Berry Good?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMxujCHFtQJw9g6MjjNQnKCLAyO_ueXybf4pIX-khD4vMwSZw4BVhq1ZEs8wuFjqtVgllrWN8NSXiNLHN95ojasKPygEvOi6Q4oEJBa50GBPKRwF7OsO95gPqgLpU8RUT9P-fNnEIBjYY/s1600-h/IMG_4677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMxujCHFtQJw9g6MjjNQnKCLAyO_ueXybf4pIX-khD4vMwSZw4BVhq1ZEs8wuFjqtVgllrWN8NSXiNLHN95ojasKPygEvOi6Q4oEJBa50GBPKRwF7OsO95gPqgLpU8RUT9P-fNnEIBjYY/s400/IMG_4677.JPG" /></a><br />
</div>For my second batch, I'm trying out another classic flavour - strawberry. The process, I'm learning, is about the same each time. I start with a base consisting of milk, cream, sugar and eggs (this time 4 yolks and 1/4 cup less sugar), heat to a low boil, simmer and refridgerate overnight. The new step is adding the "extras" near the end of the churning cycle in the machine. To prepare the strawberries for the ice cream, I cut up 3 cups of fresh organic strawberries and let it soak in lemon juice, sugar and a tablespoon of rum (yay, another excuse to break out the Flor de Cana!). Then I pureed half the mixture and together with the strawberries pieces, I brought it to a boil and let it cool. With 5 minutes to go in the machine, I slowly poured in the strawberries and watched the pink swirls form. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhcD92hky8apEMDK19HT2CwNd-NFnavKexxGVoVD1MVNywHglvZySHQRQjiSehClyV8EpEZVCOOfwgAVeZlJ-QnOopo2sfOwS0TMOVdhGRfR1QLqpp6Sj4FmeuHcrMdjNuSMfsABT37F3/s1600-h/IMG_4689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIhcD92hky8apEMDK19HT2CwNd-NFnavKexxGVoVD1MVNywHglvZySHQRQjiSehClyV8EpEZVCOOfwgAVeZlJ-QnOopo2sfOwS0TMOVdhGRfR1QLqpp6Sj4FmeuHcrMdjNuSMfsABT37F3/s400/IMG_4689.JPG" /></a><br />
</div>Now I'm having a mandatory sample, and mmm...it's berry berry good. The texture is a bit soft, like a thick milkshake, but a couple hours in the freezer will produce a firmer consistency. It could use another cup of strawberries too. But it's definitely tasty enough to share and I'm bringing in 4 little scoops in mini-souffle cups to my co-workers tomorrow for an afternoon pick-me-up. The biggest scoop is reserved for Mr. Roger Federer, who lost the Australian Open yesterday to Mr. Rafael Nadal, and it broke my heart to see him cry after the tournament. I definitely think strawberry ice cream will cheer him up. <br />
</div>miz creamconehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03383136006730818875noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254291343867361276.post-70852674458269957412009-01-25T23:27:00.000-08:002009-11-28T11:19:46.146-08:00Happy Year of the Ox<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtN1K_e2h1qxquXVi_Sq40cq9a78EZsN7GT8xJMe7Ypi_J18dt1aU8Nx3r7vKOZ818nmjBmJaGn1OmTI6oPA6ofrytZkJNv6cbZ3LklnuOVxYKloG4m1uLwWb26dOF2DNmBca0ewN0DB5/s1600-h/IMG_4673.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295519206986186802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUtN1K_e2h1qxquXVi_Sq40cq9a78EZsN7GT8xJMe7Ypi_J18dt1aU8Nx3r7vKOZ818nmjBmJaGn1OmTI6oPA6ofrytZkJNv6cbZ3LklnuOVxYKloG4m1uLwWb26dOF2DNmBca0ewN0DB5/s320/IMG_4673.JPG" style="display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 240px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbO9JEANBoyMpjvVB5LbpDpaMXJkTWfl8f31U45shkoLI024P4sK4LhWVIv3dRiqyrOq4OSgppXMihKGte1Vf23PdKAk0aoNLi-nmWA2jOi7Ut6DoSFSco6LEMmisiAIUMh4pKz5bIZnn/s1600-h/IMG_4676.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295519206900233746" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQbO9JEANBoyMpjvVB5LbpDpaMXJkTWfl8f31U45shkoLI024P4sK4LhWVIv3dRiqyrOq4OSgppXMihKGte1Vf23PdKAk0aoNLi-nmWA2jOi7Ut6DoSFSco6LEMmisiAIUMh4pKz5bIZnn/s320/IMG_4676.JPG" style="display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>Every Chinese New Year, I call my parents to wish them a "Gung Hay Fat Choy" but that's usually the extent of my celebration. This year, I thought I'd try something different and follow a few of the traditions. Leading up to New Year's Day, you're supposed to give your home a thorough cleaning to sweep away last year's bad luck and bring in the good, so guess what I did all day? My hours of scrubbing better translate into loads of luck! <br />
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</div><div>The biggest event on Chinese New Year's Eve is dinner and many symbolic foods are served. I invited my friend Marisa to join me. Typically the meal centers around a whole fish, which symbolizes togetherness and abundance. Chicken should also be presented whole to signify completeness. Noodles should be left uncut to represent long life. Oranges symbolize wealth and good fortune, as China's most plentiful fruit. <br />
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</div><div>My dinner incorporated these traditions but the thought of gutting the fish and cooking the chicken with head, tail and feet attached...ewwww! Traditions are great but hey I'm a modern gal. Instead, I made filet of rockfish with black bean sauce on a bed of bok choy and stir-fried Shanghai noodles with chicken breast and veggies. (I didn't cut the noodles! Hooray for longevity!) <br />
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</div><div>For dessert, we naturally had ice cream (a scoop of the vanilla bean that I made last week) with fresh mango and we drizzled my prized possession from Nicaragua, Flor de Cana rum that's been aged for 12 years, over top. Oh my, it was a delicious combination. <br />
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</div><div>Thanks Marisa for sharing this celebration with me and being my first friend to sample my ice cream. And here's to a happy and prosperous year of the Ox to you all!<br />
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</div>miz creamconehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03383136006730818875noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5254291343867361276.post-42073689992912620912009-01-23T10:35:00.000-08:002009-02-02T22:25:22.510-08:00The Logo<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRp1IP3GzIa9IC8MpkiZdU4F3vUg6XDqIHXmM4dCJlSe8pBqKAIvoaZffVHEyoCyX1kv2Phr_Yg3BVSi4pIINuTSIxd7i_1725IFKlzbyCs470DRVi5Ck3v6lt44dtwJeLG2KDnQsUzmE/s1600-h/mcreamcone.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 316px; height: 69px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRp1IP3GzIa9IC8MpkiZdU4F3vUg6XDqIHXmM4dCJlSe8pBqKAIvoaZffVHEyoCyX1kv2Phr_Yg3BVSi4pIINuTSIxd7i_1725IFKlzbyCs470DRVi5Ck3v6lt44dtwJeLG2KDnQsUzmE/s320/mcreamcone.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294561110126645570" /></a>It's Friday and a bit slow at work so I just whipped up a logo in PowerPoint of all things. Considering where I'm employed, you'd think I'd have access to some fancy design tools. <div><br /></div><div>Next I'll create labels to stick on the take-out containers I bought from Smart & Final. That way when I share my ice cream with friends, it'll look all pretty. <br /><div><br /></div></div>miz creamconehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03383136006730818875noreply@blogger.com1