Bear makes Ice Cream!

 Bear adores ice cream.

So do I.

 And I love to paint ice cream.

 When my niece, chef Louisa Shafia invited me over to test some recipes - her saffron frozen yogurt ice cream - I did not say no!

 And I got to make the ice cream! churn-churn soooo easy.

 Lousia made us ice cream sandwiches. Are you melting?

 Naturally I had to get a Donvier (non-electric) ice cream maker like Louisa's. And naturally I went hunting for easy frozen yogurt recipes. I found Food For My Family's Lemon yogart. Ta Da!

 Plus Greek Fage yogurt was on sale last week.

 We added a little extra lime zest + juice. It calls for 2 T of grated zest. We may have gone overboard on the zest.

 But how the heck can you measure out zest with these high-tech microplanes? I much prefer Chef Marthe's Paris gizmo - the zest collects neatly in the handle. I'm getting the source for this one.

 Ahem, sometimes Bear drops the lemon into the yogart mixure...

 Do wear white when making frozen yogurt ice cream.

All of my clothes have white spodges on them.

 It takes just a few turns of the paddle within a 20 minute timespan et voila!

 You have Lemon Frozen yogurt!

Easy peasy and better than store bought ice cream. Plus you know exactly what's in it. I tried making straight-up frozen yogurt with no sugar but that fell flat. We did have success with 2 mangos + 3 cups of yogurt + 1/2 C sugar + lemon. Do not measure out the yogart into a measuring cup. Just dish it out straight from the container.

 Bear and Babar were thrilled with the tart lemony flavor and nice creamy texture.

I was thrilled to come up with 'The Smaller Spoon' diet. Bear's tiny 2 1/2" spoon is coming with me to Paris.

You HAVE to eat slower with this spoon!

Ice Cream at Tiffanys

End of Summer Tiffanys has the right idea.
Their windows are filled with plain old-fashioned ice cream cones with fancy names - very cool.

What'll you have?

Cravin' Rum Raisin, Belle of the Ballberry, Rococo Cocoa, Diamond Dish Delish, Metro Melon, Schlumberry or Fifth Avenue Freeze?

Behind me I heard a woman say,
"Nice ice!"

Her kid said,
"Mom, can I get an ice cream?"

In Paris you find dixie cups that cost a menthe. You also find plain old ice cream cones on most blocks like this giant poster. Parisians adore ice cream.
A sky-high cone at Tiffanys.

And a wall of sprinkles.

What flavor would you like?

I'll take chocolate bien sur!

More sprinkles piled high.

I'll take the 'ROCK'-y road please...

During hurricane Irene I nervously wolfed down dixie cups.

I couldn't find these.

During the holiday weekend I'll be thinking about baguette ice cream.

BONNE HOLIDAY WEEKEND PBers!

The Ice cream Cometh...

Can you ever have too much ice cream? BEAR says NO!
I am inclined to agree with BEAR. Perhaps that's why we get along so well...

Looking at ice cream cones is almost as good as holding one.

Don't you think?

If a French friend invites you to Berthillon you must eat your framboise ice cream in a cup. A cone is not acceptable a table.

 I love this Wayne Thiebaud etching of ice cream in a cup.

Sketching cones is great fun.

But painting ice cream 'from life' has it's drawbacks...

Ice cream refuses to sit still and will melt on you in situe...

Much as I love my ice cream in a cone I prefer not to sit on one...

Nor do I like having a cone plopped in my cuppa - who's bright idea was this?

The Italians like the idea of a half cone...

Laboratorio del Gelato's ice cream is quite pleasent in a cup yet they insist on closing their shop at 6 PM! Why do they think New Yorkers can make it to the Lower East side by 6 PM? Anyone who wants to join me in a PROTEST Demonstration let me know svp.

My latest favorite flavor is Black Sesame at Sundaes and Cones. I have big plans to make black Sesame macarons soon...

These days I'm reduced to grabbing a dixie cup in a pinch. Unlike Paris, which has ice cream shops on every corner (is that why I love Paris?) New York is not so well-endowed.

I'm happy to report Amorino, the French gelato chain has opened a shop in New York. I'm not happy to report it costs $5+. I have my limits.

I'm sorry to report that La Maison du Chocolat, who formerly scooped out their ice cream fresh is now offering only ready-filled cups. A step down in quality IMHO. 

So what's YOUR favorite ice cream flavor?

Do tell all PBers

EAT LOTS OF ICE CREAM THIS WEEKEND!

The Gelato Diet!

The Gelato Diet (or dieta) requires you... To eat THREE gelatos a day... Preferably in a conno or cone. And you MUST be in Italy. This regime works no where else. Where to get started? Look for giant colorful triple cone displays.

It could be a sign...

You will want to get to know your sizes:

Piccolo (small)

Media (medium)

Grande (BIG)

Gigante is also on offer. Doing a bit of comparison pricing is fub but as a rule this dieta will not break le banco Please note sizes can often be displayed diagramatically...

If the cone is chopped off at the bottom not to worry. This will not effect weight loss.

Getting to know your flavors is hard work - there are many!

Have your Italian dessert and eat it too.

Don't worry.

Be happy.

If you are Viennese, non problemo.

There is Sacher Torte gelato especially for you.

Who knew 'Galak' was white chocolate?

Some people will only eat pistacchio, pistacchio...

PISTACCHIO!

 Exercising on the Gelato Diet?

The answer is on the counter in 5 languages:

Il gelato da passeggio non puo essere consumato al tavolo! Grazie. Ice creams purchased at the bar may not be enjoyed sitting at the tables!

You must walk with your gelato - this is great exercise.

You will not be alone on The Gelato Diet.

There are many support members to team up with.

When do you get the sylph-like figure you've been dreaming of?

Molto simplice. You MUST leave Italy. Go to Paris. No gelato tastes the same outside of Italy.

Going cold turkey/tacchino freddo is the way to fit into that Eres bathing suit. Where to get your Gelato in Venice?

Try: Fantasy, Il Gelatone, Il Pinguino, Da Nico, Alaska, El Todaro, Lo Squero, Suso, Millevoglie etc.

For the BEST gelato in the world you MUST go to Bologna to Sorbetteria Castiglione. Just 1 1/2 hours away by Eurostar train from Venice and well worth it!

BUON GIORNO Gelato Dieta!