Skip to main content

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for ...

Given that this is summer, thought I would depart briefly from my restaurant reviews to talk ice cream.  The impetus for ice cream in the summer begins with the Good Humor ice cream truck.  Earlier this summer I was at my childhood home when "that sound" came up.  The jingle jangle of the ice cream truck.  All of us, mostly aged 50 and up, squealed and ran out to see a 1950s era ice cream truck coming up the street.  Along with neighbors and very few kids, we each got a treat.  I went for the classic strawberry shortcake ice cream bar (230 calories), something I always got as a child, usually for 50 cents.  Well, they aren't 50 cents anymore and don't taste anything like strawberries or even anything natural, but there is a small sense of pleasure at going back to your youth, however briefly.

This was followed by my determination to find the "best" of the various ice cream bars out there.  Magnum made a major splash with their overtly "obvious" commercials a few years back and other companies seem to be trying to match the success of Magnum.   I put up Magnum against Dove and Haagen Dazs.  In my humble opinion, here are the takes:


  1. Haagen Dazs -- a clear winner.  The chocolate tastes like it is pure, simple chocolate and melts on your tongue.  The ice cream is rich and has the consistency of pure cream.  280 calories.
  2. Magnum -- a strong second place.  The topping is everything promised -- a syrupy center between two chocolate shells.  Quite a nice twist.  The downside is the ice cream which tastes thin.  I think the idea is that the shell would distract from the center of the bar.  It kind of works.  250 calories.
  3. Dove -- sorry Dove.  A bar that has been around longer than Magnum or Haagen Dazs, this one just tastes like chemicals, from shell to ice cream center.  A distant third.  250 calories.

Of course, I am a card-carrying member of the Godiva frequent buyers program and they have a growing list of summertime treats, from parfaits to soft serve.  My favorite are the chocolixers.  While they are the perfect treat on a summer day the calorie load is tremendous, so take it easy.


Of course the real option, for vegans in particular, is to just make it yourself.  I picked up an ice cream maker a few years ago (an insulated metal bowl which is rotated by a machine with a center agitator).  It is the best of all worlds.  My standard is to mix 2 cups of heavy cream with 2 cups of fat free milk, scalding it with 1/4 a cup of sugar and a split vanilla bean from Trader Joe's, seeds scraped out and into the mixture (if you have never had a real vanilla bean, one that is soft and pliable instead of the hard, dried things at the grocery store, then treat yourself).  I throw in an egg or two if I want it custard-like and increase the sugar if I add in extracts (I'm into almond extract at the moment).  Vegans can do the same thing with coconut creme and/or almond milk. 

Whatever your flavor, enjoy the delights of summer!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

RASA

The popular grain bowl trend gets a twist with this Indian-inspired takeout bowl place.  Same concept -- a base, greens, toppings, etc., but the options are mostly Indian inspired and the majority of offerings are vegetarian (although not vegan, given the heavy use of Ghee in cooking).  My take is mixed.  Some of the items were outstanding, some less so.  I got the Lemon Tumeric Rice, which was delightful.  Fresh and tangy, with a little bite, it was one of the best rice dishes I've ever tried.  On top of this I got the Tofu/Cauliflower protein.  It was half and half.  The cauliflower was perfectly roasted, the roasted onions delightful, and the nuts were a beautiful added crunch.  The tofu, however, was watery, and the green and red peppers well past prime.  Next, I added sauteed spinach, which was incredibly bland, and the peanut sesame sauce, which was "okay" but forgettable.  I didn't do additional toppings, although there were plenty.  I did get two of the mini s
Post a Comment
Read more

First Watch

Meant to invite some family members here but a friend beat me to the punch.  We compromised and went together.  Unfortunately, this is a place where it looks better than it is.  Across the board.  The funky design scheme makes it an echo chamber and, with the pumping music, very loud.  Conversation was difficult.  The menu is covered in glossy photos and descriptions of the food but ... I started with the Morning Meditation Fresh Juice, a pretty blend of citrus and beet.  Or I tried to.  Took three reminders to the waiter and when it finally arrived, halfway into the meal, it was 90% ice and 10% juice.  My companions opted for coffee.  It was ice cold.  Another long wait (about 20 minutes) to get new coffee -- and included a reminder to staff that they wanted fresh cups as well.  I ordered the Vegetarian Quinoa Bowl, which was described as having up to 12 ingredients.  It had three.  The quinoa, an egg, maybe two teeny slices of tomato past its prime.  It wasn't hot or cold, just r
Post a Comment
Read more

Mezeh

With this new version of a middle-eastern inspired "bowl/pita/wrap" meal the Ballston Mezeh has a lot to praise and a few things it could do better. On the plus side is a ton of options.  For a base they move beyond the simple rice or greens selections to specific greens options/mixes and then they have three kinds of rice (including Riced Cauliflower with Bulgar Wheat for the Keto crowd).  After that there are two different protein options for veggies -- Falafel and Veggie Kofta.  I selected the Kofta just so that I could have something new ... and loved it.  But you aren't done there.  You can choose up to 12 toppings (TWELVE) out of 27.  Then there are the dressings.  Again, the choices are overwhelming with eight -- each sounds amazing.  I went with the Spicy Mango and was not disappointed.  I ordered a bowl and still got a nice big slice of warm pita which was just yummy. The challenge however, is that the bowl I ordered online wasn't really full.  There were lot
Post a Comment
Read more