When architect Natasha Case and real estate developer Freya Estreller repurposed a mail truck to fill with highly imaginative all-natural cookie and ice cream creations, no one predicted such an immediate, overwhelming success. Food trucks come and go (quite literally) but the duo’s…
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From gluten-free sorbet bars to ice cream for dogs, we’re always on the look out for new ideas within the realm of frozen treats. The latest to pique our interest is the recordOutboundLink(this,…
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When McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream won the Sofi Award for Best Dessert at the New York Fancy Food Show this year, the new owners—winemaker Michael Palmer and chef Eva Ein—were thrilled, but not completely surprised. Palmer…
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by Mya Stark Imagine ice cream and bicycles—two childhood icons of summer—combined in a new business model with very serious goals. That’s what’s going on at Peddler’s Creamery, a new sweets haven in Downtown Los Angeles…
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Beef Brisket, Peanut Butter Bacon and Gouda Burger probably aren’t the flavors that come to mind when you think of ice cream. But then again, you probably don’t have four legs and identify with a certain type of breed. Leo Emerson—a Brussels Griffon who is subbing in as office…
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A sweet find in the unlikeliest of places
On a recent trip to Istanbul we got to experience that magic mixture of Europe and Asia—the harmonic balance of historic venues and international retail chains, the reflections of lights on tiles and the Bosphorus, the best aubergines, the young crowd on Istiklal Avenue. We did not necessarily expect to find good ice cream, so were pleasantly surprised to stumble upon Muà Gelatieri d’Italia.
Muà Gelatieri d’Italia is a recently launched small chain of Italian gelato shops. The first to open is located by the sea in the hip Yeniköy neighborhood. The design of the interior is based on the playful contrast of white and pink colors, with the omnipresent logo of a shocking pink mouth miming the kiss that inspires the onomatopoeic “muà” name. During the warm season, clients can also enjoy a nice outdoor space.
Florentine entrepreneur Elena Pallotta decided to quit a well-established real estate career in order to pursue her ice cream dream. “After finding a group of investors,” Pallotta tells CH, “I left my beautiful house in Tuscany, moved to Turkey and started from scratch. At the beginning I had to take care of every aspect, from construction details to the search for the perfect ingredients.”
Every flavor is naturally prepared in the adjacent laboratory with strictly seasonal ingredients and without preservatives or chemicals. Some of our favorites include hazelnut (made with the Turkish staple), chocolate (which comes in two choices, with or without milk), locally-sourced banana and kaymak, a Turkish version of clotted cream. Passing on Turkish dondurma—a kind of gummy ice cream—the young gelateria is already being hailed as the best frozen treat in town. In addition to gelato, Muà offers coffee and cold desserts, freshly made from recipes merging Italian tradition with Turkish taste.
The second store is located in the Göktürk Merkez, while a third will be opened on the 4 July 2012 in the trendy neighborhood of Cihangir.
Biomimicry spawns edible packaging for food and cocktails
In an innovative approach to consuming with minimal waste, Harvard Professor David Edwards and his team have developed WikiCells, self-contained, edible packaging for liquids, mousses and emulsions. The membrane that houses the various WikiCells flavors is made from vegetal elements, with a taste deliberately paired to match its contents. What started as an experiment to reduce the waste from packaging on food delivered to impoverished areas in Africa has expanded to focus on the significant impact of food packaging on pollution caused by mass consumption. With such far-reaching ideas in mind, the company launches today with the announcement of the newly introduced WikiCocktail and Wiki IceCream.
The gelatinous skin of the WikiCell, while for the most part created from natural particles, does have some hard science in the form of biochemical polymer chitosan and alginate, or algae extract. The hard shell of the WikiCells, which protects the form and prevents breakage, is made either from bagasse, a fibrous residue from sugar cane, or from isomalt, a sweetener. WikiCells can be washed like a piece of fruit, eliminating the need for extraneous packaging. Edwards began his work with yogurts and mousses, and has now produced his first alcoholic product in the form of the WikiCocktail, which suspends cointreau in a skin made from orange zest.
While the notion of incorporating this technology into mass food production remains pretty far in the future, the WikiCells team have realized their aim of bringing this technology to life and, if their work continues to grow, the implications for its impact on waste reduction could be quite significant. Some will find it ironic that advanced molecular gastronomy is required to fulfill this kind of biomimicry, but skeptics should note that the WikiCell system has no limits in terms of contents, potentially hosting anything from nutrition packs for developing countries to high-end desserts (for the latter market, Wiki IceCream is a creamy delight protected by a hard chocolate shell). The notion that foods should be self-contained may seem like an obvious one, and the company points to the grape as a perfect example of what WikiCells is attempting to be.
WikiCells are also available in WikiCheese, WikiYogurt and WikiFruit as part of the ever-evolving project from Paris-based Le Laboratoire, which under Edwards’ direction has produced other innovative designs such as CellBag, Le Whif and Aeroshot.
Wiki Cocktails and other WikiCells creations will be available at the Lab Store Paris this Fall, and from there will make their stateside debut in Boston in 2013.
Farm to cone ice cream made with the finest Northwest ingredients
New to the foodie community in Portland, OR, Salt & Straw makes truly unusual, delicious ice cream with the finest locally grown ingredients. We were recently tasked with sampling a handful of the latest “farm to cone” flavors and—though the team was split over which varieties they preferred—Salt & Straw definitely won us over.
Each of the unexpected flavors remains refreshingly true to taste, rather than something concocted in a lab experiment. The Ninkasi Oatis Stout—made with craft beer from Eugene, OR-based Ninkasi brewery and laced with ribbons of fudge—trumped any doubts over the combination. The hoppy, oatmeal flavor, while perfectly suited to a sweet scoop of ice cream, was still reminiscent of the beloved local beer.
Salt & Straw collaborated with other NW neighbors, Stumptown Coffee and Woodblock Chocolate, blending Stumptown’s fair-trade beans with Woodblock’s freshly roasted cocoa nibs for a sophisticated version of classic coffee ice cream. Also made with Woodblock is the Ocumare single origin chocolate flavor we found to be more complex, and less overtly sweet than what we had as children.
Other flavors that had the CH HQ talking were Arbequina olive oil and pear with blue cheese. While the olive oil was a definite hit with its novel balance of savory and sweet, the pear and blue cheese was met with mixed reviews. For some, the blue cheese overpowered the subtle pear, but then again, anyone who opts for an ice cream accented with a stinky cheese is likely up for a flavor adventure.
Regardless of individual preferences, the fresh flavors remained consistently authentic across the board. Salt & Straw is sold online and at their scoop shop located in NE Portland’s Alberta neighborhood, where you’ll find a rotating selection of seasonally influenced flavors.
Six delectable twists on ice cream staples
While healthy frozen treats might relieve the guilt, nothing quite beats the heat like a chilly old-school dessert. The updated versions of such tasty classics—from fro-yo sandwiches to hand-held banana splits—all promise to add some serious flavor to see you through the rest of summer.
These cute little sandwiches are perfect for a quick summer snack. They’re made of agave-sweetened coconut milk and have 100% of your daily value of calcium per serving. We tried the banana split flavor, but they also come in coconut and vanilla.
Possessing all the appeal of the traditional ice cream bar but none of the additives, Julie’s ice cream bars are made from entirely organic ingredients, making for a rich, creamy blend of classic chocolate and vanilla. The bars also come in several variations on the tried-and-true theme—fudge, vanilla with almond, coffee, and blackberry.
Made at home by Evan, these frozen fruity bars contain an extra kick, lemon-flavored vodka. He mixed Le Citron Grey Goose with raspberry juice and homemade lemonade (although pre-made will do in a pinch), resulting in the perfect blend of cocktail and popsicle. The treats are so delicious you’ll waste no time devouring them, which is all the better since they melt fast. (Pick up your own
stainless-steel molds from Brook Farm General Store.)
If you crave a more decadent snack, try one of Ciao Bella’s Chocolate S’mores Gelato Squares. The rich blend of all-natural Belgian chocolate gelato with swirls of milk chocolate and marshmallow will satisfy any chocolate lover while still keeping you cool. The creamy snacks come in sandwich form to keep hands from getting sticky while snacking, and are also available in Key Lime.
Additionally, for a yummy healthy alternative to the Gelato Squares, try Jala’s Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches, an office favorite. The creamy yogurt comes in two flavors, chocolate and vanilla, nestled between two soft chocolate cookies. These low-guilt sandwiches not only satisfy your sweet tooth, but they also have health benefits because they contain active probiotics.
These Banana Babies are so delicious they disappeared from our office freezer at an astonishing rate. Dipped in real dark chocolate—nothing artificial or substituted—Diana’s frozen bananas make an excellent midday treat.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
