Shades of White: Sugar High Friday #31
Sugar High Friday #31 is on the horizon. The theme? All white stuff! And what, pray tell, did we make so presciently just a few days ago?
Why, David Lebovitz's French-style Vanilla Ice Cream, from his fabulous new book The Perfect Scoop, of course!
"Vanilla ice cream?" you ask. "That's it?"
Yes, but it is David Lebovitz's vanilla ice cream. It requires six eggs, copious quantities of cream and slightly less milk. It is, in short, superb.
Normally I would not waste valuable taste buds on an ice cream flavor so ...well, vanilla. I tend more towards the triple-chocolate-caramel-fudge-nut-brownie-ice-cream-topped-with-marshmallow-and-raspberry-sauce approach.
But we had just made an apple pie. Nothing goes better with an apple pie than vanilla ice cream. NOTHING. (Pipe down, all you sharp cheddar fans out there.) When we tasted a bit of the final product straight from our beloved Il Gelataio Junior, Randy's face became suffused with a beatific, rapturous glow.
"It's perfect," he said.
It also provided us with an excuse to use up some of our huge stash of vanilla beans. Our kitchen is awash in them. Two large clumps resembling bundles of miniature firewood rest in plastic on our shelf, next to trashier foodstuffs such as a stale bag of El Ranchero tortilla chips and Safeway brand microwave popcorn. Because of their abundance, they are accorded little respect in the hierarchy of ingredients in our kitchen. We give them away and invent uses for the rest. We haven't bought vanilla extract in a year (vanilla bean + vodka = extract).
How can we afford to live so high on the hog? Who do we think we are, smothering ourselves in vanilla beans when they cost $7 a pod at the local spice shop?
We are cheap. And we like the internet. And now it is time to let you in on the secret. We're going public with our source.
Just promise you won't tell.
Why, David Lebovitz's French-style Vanilla Ice Cream, from his fabulous new book The Perfect Scoop, of course!
Yes, but it is David Lebovitz's vanilla ice cream. It requires six eggs, copious quantities of cream and slightly less milk. It is, in short, superb.
Normally I would not waste valuable taste buds on an ice cream flavor so ...well, vanilla. I tend more towards the triple-chocolate-caramel-fudge-nut-brownie-ice-cream-topped-with-marshmallow-and-raspberry-sauce approach.
But we had just made an apple pie. Nothing goes better with an apple pie than vanilla ice cream. NOTHING. (Pipe down, all you sharp cheddar fans out there.) When we tasted a bit of the final product straight from our beloved Il Gelataio Junior, Randy's face became suffused with a beatific, rapturous glow.
"It's perfect," he said.
It also provided us with an excuse to use up some of our huge stash of vanilla beans. Our kitchen is awash in them. Two large clumps resembling bundles of miniature firewood rest in plastic on our shelf, next to trashier foodstuffs such as a stale bag of El Ranchero tortilla chips and Safeway brand microwave popcorn. Because of their abundance, they are accorded little respect in the hierarchy of ingredients in our kitchen. We give them away and invent uses for the rest. We haven't bought vanilla extract in a year (vanilla bean + vodka = extract).
How can we afford to live so high on the hog? Who do we think we are, smothering ourselves in vanilla beans when they cost $7 a pod at the local spice shop?
We are cheap. And we like the internet. And now it is time to let you in on the secret. We're going public with our source.
Just promise you won't tell.
posted by cindym at 10:34 AM
14 Comments:
You Cindy, you rock!
Oh...um...no, you churn!
Awesome, homemade ice cream - no taste like it! Looks perfect and pure!
Homemade ice cream is one of the true treats of summer. We made cookies and cream last year and it KILLED. Can't wait to bust out the wood bucket and crank when it gets warm(er) in Seattle, grab some blackberries by the lake, and make fresh blackberry ice cream.
But Cindy, why doesn't your predilection for hand-kneaded bread rather than bread machines extend to hand-churning ice cream rather than powered ice cream machines? :)
Hi David -
And I overswirl!
Freya and Paul - Very pure. Pure sugar and cream. It doesn't get any better than that, right?
Hi Rog - Cookies and cream is one of my all-time favorites. But see, I would chuck the blackberries in there as well and amp it up a notch. I have no self-control. And maybe add a caramel swirl??
Ok, zing, you got me on the machinery question. I think ice cream tastes the same whether you hand crank or machine crank it. But for the record, I put in many years with a hand-powered Donvier (did anyone say Kit Kat ice cream?). We also don't have enough freezer space anymore for the canister.
Now, to me bread machine bread never seems to taste as good (and it sure doesn't look as good) as hand-kneaded. But I'm willing to be disproven, so feel free to send me some samples for testing and I'll get back to you. ;)
I need this book! You and Orangette both rave! I have made do with the Bruce Weinstein one for a long time, but how can I say no to The Perfect Vanilla?
Wow, that vanilla source you shared looks too good to be true - my God!
So, which do you recommend? Tahitian, Madagascar or PNG. I know you've already divulged exclusive information, but are you willing to,ahem, spill the beans even further?
I'm loving my Perfect Scoop - the roasted banana is simple and fantastic.
Hi Mrs D - You should get it! And you might find p. 236 particularly interesting. I shall say no more.
Hi Joanna - We opted for the organic Tahitian. I believe we even got their "seconds" - which to me look exactly the same as normal beans, but were even cheaper because of some unseen blemishes, I guess. I can't speak for the other types, but I'm sure they'd be fine too. Enjoy!
I've been contemplating buying the Perfect Scoop. So many bloggers rave about it. I bought Breyers to go with my Peach Pie. Highly disappointed, I guess I need to buy David's book.
Ohhh, thank you for the vanilla bean source! I've had David's book on my shelf for a few weeks waiting just for me to spend some of my fun money on vanilla beans. Now I don't have to spend ALL of my fun money! :-)
Hi Jerry - Mmm, peach pie....one of my favorites.
Andrea - Glad to help! It was a really exciting find for us.
That's a fantastic photo! And now I'm off to buy some vanilla beans...
Another glowing review of Mr. Lebovitz's book! There is nothing better than a well-made vanilla bean ice cream (even if I AM partial to chocolate, myself). When something is this classic and simple, you cannot settle for anything but the best! Thank you so very much for bring a part of this month's SHF!
this post changed my ice cream life. more about that at eatlocalchallenge.com
Cindy - If you like the vanilla from our eBay store, check out our website at www.arizonavanilla.com. We have all kinds of vanilla products, not just beans.
We are excited that you enjoy our vanilla and are willing to let the cat out of the bag and share this knowledge with your users.
We would love to share our vanilla secrets with your bloggers!
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