Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Ice Cream

What is it about ice cream that makes it so well-loved? Of course, that's a question with many obvious answers, but let's think rhetorically now. Here are a list of reasons I have come up with in my short amount of blogging time:
1. It's delicious.
2. It has a very tolerable texture.
3. You can buy it for little money.
4. It's easy to serve/ eat.
5. It comes in thousands of varieties.
6. It provides a sense of nostalgia.

The last one on my list is one I dug out of my deeper realms of thinking, of course. Honestly, though, what are some of the earliest memories you have? I guarantee you've loved ice cream for as long as you can remember. I don't blame you. Ice cream is one of those treats that you can enjoy any time- and there are so many varieties, you won't be disappointed.

I've always wanted to visit Vermont so I can experience the Ben & Jerry's Headquarters. (I still haven't sampled half of their flavors.) Every time I go grocery shopping I end up splurging on a little tiny quart of Ben & Jerry's or even more delicious- Haagen Dazs. I can't pass by the tempting calls from the Brownie Batter, Phish Food, Cinnamon Dulce de Leche, or Oatmeal Cookie Chunk (the one currently in my freezer.) Luckily- most of these flavors are rich enough that I can consume a few spoonfuls a day- making the quarts last a few weeks.

On the topic of my favorite flavor: Mayan Chocolate. I was reading a review article by Orson Scott Card ( http://www.hatrack.com/osc/reviews/everything/2006-06-25.shtml) where he talks about Haagen Dazs (new) flavor, Mayan Chocolate. This immediately grabbed my attention: a) because I love chocolate, and b) because I pretty much open my mind with high respect to everything O.S.C. says. Mayan Chocolate was described as cinnamon and dark chocolate- my two very favorite flavors- and even more so when mixed together. I absolutely had to try this ice cream that I already knew was my favorite. I searched high and low... well the 2 grocers in my little home town, but neither of them carried what I wanted. I ended up waiting months until the day I found an online company that ships ice cream directly to your doorstep. Accidentally confirming my credit card number- and without the option of cancelling the $40 dollar shipping- I received my first quart of Mayan Chocolate ice cream the day before my 19th birthday. It was everything- and more- that I had expected. The perfect darkness of the creamy chocolate ice cream with a delicious warm swirl of cinnamon in all the right places. It really is the perfect flavor. Mmm.

If you aren't a fan of dark chocolate- I still recommend that you try Mayan Chocolate. My very close second favorite is Cinnamon Dulce de Leche. It's like an upgrade of the original Dulce De Leche. Obviously I prefer the richer, warmer tastes of cinnamon, but of course I do love fruity ice cream and a nice scoop of mint chocolate chip every once in awhile. Almost ice cream is good in my opinion whether it's gourmet or cheap gallon stuff. By the way, my next goal is to try Creme Brulee- also by Haagen Dazs, then perhaps the caramel cone. We all scream for ice cream!

2 comments:

-Travis Moulton- said...

haha this makes me laugh. Only you can produce such a serious article on ice cream. You should be an ice cream critic. Mayan chocolate is very good though I must say.

Nat said...

magnificent.
wow.
who knew ice cream could be so magical and deep?
kim knew.