World's Best Ice creams

Graeter's Ice creams and Blue Bell Creameries also fall under the category of the most popular ice creams brands. Graeter's ice cream tradition dates back to 1870, having a flavourful history of about 136 years, Louis. C. Graeter founded this company in Cincinnati and there was no looking back. From then.

Today the family owned business has spread with its twelve stores in Cincinnati and its neighbourhood and has twenty-four franchised stores distributed in Columbus, Dayton, Northern Kentucky, Lexington and Louisville. Specialists in French pot ice cream, the secret of its making is carried over to generations with its original quality.

1. Signature Chip Flavours
A specially created Graeter's choco chip that has been entertaining the customer's palate is found in all the signature chip flavours. A special chocolate liquid is poured into the finished ice cream while it swirls in French pot. And once it is frozen the chocolate is chipped into randomly sized pieces with the help of a paddle for an intervening taste.

Black Rasberry Chip
An all time favourite and the best seller is made of chosen black raspberries from Oregon's premium growers for a true raspberry treat. The company says it is a must try for any first time Graeter customer.

Buckeye blitz
Graeter's standard creamy chocolate ice cream with butter flavour with intervening peanut butter cookie dough pieces and Graeter's signature chip that renders an everlasting taste.

Toffee Chip
Graeter's classic vanilla flavour with luxurious chunks of health toffee and Graeter's signature milk chocolate chips render an unforgettable choco-vanilla -toffee taste.

Mint Chocolate Chip
A heavenly unison of creamy mint ice cream with a yummy interference of Graeter's choco-chip delights the customer with its taste.

2. Original flavours
Black Cherry
It is a yummy cherry flavoured ice cream with black cherry halves, which delights a cherry lover.

Cookies And Cream
It is a sure treat to the cookie lovers, for Graeter's creamy vanilla treat with large Oreo brand cookie chunks embedded in it to furnish the choco-cookie crave.

These are some among the delightful original flavours

3. Sorbet
Strawberry Sorbet
Hand selected choicest Oregon Totum strawberries known for their sweet tastes render the fresh strawberry taste for this sorbet.

Lemon
A refreshing lemon sorbet with the qualities of fresh lemon with a little crisp to add to the rejuvenating quality of the sorbet kindles your spirits.

Graeter's also has other sorbet varieties.

II. Blue Bell Creameries
Brenham Creamery Company took off in 1907 by making butter in Brenham. By 1911 Brenham Creameries introduced their ice cream. By 1930 the company acquired the brand name 'Blue Bell'. Since then there was no looking back but the quality remains the same in delighting its customers.

Read Full Entry

Ice Cream - America's Next Tough Model

There’s nothing sweet about photographing ice cream. Michael Ray, a professional food photographer, says ice cream and “pizza pulls” when a hot slice is pulled from a pie are the toughest models to shoot. Ice cream melts quickly and the cheese from a pizza can get real stringy, so both are very stubborn subjects.

Ray says food photography is much harder than it looks. Getting a good picture can take all day, as stylists are constantly rearranging props and dishes during a shoot. “Meticulous lighting” is also crucial.

Though he enjoys shooting steak, lobster, or scallops – especially if there are leftovers – Ray tries not to eat on the job. He once unknowingly ate a handful of grapes on set that were sprayed with crystal clear lacquer for shine. It took him hours to get the nasty taste out of his mouth and now he’s much more careful about nibbling on his models in the middle of work.

Read Full Entry

Ben & Jerry's ice cream chief leaving

The chief executive officer of Ben & Jerry's ice cream is leaving his post at the end of next month. The South Burlington-based unit of Europe's Unilever said Walt Freese wants to pursue other "values-led business and investment opportunities."

Freese joined Ben & Jerry's and parent Unilever eight years ago. The company says Freese has been instrumental in returning Ben & Jerry's to its heritage of leadership in progressive social and environmental values. Ben & Jerry's is known for its quirky flavors and support for social causes.

Read Full Entry

Gourmet Yourself - Easy As Pie

We’re gonna let you in on a little secret. Pre-made pie crust is a common sight in kitchens around the holidays, but this inexpensive staple can be a life-saver all year ‘round.

We’ve always got a box or two on hand for nights when ordering in just won't cut it, and with a few easy tips, no one will know you weren’t kneading and rolling all day.

From impressive desserts cute enough for company to quick-and-easy crowd-pleasers, we’ve got quite a few tricks up our sleeve. Keep in mind, however, that we’re working with refrigerated dough – frozen pie shells need not apply.This recipe yields six spicy beef and potato pockets. Don’t forget to serve with plenty of salsa!

1. Warm a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the following and toss to combine:
½ lb. ground beef
; 1 medium onion, finely diced
; 2 cloves garlic, minced
; 1 medium russet potato, peeled and finely diced

2. When beef has browned and veggies have softened, add 1-2 teaspoons of chili powder and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook 10 minutes over low heat, stirring often.

3. Set beef mixture aside to cool completely. Divide two rounds of prepared pie crust into three triangular sections each (think peace signs). Fill each section with two rounded teaspoons of beef mixture, mounding the filling slightly off-center. Fold each section in half and crimp with a fork at the edges to seal.

4. Preheat oven to 375° and slice two vents in the top of each empanada. Beat one egg with a teaspoon of water and brush this mixture over the empanadas, then bake on a parchment-lined sheet for 20 minutes or until lightly golden.

Time-Crunch Turnovers

If you like, drizzle these individual desserts with a quick icing of two cups powdered sugar whisked with ¼ cup milk.

1. Using method described in empanada recipe above, divide two rounds of prepared pie crust into three sections each.

2. Fill with desired prepared fruit filling and seal, vent and egg wash as described above.

3. Preheat oven to 375°, sprinkle turnovers with granulated sugar and bake for 20 or until lightly golden.

Simple Cinnamon Pinwheels

This one’s so simple, you don’t even need a recipe!

Just combine three teaspoons each brown and granulated sugar with a dash of cinnamon and spread the mixture evenly across an unrolled round of pie crust. Roll back into its original shape and slice into thin discs, discarding ends. Brush each disk lightly with melted butter and bake at 350° for 13-15 minutes.

One crust yields about 16 pinwheels. Serve over ice cream and a warm mug of coffee.

Read Full Entry

Ice Cream Makers Embracing Their Soft Side

When Jennie Dundas and Alexis Miesen opened Blue Marble, a shop selling homemade ice cream on Atlantic Avenue in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, back in 2007, their checklist included organic ingredients, 16 percent butterfat and a child-friendly setting.

Soft-serve ice cream was not in the picture there or at their second shop, in Prospect Heights. “It didn’t seem to have a quality connotation,” Ms. Dundas said. Then she tasted the version that Billy Barlow was churning out at Bonita, in Fort Greene, which has since closed.

With Mr. Barlow, Ms. Dundas’s boyfriend, as an unofficial consultant, Blue Marble has introduced soft serve at its newest shop, in Cobble Hill. Creamy, crenelated pinnacles.

In bright vanilla, deep chocolate or a swirl of both, are lower in butterfat (10 percent) than the shop’s regular ice cream so that they can be churned from the machine. The ice cream is eggless but has some organic soy lecithin as a stabilizer. Chocolate nibs from Nunu Chocolates in Boerum Hill are an optional topping.

Read Full Entry