Summer crept under our radar this year. The rainy days has swept us off our feet, not to mention the desire to dream about the anticipation of summer. Luckily enough I found ICES ITALIA, a cookbook on Gelati and Sorbetti by author and food stylist Linda Tubby.
The book began with a little background history of gelati, together the common practices of making gelati at home. Of course people think about the laborious stirring and straining of custards and churning in the icecream machine which seemed like an extravagance item like the rice cooker in the early 50s. It needs not be, when it comes to making recipes in this book (and for that matter, any).
The collection of recipes begins with LIMONCELLO, the Italian quintessential lemon liqueur; AFFOGATO (Gelato with Coffee), followed by GRANITA, and SORBETTE. Italians are big on sorbets as much as they are for Gelati. Fresh seasonal fruits are often incorporated with a syrup to make sorbets of rainbow colours. Some recipes may require harder to get fruits like Prickly Pears while some may be unseemly like PESTO SORBETTO / SORBETTO DI FINOCCHIO (Fennel). The latter will yield an anise flavour not unlike any anise-flavored liqueurs produced.
The Gelati chapters begin with the grand standards of CREMA (custard), CAFFE (coffee) and NOCCIOLA (Hazelnuts), followed by various variations with chocolate, pistachio nuts, citrus fruits and other favorites. This book is a delicious treat for ice-cream-making beginners and those out there who do not own (and do not intend to own) an ice cream machine, and still want to try our hands on the magnificent gelati in this book (and highly unlikely to get in pre-packaged tubs).
Note the fantastic photography by food photographer Jean Cazals. His collaboration with Linda Tubby’s food styling is going to make the reader drooling with anticipation at every shot of the gelati in each recipe!
