A Brief History of Ice Cream

      Centuries ago summer-time desserts were made by taking sweet cream or custard and cooling them down with ice (Olver). The name “ice cream” comes from this process; derived literally from iced cream. For centuries, these chilled desserts were considered a luxury.  Dating back to as early as 3000 BC, the Chinese are credited for developing the very first ice creams (Olver). Between 54 and 68 AD, Roman Emperor Nero is said to have sent his slaves to fetch snow from the mountain tops to make an ice cream like dessert (Staff). However the frozen treat we enjoy today is not the same that was originally introduced. Ice cream began as flavored ice, usually with fruit or honey. It is said that during the 17^th century the modern ice cream, cream or custard based, originated from Italy; eventually making its way through Europe via France (Olver).

Food Memoir

Don’t Judge A Snail by Its Shell

            It was mid-afternoon on a sunny summer day. Looking to my left and right, my sister and mom were both in a dream like state gazing at the exquisite sights of Paris. The air was fresh, and the warmth of the sun lightly kissed our faces. Leading from the sidewalks of the Champs-Élysées we casually stroll down the pebbled walkway entering the Jardin des Tuileries. Suddenly a whiff of something delicious crosses paths with my nostrils.  I turn my head to see a quaint little café poking out from behind the trees. Its inviting atmosphere catches not only my attention.

A Short Story About Vinegar

As a naturally occurring substance, vinegar can be any alcoholic beverage exposed to air. Vinegar has been used for many purposes such as medicinal, flavoring agent, food substances, and a preservative.

S'mores With A Twist

Fall is coming, and with fall comes colder weather and camp fires. A camp fire's best friend is the roasted marshmallows. If you've never had a s'more, you don't know what you're missing! Having been raised on s'mores as a kid, I love the trifecta of flavors. Chocolate, marshmallow, and gram cracker come together to make this tasty dessert. I put a twist on this traditional dessert and turned it into an entrmet with a gram cracker crust, chocolate mouse filling and chocolate glaze, vanilla sponge cake, marshmallow filling and a toasted marshmallow topping. Everything is better with toasted marshmallow!

Food Writing

Yesterday I started a class titled "Food Writing" where we were asked to keep a blog pertaining to food. I thought I'd share the first memory I have of baking:

I was young. Young enough to have to stand on a chair in order to see over the kitchen counter top. My dad swiftly puts all the ingredients into one big bowl as my eager hands reach for the whisk. With his hands on top of mine, we mix until the batter comes together. I can feel the heat emanating from the griddle. There is a sizzling sound the moment the batter hits the flat, hot surface. A short amount of time goes by and I am given the spatula. And a huge smile forms on my face. As I flip the golden browned circles, their buttery aroma fills the room. I help my dad until there is no more batter in the bowl. "Breakfast is ready!" my dad calls to the rest of our family, "who wants pancakes?"

This is one of my favorite memories of my childhood! And this recipe was passed down from my granddad (dad's dad). To this day, I still use this recipe and pancakes are one of my favorite breakfast foods!