How I Know the Universe Loves Us - My First Post about Ice Cream • Karin Kallmaker • Romance • Chocolate

Given that my food love centers around ice cream, it’s hard to believe I’ve never written a blog about it. Ice cream is such a part of my life that when I was researching food for my medieval romance Knight of Nights I was sad for an entire day that there was no way to include ice cream. It’s quite depressing to imagine a world without ice cream.

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I’m Not an Ice Cream Snob. Seriously.

I like everything from soft serve to supermarket gelato to the artisanal goodies made in small batches in restaurants. I happily range from a Mickey D’s vanilla cone on a 105 degree day after running errands to a Talenti pint of whatever chocolate, caramel, crunchy gelato concoction was on sale to fancy plated desserts. Baseline, it has to have balanced flavors that work well together and a mouth-pleasing creaminess.

And yes, I stalk ice cream on sale and pounce on any brand that doesn’t use substitutes for the sugar or fat. They can use less of those two things, but not substitutes. There are concoctions that use emulsifiers and stabilizers which can taste good, but they’re a dessert that is a cousin to ice cream. Not ice cream.

Because ice cream is chemistry proof that the universe loves us and wants science to make our lives better.

My Ice Cream Gallery

Yes, I am that person. I photograph my ice cream when it’s impressive. Or to remember the friends I was with, the place where I was, or the celebration. If you ever wondered if I had real ice cream bona fides, here you go.

Celebration Ice Cream

With family and friends.

: Best way to begin a trip to Women’s Week with friends.

: Salt and Straw is always unique just like Portland – Coffee and Love Nuts with Chocolate Gooey Brownie

: Like I said, we don’t leave Ashland without an indulgent trip to Zoey’s.

: When celebrating, I’m all about the Black and Tan. This one’s from Castro Valley’s The Creamery. I routinely swap out the vanilla for coffee.

: The black and tan sundae at best overall ice cream in the Bay Fenton’s – chocolate and toasted almond ice cream with fudge and caramel sauces.

: We end visits to Ashland for Shakespeare with a decadent trip to Zoey’s.

: 8 year old Kelson contemplates the meaning of ice cream. Now bringing same focus to condensed matter physics.

: When Lee Lynch says “Let’s stop at Indulge Sweets in Seal Rock” that’s what we do.

: 6 year old Lee very intent on ice cream because Moogie was right, it’s very good. Now bringing same focus to accounting and Minecraft podcasting.

Vacation Ice Cream

I travel for experiences, and experiences include art, music, nature, and food. Food includes ice cream. At least once every trip my wife says something silly like, “We had ice cream yesterday,” and it’s like she hasn’t met me.

: I saw the sign. I had to have it. Worth it. So worth it. Cobh, IE.

: More Venetian gelato. Probably coffee and salted caramel because Us.

: Italian delicacy – chocolate ice cream melting into espresso “Affogato”

: Cruise life – it doesn’t suck.

: A market in Lisbon PT that’s got it all.

: Cruise life – fancy Baked Alaska, gorgeous presentation, and it was delicious.

: Roman gelato from Verde Pistachio after a very long hot day seeing everything.

: “You go get your cheese and bread. Imma be over here at the Greedy Goat…” Borough Market, London.

: Chocolate and toffee ice cream from Fenton’s of London.

: Venetian, beautifully textured gelato, rich dark chocolate. Hand’s down best ever. So far.

: Beautiful trio of flavors from The Gelatist in Rome. My “Neopolitan” – Chocolate, Vanilla, and Coffee.

: Fancy flight of ice cream: pistachio, Oreo cookie, and salted dark chocolate caramel.

: “Sure honey, you go look at that historical marker, I’m just going to pop in here for a moment.” Caramel fudge shortbread. Thornton’s, Belfast, NI

: Photo doesn’t do it justice. Coffee ice cream still frozen inside a piping hot fresh donut from Scoops in Cohb IE

: Best ever late night flight snack – from Europe back to the USA

I Don’t Have to Have a Reason Ice Cream

More ice cream. Have you met me?

: Ann Etter, fellow connoisseur, told me not to miss it, and she was right. Heavenly texture.

: More ice cream in Hawaii. For science.

: Ice cream in Hawaii, probably chocolate and coconut Because chocolate and coconut.

: Anacortes, just off the San Juan Island ferry in Washington. Hot cookie and ice cream sundae, oh my.

: “We accidentally made an extra. Do you want it?” Silly question. It was a free Freddy’s Custard Turtle Sundae, folks. Denver CO.

: Pretty sure this is at Denver’s iconic Little Man. Gooey coffee and chocolate because, again, Me.

: Ice cream at 8000 feet and 100 degrees. It was a matter of survival. Morrison, CO.

: Midwesterners love their Culver’s. Tasty on a such a humid day.

: Coffee milkshake from Mama Bear’s because it was a gazillion degrees in Flagstaff AZ.

Which Brings Me to Chick’n & Waffle Ice Cream from Baskin-Robbins

I do not want chicken in my ice cream. That said, I trusted that the chemists and food specialists who make new flavors for Baskin-Robbins don’t want that either. They’re smart, they know. #BaskinRobbinsAlwaysFindsOut, amirite? The sign says 0% chicken. So I had a taste because I just had to find out what kind of crazy this was.

: Baskin-Robbins Sign for Chick’n & Waffle Ice Cream promises 0% chicken

: Baskin-Robbins Chick’n & Waffle Ice Cream with crispy waffle bits

And it was really good. So I got a whole scoop. Studded with crunchy waffle crispies that have a bit of salt and spice to them, it’s a brown sugar/dark vanilla sort of buttermilk-ish ice cream with pockets of nearly liquid hint of bourbon flavor caramel sauce. Definitely an adult ice cream. All of those things really worked together, especially along with my fave Jamoca Almond Fudge.

It was such a revelation that I wanted to tell the world I approved — and that’s when I realized that I’d never written a blog about ice cream. This from a woman whose bio says “Ice Cream. Tim Tams. Coffee.” etc.

Blog completed along with the joy of gathering up and revisiting memories of wonderful scoops over the years. Achievement unlocked.

How I Know the Universe Loves Us – My First Post about Ice Cream

I’m Not an Ice Cream Snob. Seriously.