I always preferred the cup to the cone, the paper cup to the waffle one. And I am and was a whipped cream lover. I am not fussy; I eat ice cream too and find it good.
As a child, I waited for the strawberry and cherry season. Likewise, I waited for the season of gelato.
Early sun-kissed Sunday outings opened the gelato era, which burst on beach holidays that I spent on the roaring, touching, national-popular Riviera Romagnola.
On the occasion of the holiday on the Adriatic Riviera, happiness was doubled as I sometimes ate ice cream on the beach and, again, during the family evening walk after dinner.
At the beach, I would run from the beach umbrella to the establishment bar, followed by my dad. I would clutch the money tightly in my hand, and as happy as I was, I looked like someone who had won the prize of a lifetime. I put my bare, tanned arm into the big ice cream freezer, shivering with cold and contentment. I usually chose the lemon popsicle (ghiacciolo in Italian); the mint and orange ones didn’t appeal to me, while the cola-flavored one was forbidden by my mother.
Alternatively, I used to get the cornetto Algida, an Italian classic that I still like today, or another ice cream with an intensely chemical color and a decidedly synthetic flavor. For both reasons, it was very satisfying for a child who was raised on homemade sweets.
The gelato we enjoyed after dinner was different.
I would sit al fresco with my family at the gelateria table, waiting for the waiter. I always chose lemon and whipped cream, sometimes lemon and chocolate with whipped cream. The moment was perfect if the gelato had been served in the metal cup my dad and I loved.
And even though gelato is the past participle of the verb gelare (to freeze, I remember that gelato used to be a seasonal treat, associated more with summer than with winter. And this was so true that in Italy, back then, gelaterias would close in late fall.
During the long winter season, ice cream used to appear on the table only once, at Christmas lunch. A kilogram of gelato alla crema (egg cream), my sweet Mrs. Eleonora, she was a nonna to me, used to make it rich and sumptuous, topped with meringue and baked in the oven for a few minutes. I recently discovered that it also exists in the U.S., where it is called Baked Alaska, a perfectly fitting name.
Chocolate sorbet
At one of my favorite gelato shops in Bologna, I discovered just how delicious chocolate sorbet can be, even without dairy, as long as the ingredient proportions are right.
After quite a few trials, I perfected my own recipe, which, humbly, but not so humbly, is every bit as good as the sorbet that inspired me. And, just like the original, it’s unbelievably creamy, even without heavy cream or milk.
This chocolate sorbet is lactose-free and egg-free.
And you don’t need an ice cream maker.
Years ago, I bought an ice cream maker.
Once I got home, I discovered that the instruction booklet with the recipes was missing.
That’s pretty essential, especially if you have no experience whatsoever with that kind of small appliance.
In Monica’s world, these things happen all the time.
Anyway, back to the store. The saleswoman smiles until she discovers that there’s only one box left of that brand of ice cream maker, and even that one doesn’t come with a manual.
I followed her advice and looked for the instructions online, but I can’t find them.
End of the story of the ice cream maker without a manual, which now rests in peace in the attic, purgatory for objects awaiting a final verdict.
Readings
- I’ve dedicated a newsletter to the history of gelato, where you’ll also find my favorite gelato shops in Bologna.
- I’ve created a section on my blog dedicated to chocolate recipes: HERE.
Keep in Touch
- I write a newsletter called Kitchen Notes from Bologna, where you can find stuff about food history, culinary memories, and recipes.
- I’m on Instagram!
Chocolate sorbet
Equipment
- 1 a small bowl
- 1 a bowl large enough to hold the small one
- 20 ice cubes
- 1 spatula
- 1 metal spoon
Ingredients
- 50 g of bitter cocoa
- 75 g of sugar, caster or cane
- 1 pinch of fine salt
- 400 g of water, at room temperature
- 100 g of 75% dark chocolate
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine the unsweetened cocoa powder, sugar, and salt, stirring well.
- Add the water and stir, trying to avoid lumps. If lumps do form, break them up with an immersion blender.
- Heat the mixture in a small saucepan over medium heat. Do not let it boil; after 2 minutes, lower the heat, stir with a metal spoon, and let the chocolate melt. Depending on the size of the pieces, this step takes 5 to 10 minutes.
- After melting the chocolate, turn off the stove and use a spatula to pour the mixture into the small bowl.
- Turn off the stove and pour the mixture into the small bowl using a spatula.
- Pour cold water and about ten ice cubes into the large bowl. It doesn’t need to be full; this is just to cool the bottom of the bowl containing the chocolate. Place the small bowl inside the large one until the chocolate cream is lukewarm. If necessary, replace the water with fresh water and add more ice cubes.
- Stir with the spatula to help the mixture cool faster.
- When the mixture is warm, place the bowl in the freezer.
- After 40 minutes, stir with a metal spoon, starting at the edges where the sorbet tends to freeze first. Stir about every 40 minutes.
- After 3 hours, it’s ready. Creamy and delicious beyond words.
Tips
- If you leave the sorbet in the freezer overnight or for several hours, do the following: Take the bowl out of the freezer for 15 minutes or until the mixture is soft enough. Then stir vigorously and serve with whipped cream or fresh fruit.
- Store the bowl, covered with plastic wrap, in the freezer for a few days.
- If you have an ice cream maker, follow the instructions for your machine.
