Do you love ice cream too? Author Amy Ettinger went on a cross-country journey to find the best ice cream. And in her new book, Sweet Spot, she shares everything she learned. From finding out that Haagen Dazs came from Brooklyn and was named by Reuben Mattus, who wanted a "Danish sounding" name (my biggest disappointment reading this book), to learning all about ice cream base (pre-made or homemade?), to obsessively testing her own recipes, Ettinger set about to find out everything she could about the great love of her life, ice cream.
Ice cream is more than just a comfort food. It's a journey back to childhood, an excursion through our best memories, a trip to comfort and love and joy. It was part of our birthday parties, our summer picnics, our holiday meals, and hot summer nights. And it's what Amy Ettinger lives for, so her journey to find the best ice cream is as complete a journey as you can imagine.
Talk about the ultimate summer reading!
Ettinger takes us through history lessons and science classes, to learn where our favorite frozen treats come from and how they're put together. She explores the world of ice cream shops, ice cream trucks, soda fountains, frozen custard, ice cream sandwiches, gelato, and froyo. And she even looks at some of the crazy adult-only ice cream flavors the include alcohol or proteins like insects or foie gras (a brilliant idea, says this girl, whose local ice cream shop just teamed with one of our city's best bbq restaurants to offer a burnt ends ice cream, topped with barbecue sauce).
Through mind-numbing ice cream tastings, ice cream maker failures, freezing disasters, Ice Cream School, and even a carjacking, Ettinger persevered to offer us a tasty volume of facts, memories, ideas, flavors, and even recipes, like her Ice Cream Cake by the Ocean, Arnie's Ballpark Chocolate Ice Cream, and her NGB2 (Not Going Back to) Milwaukee Butter Pecan Custard.
Sweet Spot is everything you wanted to know about your ice cream, in a charming, fun, fascinating book that you can read with a spoon in your hand.
Galleys for Sweet Spot were provided by Penguin Group, Dutton, through NetGalley.com, with many thanks.