It’s easy to get lost online, searching for recipes to try out in my brand new ice cream maker. Did you know there are whole blogs devoted to nothing but ice cream recipes? Just surfing their pages is enough to make my mouth water. How do I choose between Roasted Strawberry and Cherry Vanilla? White Miso Peach or Peanut Butter Cup? Fortunately, I’ve got Pinterest ready to keep track of the most delectable choices to try in the future.

But here’s something I’ve learned recently – my ice cream maker is capable of making many more delicious frozen treats beyond ice cream. Frozen yogurt, sherbet and sorbets I’m familiar with, but what are these more exotic concoctions, like gelato and semifreddo? And what exactly is a frozen custard?

What do all these different terms mean, I wonder? And more importantly, how do they differ from my favorite, creamy treat?

So I’ve done some research and put together a brief rundown of all the differences. Now you, too, can know all the fabulous, tasty treats you can make at home with your ice cream maker.

Treats you can make in an ice cream maker

Ice cream – Made primarily cream and sugar, usually with milk added to the mix. Flavorings can be anything, from vanilla bean to chocolate to … asparagus? Usually has a milkfat content of greater than 10% (premium ice creams can have up to 16% milkfat!).  Ice cream made with eggs in the base is sometimes called “French ice cream” and this variety must be cooked to pasteurize the eggs before being churned in your ice cream freezer. Churning ice cream adds air to the mixture – up to 60% of the volume of ice cream is air!

Sorbet – Has no milk, cream or other dairy products. Instead, sorbets use a fruit puree or sweetened water as a base, and are frequently flavored with spices or herbs. When whipped, it achieves a light, airy texture.

Sherbet – Like sorbet, uses fruit as its primary ingredient, but a small amount of milk is added to make it creamy. It must have less than 2% milk fat to be considered a sherbet. (Outside the U.S., sorbet and sherbet can be used interchangeably for a dairy-free frozen treat).

Granita – Like sorbet, this uses no dairy. Unlike sorbet, granita isn’t whipped and ice crystals are allowed to form. It’s more granular and crunchier than sorbet. This one doesn’t use your ice cream maker, but is stirred by hand.

Frozen yogurt – Contains cultured dairy products (yogurt), which usually makes it tarter than ice cream, not to mention lower in fat. It’s usually churned to resemble soft serve ice cream.

Frozen custard – Like ice cream, made with cream and sugar, but must have at least 10% milkfat and 1.4% egg yolks. It has less air than ice cream (up to 30%, compared to 60% for ice cream) which results in a richer, creamier, smoother product.

Ice milk – Like ice cream, but made with milk instead of cream, so it’s lower in fat.

Gelato – Like ice cream, with a mixture of milk, cream and sugars, and usually including eggs. It’s churned more slowly than ice cream, so less air is stirred into the product, resulting in a product that is denser than ice cream. Ice cream is usually 60% air, while gelato is more like 20%. It typically has a lower milkfat content then ice cream, too, which makes the added flavors more intense.

Semifreddo – A mix of ice cream (or gelato) and whipped cream in equal parts, usually used to make semi-frozen desserts like ice-cream cakes.

You can also churn pudding in your ice cream maker to create a Fudgsicle like desert. And how about frozen daiquiris or pina coladas? A must have for your next hot party!

So there you have it, all the different frozen treats your ice cream maker can help you churn out. (Pun intended!) Which one sounds like your next great ice cream maker adventure?

Get the kegerator ready – the weekend is almost here! Who doesn’t like to unwind with the rich taste of their favorite beer, chilled to perfection?

But there’s more to a great beer then just pulling the tap. Here’s ten secrets from the experts that will have you pouring beer like a pro.

1. Keep it cold
   The ideal serving temperature for beer is between 34° and 38°F.
2. But not too cold
   Beer that is too close to freezing will be cloudy and taste flat. Beer freezes at 28°F.
3. Let it set
   Before serving, let your keg refrigerate overnight to reach a proper temperature.
4. Watch your pressure
   Most kegs require 10-12 psi. Too much or too little will affect the quality and amount of foam, and wreck the flavor of the beer.
5. Drink it fresh
   Bacteria and oxidation will sour beer. If you use a hand pump to tap your keg, finish it within 24 hours. A kegerator with a CO2 regulator can keep beer fresh for over a month.
6. Keep your kegerator clean
   Clean and sanitize the beer lines every time you change kegs to avoid a buildup of yeast and sugars.
7. “Beer clean” barware
   Keep beer glasses for beer only, and watch out for oily and soapy residues that will affect the foam. Always air dry your barware.
8. Rinse your glasses
   Before pouring, rinse your glasses in cool water.
9. Pouring
   Hold the glass at a 45° angle and open the tap quickly and completely. Pour the beer so it hits the middle of the glass and slides down the side. Straighten when it’s 2/3rds full and finish filling.
10. Start with great beer
    Why go to all this trouble to serve up an average brew? Have fun exploring local and microbreweries to find new and exciting beers to serve at home.

Learn more about kegerators!

There’s lots more to learn about pouring a great draft beer at home with your kegerator. And you’ll also find a full selection of ready-to-use kegerators available in our shop – everything you need to serve your favorite beer on tap at home. (Except the keg!)

While browsing liquor and spirits blogs, I stumbled across the website for a trendy bar in upstate New York known as Felicia’s Atomic Lounge (http://www.atomicloungeithaca.com). Found in Ithaca, New York, the hip eatery features an ever-changing lineup of creative cocktails and delicious locavore bites on the menu. The owner, Amelia, also keeps up a cocktail blog dubbed Felicia’s Speakeasy (http://feliciaspeakeasy.blogspot.com). I really want to try some Happy Hour fare, like flatbread pizza or a tofu “TLT” panini. For Recession Wednesdays they offer $1 Pabst Blue Ribbon? Inspired!

Our blogger tried out and reviewed the NewAir AI-100SS portable ice maker. Amelia liked the convenience of a continually available ice supply, particularly helpful for parties or when you forget to refill the ice trays. The compact icemaker ran very quietly, it’s not loud like industrial ice makers found in hotels. The indicator light prompts you to refill the water or empty the ice container when it’s full. One “con” of the NewAir AI-100SS compact icemaker was its packaging, it’s tricky to remove some of the plastic wrap. Additionally, the compact ice maker is not quite compact enough for apartment living where there’s very little kitchen counter space.

NewAir compact icemakers make pounds of ice in minutes, taking up the same amount of space as a bread maker. Not to mention, a dedicated icemaker frees up freezer space. Choose from black, red, silver, or stainless steel NewAir compact icemaker to match your kitchen décor.

What’s the most unusual ingredient you’ve ever tried in a cocktail?
Shaken or stirred, what’s the verdict?

Photos: Sauter, Amelia. Retrieved from http://www.feliciaspeakeasy.blogspot.com/.

We’ve all experienced sweaty exhaustion while traveling. It can be difficult, inconvenient, or expensive to stay fully hydrated while on vacation. Plus if you visit some place like Dubai, the stunning metropolis located in the United Arab Emirates, contemplating if you’re drinking enough water is simply not a priority. Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is teaming up with the Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) to make available bottled water available via taxicab water bottle dispensers.

Dubai is undertaking a trial run this month, installing water bottle dispensers in each the city’s airport taxis. For the equivalent of about 30 cents in American dollars, cab riders can purchase 500 ml of chilled, bottled mineral water. The water dispenser will be surprisingly low-tech. The cab drivers will simply a fill a small cooler with six water bottles. The bottles will bear a label with RTA and DTC logos, plus customer service telephone numbers to make it easier to schedule a taxi ride. Cab drivers will simply add the water bottle price to the taxi fare.

Installing water dispensers in the airport cab fleet is a trial run to see if the water bottle dispensers are a good investment. Dubai seems like the perfect location for such a scheme. The desert climate keeps Dubai above 100° F for most of the summer, and the short winter sees daytime averages of 73° F. Water bottle dispensers could be an easy way to help make a little extra and market taxis.

Do you think you would buy a water bottle from a dispenser in a taxi cab?
Is marketing or making profit the DTC’s focus in selling water bottles?

Source: Talwar, Ramola. (2010, September 16). “Dubai airport taxis to sell bottled water.” The National.
Images: Wikimedia Commons http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dubai_Montage.png ; Singh, Pawan. The National.