It’s National Ice Cream Month!

Oh, joy, this is so much more fun than, say, National Liver Month or National Mountain Oyster Month.

Perhaps it’s all the fresh peaches rolling in to the farmer’s markets or the strawberries I still have frozen in my freezer or the dark, sweet cherries that will be in season for about another week, but I’ve been thinking a lot about homemade ice cream.

I don’t own an ice cream maker, but it might be time to think about investing in one. Meanwhile, I have noticed a vendor down on the Roanoke City Market on some days who is making ice cream right there on site and selling it. I haven’t tried it yet, but I have been pretty tempted.

Homemade ice cream can also be had at many of the pick-your-own fruit sites. Speaking of which, I was just talking to Frank Levering of Levering Orchard down in Ararat and he says he’ll be open this weekend. He has sweet dark cherries, yellow cherries and sour pie cherries.

Is anyone out there a homemade ice cream expert? Perhaps you could share some advice about the best ice cream makers and methods with the rest of us.

Meanwhile, I’m going to share a quick quiz with you guys to test out your knowledge of ice cream. As a bonus I think I’ll tack on a recipe for peach ice cream.

Have a COOL weekend!

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Like many folks, I am beginning the new year today with a handful of good intentions — not to mention the sincere hope that they will do more than pave my personal path to hell.
Being a food writer doesn’t make it easy to stay slim and healthy. Cutting out all fattening food is, well, just not doable! How am I going to know how good Thelma’s fried chicken tastes, whether the new Mexican grill is a hot spot or who fries up the best extra-crispy Buffalo wings in town?
If the French can eat rich cheeses, pastries and animal fats and stay svelte, it has to be possible for me, too — without taking up chain smoking.
In the spirit of staying healthy in 2008, I pass along my favorite tip of the day, which I found in a fascinating article in the San Francisco Chronicle called “Just the flax, please: Nutrition Pros Help Find the Grains of Truth amid the hype about what to eat.”

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