Seasonal Spice and Happiness

photo credit: newyork.seriouseats.com 

Gelato is for lovers.  Fall lovers, that is.  There is no seasonality placed on gelato in Italy, and avid gelato consumers do not think twice about eating the rich flavors throughout the year. In America the fall and winter bring a general lull to the appeal and enjoyment of frozen desserts, but gelato boasts seasonal flavors that reel in discerning customers to the unconventional.  Pumpkin spice, apple pie, and coffee cake gelato flavors engage the pumpkin spice craze with decadence.

photo credit: countrycleaver.com

Uncover milkshakes that stand out from the hoi polloi of frozen beverages with seasonal flavors of gelato.  The gelato milkshakes make for a transportable, more acceptable option for dabbling in the misconstrued “summer treat” anytime. Afterall, gelato and pizza are breakfast staples in Italian cafes. Pumpkin spice milkshakes will be the envy of the diehard seasonal latte fan that sits across the office sipping, savoring their victory… dare the one-up?   

photo credit: livinthepielife.com

Fall brings recipes that integrate spices and produce to portray the upcoming need for warmth the season commands.  Dessert sees no misfortune to the various interpretations of food during fall months. Pies served warm with a scoop of gelato are namely increasing in trend to elevate the traditional.  Advantageous combinations such as salted caramel pie with butter pecan gelato, apple pie with two scoops: tahitian vanilla and apple pie gelato, and pumpkin pie with chocolate gelato, ensure dessert will never be boring. 

Seasonal flavored gelato is the ticket to receiving culinary accolades and pleasing guests when entertaining. Mulled wine, an aromatic hot beverage combining wine with seasonal spices, creates added charm to an atmosphere set for eating all things representative of fall. Gelato is steadfast and delicious, scoop happiness to this season.

A superior Mulled Wine recipe by Ina Garten , the perfect ensemble to gelato and all of this fall glory.

photo credit: bbc.co.uk 




WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FALL GELATO FLAVOR?

Go Ahead, Have a Field Day!

“Let’s go fly a kite…”, but really, when is the last time partaking in an activity for pure enjoyment was a top goal of the day?  As the public is reawakened by hectic work and school schedules a yearning for some good ol’ fashioned fun should be a priority.  Summer is at near end, but the recreation associated with the season sure can continue.  Engage in activities that produce merriment and delight for any age.  Rally together neighbors, family/friends, or colleagues for organized (semi-organized is acceptable) team sports such as flag football, kickball or volleyball.  This may be the perfect way to spend a lunch hour per week!  Take glee to the next level and have a field day.  Host events in the backyard or a community park. The field day can include sack races, an obstacle course, and an amusing outdoor version of the game Twister that is painted right onto the grass in the yard!

Photo Credit: Katie Haines

In the instance physical games are not accommodating, try a new activity as a group ideal for team-building and family fun.  Cooking lessons, a hot air balloon ride, learn to make pottery- all ideas that fit the bill to enjoy part of the day with a focus on simple pleasure. Shift gears to place an importance on having fun in even the most mundane parts of a day-to-day routine, become diligent at it to make happiness contagious. The amount of hilarity that ensues from hoisting up a Pinata is astounding.  

The Italian lifestyle places importance on family gathering and enjoyment each day.  La Bella Vita, meaning ‘the good life’ is a phrase that is not only spoken, but is adhered to. The quick pace of life too often leaves little room for the best of times to be had.  A concerted effort to initiate more family fun or group activities may at first be present, but once established the benefits of laughter, togetherness and achievement are certain to boost overall quality of life.

Will you have FUN today?

Peach Gelato Today

photo credit: askchefdennis.com

July is National Ice Cream Month providing fans of frozen dessert more justification to indulge during the summer heat. More specifically today, Thursday, July 17, 2014 is National Peach Ice Cream Day.  Peaches provide a copious amount of festivals for patrons to gather and share the multiple recipes associated with the fruit’s peak season, and to celebrate how darn delectable peaches truly are.  Beyond the adaptation of peaches in recipes, combinations pairing the fruit with spicy meats, teas, ideal canning and peach pies there is simplicity. Better even, peach farmers and market regulars in Macon, GA agree there is nothing like a bowl of peach ice cream after a day spent picking the fruit out in a hot field.

A few easy ways to enjoy peaches in frozen dessert form be it from a glass, bowl, or as a novelty. The supreme recommended cool down that incorporates peaches into a refreshing frozen beverage is The Blood Orange Peach Soda Float.  In the infamous Bellini, an Italian prosecco beverage,  the white peach puree beautifully defines the elite cocktail… adding mini scoops of peach sorbetto and vanilla gelato make for a drink perfect for consuming today. Drink up some peach! Peaches as an amazing (and quick) summer dessert staple = grilled peaches, served on top of a bowl of vanilla gelato with a drizzle of caramel. The sugars in the fruit create a crisp sweet layer after being grilled, adding the heightened peach flavor along with a light crunch to a household favorite.  No need to move to the country, plentiful ways to ‘eat a lot of peaches…’ this summer regardless of any metropolitan or suburbia locale status. Unarguably, the peach roadside farmer's market has got the best plan!

Peach gelato sandwiches are a lighthearted treat. Enjoy!

Peach gelato sandwich recipe

Makes 8 sandwiches

32 oz peach gelato

16 macadamia nut shortbread cookies, recipe from Southern Living

or feel free to use a favorite similar recipe of your own.

Plastic wrap

Paper wrap

Place two 2 oz scoops of peach gelato on one cookie (bottom of sandwich), top with second cookie. Wrap sandwich in plastic wrap and place in freezer. Repeat this process until all 8 sandwiches are assembled.  When ready to eat and serve remove sandwiches individually from freezer and unwrap from plastic wrap. Using the paper wrap, cover each peach gelato sandwich halfway up with paper to prevent melting.

What is your favorite peach recipe? Share with us this National Peach Ice Cream Day!

photo credit: chefsherry.com 

Feeling like the 4th of July!

Red, white, and blue is having a stupendous run this week.  America is teeming with extra Patriotism first rallying for a Team USA win in the World Cup and the headliner event tomorrow on the 4th of July.  Dessert is the ideal means to keep the spirit flush right into the celebration of our nation’s independence.  

Sweet treats are a necessity for any style 4th of July party.  Frozen treats are even better, the supreme choice to beat the heat with added happiness. Serve up sorbetto smoothies for a refreshing and simple crowd pleaser.  Made with premium whole fruits sorbetto, gelato without milk, is dairy-free, gluten-free and fat-free!Sorbetto smoothies are delicious, healthy, and transportable. Serve each flavor (see recipes below) in clear cups with blue straws for an added bonus of having red, white, and blue covered.  

Pino Gelato smoothies

RED:

3 scoops strawberry, watermelon, and/or raspberry sorbetto

seltzer water

optional (sweetener):

½ cup San Pellegrino Sparkling Aranciata Rosso (blood orange)

photo credit: drinks.seriouseats.com 

WHITE:

3 scoops lemon sorbetto

seltzer water

optional (sweetener):

½ cup San Pellegrino Sparkling Limonata (lemon) or Pompelmo (grapefruit)

BLUE:

etsy.com

Fruit pies or fruit crumbs are a hit acting as a summertime staple at gatherings. For a perfectly simple method, written in steps in a ‘create-your-own-crumb’ style, follow the basic crumb instructions at Food52… but for everyone’s added benefit be certain to top servings of the crumb creation with a scoop of gelato!

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

The Feast Day of St. John the Baptist

Picture: TED ALJIBE/AFP

St. John the Baptist is honored with festivals, parades, and high mass on his birth anniversary celebrated by the Catholic Church.  The Feast Day of St. John the Baptist takes a tradition for annual ceremony in The Philippines with a notion that commemorating the way their patron saint disguised himself when he baptized Jesus will lead to blessings for a bountiful farming harvest. The Taong Putik people dress in mud and dried banana leaves to replicate, elsewhere pig roasts (dressed in costumes for parade) are an iconic part of the day.  Feasts are marked with the traditional dousing of water, more akin to actual water fights and fun, to reminisce the baptism by John the Baptist performed in the Jordan River.

Picture: JAY DIRECTO/AFP

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Charleston, SC

Pope Francis spoke words at mass in the chapel of his residence, Vatican’s Saint Martha guesthouse, this morning praising John the Baptist as an important man that many “people sought him out and followed him,” and encouraged the way John the Baptist stepped aside to Jesus once he lead others to him. This was emphasized throughout his homily for the Feast of John the Baptist’s birth, “A Christian does not announce himself; he announces another, prepares the way for another: the Lord,” said Pope Francis this morning, June 24, 2014.  

St. John the Baptist is one of two saints, Blessed Mary being the other, the birth is observed by the Church versus the normal feast being marked by the day of the saint’s death, when they made entrance to heaven.

Bartolome Esteban Murillo, St. John the Baptist as a Child c. 1665

A Tribute to Memorial Day

On Monday, the 26th of May 2014 celebrations were held across the nation in recognition for the freedom of America protected daily by those that serve in the military with honor to the men and women who lost their lives serving the country’s armed forces.  Now that the parades, bbqs, and festivals have come and gone let us pay tribute each day to commemorate the men and women and the families of those that have died in war or military action in service of The USA.  The magnitude of appreciation the people of our country have for the armed forces of America was depicted with traditional acts, American flags decorated gravestones for lost soldiers in national cemeteries.

Memorial Day Weekend denotes the kickoff to summer often marked with beach trips, boat or sport outings and picnics to welcome the outdoor season. Festivals are filled with food associated with summer from grilled corn on the cob to fruits at their peak ripeness, truly the time of year that a foodie reigns.  Frozen desserts get a heightened awareness as the temperatures rise, the sunshine becomes standard and people crave a treat to cool down.

Custom gelato cake by Pino Gelato 

The significance of Memorial Day is never to be out shined by the parties and seasonal fun ahead, the utmost order is to honor the heroes of America.  The summer does present the busiest season for gelato, welcomed is the time of year to Scoop Some Happiness to the many customers to be served over the next few months.  Pino Gelato offers a military discount; to the men and women who are serving or have served our country, thank you.

How did you celebrate Memorial Day 2014?

Pino Gelato for Alaqua: First Event a Success!

A fantastic afternoon was spent on April 25, 2014 for the announcement of Pino Gelato support of Alaqua Animal Refuge. The fundraiser took place in Destin, FL at The Village of Baytowne Wharf Pino Gelato location.  The outdoor patio and deck seating was transformed into an Alaqua awareness site by their volunteers all set up for donations, purchases of t-shirts and gift certificate special incentives. The day was complete with Alaqua founder Laurie Hood and her sons ramping up attention to passers by of the event prior to a donation check presentation with Pino Gelato CEO Ramona Fantini (her own doggies in tow). Spotlighting the event was the Alaqua mascot, a three legged boxer, and a puppy with looks and charisma garnering much attention from potential sponsors or those looking to adopt.  

“Your Scoop of Happiness is their Scoop of Hope,” Pino Gelato gives back a portion of annual revenue to animal rescue organizations, acquiring an additional foundation each year.  Discovering Alaqua Animal Refuge and the opportunity to learn the magnitude of their operation has been deemed a sure match for Pino Gelato to advocate for support of their full mission.  The Pino Gelato Team and Board Members were present for the Alaqua event hosted in one of the newly acquired Destin, FL stores that allowed a platform for all to experience a gathering in the local community and truly engage the call to action from the partnership created by Alaqua and Pino Gelato.

Pino Gelato at Baytowne served scoops of gelato, and assorted pastries and sandwiches to the crowd.  A toast of prosecco during the presentation to acknowledge the launch of support to Alaqua was accompanied by words from Hood and Fantini. “Salute!”, followed by a round of applause shared by all.

Special accolades are due to the Alaqua event staff for dedicating their time to a cause that has the utmost respect from Team Pino Gelato and staff.  Thank you for the work and time spent to help arrange this successful event.  The goal is to have many more events to come in order to raise awareness and funds for Alaqua.

To find out more about The Alaqua Animal Refuge and the many ways to offer support, please visit https://www.alaquaanimalrefuge.org/

Stay up-to-date with future happenings at Pino Gelato Baytowne Wharf and other store locations to support Alaqua and all of the animal rescue organizations benefited by the Scoops of Happiness served daily.   

Check out photos from the Pino Gelato & Alaqua event below: