An Artist Date at Italian Cafe Gelato

If you’re a writer, then you’re probably familiar with Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way and the idea of Morning Pages. I’m not a morning person. So writing first thing was never something that appealed to me. But the Artist Date. Now that’s something that I can get with. And so I did.

An Artist Date is supposed to become a weekly habit. Weekly may not happen. But I can try. Visiting cafes is one of my favorite things, so it’s definitely an easy way to get that date in. I’ve also ventured out a lot more since the pandemic, so I’m getting used to or maybe creating a new way of being out in the world again. I still wear a mask indoors at many public places. But I’m also eating out now, obviously without a mask. It feels a bit strange, but it also felt a bit strange when I first started wearing a mask. Doing the reverse will take an adjustment period too.

Last week the weather was more like July than April. So one night after work, I decided to take myself out for a gelato at Italian Cafe Gelato here in Quincy. They have so many delicious flavors to choose from. I taste tested a few and settled on the lemon ricotta. It was so good! Sweeter than I expected, and so creamy and cold. Just perfect.

One thing to be aware of if you go. Most places you can get a cover and take your gelato to go. You cannot get a cover to go unless you buy a pint. Rather odd. Oh well.

So I sat inside, and savored my gelato while looking outside the window at the pretty lights in the alley.

It was such a lovely night out, so I took my time heading back to my car and looked around the area. Over the past several years, I’ve noticed so many places going out of business. Noticed trees being cut down. The landscape of cities and towns changes every few decades. The stores that you see and go to everyday probably won’t be around in 25 years. It made me think that I should have taken more pictures of the ordinary 25 years ago.

Since I don’t have the option of time travel at this point, I figured I’d start taking those ordinary pictures now. Future me will be glad that I did.

This Sully’s sign is from a bygone era and probably won’t be around for too long. According to Eater Boston, the bar opened soon after Prohibition ended and closed in June 2018. I love these old signs, so I’ll try and capture them when I can.

A little past the Sully’s sign is Sergeant George Montilio Square. As someone with a huge sweet tooth, I immediately though of George Montilio of Montilio’s Bakery. But it seemed that he would be way too young to have served in World War II. Maybe it was his father?

So after taking this picture, I did some research. George, the famous baker, just recently turned 70, so that definitely was not him. His father started the bakery 76 years ago, but his name was Ernest Montilio. The Square is named after an Army Sergeant who “died of wounds” on April 17, 1945. Well, that’s odd. Just realized that today is April 17th as well!

The Hall of Valor Project website states that Sergeant George Montilio received the Distinguished Service Cross, “[F]or extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving with Company H, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, in action against enemy forces on 6 June 1944, in France. As a volunteer scout, Corporal Montilio carried out an assault on a footbridge under intense machine gun and small arms fire. Though the bridge was held by a superior number of the enemy, his daring and aggressiveness forced them to withdraw and thereby permitted his unit to organize and hold their objective.”

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When I decided to go out for gelato, I didn’t realize that I was doing an Artist Date until afterwards and I thought about it. This type of practice really does bring about creativity and some learning along the way.

Since George Montilio is not a very common name, I wonder if he was part of the same family. Considering he was from this area, it seems likely that he could have been a relative. Maybe the current George was named after him? I guess it’s family history that he probably knows.

Rest in peace, Sergeant Montilio, and thank you for your service.

Holiday Recipe: Eggnog Ice Cream

Is there one thing that is the epitome of the holidays for you? When I was a kid, that first eggnog of the season, right before Thanksgiving was it. The holiday season was here for real!

Now eggnog is here much sooner, but for me, it’s still a clear signal that the holidays are upon us. As much as I love eggnog, I never made it from scratch until yesterday, when I made this eggnog ice cream for the first time.

While I do enjoy eating raw cookie dough as I bake, I must admit that the multiple raw egg yolks freaked me out a bit. But I got over it. Especially since I added alcohol, which feels like it cleans it up a bit. Maybe?!?

Anyway, as long as you have an ice cream maker, this recipe is pretty simple. The recipe is adapted from an Alton Brown one that I found on NPR back in December 2006. Way back at the beginning of the century! And now, we’re zooming into 2020 in a mere two weeks! But eggnog is timeless.

This recipe was adapted based on what I have at home and my personal taste. I had some half and half that I needed to use up and I happen to have vanilla oat milk. I don’t have bourbon, but I do have vanilla flavored vodka, so that’s what I used. I also added some additional flavor extracts and a bit of salt, because the mixture tasted somewhat bland. The final result is delicious!

I hope you try this recipe and adapt based on what you have at home as well. Happy Holidays!

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Eggnog Ice Cream  (makes 1 quart)

INGREDIENTS:
4 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
2  1/2 cups half and half
1/2 cup vanilla oat milk
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup Pinnacle®️ Whipped®️ Vodka

INSTRUCTIONS:
You can use the directions in the original recipe or the way I have done below.

Beat the egg yolks well in a large bowl. Use what you have — a stand mixer, an electric hand mixer (what I used) or a manual hand mixer. Add in the sugar and beat well. Add the remaining ingredients and use a whisk to combine. Chill mixture in the freezer for about 40 minutes. Transfer mixture to your ice cream maker and use as directed. Place ice cream in an airtight container and put in freezer for several hours.

Hey Boston! Celebrate National Ice Cream Day with Free Vice Cream!

Vanilla ice cream with orange ripple, dark, white and milk chocolate chunks.

Happy National Ice Cream Day! One of my favorite days! Although, I celebrate by eating ice cream far more than once a year.

If you’re in Boston today, you might be able to get some free ice cream. Today, between noon and 4pm, the Vice Cream Truck will be patrolling Boston streets and walking around the areas where people are outside enjoying this beautiful summer day.

Plus, they will meet anyone who tweets “Today is National Ice Cream Day and I want @eatvicecream” along with their location.

Vice Cream truck shown at city hall plaza in Boston, ready to give out ice cream.

The Vice Cream Truck will be giving out samples of their most popular flavors: Choc of Shame, Bourbon Mash, Toffee Wife, Breakfast in Bed, Higher Grounds, Afternoon Delight and Minted while supplies last. The company also has an interesting back story.

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Vice Cream is all about unapologetic indulgence with eight super premium flavors and tagline “Live Life, Dig In.”

When Vice Cream Founder Dan Schorr was in college, he paid for school by driving a Good Humor ice cream truck during the summer. It was during those hot summer months that he saw first-hand the joy ice cream could bring people. Years later in 2015, life threw Dan a curveball when doctors told him he had cancer – an aggressive form of lymphoma.

After undergoing treatment that included chemotherapy at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Dan beat the disease and made a decision to not just live life, but indulge in it, which led him to create Vice Cream in Boston.

To Dan, ice cream is, and always should be, about unapologetic indulgence. Through the “Nice Vice” program, Vice Cream aims to bring smiles to cancer patients and their families by supporting various cancer charities nationwide, and at events like the Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl and sampling Vice Cream at hospitals.

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I haven’t tried Vice Cream — yet. I’ve been trying to be good with Halo, but I’m intrigued and may indulge at some point.

Well, as I write this, it’s close to 1pm. They only have one truck, but they will do their best to get to everyone who tweets in the 4-hour timeframe. So time to get tweeting!

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Images: L’Orange A Trois and Vice Cream Truck courtesy of Vice Cream.

Halo Top Ice Cream: It’s The Real Deal

Collage with four containers of Halo Top ice cream.

Have you tried Halo Top? It’s the low calorie ice cream that everyone is raving about.

I first heard about Halo Top a few months ago and absolutely did not believe the hype. I heard that people loved it so much and that certain flavors were so hard to find that people would buy containers in bulk and stockpile them like they may never find them again.

According to legend, and the containers, a pint of their ice cream is around 300 calories or less. How do they do it? It’s made with natural sweeteners, stevia and Erythritol.

I’ve tried diet soda with stevia and it was so horrible tasting that I couldn’t drink more than a couple of sips. I had read before that sweeteners like Erythritol can cause bloating and digestive issues, so I’ve avoided anything like it.

But I was curious. Could it be that good? Even if the taste was good, what about the texture? Would I feel badly after eating it?

One day, I was in CVS and walked past the freezer section. I noticed several Halo Top containers and figured that I’d get some and make my own informed opinion.

They are a bit expensive, but I had CVS coupons and wanted something sweet. That day I bought sea salt caramel. Since then, I’ve tried birthday cake, vanilla bean and oatmeal cookie.

Let me tell you. You can believe the hype, because now I do! I’ve loved all the flavors so far. The texture is on point and I haven’t had any digestive issues either.

The only negative comment I have is that the oatmeal cookie wasn’t really oatmeal cookie. The flavor was still great and I enjoyed it, but it was just flecks of oatmeal. There were no chunks of cookie, so it’s misnamed.

Now that it’s almost officially summer, I’m especially looking forward to trying more flavors. And I love not having to feel guilty about the calories!

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Images: Halo Top website

Breaking Dessert News: Ben & Jerry’s at the Prudential Center!

Walled off area in the Prudential Center food court area with Coming Soon Ben & Jerry's written on it.

Did you know that Ben & Jerry’s is opening a new catering location at the Prudential Center?

My current project is in the building, so this ice cream news is very relevant information for me. Maybe for you too. My co-workers and I have been talking about it and are looking forward to the day it opens.

My curiosity always gets the best of me when it comes to dessert. Well, most things actually. But dessert too. So as I was walking by to take a picture, I saw someone getting ready to go inside this boarded up area in the picture above. I asked if he knew when they would be opening. He said by the end of this week! Let’s hope it’s true!

Let’s also hope that Ben & Jerry’s CEO Jostein Soheim will sign the Milk with Dignity Agreement as he agreed to do back in May 2015.  Solheim’s Conscious Capitalism profile says that “Ben & Jerry’s must continue to aspire to be a social justice company that just happens to make ice cream.”

Migrant Justice is an organization focused on human rights and food justice. They are working with Vermont dairy workers and have relaunched the Milk with Dignity Campaign in order to get Ben & Jerry’s to fully implement the Milk with Dignity Program.

I was disappointed to learn that there hasn’t been the follow through with this agreement as expected. We expect a lot from Ben & Jerry’s and I believe that the founders do as well. Ice cream tastes a lot sweeter when we know that workers who make the final product possible are all being treated fairly. Don’t you agree?

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Updated 4/13/2017: As of today, it’s open!

Two people standing in front of Ben & Jerry's ice cream kiosk.