BACK LIST
BIG L
l
Sally Stewart cools off with some big licks.
Ice cream. in one form or another has been on the go for some time. Originating some .‘stltltl years B(' in China. its fame spread across Asia and Iiurope. only reaching us much
more recently.
Although the (‘hinese are no longer at the forefront of ice cream technology. the Indians still produce a form of ice cream. Kulfi. made from reduced milk instead ofcream. flavoured w ith cardomum pods and pistachio nuts served on hiin days
and holidays.
l‘ortunately for us (’entral Scotland has its lair share ofartisan ice cream makers manufacturing ice cream to traditional family recipes. and using quality ingredients with few preservatives or additives. .\'ardinis of l .args. probably the West ('oast's most famous cafe still use a family recipe which has been faithfully followed for over St) years. 'l‘his coupled with high quality ingredients is how they answer for their success over many years. Apart from the traditional vanilla. they manufacture a wide range of Italian flavours using unusual ingredients such as nougat. nuts and liquers such as ( iianduja. a kind ofsweet chestnut and chocolate ice. On occasion they have been known to make a champagne sorbet to mark a Scottish visit by the Queen Mother.
\Vhilst Nardini's‘ see ice cream as a necessary part of the diet (so might you if you made as much of it as they do). with its high cholesterol and saturated fat content it can hardly be seen as a health food even in its goat milk varieties. Lighter and marginally more healthy are sorbets and water ices. Based on egg whites. sugar and fruit or alcohol flavourings
‘r U
((fl‘
((((((<(Q-
Illustration by Moira Nicol
they contain negligible amounts of fat and may in the case of a fresh blackcurrant sorbet even act as a vitamin supplement. liasier to make at home than ice cream the combinations of flavours are as limited as your imagination. Sorbet's coup de grace is that it can be savoury as well. ever tasted tomato ice crcam'.’ 'l‘ry it as a starter.
lior true hedonists amongst you what about a bombe or a givre ( fruit stuffed with ice cream or water ice ). If the shops let you down do it yourself with slightly softened ice cream. The secret is what ever you stuffor fill should be chilled for at least an hour in the freezer. .‘yletal bowls are particularly good.
What ever you opt for there is always one recipe which defies the imagination and often the artist. Baked Alaska. Never mind. the van will be round again soon.
ICE CREAM LIST EDINBURGH
I Luca‘s 34 l ligli Street.
\liissclbuigh. My; 33) Mon Sat ‘lam ‘lpm; Sun; ll)..‘~t|am lltpin. Single :onc Zap. l.tica‘s cafe only sells thice flavours of ice .‘ieam chocolate.\attilla .indstiawbciiy each with itspassionate supporters. Ilte soft.
\vv eet . vlatt \ -basevl I made with butteraiiddouble .‘ieam ). typically Italian-Scottish ice cream wasdcvclopcd dtiiingthe Ills and .‘ylls by the father of the present head of the business. and thought by many to be the best of its kind :\Iso.i\atlal‘leltf tubsfiom .Ientters inthc
above three Ilavoiiispliis mint choc chip. chocolate lia/clnut.cassata and coffee. I MrBOni'S-Ilochrin Buildings. IUIIL‘t’tiss. 531‘). Mon Sat ll)..‘\tlaiii llpm: Sun 13.3” ‘l..‘~tlpm. Single cone offp. the Born family has been in the ice cream business in Scotland for nearly "5 years. and by now tltey ltaye 3‘5 I‘Ii|\t)lII'\t)II IIIL‘ littolk'S. with .‘llto 35 of them available at any one tiriie from the cafe inl ollcioss I can recommend a L‘Utttbltfaltolt til chocolate. pistachio and marsala land then a rest) Ingredients include milk. butter . double cream. natural emulsifiers and stabilisers. and all
1“)
flavoursaic natural. .\Ii Boni‘s ice cream canalso be bought at l.'.‘\lba
d'( )toattdl i.’\t|llll.l Bianca fish and chipshops in Stockbridgc. by tltc Iltt‘e from “this in ( ieoige Street. and by the elegant incognitoseoopin the Sheraton and ( 'aledoiiian lititels.
I [II ROIIO .i-I Bridge Street. \ttissclbuigh. (53 351”. Mon 'l'hui
.Stlani Spin; I't'l Sat .‘ytlam ‘lpni;Siin
ll .‘ytlam ‘lpm Single colic-35p I‘stal‘IISltetllII IN)” by the grandfather of the present owners. About lSllayoui‘sonsaIe
in the cafe at a time. occasionallyincluding ttii kisli delight tsoinc people like it I 'l ltey also supply ice cream to
sever at restaurants including the ( ‘ate Royal ()y stc‘t' BUT.
I Big Liks 3H l ligli Street. 557972. Mon \Vcd ‘laiii Saillpmfl ltuis Vain ".Rllpin; I'tt Sun ‘lani opin. Singlcconc (ytlp. Baskitt-Robbitts .-\iiierican ice cream and a soda-fountain style cafe. '1 he ice cream is brought tip from l.oiidoii. having been made to the or rgiiial .-\inerican recipes and using ingredients
impoi led from the States. It flavours are on sale ttrom a range of hundreds) including .-\nieriean classics such as butter pecan. blii-‘bci i res and cream.
I Loseley Ice Cream the most unadulterated ice cream you can buy . made with the dairy products lioiti the I osclcv iciscy hard in Siiricy w ith eggs. sugar and frtiit . and nothingelsc. .'\\ai|able from large bianchcsol lesco. Sainsbuiy ;s and Safcways in ltdinbuigh l-.\pensi\e but the Ite\t best thing to home-made.
GLASGOW
I Royal Sweets
\\ oodlands Road. (ialsgow . sell ktilli in individual portions with mango and other exotic fruit flavours.
I Nardini S(ireenock Road. largs. offer an enviable rarigeol sundacs and ice cream desserts in their seaside establishment. many oI
which are available to take
home.
I Cotpi Ice Cream 38 .‘ylain Street. \lilgay te. scry c Llelteiotts ices in all the normal forms with the option of chocolate chippings of crushed peanuts.
I Peckhams all branches. sell sorbets and ice creams by (‘ountiy I-oods. particularly iobe recommended is their Brow n Bread ice cream. Also on sale is a good selection of liqueurs to pour over your ice particularly (‘remc de (‘kISSIM from oil-sales.
I When tlilttgs get too much try a granita. a simple mix of crushed ice. sugar to taste and flavour‘ing of your choice from collce. fruit juice to somethinga little haidei'. Ice cr ushers from ASIIOI'IOITIB \Vest .\'ilc Stt'cct. ( ilasgow . and good iionmongers.
ICE CREAM IN PRINT
I Ices Galore t lclge Rubinstein and Sheila Bush I l’enguin paperback. £3.95). No pictures but Iolsot infallible recipes.
I Ice Creams and Sorbets .lacki I’assmot'e
tSalamandei hardback. UNIS). .\ photograph to go w ith each recipe. some of which sound a little contrived. but you might itiii out of ideas it this heat way e goes on much longer.
I Iced Delighfss‘tiona ('taw lord I’oolc t('oni.in I )ctopus paperback. uni). ( ilossy dinner-party type recipes will) photos.
ICE CREAM MACHINES
.-\icavailab|e IroniJOhn Lewis. whohaveseyeial types from a basic 1 pint tItI\L‘l'-III-Ilte-lt'c‘e/et lob at Ll‘).5lllii;itlc'lti\c counter top niulti-llavoiii machine at L.‘ l 5.
NEWS BITES
FOOD NEWS
IThe City Cafe. well establishedasone of l/lt’ places to be scciidrinking. istransloi'ming its restaurant'simage 'l he mainly I-i'eiicli menu has been completely revamped by the two new chefs. ( ~oliii Hunter and James l)av idson. and will change every day liyamplcs front last week's selection ate chicken with iumpci berries. hot hain w ith cherry sauce and a healthy yaiicty olsealootl Business lunch LIFHoi evening meals around I”. IThe Vintners Roomm leitli has been keeping a good llttltg It) Ilsell llttcc months ago It was botight by Tim andSuc (thinning. Ioimei ow nets of tltc icnow ncd I lole In
I he \Vall restaurant in Bath. I im ( ~iiiiiiiiiiig is How head chef. helped by another old l Iolc In 'I lie “all hand. \Villiain
Ufa“)
\tanden. and one of the Vintnersiooni‘sprcyious chefs. .latitcs Bastet. \Ianagei ('iaig I)riimmond has also been kept on and is enthusiastic about the new owner’s touch. I he kitchen isback on form with simple biit imaginative I-iench tegiorial sty lc tootl. The restaurant herb garden ls beingcultivatcd and they boast that all sorbcts arid ice creams are made on the premises. I’riccsare now . cg. dinner for two. Lit) L‘vo. house w me from Iv‘ltRl silty-707. I The Cousteai'is learn of owners .\II and His (iallaghei andcliet Keith ('uiiic liiichuietly te-cstabltsltetl tltelttselyes in w ell-hidden premises at J" l lill Stiect .\'orth lane tonec Blues Bar and
( )stlcis icstaiiiant ). I hey only open in the evenings. o Ill-15pm. w ith iiiioyslci bardownstairs sciyinga cheaper menu. l’rices. cg mussels in the oyster bar. US“. main course upstairs L"
Ilgg‘s Restaurant t5 .lefticy Street. 557N184, Mon Satnoon 3.3tlpin andti..‘~t|pm It)..‘~tlpm. lgg‘s Restaurant opened this week picsenting an escitingaiiddesci'iptive menu based in ( ‘lassic ('uisine including such illsltes .is breast (II duck gla/cd w ith honey served with a iedciiirant and iaspbei'i'y coulis. 'l he intei'ioi decoration is loinial in a typically Spanish fashion. with snow -w liite tableclotlics and intricate tiosegays. Ignacio(ampos who owns the restaurant. aims toscivc hiin calibre food. “we have a free/ct but it houscsonly ice cream and ice cubes. and \y me. without people worrying about what they have in their pockets I’riccsaie about L l _‘ a Iicad lot a full meal and L155 lot a business lunch
4 . GO PERSONAL I THE LIST CLASSIFIED
52 The List 28 July — 10 August 1989