The Scoop

Go Out There and Eat Some Fresh, Local Fruit!

Summer is in full swing, and the fruit this year is fantastic! Peaches, plums, watermelons, and cantaloupes are all sweet and delicious. We're doing a Crema di Pesche (Peaches and Cream), Bellini (Peach and sparkling Italian wine), Prugna Beaujolais (Plum and French wine),and Sorbetto dAnguria (Watermelon sorbet...a Sicilian specialty!). We also have a Crema di Melone (Cantaloupe and Cream) from time to time.

Nick, our source for figs, has an Italian variety this year (he calls them Italian White Honeys but in Italy they are called Dattati) that are looking great. We are getting a batch of fig mascarpone ready right now and it will be in the case soon. The birds have started to notice the figs on the trees, though, so the race is on!

In addition to overflowing our display cabinet with fresh fruit, we have a few other flavors to help beat the heat. We've concocted a new Maker's Mark Mint Julep with fresh spearmint in honor of Tales of the Cocktail that makes me very happy. It's light and cool and refreshing...just what I need for whiling away a sultry New Orleans afternoon.

We made a Guinness flavor for St. Patty's and we've gotten so many requests to have it back, we decided to make some more. It makes sense to combine the best of Irish cuisine with the best of Italian, right? Ask for a sample the next time you come in...it tastes like the creamy head of a perfectly pulled pint!

Another summer flavor we've got out right now is the honey lavender. Lavender is tricky because it goes from being too subtle to tasting like a bar of soap very quickly...it has to be balanced just right. Using local New Orleans honey is the perfect foil for it. I love it, and it makes a nice pairing with any of the summer fruit flavors.

Of course we have the usual cast of characters, too, including Creme Brulee and Azteca, so we should have something that you will like. If we don't see you at the gelateria this weekend, I hope we'll see you at the Tales of the Cocktail...I think it's going to be a blast!

What is Gelato?

In Italy, there is no distinction between gelato and ice cream. There is only the distinction between good gelato and bad gelato. Good gelato is rich and delicate simultaneously. It is creamy, but not heavy. It is cool and refreshing, but not numbingly cold. It is sweet, but not cloying. As each spoonful melts in your mouth, the gelato reveals layers of complex flavors that linger pleasantly on the palate. Like all Italian food, it is enjoyed best together with friends and family.

Italians can spot good gelato easily, long before they actually taste it. A Neopolitan visiting Florence will be drawn to Gelateria Vivoli and a Florentine visiting Naples will find La Scimmia. Italians pass up the bright, beautiful gelato displays that line the tourist thoroughfares. They look for the promise 'Produzione Artigianale,' or, even better, 'Produzione Propria' on the outside. 'Produzione Artigianale' means they produce the gelato themselves, but they do not start from fresh, local ingredients. 'Produzione Propria' means they make their gelato from scratch. The gelato should not be garishly colored. Banana gelato should be grayish, not bright yellow. Pistachios are naturally green, but not neon. The promise is fulfilled in the surprise of intense, nuanced flavors melting on the tongue.

Like all good food, wonderful gelato is fresh, natural ingredients which have been well treated and combined to complement, contrast, and harmonize with one another. To get truly great gelato, you must start with the freshest, highest quality ingredients. Fresh produce contains hundreds of flavor compounds. Artificial flavors only mimic two or three of the flavors of real fruit; they are sharp and lack nuance and complexity. 'Real fruit' that has been grown far away or in a hot house, has been picked too soon so that it can 'ripen' during the long journey to the gelateria, or has been overly processed, canned, cooked or frozen also leaves the fruit’s potential unfulfilled.

For great flavor, there are no shortcuts. The produce must be from varieties known for their taste-- not bred for increased yield or attractiveness on a grocery store shelf. Most fruits are unable to develop their full flavor once they have been picked. Only local produce can be allowed to ripen fully on the plant. Within hours of leaving the field, the fruit must be in the laboratorio, capturing the moment at which the fruit is at its succulent best. Like divas, fresh, natural ingredients are finicky and must be coddled and cared for lovingly to coax out their best performances. For lovers of wonderful gelato, however, all the effort is distilled into a few delicious moments of bliss.

Fourth of July

Mrs. Chauvin, otherwise known as The Pie Lady at the Crescent City Farmer's Market makes the prettiest 4th of July pies we've seen! And, you know what would make them even more wonderful? Serving her beautiful pie a'la mode with La Divina Gelato! But, you'll have to plan ahead because we'll be closed for the holiday. We recommend you top the pie with Fior di Latte or Tahitian Vanilla. Pick up a pint at the store and mention that you read about it on our blog to receive .50 off each of your pint purchases. Valid until July 3rd, 2008 www.crescentcityfarmersmarket.org

Mille Grazie!

Mille Grazie- a thousand thanks to our friends over at the Louisiana Small Business Development Center (www.lsbdc.org), and especially Christian Galvin. Without their assistance, our new website would not have been possible. And a big thank you as well to the talented design team at Good Work Marketing. We love our new website!

Benvenuti Tutti!

We are so delighted to have our new website up and running! We think it looks just great and we hope that you will find it very useful. As you may have noticed, we've added an online shop! In just a few days, you will be able to purchase our fresh artisan gelato & sorbetto (and other assorted goodies) from the convenience of your home, no matter where that may be! We hope to have this feature fully operational in just a few days... In the meantime, browse the site, check out our new menu offerings, and visit some of our links!