We were recently invited to the Häagen-Dazs® Artist Series at Pouring Ribbons in Alphabet City. This event was a way for Häagen-Dazs® to showcase "art inspired by a journey in Italy and gelato". I admit that we were there more for gelato than art as, after a trip to Italy few years ago, we got crazy about gelato! Imagine that when we went there, we had gelato everyday: coconut for Jodi, Hazelnut or vanilla for me!
So I was curious to see what Häagen-Dazs® would present! And I was not disappointed! I think the biggest discovery of the evening was that gelato can be used as an ingredient for drinks or pastries! Yes, you read well: drinks and pastries! I know, ice cream cake is popular here, but not in France: we have frozen cakes but it is more for convenience than taste, at the exception of the omelette Norvegienne or baked Alaska.
So let's start with the drinks! Besides regular drinks you would find anywhere, mixologist and co-owner of Pouring Ribbons Troy Sidle proposed some alcoholic drinks of his creation with gelato. We tried the Bello Rosmarino, made with vodka, fresh squeezed lemon juice, raspberries, rosemary and a scoop of limoncello gelato from Häagen-Dazs®.
Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur mainly produced in Southern Italy. Based on the information given, this is how Troy Sidle got inspired:
"At the Gelato University in Bologna, Italy, Troy Sidle was struck by the pairing of rosemary and raspberries, never thinking they would go well together. After tasting the unique combination in Bologna, he was inspired to add in the refreshing flavor of Häagen-Dazs® Limoncello Gelato to create a delicious cocktail that can be made at home during the hot summer months".
I never had gelato in a cocktail and was pleasantly surprised. It was very good and the ice cream did not seem out of context. In fact, it was dangerous because so good, it was like drinking milk!
Then, one side of the bar was full of desserts made by Christina Tosi, owner and celebrity Pastry Chef of Momofuku Milk Bar! What was there was not only appealing to the eyes (and the stomach), but very good and creative.
The best of all was the Häagen-Dazs® Dark Chocolate Chip Gelato Cake!
I can tell you that all the guests were gravitating around this cake! The description of Christina Tosi's inspiration was:
"I am a huge fan of ice cream cakes. Fudgie the Whale has nothing on this one! One of my favorite things to snack on while strolling (between gelato shops) in Florence is dried fruits, especially apricots.
Italian bakeries are always full of the most beautiful acetate-lined shiny chocolate cakes, and I just knew I wanted to create one on my terms, combining my American sensibility of an ice cream cake with Häagen-Dazs® Dark chocolate Chip Gelato and my favorite in-between-gelato shop snack."
By the way, writing this post, I discovered that Fudgie the Whale is a type of ice cream cake produced and sold by Carvel in its franchise stores!
Anyway, I got my hand on a slice of that cake!
Look at that slice and tell me you would not want a bite, or two!!! That was light and heavenly good. The pairing of the apricot jam with the chocolate was a killer!
The other desserts were made without Gelato. We got:
Dark Chocolate cookies:
Dark Chocolate Pistacchio spread:
That by the way I used as a filling for crepes! I used it like a nutella spread that was in fact the inspiration of the Chef! Delish!
Biscotti Milk that was Chef Christina Tosi's take on cookies and milk!
This was great and I enjoyed it with the chocolate cake!!!
They also pass around some Häagen-Dazs® gelato samples. We tried the Black Cherry one that was very good. I wish I could have tried other flavors but we had to leave!
Besides food, the evening was filled with art, also inspired from Italy and Gelato, as well as music, with a performance from Suzanna Choffel from "The Voice":
And let's not forget art! There was Tim McFaden (hand-blown glass gelato Bowl), Loren Bartham (cuff bracelet with vintage stones) and Kelsea Slade (leather clutch with tassel).
We had a good time there and were lucky to be part of the guests who could taste these delicious creations!
Enjoy (I did)!
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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!
