Hedonia

Where to buy ice cream: Mitchell's

As loyal readers know, I have a bit of an ice cream problem. It is, hands down, my favorite food, my greatest weakness and my guiltiest pleasure. I eat it very rarely as a result, in part out of deference to my arteries and in part to preserve the sense of joy I get when I do get to indulge in it. Although sacrifice, or for that matter self-restraint in general, is not my strong suit, I am capable of controlling myself under some circumstances.

But if I am to eat ice cream but once in a blue moon, it had better be the best I can get my grubby mitts on. As far as mainstream, store-bought fare goes, I am a devoted Häagen-Dazs fan, but I will consistently bypass even their heavenly Dulce de Leche for a scoop or ten of Mitchell's.

It is not to say that Mitchell's is the best ice cream in the world. In the grand scheme of ice creaminess, it's solidly good. But what makes Mitchell's exceptional, aside from the fact that it is one of the great tried-and-true San Francisco local treats, is their selection of tropical flavors. I have yet to work my way through the canon of exotic fruits using fresh fruit flown in from Thailand and the Philippines, like baby coconut, ube (purple yam) and jackfruit, but I do rather like the Thai tea. And I'm told they make, or used to make, durian flavor once a year -- and only once a year, as the neighbors complained so bitterly about the smell. So keep your eyes nose peeled for the next batch.

The line is always out the door, rain or shine, and it's little wonder. Mitchell's conspires with Drewes Bros. and Church Produce to form a trifecta of businesses that makes me wish I lived a little farther out into Baja Noe. Oh well ... at least I can select from a smaller selection of Mitchell's flavors at the newly opened Subs Inc on 24th and Castro.

Mitchell's Ice Cream
668 San Jose Ave (at Guerrero)

Leftovers: It's in the bag

* Todd Coleman, editor at Saveur, detained at a Florida airport due to suspicious contents in his bag. The items in question: Honey, an oyster shell and a seasoning rub. What, they thought he was McGuyver? (t/y Anita)

* AMA demands warnings on foods high in salt content because, evidently, Americans are too dumb to manage their own intakes. Come to think of it, they probably are. (via Slashfood)

* KFC sued for frying its foods in oil that is high in trans fats. Um, hello? It's fast food, not health food. See above.

* To celebrate its 70th anniversary, Carvel creates world's largest ice cream cake, weighing in at 12,096 lbs.

I scream, you scream...

Today is Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry's, so be sure to swing by your local parlor and grab a lick. There must be quite a run on this, cuz their site is down this morning.

Growing up in upstate New York, not far from the Vermont border, we had a Ben & Jerry's ice cream parlor long before they went national. Being the rabid teenagers we were, our favorite pastime was to descend in a large group and order the Vermonster -- a huge punch bowl with one scoop of each flavor and a dollop of each topping. We would start out with spoons and end up with straws, sucking up the cool brown soup that resulted from the blending of dozens of flavors.

In the last decade or so, though, I think Ben & Jerry's has lost its way. They seem driven to incorporate as many and as bizarre ingredients as possible, overwhelming the ice cream itself. Personally, I like ice cream for ice cream's sake. I'll take Häagen Dazs Dulce de Leche or a good vanilla any day. I do love me some Mitchell's, and really want to hit them up for the once-annual durian creation. I'm also planning to check out La Copa Loca, on 22nd at Mission, when the weather turns warmer. I hear it's the best gelato in town.

Last year we bought a Cuisinart ice cream maker. At first we attempted only sorbets, as we assumed they would be easier than ice creams. Turns out that's not the way it works. If you don't get the balance of sugar just right, you end up with either a syrupy goo or giant popsicle. The fat in ice cream helps prevent overfreezing. We'll try it again as it warms up. Once we master that, I'll go all Iron Chef and start making ice cream out of foie gras or salmon roe or something.

If you prefer to go more old-school, but with new-school design, check out the Ice Cream Ball (pictured), available at L.L.Bean. Just add your ingredients, and rock salt and water in the chamber, and roll like a gerbil for ice cream in just 20 minutes, allegedly. I like the iMac v.2 colors -- maybe they should call it the iScream?

And for the vegans and lactose intolerant, there is hope: Tofutti Cuties are soy-based miniature ice cream cookies that, I swear, are better than the real thing. And at just 100 calories a pop, they make for a satisfying and diet-friendly dessert. Best of all, I've seen them cropping up in more and more stores.

Now if it would just warm up outside...