"Life is like an ice cream cone, enjoy it before it melts away."
—Dennis Augustine
On a hot day like today, 81° here in Northern California (yesterday it was 94°, “we all scream for ice cream.”
Remember that poet getting on in years who said, “If I had it to do over again I would eat more ice cream…?
I’m with her, why wait and have regrets, unless of course you’re a diabetic, and even then there are choices.
One of the newer kids on the block in customized handcrafted fresh ice cream using Liquid Nitrogen is Creamistry. It’s a play on words: Chemistry and Creamery. The rapid freezing process (—321° Fahrenheit) provides the smoothest, richest and creamiest frozen delight. They call their servers “Creamologists.” Yes, I know it sounds like you're at your dermatologist's office.
Part of the fun of liquid nitrogen ice cream shops, is watching your ice cream being made. When liquid nitrogen is mixed with your ice cream base, it makes the air around it very cold. This creates fumaroles of white fog that engulfs your Creamologist behind the counter top and plexiglass panel. It makes you feel like you are on the movie set of Star Trek. Beam me up Scotty! Cecile and I had fun watching and being part of a group of customers snapping photos with our cell phone cameras of this interesting phenomenon. It’s a great place to take your kids and grandkids.
Once the fog clears, your freshly made ice cream is whisked away to the toppings bar where its adorned with your choice of toppings. They use all natural, organic ingredients and boast over 70 flavors and toppings. There are rich Vegan alternatives and Nitro shakes on the menu of choices.
We tried our first Creamstry delight in Palm Dessert. But there is one located in downtown Palo Alto with a national roll out under way as we speak.
Liquid nitgrogen has been around forever. As we learned in our science studies, Nitrogen is part of the Periodic Table bearing the symbol N and atomic number 7. I used it to freeze off warts in my clinic when I was a practicing podiatrist and many other surgeons use it to elminate cancerous cells.
Besides making ice cream, liquid nitrogen which comes in pressurized tanks and vacuum flasks, has been used in the food and beverage service industry to displace oxygen from the package of let’s say your favorite potato chips, before it is sealed. It’s the presence of moisture that deteriorates the food quality.
The Culinary Institute of America instituted a major in culinary science. As part of obtaining their degree, students learn how to use liquid nitrogen as a coolant to not only make a smoother batch of ice cream, but to freeze strawberries in liquid nitrogen and then smash them to produce strawberry dust that could be sprinkled over a dessert. It is also used in the kitchen to flash-freeze herbs or alcohol. Bartenders use it to supercool your glass giving it a sophisticated dramatic-looking vapor.
