the traveling cupcake: gelatto

Showing posts with label gelatto. Show all posts

Thursday, September 08, 2011

Around town...in the South of France

Toulouse

The night that we arrived in France we decided to stay in Toulouse and head out on the open road the following morning as we were arriving quite late. After quickly checking into our hotel we headed straight back out for dinner. Honestly, I hadn't given Toulouse a thought. We were only there for a few hours, most of which would be spent sleeping. However, as I have happily experienced many time before, often times when you have no plans or expectations is when you can have the best time.

St. Stapin

One objective for taking the back roads during our drive to Neffies the next morning was to explore the countryside. We wanted to see rural France rather than the endless, bland motorway. Along the way we found a lookout point. We parked the car and worked up an appetite (which was to be rewarded with cassoulet) and when we finally got to the top (all of ten minutes later...) we were rewarded.

Pezenas

Our last night in France we decided to go to Pezenas for dinner. It's much larger than Neffies and we knew they would have restaurants open even though it was a Sunday evening. We were told to make sure that we found the "real center of town" for the best restaurants, and to avoid the touristy bit at the beginning. I think all the sun had gone to our heads because we didn't listen. Our dinner might not have been the best of the weekend, but this town sure was lovely.

Neffies

I awoke early on our last day in France. We had a couple hours until breakfast but I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep. The sun was out and I could feel it getting hot already. I took this chance to take a walk around town and enjoy the peace and quiet that only early morning can offer. Early morning light is the best light, to me at least, even though I rarely see it. It was a perfect way to say goodbye to this town I felt so at home in, even only after a couple of short days.

Marseillan

We spent the last day driving along the coast, visiting small town after small town before heading to Montpellier and then onward back to London. The sun was strong and the heat made me tired (though I was not complaining). We arrived at Marseillan and had a wander around this sleepy town on the Mediterranean. It was almost as if I was in a dream. Lunch on the marina, a cool breeze from the sea, gelato in the shade - a perfect way to end our trip...

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Greedy Goat (goats milk ice cream)

On Saturday I met a good friend for lunch and a wander around my happy place - Borough Market.

After nibbling our way around some of our favorite stalls, we came across a vendor that I hadn't seen before. Not only was it a new stall but they were selling ice cream so I knew had to try it.

And then I took a closer look...

Was I reading that correctly?!

Did that sign say...Goats milk ice cream??

I have had normal ice cream, gelato in Italy and even glace in Paris. But never have I ever had goats milk ice cream. This, was a must try.

It looked like ice cream...it had the normal ice cream flavors on offer (strawberry and chocolate as well as about a dozen others)...it even scooped up like normal ice cream. But what was it going to taste like?

Well...it didn't really taste like ice cream, but it sure was delicious!

I bypassed the typical ice cream flavors and went straight for the most savory flavor I could spot (something about the goats milk was putting me in a savory mood rather than sweet). I chose lemon lime basil, it sounded exceptionally seasonally appropriate to me! It would have been perfectly refreshing on a hot summer day (but since I live in London where it refuses to get hot during the summer, it felt more like a fall day). The verdict?

Interesting.

It wasn't bad - far from it actually. But I couldn't quite wrap my head around what I was eating. It was cold. I was eating it with a spoon. But it wasn't exactly ice cream. It had the texture of sorbet and the slight tang of goats cheese. There were tiny bits of lemon and lime rind that added texture and a pop of flavor. It was smooth and creamy but at the same time light and clean.

So, why goats milk? The folks at Greedy Goat boast that goats milk ice cream is naturally lower in fat and calories than cows milk ice cream, and it is suitable for people who are lactose intolerant.

Less fat, calories and chance of getting a stomach ache...call me converted!

Ok, maybe not converted - but I'll sure as heck try it again!

If you are in London and fancy a try, check out Greedy Goat in Borough market on Thursday, Friday or Saturday.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

A weekend in Paris...

(From the top: Lobster, mango and grapefruit salad; fresh raspberries and creme fraiche; Ferris wheel by the Louvre; Ferris wheel; inside Notre Dame (next three photos); Promenade Maurice Careme; inside Sainte Chapelle; marble sculpture at the Louvre; iron sculpture at the Louvre; wine at Willies Wine Bar; radishes and cherrys at les Halles market; menu of the day; Rue de Poitou; graffiti; falafel from L'As du Fallafel; bistro; Chocolate/White Chocolate/Caramel with sea salt glace; glace shop

Like what you see?