A Pure, Ancient, Simple Pleasure of Life

What comes to mind when you think of “comfort food”—popcorn, chocolate, fresh strawberries or apple pie, perhaps? If you were the Emperor of ancient Rome, you might think of ice cream. Story has it that Nero (A.D. 37-68) sent runners to the mountains to bring back snow to which he added nectar, honey and fruit pulp. Some historians believe this was the origin of ice cream.

There are also stories that Marco Polo brought ice cream from China to Europe with him. The Chinese, circa A.D. 618-97, developed ice and milk mixtures that may be the true ancestor of our ice cream.
Ice cream was a favorite treat in the early White House. Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson served ice cream to White House guests. Dolly Madison served an ice cream dessert at the second inaugural ball in 1812. During the eighteenth century, ingredients that are synonymous with today’s ice cream—cream, milk and egg yolks—first appeared in a cookbook. Today, in the U.S., we eat an average of 23 quarts of ice cream each year!

Thanks to a New England housewife who invented a hand-cranked ice cream machine in the mid-1800s, we have the convenience of being able to eat ice cream any time of the year. Yet, there are many who have never eaten snow ice cream, not because of their age or modern conveniences, but because of their geographic location. There are areas of the United States where snow never falls.

Simple pleasurable times
If you were a child living in an area before electricity made it to your home or there was no ice vendor driving through your city’s streets, one of your favorite treats might have been snow ice cream. Many cherish fond memories of gathering fresh, clean snow, adding their favorite flavorings and feeling the smooth, icy tingle of a treat that unfortunately was unavailable in heat of summer.
Making snow ice cream doesn’t take a master’s degree in food preparation; in fact, if you have a youngster in your home, it is a fun activity for a child.

I can see the calories piling on
We have food choices today that weren’t available even 5 years ago. If you want to try this luxurious concoction, let your imagination and your dietary needs be your guide. Snow ice cream can be low-cal, non-fat and non-dairy, cooked and uncooked.

Main ingredient	Ingredient alternatives	Ingredient function
Milk	4% (whole), 2%, 1%, skim, flavored (chocolate, malt, etc), evaporated, sweetened condensed, half and half, cream, powdered (regular, low-fat, non-fat)	Fat gives ice cream a smooth texture and flavor. Skim milk gives ice cream more body and adds protein.
Non-dairy milk substitutes	Soy, rice, almond, hazelnut, oat, liquid coffee creamer* (flavored and non-flavored)
Sugar	Several sugar substitutes are currently available	Adds sweetness, increases body and improves texture.
Gelatin		Absorbs some of the moisture and prevents large crystals from forming.
Eggs	Several egg substitute products are available	Helps fat and water combine and prevents ice cream from melting so quickly.
Vanilla	Flavored syrups, any flavoring extract, flavored coffee creamer*	Flavor of your choice! Is today a hazelnut mocha or a peppermint day?
Toppings	Nuts, fruit, berries, sprinkles, freezer jam, preserves, commercial ice cream syrup toppings, etc

The following basic, uncooked snow ice cream recipes can be modified to your personal taste. Recipes containing uncooked eggs were not included because of the risk of salmonella poisoning. Experiment with a variety of milk, non-dairy products, flavorings and toppings. Snow ice cream will quickly melt in a warm room, so eat it as soon as it is made.

Snow Ice Cream Southern Style
Large bowl or pan of fresh, clean snow 1 2/3 cups evaporated milk or 1 pint of half and half or 1 pint of cream 1 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla
Chill the bowl or pan before scooping in snow. Add sugar to the snow. Fold together snow and sugar. Add vanilla. Gradually stir in some or all of the evaporated milk (or alternate milk choice) until the mixture becomes thick. Spoon into chilled bowls and enjoy! (Some people prefer the taste of sweetened condensed milk in this recipe.)

Non-dairy Snow Ice Cream
1 soup bowl of snow Non-dairy milk substitute (refer to chart) Vanilla Maple syrup
Chill the bowl before scooping up fresh, clean snow. Pour some non-dairy milk substitute over the snow. Add vanilla and maple syrup. Stir and sample. Add more milk if you need to thin it down, more vanilla or more syrup to taste.

Spumoni Snow
4 cups of clean snow 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk 1 cup canned cherry pie filling 1/2 teaspoon rum flavoring 1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Chill the bowl or pan before scooping up snow. Add the sweetened condensed milk and rum flavoring; stir well. Fold in cherry pie filling and mini chips. Serve in chilled bowls.

Don't forget to brush!
As delicious as these cool treats are, remember your dental hygiene: brush and floss regularly. Brushing and flossing removes the sugary film from your teeth and helps to prevent tooth decay. Tooth decay can lead to serious dental problems which can also affect your general health.

Start the new year off right with a happy mouth and healthy teeth!

For more information, you might find the following Web sites useful:
Academy of General Dentistry http://www.agd.org/
American Dental Association http://www.ada.org/
Dairy Science and Technology, University of Guelph : http://www.foodsci.uoguelph
FamilyFun: http://FamilyFun.com
International Dairy Foods Association: http://www.idfa.org
Learning Haven: http://www.learninghaven.com
Seeds of Knowledge--Old Fashioned Living: http://oldfashionedliving.com
Steve Spangler Science: http://www.stevespanglerscience.com
Cook's Recipes: http://www.cooksrecipes.com

Houston dentist
Minh Nguyen, D.D.S.