Food

Gelato, it turns out, is a very different creature from ice cream. And there are reasons that the best gelato tastes so creamy yet somehow still light—and indescribably perfect. Is it the recipe? The method? Or something else? In honor of summer, we delve into the secrets of artisanal gelato-making from master gelatiere Andrea Soban…

Confined to our homes during the Covid-19 quarantine, many of us have realized this is an ideal time to start baking our own bread. The idea has spread so fast that stores are running out of flour and yeast. But fear not. Resources abound for how to make your own yeast, and even your own flour.

Before you dive into the specifics of making your own starter, it might help to know a little more about what you’re making, and what you aren’t. Contrary to perceptions, using a sourdough starter doesn’t mean you have to end up with sour bread. “The purpose of the sourdough is to bring out the sweetness…

The word artisanal has become so shopworn that it’s almost devoid of meaning. (To wit: we once saw a pizza outlet on the outskirts of a small town in northern France that was fashioned in the style of an ATM-kiosk under the following sign: “Artisanal Pizza.”) In stark contrast to this sorry state of affairs, we would like to suggest a few items for holiday shopping made by some of the masters we profiled in 2019.

San Patrignano, a unique, intentional community in Italy, has been using craftsmanship to rehabilitate people struggling with substance abuse disorder for more than 40 years. And its success rates are stunning.

The word artisanal has become so shopworn that it’s almost devoid of meaning. (To wit: we once saw a pizza outlet on the outskirts of a small town in northern France that was fashioned in the style of an ATM-kiosk under the following sign: “Artisanal Pizza.”) In stark contrast to this sorry state of affairs, we would like to suggest a few items for holiday shopping made by some of the masters we profiled in 2016.

Whether it’s a comfortable chocolate-caramel, a more adventurous honey-lavender-earl grey, or even a gelato cocktail, you cannot deny the craving for true artisan gelato once it has blessed your taste buds.  If you’re in the states but find yourself too many miles from a good gelateria, you can use this list for some mail-order heaven.…

Cooled dairy desserts have been known for millennia, but gelato is the child of refrigeration. Who invented it? Nobody and everybody. It’s a testament to the uncanny appeal of frozen cream that so many people made the effort to develop it further. Before refrigeration, of course, there was ice and snow: Emperors of the Zhou…

Gelato, it turns out, is a very different creature from ice cream. And there is a reason that the best gelato tastes so creamy yet still light, so balanced, so indescribably perfect. The secret—according to master gelatieri Andrea Soban of Valenza, Italy—involves patience, exceptional ingredients, and a fine-tuned knowledge of food chemistry.