By Jake Godby, Sean Vahey, Paolo Lucchesi, Frankie Frankeny
Chronicle Books, $19.95, 144 pages
The Humphrey Slocombe Ice Cream Book preserves much of the character that makes the original Humphrey Slocombe shop in San Francisco famous. The story of the origins of the shop and their inspiration are included, along with a number of pictures. However, you’re not buying this book to read about an ice cream store. Devotees of the original store will be interested in this information, but this book is really about the recipes. The recipes cover the spectrum from the expected (chocolate and strawberry) to the crazy flavors the store is known for (caramel balsamic, foie gras). They also include the basic custard ice cream base, which you can customize according to your own imagination. This is one of the best homemade ice cream bases and particularly if chilled before turning according to the directions, It is just as smooth and creamy as the high quality ice cream you can buy at the supermarket. None of these recipes are good for you (there’s 2 cups of cream and a cup of whole milk in the base alone), but if you’re concerned about that, you probably shouldn’t be looking at ice cream cookbooks. If you’re looking for a quality, reliable recipes, along with something to spark your creativity and imagination, then this is the book for you.
[amazon asin=1452104689&text=Buy On Amazon&template=carousel]