fascinating new thing

I experimented with gelato instead of studying for a midterm. I now have 5 hours to study for it, but I have a feeling I am going to fall asleep instead of being sufficiently scared to give it my all.

Anyway. The gelato. Pictures to follow, because I am supposed to be studying right now. Initially, I went all desi ish-tyle, and, used this recipe to make pistachio gelato. The recipe was spot on and a great excuse to use both a bag of pistachios and some agave syrup I had bought for no apparent purpose some time back. At first, I thought perhaps it had come out a bit bland, and that maybe it called for too much sugar or that my pistachios were not of the right caliber. However, after it churned in the ice cream maker, was treated with some limoncello (mmmm, limoncello), and, oddly enough, was allowed to rest for a day in the freezer, the pistachio flavor really came through distinctly. Now, it didn't have that pistachio-flavor that you get when you order a cup of pistachio flavored ice cream at any old place-- you know, that oddly foreign flavor that people associate with pistachios even though real pistachios do not taste like that at all. This gelato tastes of pistachios. So, if you like pistachios, it would meet with your approval. If, on the other hand, you are nostalgic for the ice cream of your youth, this would be a disappointment.

I wasn't satisfied to stop there though. I like pistachios, sure, but I like almonds about 150 times moreso. I know, more reasons to kick me out of desi-ville (I don't really like mangoes either, so feel free to start the petition to have me voted out). And though I'd never really heard tell of it, I mean they're both nuts, so why not- why couldn't there be such a thing as almond gelato?

Now that I've made it, I have a feeling that I am not the first to do it. It's pretty simple and straightforward, and it's worth the effort because the taste is yum. Instead of limoncello, this time, the frozen mixture got a tiny bit of vanilla and a little helping of amaretto (mmmm, amaretto, and no, I am not an alkie). You might wonder why I keep saucing up these gelati-- well, I actually have an excuse: alcohol of this kind tends to keep homemade ice cream/gelato from getting too solidified, which can be a real problem. No one likes trying to scoop out homemade ice cream when it's become the consistency of a brick after sitting in the freezer for a day or two.

And here's where things get ridiculous. So now I have made two batches of gelato, but there's something I have to remind everyone. I can't really indulge in all of this stuff. I am fairly lactose intolerant, which means that I pretty much get a tiny teaspoon of these treats, and that's about it. Complicating matters further, let's just say that my current peers are not exactly the most adventurous folks on earth- while I can bring them cookies and even pound cakes that disguise the presence of olive oil, they are unlikely to give these gelati a chance.

But I've thought of a way around this too- I made chocolate sauce a few weeks ago. I'm pretty sure you can solve all of life's problems with a little chocolate sauce. Scared of pistachio gelato? Here, put a dollop of chocolate sauce on top of it. There, better now, right?

Okay, I have officially slacked off beyond reason now. I will just note that I hope you have all heard She & Him's Why do you let me stay here?-- as if I wasn't already a big enough fan of Zooey Deschanel, her work with M. Ward is so twee, it makes me gleeful.