What is gelato? Very little of what is called gelato in this country actually is gelato. If you've had real Italian gelato you will probably remember its intense taste and its full, rich density - soft and silky.
David Lebovitz, pastry chef extraordinaire and author of a new ice cream cookbook, answers some questions about what makes gelato unique from other kinds of ice cream. In spite of its wonderful creaminess, gelato tends to be lower in fat. It also is frozen at a slightly higher temperature to keep its softness. It's a great blog entry - he also gives some good links to other resources on gelato, like this Tour de Gelato.
Have you ever had Italian gelato, and if so, what flavor was your favorite? We're huge fans of the famous gianduia from Turin...
How to Make Easy 3-Ingredient Energy Bars at Home
How To Cook Tender, Chewy Wheat Berries on the Stovetop
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Straw Mat from The ...
10 No-Fail Decor Tricks & Tips for Small Spaces
Beth's Romantic & Retro Residence
One of the best things to do in Florence is walk across the Ponte Vecchio and try a little something at every gelateria along the way--I like melon and berry flavors, coffee flavors, tiramisu & straciatella. And nut flavors. And gelato in general.
pistachio!
in italy, me and my sister allotted ourselves, per day, two gelatos, one tira misu, and unlimited espressos, mussels, and margherita pizza. so, basically, that's all we ate! :)
i went to Ottos the other day, the actually financially do-able Mario Batali resturant on 8th st and 5th ave. i, of course, had the margherita pizza, a little fromage sampling, and THEN...
for dessert!
HOLY CRIPES!
we tried, since we never had, the Olive Oil gelato. SOOOO DELISH!
and then we had the Pistachio::::: OMG! it was NUTTY, not the neon green pistachio ice cream i'm so fond of...
but the BEST was the Ricotta gelato. so soft, creamy, sweet, like a mild vanilla but with a buttery yumminess to it that nothing can compare to.
I highly recommend Ottos, by the way....and, it goes without saying, I recommend their hotdamn gelato too! :)
BTW, his cookbook is excellent. I've been using it all summer and the recipes are flawless. Pepper ice cream was so wonderful and fun.
kdkaboom,
That post (and story) totally cracked me up! I spent a year in Florence when I was in college and never tired of trying new gelato flavors. Your experience with your sister sounds very familiar!! :)
In Rome we compensated for all the gelato with walking 8 hours a day, so really, it cancelled each other out! My most fave was Fererro Rocher - Hazelnut and Chocolate. Oh man...
Its all about pistachio or almond. Or chocolate. Or berry. Or hazelnut.
Gelato is frozen at a slightly *lower* temp which accounts for the texture and lets the flavor come out even more... anyway I love nocciola and gianduja.