Ice Cream - Vanilla vs. Chocolate

Whether it's a sweltering 90 degree summer day or a cozy 72 indoors on a wintry day, ice cream is a delicacy enjoyed by tens of millions of Americans year-round. But the age old debate still remains...vanilla or chocolate?

It used to be that ice cream was ice cream and the biggest decision when purchasing at your favorite grocer was how large a carton. Now, trying to make a selection in your ice cream aisle is more complicated than selecting the newest release at Blockbuster, or deciphering your HMO plan!

Brand loyalty is essential to any consumer product, and there are sects of ice cream lovers who will defend their favorite…Ben & Jerry's vs. Häagen-Dazs, or classics like Breyers. But the local and regional dairies across the country comprise a major portion of the ice cream lover's horizon, as they offer their own version of the national giants and even offer unique flavor sensations of their own. So what’s one to do? How to choose?

To the ice cream connoisseur, it all depends upon the original question, vanilla or chocolate? No matter how complex the flavor blend, all ice cream starts with either one or the other. Toss nuts, fruits or any other flavor into each, and you have a totally different result.

Personally, I'm a minimalist, in that the best ice cream is a classic vanilla from Breyers with some fresh, chopped fruit from the local farmer’s market on top. That's NOT to say I don't love to wander into my local Walgreen's and scoop up a few pints of Moose Tracks from time to time. But again, look at the base: vanilla.

I'm not sure how we develop our preferences for ice cream, vanilla vs. chocolate. It doesn't appear to be geographical in nature like pizza or BBQ, but we all hold strong to those prime flavors, and everything we build upon it.

Perhaps some ice cream anthropologists will chance upon this blog and decide to weigh in on the debate. In the meantime, I'll sit back with my bowl of vanilla-inspired ice cream, feet up, and simply enjoy mouthful after mouthful of ice cream delight.

Pizza - New York vs. Chicago

Everyone loves their pizza, and in some homes, it's more American than apple pie. But where that home lays on the map, determines what the pizza looks and tastes like...and it can vary drastically. And you know what? Some are very adamant that their pizza is the best style.

The line has been drawn in the sauce...

For instance, if you grew up in the Mid-Atlantic or Northeast as I did, the New York-style pizza with its fold-in-half slice of cheesy goodness is the only way to go. Pizza is served with a soft, thin bottom crust and airy outer crust and typically only adorned with one or two toppings, though that can vary. Whether in Little Italy, a mom-and-pop shop in Washington Heights, or even select locations across the river in New Jersey, it's the only description that passes for real pizza.

While New Yorkers are reveling in their tomato pie glory, 800 miles to the west, Chicago residents are shaking their heads and sinking their teeth into nearly three inches of pizza heaven they refer to as (deep) dish. A top and lower crust of dough stuffed with more than a pound of cheese, meat, vegetables, or whatever topping pleases the diner, the Chicago-style pizza no doubt leaves the stomach more than content...if not downright stuffed in its own right!
How can the objective diner choose between the proverbial apples and oranges of pizza making?

But wait...that's not all of the options!

As if this generational battle isn't complicated enough, throw in the St. Louis-style pizza, with it's thin, cracker crust or then the more specialty, gourmet pizzas with their exotic cheeses and toppings! For those pizza lovers looking to avoid retail locations altogether, there are a number of brands of simple and gourmet pizzas of all types available at most local grocers. FINALLY, you have those DIYers who insist that the best pizza clearly is the one blessed by their own flour-covered hands.

So in this great pizza oven we call the United States of America, what kind of pizza reigns supreme, which style tops all the rest, and which are just plain cheesy?

Well, my suggestion is to follow mom's general rule of thumb, "How do you know whether you like it, if you don't at least try it?"

Truer words never were spoken, and indulging in some delectable pizza for "research" sounds like a great plan, even for a biased NY-style lover like myself!

Ci Vediamo!
(See you soon!)

BBQ - Kansas City, Memphis, Carolina ... Oh my!

I grew up on the East Coast, in Maryland and Pennsylvania, and must admit I was rather sheltered when it came to the whole "BBQ" phenomenon. I mean, BBQ was something you did on the grill out back...burgers, hot dogs, steak, maybe some chicken.

Then I moved to Kansas City, and WOW!

Now, don't get me wrong...I'd had a pulled pork sandwich before (and I still think Damon's Grill back east has some of the best!), but nothing could have prepared me for such a fierce rivalry between cities!

I quickly was "schooled" on the "best" BBQ in Kansas City, and must admit I alienated myself from some based upon my preferences. The old guard will say Arthur Bryant's is the best, others say Gate's is far superior. It seems the more “corporate” folks tend to favor Fiorella's Jack Stack, now with several locations around Kansas City. But BBQ in Kansas City is far, far more than several highly-publicized restaurants. There are local icons like Rosedale's, Quick's, Wabash, Smokin' Joe's, and more than 50 other smaller establishments. And no discussion on Kansas City BBQ would be complete without drawing special attention to the one-of-a-kind Oklahoma Joe's, and its phenomenal array of BBQ and spicy slaw.

Fast forward a few years, after being fed the propaganda, taste-testing, and visits to the American Royal and Lenexa BBQ events, and I find myself walking down Beale Street in Memphis. I followed my colleagues lemming-like into the world-famous Rendevous, to devour a stack of ribs. Dry rub? Hmmm...didn't sound too appetizing to me...bring on the sauce!! Let’s just say my palate stood corrected, and I again found myself trying to discern BBQ style from BBQ style.

As I traveled the country, I reluctantly found myself an ambassador for Kansas City BBQ, as parties from Texas and the Carolinas would weigh in on their region's rights to BBQ accolades, and assumed I was willing to debate the issue. I really didn't care, as long as the pulled pork sandwich, ribs, and slaw were good. Oh, and don't forget a fresh pickle.

Ultimately I've surmised the Battle of the Best BBQ never will be settled, as national pride (and millions in convention and tourism dollars) depends upon the continuance of this age-old culinary feud. Until such a winner can be declared, I’m content to reap the whirlwind of BBQ bickering and satiate my hunger with some good, old-fashioned Kansas City BBQ…from one of the not-so-touristy establishments.

Oh, and don't forget the pickles!