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Welcome to Cosmic Muffin School Of Cookery's Blog! Where Chef offers up her menu of Food Stories & Recipes! So read on as we invite you to immerse yourself in Chef's Universe of Food!

I SCREAM YOU SCREAM THEY ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM

BUT I SCREAM FOR BUD’S!

 

 

The wooden door, its chipped white paint exposing the age of the wood beneath, was propped open by the bodies that stood in its opening. The line stretched around the corner, winding its way down the street towards the next block. The sight was that of a human rainbow displaying bands of colours and textures; halter tops and cut-offs, scarves tied around foreheads, flip flops on feet, afros, tie-dye and beads. An amalgamation of ethnicities and languages. Friends and neighbors brought together and unified by the same desire; Bud’s.

At nine years old I was permitted to walk around the corner from my grandparents’ Victorian home on Jersey Street in the Noe Valley District. Tightly gripping the five dollar bill Papa had given me in my sweaty hand, I watched the grownups chat amongst themselves. Young men smoking cigarettes, moms shifting toddlers from one hip to other, kissing the cheek of their child as they transferred them from side to side and elderly women doing their best to move the hot, sticky air with handheld fans. Patiently we waited to place our orders for what all agreed was truly the best ice cream in town. For when the mercury finally slides up past the forty and fifty degree temperatures of early summer here in the City by the Bay, September is when a cup or a cone, mounded high with Bud’s cooling confection, is the only remedy.   

 Bud’s Ice Cream was a small hole-in-the-wall just around the corner from my grandparent’s house. This now famous neighborhood ice cream shop was actually in Noe Valley, though I’ve seen postings stating it was located in the Mission District, next door. But no matter where you draw your District lines, there were few unwilling to stand in line at the corner of Castro and 24th for one of Bud’s cones or sundaes.

I’m sure some readers out there are thinking summers in San Francisco are NOT that warm.  This could be due to your having an experience similar to that of Mark Twain’s, resulting in his famous line; “The coldest winter I ever saw was a summer in San Francisco.”  Which, by the way, is a disputed quote, as there is one record disproving Twain ever said this at all. But as a part-time resident and lifelong visitor I believe he did speak those words, because I’ve lived them. I can recall perpetually wearing a sweater or light jacket tied around my waist, just in case I felt cold. Which was often.

Like most residents of Noe Valley, Castro and the Mission Districts, I knew Bud’s was worth the long wait. Whether you’re a crispy plain or sweetened sugar cone person, don’t even talk to me, you cup of ice cream people, nothing beats Bud’s. Their rich, creamy concoctions of satisfying sweetness churned with an abundance of whole milk, heavy cream and egg yolks.  Ben & Jerry’s was not yet a thing on the West Coast. And there were far fewer looking for Fro-Yo or gluten-free, dairy-free options.

No we had and were quite happy with Bud Scheidelman and his cousin, Alvin Edlin. As the owners of this local creamery these two men went above and beyond the standards in ice cream making. No icy bits in their blends. And while they offered a plethora of flavors, we all agreed, “31” was just too many. Do fewer and do it better. Bud and Alvin incorporated all kinds of delicious additions, in generous amounts, into their happy creations. Chunks of real fruit, chopped up Ghirardelli Chocolate, a hometown favourite, thick ribbons of caramel, handfuls of marshmallow and nuts galore. Hence Bud’s famous slogan, “: “The finest ingredients and too much of them.”

Inching my way closer to the narrow doorway, I could smell the enticing aroma of baking cones. A virtual amuse bouche but just as effective. Not yet able to see the menu board that hung behind the servers, I still had time to make a decision on which flavor I wanted that day. This was my second visit to Bud’s that week. Previously I ordered their eggnog ice cream. Unable to resist the temptation to run my tongue through the flavors of Christmas when it was still three months away the indulgence was dreamy. I considered repeating myself, as thoughts of that smooth, lush, eggy, mixture filling my mouth with glad tidings was still fresh in my mind. Peppered with cinnamon and just a dusting of nutmeg, Bud’s eggnog ice cream is still legendary to this day, if you can find it. I think you may be able to purchase cartons of Bud’s eggnog back east.

Armed with the list of orders I’d written down, strawberry for Papa, pistachio for Uncle Orieto, Rocky Road for Titi and Mint Chip for Nana. But before making this critical decision, I needed to see the menu . . . again.  

Today we have a mecca of ice cream options to explore and exploit this guilty pleasure. But, making your own ice cream from scratch is so easy; why not just make some yourself?  Bud’s focus was ice cream and while I do like ice cream I love gelato. The difference between these sweet, cooling confections is that ice cream has more heavy cream and sugar in it. It’s also churned longer so there’s more aeration. Gelato is often fruit based, but not always and is more dense.

So, whether you’re an ice cream or gelato aficionado, here’s my spin on Bud’s Chocolate Cherry Ice Cream.   

 

DEBORAH’S  DOUBLE CHOCOLATE-CHERRY GELATO

 Note: you’ll need an ice cream machine for this recipe.

 

Ingredients

6 large egg yolks

2 cups heavy whipping cream                    

1 cup whole milk

½ cup dark Dutch cocoa powder               

¾ cup granulated sugar (Bakers or Caster)

¼ teaspoon salt                                             

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste                    

1/2 cup bitter-sweet chocolate chunks - divided      

 ½ cup fresh pitted cherries or frozen cherries cut in half

 

Process

In large mixing bowl whisk egg yolks until they turn light yellow in colour.  Set to the side.

 

In a large, heavy saucepot, over medium heat, combine heavy cream, milk, cocoa powder, sugar, salt and half the chocolate chunks.  Bring just to a simmer then remove from heat.  

 

Temper the egg yolks, by adding 2-3 ladles of the warm milk mixture to bowl, one ladle at a time. Whisk in each addition before add the next ladle. 

 

Once the egg yolks have been combined with the warm milk additions, pour the entire egg mixture into the saucepot with the remaining cream/milk mixture.  Return pot to the heat and continue stirring until mixture thickens and reaches 175-180 degrees (F).  Do not allow mixture to boil.

 

Strain the ice cream base by pouring over a strainer or sieve into a clean bowl and whisk in vanilla paste.

 

 Place bowl over an ice bath or in the fridge to cool completely.  Once cooled pour base into canister of your ice cream machine and turn on to ice cream setting or just “on” depending on what type of machine you have.

 

During last few minutes of churning slowly add remaining chocolate chunks and cherry halves.  Scoop into bowls or cones.

                                                                                  Makes 1 Quart

 

 

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