Greetings!
Welcome to the October issue of Sweet Stuff, your monthly newsletter of ice cream tidbits and treats. October has a lot of events and history and we have found ways to celebrate most of them with ice cream or some other frozen dessert. Here we go!
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Great Dates in October!
October 1 - The word "cyberspace" entered the vocabulary on this date in 1982 when it appeared in the novel published on this date: Neuromancer by William Gibson. Just as new words
are always being added to our vocabulary, so too are new flavors. Become acquainted with one today.
October 3 - Jackie Robinson, who was the only baseball player named Most Valuable Player in both the American and National Baseball Leagues, became the first African-American manager of a baseball team on this date in 1974. Perhaps in recognition of this October 3 has been named "National Diversity Day". Celebrate this by event by sampling the wide diversity of ice cream flavors, and perhaps diversify your experience by having some sorbet, sherbet, or frozen yogurt!
October 3 - Birthday of the Smiley Face": This is the date in 1963 that Harvey Ball of Worcester, MA created the "Smiley Face". Bring a REAL smile to someone's face by taking them out for ice cream.
Sunday, October 5 - Intergeneration Day - a day set aside for people of different generations to get to know each other and to learn from each other. What better way to breakdown barriers and to build bridges than by meeting and talking over ice cream. Perhaps the generations can share a banana split as they listen to and learn from each other.
October 15 - National Grouch Day - even grouches have their own day. We can't help but wondering how they celebrate, but know that ice cream and cake would be a great way. Perhaps you can take them out for some, just don't tell them why! Perhaps a nice dish or cone of ice cream will sweeten their disposition.
October 16 - Anniversary of the Execution in 1793 of Queen Marie Antoinette of France. The Austrian-born queen was known for her extravagant lifestyle and her disregard for the plight of the poor. We all know that when she was told that the poor did not have bread to eat she reportedly said, "Let them eat cake." But what would cake be without ice cream?
October 18 - Sweetest Day - In 1922 candy factory worker Herbert Birch Kingston decided to brighten up the day of the ill, shut-ins, and orphans by taking them sweets. Sweeten the day of someone who is ill or shut in by bringing them a sweet treat of their favorite ice cream.
October 19 - Yorktown Victory Day. In 1781 after a lengthy siege at Yorktown, VA General Lord Cornwallis surrendered the British garrison to General George Washington. As the British Army marched out to surrender their band played "The World's Turned Upside Down." It would take almost two years to negotiate the peace treaty, but this surrender effectively ended the Revolutionary War. We often remember the start of wars, but it is perhaps a better idea to celebrate the ends of wars. May we suggest that you celebrate the end of the war that made us a nation and perhaps turn your world upside down by ordering dessert first?
October 26 - Mother-In-Law Day - the fourth Sunday of October is set aside to honor the Mother-in-Laws of the world. If you're concerned that you can't be pleasant the whole day, or for a whole meal with your Mother-in-law, you should be able to be sweet and smiling at least long enough to have ice cream with her.
October 27 - Cranky Co-Worker's Day
October 28 - Anniversary of the Dedication of the Statue of Liberty in 1886, Fredric Aguste Bartholdi's statue Liberty Enlightening the World. French vanilla anyone?
October 29 - Anniversary of the Creation in 1969 of the "Internet". This occurred when researchers at UCLA shared data electronically with researchers at Stanford Research Institute. Al Gore was not present then, nor was he when the "@" symbol was adopted in 1972.
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What Did We Do Before Ice Cream?
The history of eating frozen desserts actually goes back thousands of years. The Persians ate frozen fruit-flavored desserts similar to Italian water ices or sorbets; the Egyptians imported ice from northern areas of the Mediterranean to make chilled desserts; and the Romans employed teams of runners to bring ice from the mountains into the cities to make and chill their desserts!
Ice cream recipes appear in cookbooks as early as 1718. The Quakers brought recipes for ice cream to Philadelphia and delegates to the Continental Congress including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin, ate and enjoyed ice cream. Washington, Jefferson, and many other Americans of their day had ice houses where they stored ice that had been harvested from lakes in the winter for use in the summer. A review of early American cookbooks will reveal that iced desserts were popular and there is a multitude of recipes for iced desserts and ice cream made using early ripening fruits such as strawberries. In 1768 a recipe book devoted solely to flavored ices and ice cream was printed in France.
The process of making ice cream became easier and easier as the technology improved. Ice cream was originally made by stirring the mixture in an open container, in 1843 Nancy Johnson, of Philadelphia, received a patent for a hand cranked ice cream maker that used a closed container. The hand cranked ice cream maker was easier to use and made smoother ice cream. Later on electric power and commercial refrigeration made the process even easier and made ice cream more readily available all year.
So we include these events from before the age of electric commercial refrigeration because even back in the 1700 and 1800's, ice cream was part of the American culinary landscape, just a less frequent and more exotic treat than it is today
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Ice Cream in Space?
 Did you know that October 5 is the Anniversary of the Birth of Robert Hutchings Goddard in 1882?
Worcester-born Goddard was one of the first people to seriously explore
rocket propulsion and is often credited as the Father of Space Flight.
During his lifetime he was shunned as being an unrealistic dreamer.
What
does this have to do with ice cream? This terrestrial treat was
considered to be worthy of the expense of developing an ice cream that
did not need to be kept frozen so that it could be included in the
foods stocked on the Apollo space flight missions, the mission to the
moon, and on the space station. Most of those who have eaten
freeze-dried ice cream will agree that it is nowhere near as tasty as
the real thing! So in recognition of the fact that you can have the
real thing, go on out and have some! |
Flavor of the Month
DEEP PURPLE COW
Black raspberry ice cream with chunks of white and dark chocolate.
Pure decadence! Available at your favorite Scoop Shop or by the Pint or Half Gallon at the following stores:
AMHERST
Atkin's Farm Market
Bart's Homemade Café
Captain Video
Cushman's Market
Hampshire College Store
Watroba's Market
NORTHAMPTON
Cooper's Corner
FL Robert's Leeds
Leed's Mart
Pop's Package
River Valley Market
Serio's Market
Smith Grocery
Smith College Student Center
State Street Fruit Store
7-11 King Street
Zee Mart, Leeds
Click Here for More Locations
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