Cold comfort

Post sundown and dinner-time in summers,most of us like to head out for a quick cool bite. While most often it includes a stroll down to the branded ice-cream cart dotting the roundabout,here’s another option. With their Midnight Dessert Festival a runaway success,Taj-17 has rolled out a pocket-friendly ice-cream sandwich version. “In the city,people like to head out with their families for ice-cream. We decided to offer a new take,” explains Chef Ramanpreet Ahluwalia as he offers an ice-cream sandwich that looks like one too! “It’s ice-cream sandwiched between two sponge cake slices and comes with a portion of fruits and chocolate sauce,” briefs the Chef about the new arrival that’s priced at Rs 50 (inclusive of taxes). “While as of now it’s vanilla in-between,we hope to add new flavours as well.”

Moving on,while all of last summer we have been celebrating the all-new dessert – Gelato,the trend will continue this summer of 2009 as well. Distinctly Italian,the term gelato is derived from the Italian word gelare (to freeze). A common misconception is that gelato is made with gelatin. “Gelato is a cold dessert,similar to ice cream,yet different. It is made of fresh fruits,natural ingredients and skimmed dairy products,” explains Chef Nikhil Mittal of Nik Bakers who has rolled out an International Gelato Festival at the Sector 35 outlet in association with Mec3,Italian Gelato specialists. “Gelato has been accepted well and this summer we thought of rolling in new flavours as well Gelato cakes,” mentions Mittal as we notice flavours like honey,pistachio,black currant,cookie and more being churned out fresh. “Gelato is truly the next generation ice-cream and has been accepted well. We will be offering new flavours as part of the festival as we go on,” added Karthik Swaminathan,a Mec3 representative.

Another new arrival has been a range of flavoured specials. There’s Amul’s ‘Chocolate Swirl’,‘Exotica Binge Roasted Almond’,‘Choco Bliss Choco Chips’ and a fruity ‘Fruit Salsa Santra Mantra’,priced between Rs 99 and Rs 120. Speaking of fruits,Kwality Walls now offers ‘Strawberry Crush’ with actual strawberry pieces within priced at Rs 150. Then there’s their delicious ‘Tiramisu’ that combines cake with coffee,layered with a rich cheese filling and topped with grated chocolate! Make the most of it all this summer.