Book: Ice Creams, Sorbets and Gelati - the Definitive Guide

By Caroline and Robin Weir

I have an earlier edition of this book, which was published in 1993 as Ices - the Definitive Guide. The authors (who have married in the meantime) have expanded their first version from 190 pages to more than 300, and included many more recipes.

As with the first book, Caroline (née Liddell) and Robin Weir devote chapters to the history of ice cream (the earliest reference indicates it was first made in China) and anything related to it, including ice-cream cones (patented in 1903) and ice lollies (accidentally invented in 1905 by 11-year-old Frank Epperson, who called it an Epsicle). They also explore precisely how gelato differs from ice cream, an issue that gives foodies sleepless nights as they ponder the nuances of it.

The conclusion? "Gelato should be made with milk and either egg or cornflour. Historically, it was made with eggs and milk. It did not contain cream; the fat in the gelato came from the egg yolks. Now gelato means just about any kind of ice cream."

New content includes recipes for truffle ice cream; olive-oil gelato; After Eight mints and milk lollies; home-made mascarpone; mastic gelato with rosewater; prune and Earl Grey tea sorbet; Russian toffee sauce; and hibiscus flower sorbet.