LAST OF YE OLDE SWEET SHOPPES STILL REIGNS IN FOREST HILLS

Ice cream parlors were quite popular some years back.  You would sit at the counter and enjoy a malted milk shake, egg cream or a few scoops of store made ice cream with hot fudge, nuts, whipped cream and cherries atop.  That swivel stool allowed you to see who was coming in as well as the wooden décor.  Tables of customers were “partying” at the tables with ice cream, rather than alcohol.  Somehow there was a nearby movie theatre where the ending of the film brought a line of “We all scream for ice cream” lovers, not just for the cold delight but a way to have a conversation after the experience. 

I can remember Jahn’s being the place to go with locations in various parts of New York City and always in a group. We would order their famous Kitchen Sink. There is the one last location in Queens, accept that serving food is the priority. 

Alas, there is one true parlor that’s still an icon.  Eddie’s Sweet Shop, located in Forest Hills, continues the nostalgia with pressed tin ceilings, antique cash registers, polished marble counters and those cast-iron swivel stools. More important is that the ice cream is made fresh on the premises. 

Eddie is no longer there, legend living on and becoming a family affair. Vito Citrano is the owner and “chef” who prepares and churns the ice cream as well as concocting the sauces and whipped cream.  Angelina, his wife, runs the shop as she focuses on the customers. Vito’s son, Brandon, and Vito’s father, Joe can be found behind the counter preparing the mouth-watering treats. 

Last week I wrote about my first time having ices from Lemon Ice King, despite my living in Queens for…let’s just say, “a very long time.”  I will now have to admit that despite passing by Eddie’s this was the first time I entered. OMG, I can certainly understand its popularity.  Aside from what I already described, the was a counter with shelves of various candies…okay it did not have the nostalgia of a Necco Sky Bar, Dots and Chuckles, but there was certainly enough to choose from.

I looked up at the list of flavors: banana, butter pecan, coffee, chocolate, coffee chip, cherry vanilla, maple walnut, mint chip, pistachio, run raisin, strawberry, tutti fruti, vanilla, vanilla chip, vanilla fudge, raspberry sherbet, orange sherbet.  Next to this were the toppings: butter scotch, hot caramel, fruit salad, hot fudge, marshmallow, cherries, chocolate sprinkles, rainbow sprinkles, assorted candies, assorted nuts, whipped cream. 

I am not a “sundae” kind of person. Just give me the ice cream and maybe a syrup.  However, I wanted to try the chocolate malted milk shake and an egg cream to bring me back “yesteryear.” For those of you that have no idea what and egg cream is, let me first say that there is no egg nor cream in it. This is an invention from prior to WWII. You pour some Ubet syrup in a glass, top it with milk and then dispense seltzer from the soda fountain, the same time stirring rapidly in order to create the foam. Vito prepares his own syrups such as chocolate, vanilla and coffee.  

Back to the ice cream. Coffee ice cream with coffee syrup – like eating an espresso! Pistachio with pistachios in it.  Raspberry, one of my favorite flavors and I could taste the raspberries in it.  Mint chip that brought me back to being a kid and that was my favorite flavor.  Cherry vanilla certainly had real cherries and another flavor high on my list. One thing I could detect is that the ice cream is, in fact, made on the premises. I also tried some of their whipped cream….OMG!  I’m not a coffee drinker but I wanted a cup of the syrup to go to make “coffee milk.”  

It’s not surprising to see a group of children occupying all of the tables as Angelina is in charge of taking care of these type of bookings.  On this particular day Learning Tree Day Camp had sent the joyous faces of the girls division, having brought the boys division the day before and done at a time prior to the ice cream shop’s 1pm opening time.  There were certainly huge smiles on the faces of the escorting supervisors, who got to hang out at the soda fountain area.  

Will you ever see Vito?….sure. Between preparations he is also at the counter scooping and such.  Next time I go…and I will be back…I am going to ask for a cup of espresso with coffee syrup and a dollop of whipped cream.  I guess it’s like having an espresso with sugar and cream….right? 

Eddie’s Sweet Shop is located at 105-29 Metropolitan Avenue. Hours are 1pm to 11:30 pm and closed on Mondays. Come on, Vito and the family need one day for a break! Street parking, accessible but with a small step. 

THE GRAETER GOOD JUST GOT EVEN GREATER

I had the utmost taste sensation of indulging in Graeter's Ice Cream several years ago when I was in Cincinnati, Ohio.  That's where this small batch French style ice cream is produced.  I not only loved the consistency and flavor of the ice cream itself, but it was all about the chocolate chips.

Of the name brands, Ben & Jerry's is certainly not on the top of my chocolate list.  Each time that I tried out a flavor that contained some form of chocolate chips, all I seemed to taste was palm oil.  Ben & Jerry's isn't the only brand that does this to chocolate.  The explanation is that you can't have "real chocolate" in ice cream because the chocolate would be much too hard to bite into.  On the other hand, Graeter's uses a small amount of soy oil instead continuing to maintain the full chocolate flavor.

Here is another factor on the side of Graeter’s. Air goes into ice cream, so if you think you are getting a pint or quart it's just the size of the container and not the weight of 16 oz. etc.  Graeter's actually weighs 16 oz.  I'm not sure about the weight of Ben & Jerry's if you were to get a simple flavor without all of the added "candy" which basically boils down to a lot of added sugar.

The way that Graeter's batches are made is that they are stirring the chocolate "liquid" into the ice cream and the paddles break it up.  This is the reason why the chips are not all the same size.  If fact, you get a little surprise of what is like eating a small chocolate candy bar inside the pint. 

Batches are made two and a half gallons at a time using a French Pot Process where their artisans pour and swirl the delicious ingredients into the spinning two and a half gallon French Pot freezer resulting in a dense and rich cream.
Now, let us get to the flavors starting with the chocolate chip variety including: Black Cherry, Black Raspberry, Buckeye (with peanut butter, cocoa, and peanut butter cookie dough), chocolate chip (with vanilla ice cream), double chocolate chip (with chocolate ice cream), mocha (with real coffee), mint (with real peppermint oi), toffee, and one of the new ones….s’mores that uses milk chocolate chips, soft mini marshmallows and creamy graham crackers. I never engaged in s’mores. I did not appreciate the marshmallow or milk chocolate but did like the graham cracker ice cream. I had thoughts of the  ice cream with cherries and chips for a Cherry Chip Pie.

A chocolate lover's delight is their Dark Chocolate Brownie ice cream packed with soft, chewy brownie bits complementing the richness of the dark chocolate ice cream. Can you really have too much chocolate?

Here is another newer flavor that I tried called Chunky Chunky Hippo, crafted to celebrate the Cincinnati Zoo. With a toffee ice cream base, salted roasted peanuts and milk chocolate caramel truffles and a portion of proceeds benefit the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.

Graeter’s came up with a “mystery” flavor that turned out to be Maple Cinnamon Crunch, a sweet maple ice cream and loaded with crunchy cinnamon covered shortbread pieces. Like having breakfast (any excuse to have their ice cream will do).

“Our annual Mystery Flavor unveil is a favorite time of year for all of us at Graeter’s,” shares Chip Graeter, 4th generation family member. “This year’s flavor is exceptional, and we’re really excited to bring it back into scoop shops throughout Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Chicago and Pittsburgh.”

Yes, I don’t have to always indulge in chocolate ice cream or chocolate chips although my absolute two favs are the raspberry chocolate chip and the black cherry chocolate chips. It’s the best way to enjoy some healthy fruit. Okay, that’s not really true. I love cherries and raspberries. Unless you grow your own or can pick them at a farm, raspberries don’t get the ripe sweetness that my flavor buds crave. Same with purchasing cherries that appear to be ripe because they look that way. Graeter’s does have a few selections of sorbet, of which I must try the raspberry and the lemon as a palate cleanser.

No  If you go to their website, you can either order online or find a location near you that sells Graeter’s. www.graeters.com

No,I haven’t tried all of the flavors and there are a lot more than I have already mentioned.

RONNYBROOK RUN REQUIRED

Ronnybrook Farms products much needed   Went to the Green Market to stock up.  Got 1 bottle of the non-homogenized whole milk with cream on the top.  Two bottles of the chocolate milk (They didn't have coffee milk so I got two chocolates instead).  One strawberry and one blueberry/pomegranate drinkable yogurt.  Since I love the strawberry yogurt cups, I got 4 of them.  Ice cream, a must.  Two chocolate silks, one coconut with chocolate covered almonds.  One chocolate chip and one mint lace.  Lastly, one blueberry.  OMG.  They use those small sweet ones.  Hey, I'm getting all of this calcium, Vitamin D, yogurt culture and antioxidants.   Just have to indulge a little at a time. www.ronnybrook.com

RONNYBROOK FARMS FOR FRESHEST DAIRY

               This is Ronny                                                  This is Bill and his family
Do you enjoy farm fresh dairy products?  Regardless of the sale date, do you really know how many days old is the milk when you first purchase it?  Each Sunday, Bill Hosier makes the two-hour long drive from Ancramdale, New York, to the Green Market located in front of a post office in Forest Hills.  By 8 a.m. the long line of steady customers has formed for the various dairy products coming from the solar powered Ronnybrook Farms. 

 

Let’s begin with some important information. Milk and milk products are said to be the single best source of calcium. Calcium is one of the most essential minerals in our bodies.  It promotes the formation of strong bones and healthy teeth in children, and helps older people avoid osteoporosis.

Milk contains the essential proteins that we all need to stay healthy. Protein builds muscle and connective tissue, helps maintain our immune system, and contributes to the health of every organ and system in our bodies. 

According to Ronnybrook Farms owner Ronny Osofsky “homogenization is a simple process that can do serious damage to the structure of milk.  Large dairy plants have been homogenizing milk for more than fifty years. The process began in earnest when dairy manufacturers stopped using glass bottles and switched to cardboard. Consumers could no longer see the cream line on the milk and when the cream flowed from the cardboard container, many consumers thought the milk was spoiled. Homogenization is a mechanical process which pulverizes the large butterfat globules and breaks them down to micron sized pieces." 

Although the product looks “homogenous” and smooth, studies have shown that homogenized milk is not as healthy as non-homogenized milk. Instead of milk fats being digested slowly as they move through the digestive system, the fat is absorbed directly into the blood stream from the stomach.  It simply shocks the system and may act as a toxin.  There have been other studies that show that healthful enzymes that surround milk fats may be destroyed when milk is homogenized.”

“Many of our customers tell us that Ronnybrook milk is the only milk they can drink without suffering from digestion problems. We strongly believe that non-homogenized milk is simply better for you. It certainly tastes better.” 

What about yogurt?  Ronnybrook yogurts contain live, active and probiotic cultures that strengthen the immune system and promote digestive health while improving the bio-availability of various vitamins, minerals and proteins. For those who are truly lactose intolerant, yogurt is a valuable source of calcium. One cup of yogurt provides nearly 20% of the recommended protein for the average adult male.

“We raise all of our own cows,” Ronny says. “We feed them with feed grown almost exclusively on the farm. We milk them, manufacture the various Ronnybrook products and then deliver a good portion of them to our patrons in our own trucks. By concentrating our distribution in the northeast region, our milk moves from cow to table in a little more than a day and there are no artificial growth hormones.”

Back at the Green Market, Bill bring a truck load variety of Ronnybrook products. Milk: Chocolate Milk, Chocolate Low Fat, Coffee Milk, Lowfat Milk, Nonfat Milk, Heavy Cream, Half & Half, and Egg Nog. Milk comes in both bottles and plastic containers.  Chocolate milk is soooooo delicious and thick without any thickening additives. 

Drinkable Yogurt: Plain, Peach, Strawberry, Blackberry, Mango, Banana, Low Fat Blueberry Pomegranate, Low Fat Honey Vanilla. Bill loves the strawberry. I have tried the mango and blueberry pomegranate. Had to get used to a mango drink not being tart. 

Yogurt cups: Coconut, Peach, Strawberry, Vanilla, Maple Vanilla, Plain (Nonfat).  Bill loves the strawberry. 

Old Fashioned ice cream made on the farm with milk and cream from our own cows. Rich and creamy, our ice cream is 16% butterfat made with the finest hand selected seasonal ingredients.  Strawberry, Lola’s Mint Lace, Raspberry, Hudson Valley Vanilla, Sid’s Chocolate Silk, Chocolate Chip, Columbia County Coffee, Ginger Creme Brûlée, Coconut, Toasted Hazelnut Crunch, Chocolate Hazelnut, Butter Pecan, and Blueberry.

It's Sunday, June 28th. Got a half gallon of low fat milk to tide me over for at least a week.  I am trying out some of the products that I haven’t already engaged in.  Drinkable yogurts. I got: peach, strawberry, banana, and low fat honey vanilla.  I chose Maple Vanilla for the regular yogurt.  Three ice creams were enough to last awhile…I think.  Coconut, that is made with added coconut milk and chocolate covered almonds. Tasted great but not much for the almonds.  I went for two with fruit, just so I can say that I had fruit…strawberry and raspberry. Loved them both. 

Now that I have my milk, a package of Dave’s Killer Bread, white bread, and Ronnybrook cinnamon butter, breakfast called for French Toast.  Egg and milk whipped, soak (I like my French Toast that way) in mixture and fry using the cinnamon butter, which contains some sugar and salt.  No need to top with anything.  

Their butter is fresh churned in small batches at our creamery. It is rich and creamy with 84-86% butterfat content. In addition to the salted and unsalted, our flavored butters are garlic and cinnamon. Ronnybrook butter is churned in 40 gallon batches which produces a higher butter fat content and allows for very little moisture.  Bill said the cinnamon is the least demanded.  I have made French Toast using the butter in the pan and it is better than syrup! Ronnybrook Creme Fraiche is made from 40% cream, slightly tangy, slightly nutty thickened cream. I have used it in place of sour cream mixed with avocado as well as on fresh fruit.

What about the cost?  You are getting the best and freshest dairy products by going to the Green Market.  Ronnybrook products are sold elsewhere.  I compared the Green Market prices with those of Fresh Direct and Pea Pod two delivery companies that had some variety of their products.  The prices at the Green Market were less expensive. 

There are seven Green Markets just in Queens.  You can check on their site for locations and days open at www.grownyc.org/greenmarket/ourmarkets. The website for Ronnybrook Farms is www.ronnybrook.com

It's Sunday, July 12 and finally got to try the coffee milk.  That's the way I like my coffee anyway.  They use a decaf coffee syrup (sugar vs. corn syrup). Fact: Rhode Island's official beverage is coffee milk.  I'll also be testing out some of the yogurts with a powdered peanut butter.   

My friend, Judy, lives near the Green Market near Union Square.  I asked her to take some photos.