Italian Ices

16 years ago

Although I know Italian Ices have been popular on the East Coast for many years, it's only recently that shops selling them have opened in Northern California. In the last year, two have opened in business districts adjacent to my house. And I really got hooked on the lemon-lime ice particularly. (I find ice cream & even sherbets getting a little too sweet for my taste as I get older).

Checking on-line recipes, it turns out to be one of the easiest desserts to make. So I've been cranking out lime, lemon-lime, fresh raspberry, and I'm currently sitting here with a bowl of fresh strawberry Italian Ice---maybe the best of the bunch. And perfectly refreshing on a warm summerish spring day like today.

May try fresh pineapple next.

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Comments (5)

cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
16 years ago
Ooooh, brings back memories. Grew up outside Philadelphia and the BEST water ice spot was in the Manyunk section of the city. It was a hole-in-the-wall walk up window. My grown son and I both still swing by whenever we are visiting. Absolutely the most wonderful summer treat. Nothing like the frozen hard stuff you can buy in the grocery store.
kgwlisa
16 years ago
LOVE italian ices, though my mom would never let us have anything but lemon (the colors made a mess). I guess I was probably better off without the red dye anyway :) Nothing like a slice (of pizza) and a scoop of lemon ice in that folded paper cup, mmmm mmm. I grew up in Brooklyn.
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pammyfay
16 years ago
mmm...
the little scoop of lemon Italian ice, at just the right consistency, in the white pleated paper cup.
Maybe I was right behind you in line, kgwlisa! (Well, not exactly in Brooklyn--in Connecticut; tho my dad grew up in the N.Y. burbs)

Isn't it funny how there are so many different ice/flavoring treats and different names? New Orleans-style shaved ice (which I've only heard about), sno-cones, Italian ice, water ice; snow cream. For a long time, I thought there were only sno-cones in the pointy-tipped cup--they'd scoop the harshly-chopped ice in, then pour the liquid in, and all the liquid would quickly hit the bottom, so it wasn't really great.

One of my favorite beverages in the summer is a lime "ice" I make in the blender: Grind the ice fine with the juice of one or two limes. No sugar! That's right! It IS tart, but quite refreshing!
lee676
16 years ago
I had no idea Italian Ices were an east-coast thing. Kind of like duckpin bowling, the only kind I'd played until my teens.
mcmann
16 years ago
Timely topic - just last night we went to our nearest Rita's for gelato and came home with 4 quarts of water ice - it was buy 3 get 1 free. So now we have lemonade, mango, black cherry and raspberry in the freezer. I haven't tried the Peeps flavor of the Swedish Fish one - that's just too bizarre.