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Sundaes on Tuesday

I am not normally a big ice cream eater but I do have fond childhood memories of what seemed to be a super huge bowl of “tiger-tiger” ice cream that my Dad would serve us when my mom went out after dinner.

I am not normally a big ice cream eater but I do have fond childhood memories of what seemed to be a super huge bowl of “tiger-tiger” ice cream that my Dad would serve us when my mom went out after dinner.

It was his favourite, and for some strange reason when mom was home the portions were suspiciously smaller.

But I digress.

Over the years I have developed an affinity for really good ice cream and have basically taken a miss on the cheap stuff in favour of maxing out my daily caloric intake through other forms – like white wine.

I have a tremendous appreciation for homemade ice cream and the virtually endless opportunities it affords for creativity.

Recently, I have noticed a revival of the classic ice cream sundae and I see it popping up in some form or another on most restaurant menus. They all seem to be jumping on the chilly bandwagon.

The super fancy restaurants dress up their house-made sour cream ice sorbetos with tasty embellishments like salted balsamic caramel, while the family style restaurants like Denny's are apparently making a caramel bacon sundae that is really quite delicious (or so I have “heard”).

Regardless of where you eat it or how you decide to top it, ice cream sundaes can truly be the perfect summer dessert.  Making your own ice cream is an easy thing to do but it takes time, something we all claim to be short of.

By simply investing in an inexpensive ice cream maker you will be sourcing ingredients and fleshing out ideas all summer long. Trust me – it’s addictive and a ton of fun.

The combinations — like when you make pizza — are endless, and half the fun is in creating the “perfect” batch.  Maybe for you it's fresh strawberries with mint from your garden or double chocolate raspberry. Perhaps it’s beer ice cream with peanuts, brie cheese ice cream or even an old school custard with fresh sour cherries.

For me, it’s usually a classic extra rich double vanilla and I like to ramp it up with some killer homemade toppings like hot fudge, bananas foster, grilled pineapple or buttery caramel.

Regardless of how you top it or scoop it, the first few licks of a homemade ice cream cone are almost certain to take you back as well.

Angie Quaale is a local foodie and owner of Well Seasoned Gourmet Food Store.