Ice cream -- one of my favorite foods. Can't remember the first time I had it; I was probably a babe in arms still. (Mom started me on beef when I was six months old, or so I've been told, so ice cream was most likely not that far behind.)
When I was around 10 or 12, one of the special treats I can remember is getting a Matterhorn at Baskin Robbins. It was seven scoops of ice cream with whipped cream and nuts on top. Heaven. In the mix were always flavors with nuts in them or something crunchy for added texture: Jamoca Almond Fudge, Pistachio Almond Fudge, Pecan Praline. And something with a touch of alcohol, such as Dacquiri Ice. Of course everything melted together into a pool at the bottom of the dish, but that goo was part of the fun.
A few years back, I bought a double ice cream maker, so you can make two flavors at once (or one large batch of the same flavor). I've been able to experiment with my own ideas. Last year, I made a candied bacon-ginger ice cream and a mint-cocoa nibs ice cream (above), using mint from the back yard, among others.
Favorite store brands in recent years have included Horizon's organic chocolate chocolate-peanut butter cup and Haagen-Dazs' ginger five, which I can't find too easily. I'm not a big fan of American gelati, because the texture is too often greasy and slick.
There's an ice cream parlor in San Antonio called Brindles that makes an open faced ice cream sandwich that's quite wonderful. It's called Muddy Feet, and they spread cookie dough on the bottom of the dish, heat it in the microwave until it's warm and almost done, so you get a good doughy flavor. Then it's topped warm with ice cream that melts into it.
