There have been lots of books written about ice cream, from the history of the treat to how to make the world’s best homemade ice cream. But The Ice Cream Theory, written by the witty Steff Deschenes, is the first that we know of that compares everyone’s favorite treat to personality traits, relationships and life experiences. Altogether, it creates one very delicious literary sundae.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a great book. So great, that we asked the author for three signed copies to give away to three comments chosen at random from this entry. Good luck!
Steff has an admitted lifelong infatuation with ice cream (“Sometimes my love for ice cream even scares me.”) and pours her heart and soul into this book. Each chapter focuses on a different ice cream flavor, from strawberry and cookie dough, to pistachio and rum raisin. Within each chapter, Steff discusses her feelings about the flavor itself and how certain people or experiences from her life personify that particular variety. (Her reflections in Chapter 13 – Banana Split – are especially poignant.)
After reading The Ice Cream Theory, we asked Steff a few questions about her life and love of ice cream.
ICE CREAM JOURNAL: Congrats on your first book! I’ll bet the “research” for The Ice Cream Theory was kind of fun.
STEFF DESCHENES: To be honest, ice cream in my world is a way of life. So, initially, there was no research – it came naturally. But eventually it got around that I was writing a book about ice cream and suddenly I was being asked to go on ice cream outings by people who wanted to try and impress me or introduce me to a flavor or place they thought I didn’t know about. It happens even MORE now that the book is out. So, yeah, the entire adventure in ice cream eating has been a blast to this point! Although, I do have to work out a lot more than I used to!
ICJ: What’s one flavor of ice cream you don’t want to run into in a dark alley?
SD: Anything super chocolaty, because in my head, super chocolaty ice cream is portrayed by a big brown dragon that breathes hot fudge sauce. And, if I ran into this in an alley he’d be like “Eat me!” and I’d be like, “Okay!” Because, really, how can you say no to a giant dragon made of chocolate ice cream in a dark alley?
ICJ: Yeah, I think you pretty much have to do what the dragon says at that point. Is it possible for people to personify more than one ice cream flavor? Have you ever met a Neapolitan or would that make them sort of schizophrenic?
SD: I don’t think that people can embody more than one flavor. That is too schizophrenic! I think that people can start off as one flavor and over time as we get older and our personalities and preferences shift, the people around us change, too. Thus, how we see and interact with them alters, right? So, the ice cream we originally associated them with doesn’t apply anymore.
ICJ: When you eat certain flavors of ice cream, does it make you think of certain people?
SD: Absolutely! For example, I just discovered this lavender-rosewater gelato and everybody thinks it tastes like perfume, but for some strange reason it reminds me of ex-boyfriends. You know, like first dates and hand holding? Pistachio ice cream reminds my mom and I of her dad (my grandfather). He passed away a couple years ago, so in the summer when we really miss him we get pistachio ice cream and watch baseball, and in a really bizarre way it’s like a little piece of him is with us. Being able to compare ice cream flavors to people is a really cool way to resurrect or recreate certain feelings and memories associated with a person, time, or place.
ICJ: It’s time for the Lightning Round. What’s the most over rated ice cream flavor of all time?
SD: Coffee. YUK.
ICJ: Most under rated ice cream flavor of all time?
SD: Lime sherbert!!!
ICJ: If you could eat only one flavor for the rest of your life, it would be…
SD: Chocolate soft serve.
ICJ: Sprinkles or no sprinkles?
SD: 90% of the time – NO sprinkles; 10% of the time – rainbow sprinkles (though we call them “jimmies” where I’m from!).
ICJ: Cup or cone?
SD: Sugar cone! Has to be a sugar cone.
ICJ: What kind of ice cream is in your freezer right now?
SD: Ready for this? I have . . . chocolate goats milk ice cream, dairy-free coconut milk “ice cream,” dairy-free pomegranate chocolate-chip “ice cream,” key lime pie gelato, dark chocolate gelato, strawberry cheesecake ice cream, pumpkin pie ice cream, and cookie dough ice cream. Can never have too many flavors, right?!
ICJ: Wow! That’s a lot of ice cream. What’s the best way to get rid of an ice cream headache?
SD: Just! Keep! Eating!
ICJ: Good job. You clearly know your ice cream.
SD: I think it’s all thanks to my wonderful parents who raised me to believe that ice cream really is its own legitimate food group, like fruits and vegetables! Hah! In all seriousness, they taught me that ice cream is good for the soul. Because, really, how can you not feel uplifted when you’ve got a scoop of your favorite flavor in front of you?
ICJ: Thanks for agreeing to chat with us! What’s next on the horizon for Steff Deschenes, “the author?”
SD: I’d made several comments in the book about writing “The Burrito Theory,” and people seem genuinely bummed out when I tell them it’s just a joke. So maybe I need to reconsider that? People like burrito fillings? Salsa and pinto beans and shredded cheese? Hmmm . . . I might actually vary away from a food topic and write about my adventures as a promotional beer model. For now, I happily blog throughout the week on my website (www.steffdeschenes.com). I write something called “Maybe It’s Me” Mondays, which are usually tangential musings on thoughts I’m having; and “Fact is Better” Fridays which are the real life conversations that happen in my world that are usually so outlandish people always think I’m making it up!
There’s a holiday coming up tomorrow, but I can’t remember what it is. Oh well. Last night was kind of strange in the neighborhood. Kids kept knocking on my door and asking for treats (or tricks, but I didn’t know any). And oddly enough, they were all dressed in costumes. At one point, two witches, a zombie and a Power Ranger paid a visit and they all seemed so enthusiastic that I finally dug through a drawer in my kitchen and found some tic tacs to give them. They didn’t seem pleased with that treat, but it was all I had.
In keeping with our October Halloween theme, this edition of Ice Cream Trivia will feature questions in the same general Halloweenish vein. Send your responses to icecreamjournal@gmail.com or use the Ask Ernie link on the right. Three people who answer all the questions correctly will be chosen at random to receive some free Turkey Hill ice cream! Who needs a trick when you can have a treat like that?
Some of you may be attending a Halloween party in the coming weeks, and this recipe would be a perfect side dish for such a ghoulish event. It’s also frighteningly easy to make.
Good question, Debbie. We do a lot of research to decide the best “Featured Flavors” to create and when to release them. Once we agree on a flavor, we make it and then do several rounds of taste tests to make sure the recipe is just right.
If you’ve got a technical question about the ice cream making process or some other inquiry about the nuances of America’s favorite treat, chances are Ernie has the answer. He might not be able to answer all questions, but he’ll try his best and some may be featured on the Ice Cream Journal.