Rocambolsec - Ice cream for the last days of summer!

Sheep's milk cheese with guayaba sauce, dulce de leche and cotton candy.

Oh yes, I have been lazy.

I did work through plenty of my summer holidays, but if I didn't necessarily look lazy, then I definitely felt it. But what is summer for if not for banishing feelings of guilt and indulging in a little hedonism?

At least that's what I told myself as i prepared to eat this monster of an ice cream cone from haute-gelatería Rocambolesc, the new ice cream parlor recently opened in the Spanish city of Girona by the three-Michelin star, second-best restaurant in the world, El Celler de Can Roca. 

This cutesy, retro and somewhat whimsical shop offers six flavors of soft-serve style, natural ice cream that is made in the world renowned restaurant and transported to the shop by bicycle. As indecisive as ever, I tasted the sheep's milk cheese flavor (delicious, like a fresh yoghurt), baked apple (uncanny how it exactly recalled the flavor of the fruit), and the rich Tahitian vanilla. The other three flavors were chocolate, apricot and cherries. Decisions, decisions!

The best part of all was in trying to choose three toppings from the massive selection of homemade sauces, cookies, brownies, chocolates, candies and, everybody's favorite, freshly whipped-up cotton candy!

Tahitian vanilla with chocolate sauce, coconut clouds and caramelized hazelnuts.

 
More info about this fun and tasty shop can be found here at The "Sweetest" Roca Unveils Rocambolesc, on Foods From Spain.

Holiday slabs and holiday flab

 
Happy New Year!!

I spent the holidays in relative peace and quiet, apart from a spontaneous three day escape to London (more on that later), and really got my bake on. Maybe it was inspiration from my recent trip to Jijona to write about turrón making, or maybe it was just a bit of nesting and nostalgia, but I could not get my thoughts out of the kitchen over the holidays and away from a desire to mingle some of the sweet flavors of my past and present. Naturally, having stuffed myself on these confections - despite not having much of a sweet tooth -, I am looking forward to a few months of healthy eating and honoring the future over the past. Read more in Recovering from Turrón de Michigan and other holiday folly on the Trans-Iberian blog from El País.