Ice Cream: The Delicious History

From ice harvesting to gelato, to the origin of the sundae and the ice cream soda, to Baked Alaska (first called ""Alaska, Florida"" of all things) and ice cream bombes, Powell mixes together everything ice cream for a sweet, breezy blend of food history, personal anecdote and cookbook. Few readers will finish this volume without wanting to down a double-scoop waffle cone, but as there's little history here that's new, it may also leave them hungry for further reading. The story of Aunt Sallie Shadd, ""a former slave from Wilimington, Delaware who was famous among the free black population there as the inventor of ice cream,"" is just one that will send folks off to the library in search of more. Though charming and light-hearted, Powell's joviality can veer into television host vernacular when she pushes too hard (""If you're getting the impression that Paris was a hub of ice-cream activity, you're right!""). Despite a few flaws, however, connoisseurs should enjoy this refreshing treat, just in time for summer. Illustrations.