SORBETTO NAPOLITAN -- STRAWBERRY, CHOCOLATE AND PINEAPPLE

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When I was a young boy, my favorite ice cream was a trio of three flavors; strawberry, chocolate and vanilla ice cream. It was packaged in a square paper box, called “NAPOLITAN”. It was a great treat every Saturday afternoon, often Sunday too after Sunday school, in the spring after the baseball game. 

I did not know why it was called NAPOLITAN, but it always made me “happy my day”, yammy satisfaction everytime! Most dairy products weren’t so rich and gourmet like today’s products, however as a kid, I really enjoyed dairy fat products; every spoonful of rich and  sweet confections, particularly our “Napolitan” made everlasting my childhood memories. 

Years later I came to the college in California, and I found “SPUMONI” ice cream in a San Francisco’s North Beach, small Italian restaurant. It was so rich and sweet, 5 times richer and sweeter than our heroine “Napolitan”, and also it was more than a twice bigger portion than ours. 

SPUMONI usually contains cherry instead of strawberry, that makes pink color and often candied fruits and some nuts like almond or pistachio. Many have mentioned that It is an Italian immigrant’s creation, like pepperoni pizza not exist in Italy. It is fun to make SPUMONI, but I often make sorbet/sorbetto lately, because it is very easy to make with any kinds of fruits, economical, light, healthy, and refreshing in taste and flavor. Sorbettos are perfect in warm spring and summer, lighter than Gelato, of course, but richer than Granite.  

Happy Mother’s Day!

STRAWBERRY SORBET — Sorbetto di Fragola
Recipe adapted from gourmet notes by Ko Akasaka

Makes one quart / 1 little

1 pound (16 oz./450 g) frozen strawberry, 14 ounces (400 grams) fresh strawberries in the season
1 banana (150 g), optional
1 cup (200 g) sugar
¼ cup (50 ml) filtered water, more if necessary
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Combine the sugar and water In a small saucepan, heat up over medium heat, stirring occasionally, cook to make the syrup for about 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat, cool to warm room temperature. In a medium-size clean bowl, mix the strawberries, syrup and vanilla extract, and cover with plastic, and refrigerate overnight, or at least 5-6 hours. (2-3 hours if you are using fresh strawberries.)
Place the strawberry mixture in a blender mixer, pure them for about 1-2 minutes.
Transfer to an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions, or just place it in a glass or porcelain baking dish, or metal baking pan. Cover with plastic directory on the top of sorbet, and freeze them overnight or at least a few hours.

PINEAPPLE SORBET – Sorbetto di ananas
Recipe adapted from gourmet notes by Ko Akasaka

Makes one quart / 1 little

One whole fresh pineapple, about 3 pounds(1.5 kg)
1/2 to 1 cup (100g to 200 g) sugar, it depends of your likes
1 juice of one fresh lime lemon
¼ cup (50 ml) filtered water, if necessary

Make sure the pineapple is ripe, and it smells aromatically sweet tropical fresh pineapple.
Normally it will take about 3-5 days after your purchase from the store; leave it at room temperature in the kitchen.
When it ripens, cut off the top and bottom about ½ inch, and slice off the outer side of the pineapple. Cut vertically in quarters and remove, slice off the core/hard part, and then largely diced about a bit smaller than 1 inch cubs. It should be about 700 to 800 grams of the flesh from one medium-size pineapple (about 1.5 kg ea.)
Place in them a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and lime juice, mix well, wrap and refrigerate it overnight or for a few hours. You may freeze for at least one hour.

Place in the blender and pure the pineapple sugar mixture until fairly smooth for about 2 minutes. Transfer to an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions, or just place it in a glass or porcelain baking dish, or metal baking pan. Cover with plastic directory on the top of sorbet, and freeze them overnight or at least a few hours.

CHOCOLATE SORBET – Sorbetto di Cioccolato
Recipe adapted from gourmet notes by ko Akasaka

Mkes about 3 ½ cups /800g

1½ cups (400 ml) cold filtered water
1 cup (200 g) sugar
¾ cup (75 g) unsweetened dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted
5 ounces (150g) bittersweet chocolate, 60 to 70%, broken into pieces.

In a large saucepan, combine the water and sugar over moderate heat. Stir to combine and dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium low and carefully add the cocoa powder in a steady stream, mix well with a whisk. Off the heat, add the chocolate and stir until thoroughly melted. Pass through the sieve into a clean bowl. Set aside to cool completely. Cover and refrigerate it at least 2 hours, or overnight before transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions (normally about 15 to 18 minutes.).

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