Indeed, the heat invites one to eat ice cream or sorbet. The main difference between them is their dairy base. Ice cream is made from custard, whole or skim milk and animal fat or non-dairy vegetable fat. A flavor or fruit pur�e is added to this blend. Special kinds of ice cream - most are industrial, since they are hard to make at home - are those made with calorie-free sweeteners (such as saccharin) or fructose, for diabetics; or diet ice cream, with calorie-free sweeteners and without fat. The proper texture is achieved with a freezing machine that solidifies the liquid.

In the old days most sorbets had two bases, one from water and another of sugar. Their texture was softened with whipped eggs. Today sorbets are made from fruit juice, liqueurs, herbs or oils that are mixed with a thick syrup. To achieve the granulated effect, the mix is frozen and whipped several times, taking it out of the freezer now and then. The trick to making the sorbet creamier is to add an egg white whipped up like snow after whipping the mix in the traditional way.�

When we talk about ice cream one must also distinguish between the different styles of different countries. Italian ice cream is quite famous; it has the custard base we mentioned earlier. Americans use cream as the main ingredient.

There is no doubt that ice cream and sorbets are nourishing, some more so than others. The former, when made at home, contain 200 to 250 calories per 100-gram serving. The latter have no fat since they are made mainly from water. It is therefore recommended that children and adolescents consume these products in moderation, especially if they have weight or cholesterol problems. In any case it is a good idea to read the label of industrially made ice cream quite carefully. In general they are made well in terms of texture and color, but their flavor is nothing like that of homemade ice cream.

Ice cream and sorbet are not just for eating in a cone. There are many recipes that call for ice cream and sorbet and they are not always sweet. Indeed, they can be quite surprising. Sardines marinated in mustard, for example, can be accompanied by a sorbet of lettuce and tomato, seasoned with red wine vinaigrette. You can also prepare a salad of ice cream with smoked salmon, or with duck breast, crowned with a scoop of black currant ice cream, accompanied with a blend of virgin olive oil, sesame oil, Modena vinegar and a splash of soy sauce and pepper. Another idea is to prepare ice cream to serve between courses of a meal. Vanilla ice cream, with salt, pepper and a bit of vinegar is idea for helping the palate get ready for the chef's next tasty dish:

Cured beef is delicious with a sorbet of melon, and seasoned with a vinaigrette of honey, paprika, rosemary, thyme, oregano vinegar from Jerez and virgin olive oil. This recipe can also be adapted to prepare roast beef, Spanish-style pork or rabbit.

Fruit salads can take on a whole new look by adding ice cream. Strawberries and other berries in general gain a lot from this addition. We can also prepare a puff pastry and fill it with honey ice cream. This is a great dessert for a summer meal.

But let us not forget beverages made from ice cream, such as milk shakes. Sangr�a can also be made with a bit of lemon or orange sorbet, and so-called tinto de verano, which is red wine on ice with a splash of orange or lemon soda, is good with maracuy� sorbet.� Chilled coffee, with ice cream flavored vanilla, custard cream or� �leche merengada, plus a few drops of liqueur, can be delicious and refreshing.

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