When I was a kid, growing up in a suburban Philadelphia neighborhood, the Good Humor Man was one of the highlights of summer.
Maybe you didn’t call him that - as Good Humor was the brand of ice cream he sold. Perhaps you just called him the Ice Cream Man. (I don’t know if there were any Ice Cream Women in the 1960s...)
When the truck started up the street, with that funny jingle emanating from horrible speakers, an excited joy and anticipation swept through the neighborhood.
Wherever you were, whatever you were doing, when you heard the bells, you ran to the nearest parent, and begged for coins before the truck passed you by.
A menu in lurid photographs illuminated the side of the truck, and there was a window through which the treats were sold and served.
Popsicles in every color (flavor?) imaginable; root beer was my favorite. Drumsticks – paper-wrapped ice cream cones dipped in chocolate and rolled in nuts. The “Chocolate Eclair” and “Strawberry Shortcake” ice cream bars we also favorites. What was I thinking?
Ahh... the palate of a 7-year old! I wouldn’t touch one of those now, not for love or money...
Another of the treats I loved then was the “Creamsicle” - orange sherbet on a stick filled with vanilla ice cream. To this day, I still love the combination of orange and cream.
Markipedia recently came across the recipe for today’s pasta in a book called The Land Where Lemons Grow, by British garden author Helena Attlee. She got it from Damiano Miniera, an inventive Sicilian chef at an enoteca in the hill town of Settignano above Florence. The moment we saw the recipe, we had to taste it, and the moment we tasted it, we looked at one another and said, “Creamsicle!” It flooded me with childhood memories and put a smile on my face.
It is a wonderful and unique dish, and I wanted to share it with you! Try it now, and remember it for a gloomy day next winter when you crave a splash of citrusy sunshine.
~ David
Creamsicle Pasta
Damiano Miniera
2 sweet organic oranges
1 organic lemon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large shallot, finely diced
1/4 cup white wine, or prosecco
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces spaghetti
Bring a large kettle of water to a boil. Salt the water well and add the pasta.
Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from the oranges and lemon. Slice all the zest very thinly - “razor thin,” as the recipe says. Add the zest to the small saucepan and boil for 5 minutes to soften and rid the zest of any bitterness. Drain in a sieve.
Juice the oranges and lemon, removing any seeds.
Heat the butter in a large skillet. When melted, add the shallot and cook until clear; do not brown. Add the cooked zest, juice, wine, and cream, and cook at a brisk simmer until thickened - about 5 minutes. Season with salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper.
Toss the pasta with the sauce and divide among 4 heated pasta bowls.
Serves 4.
Labels: citrus, creamsicle, damiano miera, helena attlee, lemon, orange, pasta, the land where lemons grow
