Dear Friends,
Here is the update on the Brooklyn Ice Cream Takedown last Sunday! As many of you know, this was my third Takedown, the first being the Brooklyn Bacon Takedown and the second being the Brooklyn Cookie Takedown.
Needless to say, I think that I have become addicted to the adrenaline rush of coming up with a recipe and prepping massive amounts (250+ samples) of it for a day filled with old and new friends, large quantities of booze, and lots of fun!
In all honesty, the event is kind of a blur to me since the participants had a head start on the open bar before the doors opened to the public. Once people started pouring in, I was drunkenly scooping like a fiend! There were so many people coming to the table at once that I didn’t even notice that Tyra Banks was there! In my hurry to get everyone served, I just plunked a sample cup on her plate, said that it was Blueberry Buttermilk Moonshine Sherbet, and waved her on.
Only afterwards did someone say, “Daisy, you just threw sherbet at Tyra Banks!”
Whoa!
The decision to make a sherbet was a last minute one, forced by an uncooperative freezer and a look at the weekend forecast which predicted a RealFeel afternoon temperature of 107°. Full details to be revealed when I post the recipe, hopefully later this week.
Unpacking at the venue, I was certain that my entry was too simple and too plain to attract much attention — even with the moonshine.* Win or lose, I thought, I learned so much about making frozen desserts and being surrounded by so many talented and creative home cooks was gravy. That made the experience well worth it.
In the end, guess who was awarded second place by the judges AND by the people? Me 🙂
What did I win? More ice cream makers!
Just what I need 🙂
Even though I didn’t come in first place, I was the only one to win in both categories and the only one to take home two machines! However, I do have to give a shout-out to all the other incredible cooks. The team next to me actually made 275 cannoli shell ice cream cones. Isn’t that amazing? Other contestants make jam toppings and delicious drizzles in squeeze bottles. As for the two first place winners? Angie Anicgacz’s Lemon Meringue Pie Ice Cream and Russell and Karen Berger’s Butterscotch Beatdown were truly divine!
So what about those two ice cream makers? I kept one and gave one to my ice cream bitch helper and good friend, David. He earned it for coming to my apartment early and schlepping all my stuff to the event like a trooper!
Then I went home and collapsed.
The Takedowns are the brainchild of my friend, the incredibly gracious Matt Timms. He is certainly the host with the most and it has been wonderful to see him and his events get such great press. I’ve never known anyone to walk away from a Takedown unhappy and this event was no exception. Thank you, Matt!
For those of you who are interested, here are some links with much better write-ups than my own!
Wall Street Journal Metropolis Blog
Second article in the Wall Street Journal
Local Bozo
Jennifer Baker: A Baker with an Appetite for Writing
Brooklyn Exposed
Serious Eats
* Yes, there was real moonshine in the sherbet! No, I did not make it. Yes, you can absolutely buy corn whiskey. It comes in Mason jars 🙂
coolcookstyle 
Cool!
Thank you Rosemary! One of the contenders for flavors was strawberry mustard, inspired by your post! Now that I have a new fancier machine, why not try it? 🙂
What’s the recipe?
For a strawberry mustard? Not sure yet. Might have to experiment 🙂 as for this one, recipe forthcoming!
Was the strawberry mustard good?
I didn’t try it yet. It was just one of the ideas for the Takedown. Want to though!
Wow! I mean… WOW!
Congratulations on your second place!
Congratulations on your second place! (did I say that already? 😉 )
Thank you, Undina!
Thank you, Undina!
( 😀 )
OMG!!! So proud of you! Keep on keepin on sister! xoxox Love, Mar
On Tue, Jul 9, 2013 at 11:11 PM, coolcooksty
Thanks, dearest Mar! Will make some for you in August. You still coming to NYC?
Bravo!!! I’m very proud of you! xo
Thank you so much, Birgit! Is there anything like this in Vienna? You and Dr. O would be fierce contenders! Xo to you too!
No, nothing like this here. 😦
Dr O would love to compete in a bbq throwdown! 😉
I bet he would be a serious competitor with that monster grill 🙂
WOW! congratulations. I wish I had been there. Bbq throwdown sounds interesting. I am asking mysel if my 400lb biest of a grill will pass for carry-on…
Thank you, Dr. O! I wish you and Birgit were there too. The next Bacon Takedown is in the fall. Fancy a trip to NYC? I’m sure there is a way to pack up The Beast 🙂 Where there is a will, there is a way 🙂
Wow, wow, wow!
Drums please, a lot of confetti and big congratulations to you DAISY!
So happy you earner the 2nd place and a prize from the people
You should be proud of yourself. I’m proud of you 😀
Thank you so much, dear Lucas! The People’s Choice prizes always mean the most!
I’m not surprised!
Now you can get to my emails, right?
Absolutely! Will try to get to it today or tomorrow. Photos look great too, dear Lucas! Many apologies for the delay!
No problem
Yay for winning! Yay for using real moonshine! And yay for throwing sherbet at Tyra!
Thank you so much, Poodle! Someone did ask me how lowfat was lowfat buttermilk. Was a little too sauced to remember if it was her or not, but wouldn’t it be funny if it was?
Daisy, you are fierce!
Thank you, Michelle! I was trying to smize with my eyes 😉
HA, this made me snort. I’m sure you do a good smize. 😉
Damn good, Girlfriend 😀
Rock on girl! Congrats….booze and ice cream…sounds like my kind of event!
Thank you Scented Hound! Can’t go wrong with frozen booze 🙂 Wish you were there too!
Congratulations! It looked delicious!
Merci beaucoup, Carine! It was very refreshing.
You were second place with the judges and the people (which is a super fabulous achievement!) but you will always be Number One with your WordPress followers! These takedowns sound like so much fun. I wish I lived in NYC so I could go to one and cheer you on in person. The blueberry buttermilk moonshine combo sounds very complex and extremely tasty! Can’t wait to read your recipe! Congrats once again, my dear and talented friend!
Thank you so much, dearest heidiskye333! I hope you can be down here in person to cheer me on too! You would love everyone down here. All winners!
Girl look at you, you look so adorable and tired all at the same time in these photos lol. And I LOVE the name of that dessert. I would definitely have come if I knew this was even going on. Congrats girl!
Thank you so much, Kay! Yes, I was so tired! But very happy at the same time. I’ll definitely let you know about the next one. I think it’s the Bacon Takedown 🙂
Congratulations! Third time’s the charm. Now bring on the Bacon Takedown!
Thank you so much, Scroungelady! Third time is the charm! But in all honesty, I had never made ice cream or sorbet in a machine before (I had only ever done it in a pan, you know, where you have to stir it ever 45 minutes or so?) and I learned so much doing this competition that I felt like I had already won!
But yes, on to the Bacon Takedown in October! I already got a name just no dish: You’re Bacon Me Krazy! 🙂
Well in my book you are a first place winner! It looks sooooo yummy!
Thank you, dearest Lanier! You are the sweetest and your support means so much!
If I could pack it up and send it to you, I would!
I clearly need to get to Brooklyn more often. Congratulations!!
Thank you, Emmy! You do! And I’ll be there! Am sending many hugs, Daisy
A massive, massive CONGRATULATIONS for your People’s Choice win, which is even better than the other one! The whole thing sounds like an utter blast and so much fun, but your comment about being too dazed to realise it was Tyra and just throwing the sorbet at her tray had me laughing so hard.
I’m really intrigued by this whole legal moonshine business. Obviously, you don’t like in the backwoods of West Virginia to be knowledgeable about the illegal kind, but how was this one? Smoother, gentler, and less abrasive than you expected? I’m also fascinated by how it would taste in the sorbet in conjunction with the rest of the ingredients. Gosh, how I wish you could mail me a taste!
Thank you so much, dearest Kafka! To be recognized by the judges is such an honor, but I agree that being picked by the people is the best feeling in the world.
As for Tyra, I just saw a very tall woman with her head down and remember thinking, “Yer a purty lady . . . and you’re slow. Move it along!!!!”
I have to be really honest and say that corn whiskey is pretty neutral. Rough around the edges, definitely not as smooth as a good vodka. It does have a distinct grainy, corn flavor though, but not strong enough to overpower all that fruit and citrus!
I wish I could mail you a taste too! How about this: they next time you are in NYC, come over and I will make you some!
whoa, dude!!!! I am SO IMPRESSED that after your panic and monterey jack cheese tasting ice cream early crisis you CONQURED AND TRIUMPHED! Way to go!!!!
Thank you, dearest Susan! I really appreciate it and I also really appreciate your patience with my twitter cooking disaster panic! I couldn’t have put it together without you. Brilliant suggestion about the stabilizer btw. If not for that, I would have had purée at the event, not sorbet!
Really? That’s cool, I’m so glad to hear it. What did you use?
Glucose. I lifted about a pint from my candy-making neighbor downstairs.
Congrats, that’s awesome!! and that flavor sounds delicious!!
Thank you so much, Edna! Recipe forthcoming!
Russell here (Butterscotch Beatdown) – thanks for the kind words on my flavor. As I told you at the competition I really enjoyed your Blueberry Buttermilk Moonshine Sherbet and looking forward to “competing” next year!
Thank you, Russell! Many congratulations again on the win. Yours was so delicious! Looking forward to seeing you at the next Takedown! Will you doing Bacon? Thank you again for the kind comments and for dropping by!
Probably not the Bacon Takedown but have considered entering the next cookie challenge. Good Luck!
Hopefully I will see you at Cookie! Btw checked out your website. That looks like fun!