The weather is sultry, Françoise Hardy is singing about Le temps de l’amour and at such times one’s thoughts almost automatically turn to ice cream. The kitchen at Château Bois Giraud is certainly elaborate enough for you to create your own with locally sourced cream and eggs. However, as possibly one of the worst cooks in the history of civilisation (the very worst is believed to have haunted a Hampshire branch of the Little Chef circa 1995) I have not dared to attempt this myself – but I would still be interested to learn from anyone who does.
French ice cream is famously derived from a custard base and, depending on which version of history you favour, the dish is said to have arrived the country in 1533 when the future Henri II married Catherine de Medici. As the tale goes, her entourage included the master chef Ruggeri, whose signature dish was sorbet and his recipe was subsequently improved by his compatriot Bernardo Buontalenti by adding eggs to the ingredients. Some historians have doubted the veracity of this story, but I still prefer to print the legend a la The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. What is true is that in 1686 a Paris-based cook from Sicily named Francesco Procopio dei Coltelli opened the Café Le Procope to sell ‘cinnamon and anise flowers water ices’ and brought the dessert within reach of the average citizen. His patrons included Victor Hugo and Jean-Jacques Rosseau and the café, the oldest in the city, remains open until this day – https://www.procope.com/
Slightly less exotic but no less significant to the cultural history of France are the various Miko products that I will always associate with the quite elaborate Citroën and Renault “Marchand de Glace” ice cream vans – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4RKR0Z2dFM. As in the UK, these vehicles are less commonly sighted than a few decades ago – the rise of the domestic freezer is probably the main cause – but they may still be seen, especially at show and special events. The brand is as much a part of the childhood memories of French citizens of a certain age as Lyons Maid or Walls are to their British contemporaries – all of which reminds me that I am in dire need/want of a Miko Parfait…