Perfect bliss.
I’m an ice cream addict.
Trouble is, there’s a lot of lousy ice creams out there polluting the markets loaded with garbage ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and phony flavors, and worst of all chemical preservatives that makes ice cream addiction one of the unhealthiest vices around, aside from smoking. Dairy products aren’t particularly good for you, anyway. Plus, they make you fat. Well, they make me fat. Okay, fatter.
But up until now, that’s a price I’ve been willing to pay. I just have to get my regular ice cream fix. It doesn’t matter where I’m visiting, or what the temperature is outside, I want a triple scoop of whatever I can get my hands on, and then I devour it within only a couple of minutes because — I CAN’T STAND SOFT ICE CREAM!
I want my ice cream rock hard. Otherwise, I will not eat it. I have a soft ice cream phobia.
A few months ago, Marieta went to the local grocery store (Von’s, here in Las Vegas). She noticed a new brand of ice cream in the frozen food section (gelato actually) that appeared tempting. It cost a little more than the regular in-store brands, but all the ingredients were natural, and it was on sale. The pint cost $3.29.
Marieta returned home and even though she’s not (in her own words) “an ice cream person,” she practically inhaled the whole pint in one sitting. The next day, we returned to the store, and, encouraged by Marieta, we bought a dozen different varieties. Less than a week later, we were out of ice cream again.
Time to go back to the store, and this time — really load up.
Talenti is the name of the brand. It’s an Italian-inspired product, made in Minneapolis [SEE TALENTI WEBSITE HERE]. Actually, everything made by Talenti is either gelato or sorbet. They don’t make ice cream, per se. So, what’s the major difference? Gelato usually has about 30 percent less fat content than traditional ice cream. Normally, in the process gelato loses a bit of flavor next to a richly textured, expensive ice cream. For me, that would normally be an instant disqualifier. I don’t like “low fat” or “lite” anything. I’d rather not even eat it or drink it than subject myself to the torture of margarine or (heaven forbid!) a Lite beer. That shit’s not allowed in the Dalla household. No wines less than 13.5 alcohol, either, But I digress.
Much to my surprise, Talenti Gelato absolutely exploded with natural flavors, delivering a pleasurable punch in the face. It’s also a reasonably healthy choice for those who do dairy. Well, that’s my story anyway, and I’m sticking to it.
My favorite flavors (so far) have been Belgian Chocolate, Caribbean Coconut, and Chocolate Chip. But the Black Cherry is hands down the champion of the Talenti enterprise. This is blow-your-ass-away the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted (commercially) and I defy anyone to indulge themselves and resist the temptation not to devour the entire container. In just two months, I’ve wolfed down about 15 Black Cherry Gelatos. I’ve also lost 3 pounds. Go figure.
My research shows that the Talenti brand was named after Bernardo Buontalenti, the inventor of gelato in Italy. Because gelato contains far less air than traditional ice cream, the flavors are much more powerful. You’ll only find the best ingredients used in this frozen dessert. Moreover, according to the official company website, dairy cows are from humane farms and creameries, which never use antibiotics or artificial growth hormones [READ THE TALENTI FAQ HERE].
Before I went on my health kick many years ago and started eating better, I used to plop myself in front of the television and wipe out a half-gallon of ice cream in a single sitting (plus the wine). Looking back, I sure as hell miss those days.
Well, the good old days are back again — and now I can bask in my addiction with a pint of Talenti (or two).
Hey, I figure there are other ice cream addicts out there, like me. Consider this a public service announcement. Give Talenti a try. You’ll become addicted too — and that’s a good thing.
Godetevi il vostro dessert!