Gelato in Italy is a no-brainer, right? Get off the plane, drop your bags, and head out searching for that first cone. But like all else in Italy's tourist triad (Rome/Florence/Venice) sorting out the best from the tourist-aimed drudge takes some planning. More

When I started to run out of things to eat strawberries with—by which I mean I got tired of them sliced with frothed cream—I started poking through my pantry for inspiration. I came across some pistachio butter and knew I need look no further. Pistachio butter (there's a recipe here) is ridiculously nutty and almost unbearably complex, with a lusciousness that puts Nutella to shame. More

Angelo Brocato, a Sicilian immigrant, opened the New Orleans shop more than a century ago in 1905, as one of the city's first sit-down parlors. Now in its third generation of the Brocato family, Angelo's original recipes are used to this day. More

Gelato just might be the most misunderstood form of ice cream in our great, ice cream-lovin' nation. We know it's smooth, intense and delicious but what makes a gelato real gelato? Here are the three elements that differentiate real-deal gelato from the traditional American stuff, and a recipe for a caffeinated twist on mint 'n' chip. More

This Greek yogurt gelato is fantastic, rich, and tangy, with just the slightest hint of lemon and a wonderfully thick, rich texture reminiscent of the yogurt itself. More

This Chocolate Stout Gelato from The Ciao Bella Book of Gelato and Sorbetto takes beer and ice cream to the next level by freezing them together. The chocolate base from Ciao Bella is spectacular on its own, especially when made with a dark chocolate, such as Le Noir Amer from Valrhona—creamy, light, and incredibly chocolaty. But when you add a cup of stout that has been simmered down to intensify its flavors and a scoop or two of malt powder, this gelato will send any chocolate and beer lover into fits of ice cream-derived delight. More

Reading this recipe for Rum Raisin Gelato from The Ciao Bella Book of Gelato and Sorbetto reminded me just why this flavor has such resonance. Dark rum, derived from molasses has a wonderfully rich and complex sweetness that lends itself particularly well to desserts. Using the Ciao Bella method the raisins are steeped in rum for 12 hours to not only rehydrate and soften, but also infuse the raisins with all of that wonderful rum flavor. After the raisins have been soaked the leftover rum is incorporated into the gelato base lending a mellow notes of rum and raisins. More

This Gelato de Crema acts as a base for many of the gelato recipes in The Ciao Bella Book of Gelato and Sorbetto, but frozen on its own, this is a wonderful introduction into the subtle differences between ice cream and gelato. Without the buttery richness of a base made entirely of cream, this custard allows the delicate flavors of milk, egg yolks, and sugar to come through. The sugar is kept to a minimum, giving the gelato a clean, austere sharp flavor with none of the cloying qualities of an overly sugared scoop of vanilla. More

This week we are thrilled to share recipes from the newly released Ciao Bella Book of Gelato and Sorbetto. We'll begin with Ciao Bella's Gelato de Crema, a mild yet incredibly rich base for many of the recipes in the book, continue on with a tart and tangy Greek Yogurt Gelato, and finishing up with a refreshing Grapefruit and Campari Sorbetto. Enter to win a copy here. More

So, how did you celebrate National Ice Cream Day on Sunday? Did you make a batch of homemade ice cream? Sink into a sundae? Grab a cone on the go? New York's soaring temperatures has made every day feel like it should be National Ice Cream Day, but find out how I marked the occasion. More