Epic. (photo credit Gabi Porter of MetroMix)
It started innocently enough. Carly and I picked up a vintage ice cream maker at The Brooklyn Kitchen a few months back. That evening we experienced the thrill of churning a rough approximation of a cantaloupe and coconut ice cream. Just days later the first ever Ice Cream Takedown was announced, and so too a call for contestants. Emboldened by our crude attempt at ice cream production, I immediately signed us up for the competition, not even pausing to consult with Charlie.
The thing is, I sent the email from the Brooklynauts email account. So not only did Charlie see it, but he felt as though I had cold shouldered him (pun intended). That’s when Charlie sent his own email, enrolling himself and his girlfriend Erika in the Takedown as a separate team. And so that’s the story of how the first inter-Brooklynaut cookoff began.
In retrospect, there’s a chance I was the slightest bit hasty in entering the Takedown. After all, preparing 2 gallons of homemade ice cream is a little different than hand-cranking a single pint. Also, I didn’t have a recipe when I signed up… or an original idea… or even an ice cream maker for that matter. Lucky for me, neither did Charlie.
On our end the next couple weeks were spent brainstorming. I knew I wanted to do something unique, but not totally wacky. Frequently at Takedowns people prioritize inventiveness or absurdity over deliciousness. If I was going to make two gallons of ice cream, I wanted it to be two gallons I was proud of sharing with people, and (more importantly) something I wouldn’t mind taste-testing a hundred times. It was only on a long walk through the neighborhood two weeks back that Carly pitched a homemade coffee ice cream with donuts chunks. Brilliant.
We couldn’t find a recipe for coffee ice cream that we really liked, so we wound up creating our own. Our test batch came out pretty good, but once we made a few tweaks suggested in the July issue of Cooks Illustrated, it was phenomenal. A big thank you to our friend Madelyn for bringing those tips to our attention. As for the donuts, well, we went straight to the source… old fashioned donuts from Peter Pan in Greenpoint. The finished product was amazing, if I do say so myself.
Homemade coffee ice cream with old fashioned donuts inside, topped off with a chocolate covered espresso bean. (photo credit Gabi Porter)
Meanwhile, I discovered that Charlie and Erika were preparing an earl grey ice cream, to be topped with shortbread and whiskey caramel. They called it an Iced Toddy. Somehow, while conceived totally independently, it wound up being a showdown between coffee and tea.
I churned the final two batches early Sunday morning, and they had just enough time to set before I scooped Carly up from work to head to the Bell House. I thought ahead, buying a soft-sided cooler, packing our ice cream carefully with ice, bringing a table cloth and signage. Meanwhile Charlie showed up with two overstuffed grocery bags, quickly dumping his goods in my cooler. Erika gets credit for banging out an “Iced Toddy” sign on the spot.
Our ice cream safe from the heat, we had bought ourselves a minute to get our bearings (and a beer). The Bell House has always been a spectacular venue for the Takedowns, and Sunday was no different. People frantically scurried around, simultaneously setting up their stations, trying to keep their ice cream from melting (this would be a theme of the evening), and desperately trying to make it to the bar. We were glad to see the familiar faces from previous takedowns, including Emily H., Adrian A. (whom is also competing with us in the Great Hot Dog Cookoff!), and others.
Just minutes before the doors opened, Takedown commander-in-chief Matt Timms layed out a plastic sheet and dumped a hundred pounds of dry ice on the floor. Instantly, it was as though someone was cranking a fog machine. The competitors quickly swarmed it, gingerly scooping hunks of the steamy cold stuff into their coolers. Charlie and I crafted what amounted to a double-freezer… a top tray with samples seated in a dry ice filled bottom tin.
Then the doors opened. Eaters poured into the hall and Timms hopped on stage to do his best to verbally wrangle them into two lines. Meanwhile, we manned our battle stations and started scooping. And kept scooping… almost nonstop, for two hours.
The attendees were hungry, hot, and sweaty... a lethal combination. (photo credit localbozo.com)
Yes, this was a crazy one, and I was grateful to be as prepared as I was. The fact of the matter is most cookoffs have you preparing a dish that, once divided appropriately, will serve itself. Ice cream however, from the very moment it is scooped, wants nothing more than to die a quick and melty death. So we had to keep refreshing the samples, careful not to get too far ahead of the crowd. While Carly scooped ice cream like a champion, I dotted the tops of our coffee & donut ice cream with chocolate covered espresso beans, and did my best to answer the hungry attendees questions.
We are happy to serve you. (photo credit Gabi Porter)
Charlie and Erika seemed to have a rhythm to their serving as well. While Erika scooped, Charlie crumbled the shortbread and then gave a good squirt of whiskey caramel. It would have been exhausting if we weren’t getting such positive feedback from the crowd. People returned to both of our stations for seconds (and thirds and…) and they were letting compliments fly. I heard more than one person tell Charlie and Erika that theirs was hands down the best flavor there. Meanwhile, Carly and I got the ultimate compliment when someone asked where they could buy our ice cream.
Hey you! Yeah you, with the tub of earl grey ice cream... (photo credit localbozo.com)
If we didn’t get as drunk at this takedown as we have in takedowns past, it’s only because we couldn’t afford the time it would’ve taken. That didn’t stop us from trying though. Our only shot came near the end as the crowd settled comfortably into their lactose-induced comas.
Before we knew it, Timms was calling all the competitors up onto the stage for the results. As in Takedowns past there would be the people’s choice, and judges prizes. Carly and I were feeling great about our finished product, but then so were Charlie and Erika… in both cases, rightfully so. In those final moments, standing on stage together, there was maybe the slightest inter-Brooklynaut tension as we all waited to see if either faction had gained critical attention.
Carly and I were deep in thought as Timms prepared to reveal the winners.
The judges, which included reps from Van Leeuwen, Laboratorio de Gelato, and Ample hills, gathered to read the honorable mentions… Nope, no Brooklynauts there. Although there was a very curious Smoky Brown Sugar (from our man Adrian), and an incredibly tasty Cayenne Coconut as well. All honorable mentions were well deserved indeed.
Then, the judges choice awards were read. Third place was Mike O’Neill, a repeat offender in the Takedown winners circle. He won on the back of his rooftop basil, which he combined with strawberries for a strawberry basil ice cream.
Next up was second place…
“And in second place, with the PERFECT Sunday brunch flavor…”
Charlie and I looked at each other… Iced Toddy or Coffee & Donuts? In that all too brief moment, we knew that victory awaited one of us, and crushing disappointment the other.
“Iced Toddy!”
Crushing disappointment it was! But only for me and Carly, as Charlie and Erika jumped up and shouted in excitement. In all honesty, we were pretty jazzed for them, and I was glad that their flavor was so well received. So it was hard to not smile, even as Timms recapped, “It was Brooklynaut against Brooklynaut and these guys won and these guys lost!”
That sure is a lot of prizes, Charlie.
So, with the fact that Charlie is the more accomplished Brooklynaut established, they carried on with the ceremony. The first place winner was a tasty lemon curd, merengue, and vanilla hybrid, topped with fresh fruit. I couldn’t argue with that. All in all, the judges did a great job.
I was generally onboard with the people’s choice results as well. The ginger ice cream I tasted early on was phenomenal. Well balanced, it would actually make for the perfect desert when you consider ginger’s digestive properties. The chocolate amaretto was no-nonsense the smoothest ice cream at the takedown, and while it was a little heavy on the amaretto, it was still absolutely 2nd prize-worthy. The first place winner was a bit of a shock… the Caprese Freezee. It was inventive, yes, but tomato, basil and mascarpone are not high on my list of tasty ice-cream flavors. That said, they certainly put a lot of effort into it, and I don’t think a single undeserved prize was awarded that day.
Thanks for carrying the heavy shit, ladies! (photo credit Gabi Porter)
It was a takedown for the record books, that’s for sure. History was made, in that it was the first time the Brooklynauts have simultaneously won and lost a Takedown. We all had a great time, and the ladies were great sports through it all. Who knew they’d make such great teammates?
What a lovely crowd of brain-freezers. (photo credit localbozo.com)
By my math, if Charlie was able to take second place without me… it only stands to reason that if we team up for the next Takedown… we’ve got nowhere to go but first.
Thank Matt Timms, Gabi Porter, co-competitors, and all you lovely attendees who tolerate melty ice cream and freezey brains. We’ll beat see you next time.
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Check out Matt Timm’s full recap, winners and all, over at TheTakedowns.com
Scope out complete photo-coverage, courtesy of the delightful Gabi Porter, over at MetroMix.
Peep this awesome writeup by the folks over at LocalBozo.com
MAKE OUR ICE CREAM!
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