Customer Reviews

The Ciao Bella Book of Gelato and Sorbetto: Bold, Fresh Flavors to Make at Home

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My roommates and I discovered Ciao Bella ice cream while shopping at our neighborhood Whole Foods. Though we loved the flavors offered at our Whole Foods, especially the Hazelnut (yum!), we wanted to try some of the other flavors, because the ones we had were so delicious! We found ourselves surfing Ciao Bella's web page and then searching for specific flavors at distance grocery stores.

Then ... everything changed! We discovered this cookbook. If you follow their directions and use fresh ingredients that are ripe/fresh, yours really will turn out just as good as the store bought Ciao Bella gelato. Promise. Why pay $5.00+ for a pint if you can make your own?!

The day the book came I read it cover to cover. There are so many flavors to choose from, not to mention it's inspiring. Fig and port? Yum! Though we certainly haven't made all the recipes, once you master the basic recipe there is very little to change when it comes to adding flavors. I really liked that in the beginning of the book they discussed technique, stressing the importance of temperature, etc. They even explained the difference between different vanillas, which I certainly did not know. As they emphasized, you should feel inspired to try your own variations. After reading different recipes I began to gain a good perspective of when to add more sugar and when not to, etc. The recipes offer inventive combinations that sound delightful. It certainly gets you thinking about what other fruits you can combine to make delicious masterpieces. I certainly felt inspired and have made my own fruit sorbets based loosely on some of the recipes. Everything we've whipped together has turned out fabulous. I can't wait to try the champagne sorbets at New Years!

Definitely worth the price. Did I mention we use this as a coffee table book now? Everyone loves it!

I would highly recommend this book. The recipes couldn't be simpler and yet many of them are adventurous and delightfully different. Keep in mind that an ice cream maker is required for all the recipes. We have a very simple, inexpensive model which works just fine. This Fourth of July we chose three sorbettos for a Red, White and Blue theme: Strawberry, Blueberry and Coconut and they were all a huge success with our family! All three were easy to make and came out yummy and refreshing - not too sweet and a perfect finale for our BBQ menu. We can't wait to try everything - each recipe looks great and the pictures are all good enough to eat, too! Get this book - it's definitely worth it!

I have made a dozen or so of the gelato recipes in this book. All of them have been easy to make and turned out perfectly.

The Ciao Bella Book of Gelato & Sorbet offers a host of recipes perfect for hot summer months and shows anyone with an ice cream maker how to create bold, fresh sorbets and gelatos. Recipes are unusual, from a Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Gelato and Mocha Chip Gelato to Rosemary and Olive Oil Gelato and Rum Raisin Gelato. Ice cream makers will find this a cut above most ice cream cookbooks!

I have two other ice cream books, the Ben & Jerry's book (sitting there collecting dust) and The Ultimate Ice Cream Book (was my favorite till I got this), but then I went and bought this marvelous book! I would have given it a six star rating if I could!

First of all, as a book, I love the way the book is put together, printed, and the images used. For me a good cookery book has to be printed on glossy paper, hardcover, and with plenty of eye pleasing pictures! This book scores big on all these fronts!! I love the color combinations used, they scream fun at me!

Secondly, the contents:
I love the brief history introduction regarding ice creams, gelatos, and sorbets at the very beginning of the book!
The recipes in this book are exactly what I look for in frozen desserts! The one thing that I simply adore about this book is that it rarely uses extracts and essences, it teaches you how to use the real deal, like hazelnuts, pistachios and the like!!! Great for making homemade ice creams for the entire family to enjoy!
The recipes always come rich and smooth!! Had some friends over and made them some chocolate gelato and the almost ate the whole batch! Made milk chocolate and hazelnut gelato with a Nutela swirl for the family and that was gone in a couple of days!
The recipes are very easy to follow, especially if you have experience with preparing custards, and the ingredients are fairly easy to find in most supermarkets and there is no need to go to specialty shops.

The book has an abundance of recipes and will give you a better understanding of how to add flavors, like nuts and fruits so that you can experiment and come up with your own versions or even creations, like my milk chocolate gelato with nutela swirl!

This has officially become my favorite gelato / ice cream book in the world!

Sorbettos are great and easy. Really surprised they had the recipes for the products sold in the grocery store. I can make the same Blood Orange Sorbetto and Blackberry Cabernet without paying retail prices....

Sorbettos awesome over grilled fruit.....

So much more than just "homemade ice cream"! The gelato bases are super-easy and delicious. They are rich and fresh and a snap to make. You will need a candy thermometer to make the bases, but they come together quickly. One batch fits nicely in a 1.5-quart ice cream maker.

Altho' I have enough cookbooks to open my own store, this is the only ice cream book I own. Since I'm a novice at this, I can speak to the simplicity of use--and it is very simple. Some recipes use eggs (for the custard base), others don't, which is necessary for me b/c my toddler granddaughter is allergic. I made my first ice cream base using eggs for the Hazelnut ice cream, and it went smoothly--literally and figuratively speaking. I wanted a stronger Hazelnut flavor in the end product so I just ord'd extract from Amazon for that purpose. Also, it froze quite hard, not creamy, and I thought that might be b/c it had no alcohol (no extract, no alcohol)...even the book states at the beginning that alcohol helps keep the ice cream consistency softer. So yes, I am experimenting with odds and ends, but not to the point of distraction. The coconut sorbet was great. So was the chocolate sorbet. I may eventually try another ice cream book, but for now, this will do nicely. There are many flavors to keep busy with.

I got this book because I am in love with their Blood Orange Sorbet and want to be able to make it myself! Though some of the recipes are a little complicated or use less commonly found ingredients, for anyone with an ice cream maker, a sweet tooth, and a sense of adventure, this is a great book to have. I even enjoy reading it for ideas since it is clearly written and easy to follow -- but it makes me long for Italy, where all the food is good and the ice cream is even better.

I love gelato and eat it every chance I get---often 3 times a day when I am in Italy! I have an electric ice cream maker (Cuisinart) that I use to make icecream and was looking to expand into gelato. This book makes it so easy and gives simple step by step recipes that are both delicious and in some cases, unusual. I try to make a different one once a week. My husband and I have both enjoyed the strawberry gelato from the book which is this week's flavor. Next week grandchildren will be with us and I intend to let them choose a flavor and we'll make it together. Have not tried the sorbet recipes yet, but will. This book is great!