Food Truck Madness!

On a recent trip back to the Motherland (that's Brooklyn N.Y. for those of you who don't know from where I originate!), I had a close encounter with the new craze that seems to be sweeping the boroughs (and the nation, I might add). Fast food on wheels. Yes that's right folks, what will our creative New Yorkers think of next? And I don't mean the sort of fast food that has no purpose but to fill a hunger need. These guys and gals are seriously committed to flavorful, healthy and wholesome ingredients!



For instance, take the creamy yellow truck pictured here, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream. The truck alone was enough to get me interested! It was created by a young man, Ben Van Leeuwen, his wife and brother. The ice cream is made with top notch ingredients including hormone free milk and cream from New York State cows that graze in pastures at the foot of the Adirondack Mountains. They use pure cane sugar and egg yolks in their ice creams leaving you with a wonderful creamy and dense product. Their vanilla gets it's rich flavor from the organic bourbon and Tahitian vanilla beans grown in Papua New Guinea (and these beans have been aged in vodka in oak barrels for 4 months intensifying the flavor) and are then ground into a paste and used in the ice cream. Wow! And that's just what goes into one of their flavors! Their choice in the chocolate ice cream is Michel Cluizel chocolate, which they feel is far superior to many that they had tasted. My sister and I however, decided on sharing the Peppermint Chip and I don't think we could have chosen better...I have always been a big fan of mint and chocolate and this was the ticket! We chose the bowl over the cone, and we soon realized that the spoon and cup were not your ordinary plastic take out types. No, their cups and napkins I found out, are made from Bagasse, a fiber made from sugar cane husk. Their spoons and straws are made from corn husks. So, my friends, good for the environment and good for you! No nasty petrochemicals in those goods!
So next time you are in the mood for some good ice cream, and you happen to be in Park Slope, Brooklyn look for the distinctive yellow truck and treat yourself and maybe even treat someone else too! You can also follow them on Twitter to find out where else in the boroughs they will be!