Exquisite Edibles
The Flavors of
Heaven by Kaye Cloutman Photography by Vincent Gotti
T
he bay area is home to a plethora of ingredients and produce, and as such it is an oasis for any artisanal producer. From wines to cheeses, meats to breads, pastries to seasonal fresh vegetables, fruits and nuts, the selection is nearly endless. On this particular topic, I might also add that the local Bay Area ice cream makers alone cannot be counted with a set of hands and toes. Recently though, we had quite an unconventional encounter with a local businessman who really caught our attention. Ben Acorda is an electrical engineer first, but perhaps foremost he is artisanal ice cream maker; it’s only in Silicon Valley that you might find an electrical engineer who’s also an entrepreneur in such a seemingly disparate business as ice cream. You might also never know by looking that this dapper gentleman is also closely in touch with and supportive of the local Bay Area fashion community. Ben recently launched his own line of fine ice cream called Heavenly. The brand name is a serious understatement of the quality and taste experience found in every batch. My first experience of his ice cream was a few months ago, seeing models feasting on the assorted flavors of mango, coconut, lychee, macapuno, pandan (screw pine) and ube (purple yam) backstage before a fashion show in San Francisco. You could say the flavors and colors lit up an otherwise monotonous evening of black couture. The oohs and ahhs were priceless and it looked almost surreal that they would be indulging in such manner without the worries of fitting into their clothes. It really was a sight to behold. In celebration of Spring, GEV thought it would be fun to once again create a fashion setting which genuinely showcased the vibrant colors and deliciously decadent flavors of “Heavenly Ice Cream”. With the superb expertise of Chef Cocoy Ventura’s recipe development and presentation coupled with Vincent Gotti’s style vision, the fun-filled photo shoot became one appetizingly indulgent afternoon.
The Inside Scoop on Ben Acorda GEV: What inspired you to open an ice cream business? How did you start the business? Ben: I was actually looking for an artisanal ice cr eam out there which really satisfied my craving for my favorite flavors and I couldn't find one so I decided to try making a batch myself. My friends, who had very discerning palates, were my first critics. They were very instrumental in guiding me to work on achieving the quality flavors and textures needed to really stand out in the market. A few days after, another person tasted it and exclaimed, "This is heavenly! This is very good! It tastes heavenly!" That's how Heavenly Ice Cream came about.
GEV: What makes your ice cream different from the rest? Ben: The Bay Area is blessed with many handcrafted ice cream products. We have access to the best ingredients here and we put a lot of love and care in everything we do. Everything is handmade in small batches and we have a modest -sized factory. But because we concentrate on the higher end, quality ice cream, we use real milk with higher fat content, fresh fruits and natural fruit flavors. I guess what really makes us different is the fact that we brand our ice cream in such a way that it steps away from the norms of traditional serving but aim to present not only in desserts but various dishes as well.
GEV: How do you go about creating flavors? Ben: The favor s ar e inspired by my clients. The popular ones are mango and buko pandan [screwpine and young coconut]. We came up with the original buko pandan flavor in California. The flavor is derived from the pandan plant or screwpine which is known for its fragrant leaves in the Philippines.
GEV: What is your favourite flavor? Ben: My favorite is langka cheesecake. Langka is jackfruit. I like the cheesecake bits in there which adds a layer of texture as well as a little savory taste combines flawlessly with the aroma and sweetness of the jackfruit. We keep on exploring different flavors and now we are expanding into global flavors.
GEV: Do you plan to have other products aside from ice cream? Ben: In the future, we will be doing different types of sorbet with natural flavors. I would also like to explore utilizing the coconut milk.
GEV: What makes packaging very important. Ben: Our packaging is evolving. Ultimately, the packaging that I want will be very eye-catching. Simple and elegant.
Photo by Chef Cocoy Ventura
GEV: Who is your target market? Ben: Our present target mar ket is the Asian-American community- they are the ones who really understand Heavenly’s flavors. We are currently introducing more exotic flavors like leche flan and halo-halo and have been gaining a great following. We distribute to specialty stores and supermarkets. A list of stores is available on our website, www.heavenlyicecream.com. For now, we distribute in the Bay Area and soon will be supplying Los Angeles.
GEV: What are the core values of your company? Ben: (1) Always strive to provide the best product out there and focus on its quality rather than the quantity. (2) Provide great service. (3) Give back to the community through scholarship programs, supporting and community programs and non-profit organizations.
GEV: Any word of advice to young entrepreneurs our there? Ben: If you have a dream or goal, nurture it and keep doing it until you perfect it. Don't give up.
ingredients
Exquisite Edibles
4 oz Heavenly Ice Cream, Macapuno flavor 1 apricot, halved 2 pcs lady fingers, torn in thirds 4 pcs golden raspberries 6 pcs raw almonds 2 tbsp caramel sauce 1 tsp pistachio dust Edible gold leaf for garnish
preparation On a clean, white plate, layer dry ingredients in an
organic fashion as suggested in the picture. Using two teaspoons, form ice cream into a cannelle. Dust with pistachio, garnish with gold leaf and spoon the sauce on the side.
heavenly ice cream plated dessert
Photo by Isaac Riley
ingredients Mango flavored Heavenly Ice Cream Tahitian Vanilla Sugar Cookies 2 oz ice cream scoop
ice cream cookies (3 ½ dozen cookies) 1 cup sugar ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened 4 vanilla beans, seeds scraped 1 whole egg, beaten 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt
LIGHTING SPECIALIST : SCOTT NOBLES MUA: IVAN BETANCOURT Hairstyling: JOSETTE VIGIL JELVEH Assistant Hairstylist: Linsy Coker STYLING & Wardrobe provided by: CHRISTOPHER FLORENDO assisted by: KALEO FERREIRA FOOD STYLING: Cocoy Ventura MODELS: Anna Makovchik courtesy of Marla Dell Talents, Ruslana Grechko courtesy of City Models, Bridget Meghan Chase, Ghazal Gill & Michelle Miller
Photo by Chef Cocoy Ventura
Heat oven to 375°F. Combine 1 cup sugar and 3/4 cup butter in
large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Split vanilla beans lengthwise with sharp knife. Scrape seeds from vanilla beans; add to butter mixture. Add egg; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour, baking powder and salt. Beat until well mixed.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 14 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned. Cool. Bring out ½ gallon of mango ice cream and leave at room temperature until soft enough to be molded but not melting. Assemble:
Take one piece of cookie and scoop, take another cookie and sandwich ice cream. With the back of paring knife, smooth the edges. Work fast and in batches of 6 and immediately freeze after each batch.
Exquisite Edibles
Photo by Isaac Riley
heavenly avocado crab salad
ingredients 4 oz Heavenly avocado ice cream 1 avocado, diced 1 cup lump crab meat 6 cherry tomatoes, cut bite sized 1 red radish, sliced 1 tbsp chimichurri 1 lemon, zest and juice Salt and pepper to taste 2 tbsp olive oil Belgian endive or any greens
preparation Mix all ingredients except in the
ice cream and greens. Chill mixed salad. Arrange salad over greens and garnish with edible blossoms. Visit their website www.heavenlyicecream.com