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Sardines and ice cream are the new surf n' turf

The sweetness and mouth-feel of artisanal ice cream paired with the umami of locally sourced (Ballard) sardines packed into individually hand-forged cans.
Dick Stein
/
KPLU
The sweetness and mouth-feel of artisanal ice cream paired with the umami of locally sourced (Ballard) sardines packed into individually hand-forged cans.

While less adventurous eaters may turn up (or even hold) their noses, local foodistas have made the dairy/dussumeria pairing the hottest trend since Korean taco trucks.  

But not just any sardine and not just any ice cream will do.

At Fraudulent, his popular Queen Anne eatery, Seattle chef Angelo "Roach" Iarocci  hosts "Cream  n 'deen" tastings. The weekly events  pair artisanal ice creams with individually line-caught sardines, hand-reeled by locally sourced non-smokers.

Iarocci's "Nordic Taste" gelato is churned from the milk of heritage breed King Oscar goats and infused with fir needle essence foraged from locally-discarded Christmas trees.  Each scoop is crowned with a precisely spherical sardine ball.  Chef Roach reports the pairing has gained popularity as today's boldly experimental foodarinos get into the swim.

"It's increased business at the bar, too –  especially after," he notes. And other combinations are elbowing their way avant le chow line.

A Cacao-phony of flavor

Chocolate Cake with brown gravy is gaining new respect among trend-conscious foody-o-does – as is cottage cheese paired with baked beans. And what could be more comforting on a chilly-wet Northwest afternoon than a warming mug of Chef Iarocci's  signature minced clam hot cocoa?

 Click "Listen Now" to hear Seattle Times food writer Nancy Leson and I discuss those and  other Found Flavor combinations in this week's Food for Thought. Then, if you have a favorite food combination others might find unusual please please share it in the comments section below.   And remember...

"Degustibus non est diputandum"

Food for Thought” is a weekly KPLU feature covering the world of food as well as the thinking that goes into it. The feature is published here and airs on KPLU 88.5 every Wednesday during Morning Edition and All Things Considered. 

 

 

Dick Stein joined KNKX in January 1992. He retired in 2020 after three decades on air. During his storied radio career, he hosted the morning jazz show, co-hosted and produced "Food for Thought" with Nancy Leson and wrote and directed the Jimmy Jazzoid live radio musical comedies and 100 episodes of Jazz Kitchen.