#176 The Anatomy of Gelato
It's gelato season baby
It’s gelato season. Real gelato is absolutely a health food. Think about it. Milk, egg yolks, sugar, real fruit. Your great-grandmother would recognize every ingredient. Compare that to the 17 ingredient monstrosity most supermarkets sell. That’s not gelato!
Real Flavors
Strawberry gelato should use strawberries. Pistachio should use pistachios. This sounds obvious but “natural flavors” are an epidemic in 2026. Look for gelaterias that name their sources. Bronte pistachios from Sicily. Amalfi lemons. Piedmont hazelnuts. We must go back.
Enjoy Slightly Melted
This might be slightly controversial but gelato, or ice cream is always best enjoyed slightly melted. Nobody wants something ridiculously frozen. We want to enjoy gelato that’s just started to melt. When it’s slowly dripping down the waffle cone - those are the gelatos you’ll think about one spring afternoon...
Waffle Cone
Cup or cone? The answer is almost always cone - especially if you’re enjoying your gelato sun-kissed. Look for beautiful waffle cones made the right way. Nothing goes as well with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream than a perfectly constructed waffle cone.
Full Fat Milk
Gelato lives or dies by the quality of the milk. Full fat, ideally from cows that ate grass and saw the sun. Skim milk gelato is a crime. Remember, fat is flavor.
Real Sugar
Cane sugar, honey, maybe even maple syrup. Real gelato uses real sugar. High fructose corn syrup is an abomination. The good stuff is sweet but never too sweet. Just enough for the full fat milk and real fruit to be the stars.
Egg Yolks
The custard base is what separates a real gelato from a sad one. Egg yolks give you that rich flavor that “vegan gelatos & ice creams” just cannot compete with. Don’t trust gelatos without yolk.
Gelato vs Ice Cream
What’s the difference? Well, gelato is denser, warmer, and lower in fat than ice cream. Less air churned in, served around -12ºC (10ºF) instead of -15ºC (5ºF). This is why gelato often has a more intense flavor and silkier texture. Both have their place! But gelato is the more elegant cousin.
Underrated Natural Flavors
In this house, we’re against Frankenstein flavors. No double fudge cookie dough syrup whip. Those are forever D tier. Opt for classic flavors. The best ones are simple. Let Mother Nature do the work.
What’s your favorite ice cream / gelato flavor?
Summer nourishment
The analog revolution
THANK YOU SO MUCH for being part of the analog revolution!! This winter edition has been so well received and I just want to take a moment to thank each one of you who made it happen. All our contributors, readers, sponsors and all of you who continue to share our stuff over the years. It means so much. So much more than you know.
We're never gonna stop creating beautiful things 😇🥂
Also - to those of you who are new here - we do things a little differently to most publishers. Our print editions are sold on a drop style basis. There's no subscription. We make something, hope we order enough and release it. We mightttt do reprints down the line if enough of you want it but no promises.
Currently, only Winter 25/26 is in stock. BUT we're working on the much awaited FERTILITY themed issue for summer! This one has been in the making for so long and we really want to get it right. Appreciate your patience and we're so stoked for what's coming around the corner. God bless 🤍
Real luxury
Real luxury is in appreciating the finer things in life. What else would you add? 🤍
Pain au chocolat or pain suisse?
Pain au chocolat is a work of art. Pain suisse might just be the most underrated pastry in the world. If you could only have one, what would you pick?
Spring bingo
It’s time to play spring bingo! What are you looking forward to?
❋ Shortbread Plum Tart With Honey and Cinnamon
“Based on a classic gâteau Breton, this buttery tart is filled with a fresh plum compote flavored with honey, rosemary and cinnamon instead of the usual puréed prunes. You can make the compote and dough a few days ahead, but this tart is best served within 24 hours of baking. After that, the center starts to turn mushy from the moisture released by the fruit. Serve it on its own, or with a dollop of whipped cream.”
❋ How to Make the Perfect Matcha by Ella Henry
“After years of trial and error, this is my guide to making my perfect matcha. Silky, velvety, light, frothy, micro-foamy, smooth & perfectly sippable matcha.
I try my best to represent & uphold traditional Japanese matcha preparation, and prioritize some of the key pillars in Japanese culture as I prepare my matcha: gratitude, presence, mindfulness, seasonal awareness and a deep respect for nature.” — Ella Henry
❋ Ninja Creami açai bowl recipe
“I was at the supermarket recently when I stumbled upon frozen açai blocks. It has been forever since I last had açai, owing mainly to an ageing and inexpensive blender/food processor that won’t allow me to achieve a thick açai consistency with ease. Naturally, my mind went straight to making a Ninja Creami Açai bowl, so here we are!
This delicious Ninja Creami açai recipe is, of course, gluten free and vegan. As of late May 2025, there is no entry on Monash as to whether açai blocks are low FODMAP – only that açai powder is in 20g serves (FODMAP Everyday says it is FODMAP free). Either way, this makes for a delicious and easy breakfast if you know you tolerate açai well.Frozen blocks of açai are blended with frozen blueberries, banana and a small amount of peanut butter. Water brings everything together into a smooth and creamy mixture that goes straight into the 470ml Ninja Creami tub. That’s it! All you need to do to start the day with a delicious thick and creamy açai bowl.”
❋ The First True Days of Spring by Ryan B. Anderson
“Three Actions to Live a More Rooted Life
1. Go to the water’s edge
Find the nearest pond, lake, stream, or ditch and stand there for a while. Bring nothing with you. Watch what moves. Fish, birds, insects, the surface itself shifting in the wind. If you have a child with you, let them lead. Pick up a stick. Cast it. Pretend. Stay longer than you meant to. Let the place set the pace.2. Step outside without preparation
When the light comes through the window, go out as you are. No perfect boots, no full plan. Follow the pull the children feel. Walk the yard. Cross the field. Stand at the woodline. Let the season meet you before you try to meet it halfway. These first true days do not wait for readiness, do they?3. Mark the return of life
Choose three signs of spring you have seen this week and name them. The peepers in the low ground. The first birds in the hedgerow. Tracks in the mud. A loss, a chase, a new sound at dusk. Hold them in your mind. This is how you learn your place again, by noticing what has returned and what has changed.” — Ryan B. Anderson
❋ Iced Coffee Crème Brûlée Pie
“Is there ice in this pie? No. Is there a delicious and unbelievably smooth espresso & cream custard, milky dulce de leche, a spiced cookie crust, and a crackly caramelized brûlée’d top to boot? Yes, absolutely it has all of those things. The flavor of this pie recalls the best iced latte you’ve ever had and tastes way more sophisticated than the ingredient list would suggest”
❋ Lemon Curd Pistachio Cake by Kiley Heard
“The pistachios bring this warm, nutty depth to the cake that you wouldn’t expect to work so perfectly with lemon — but it does. And the lemon curd? Instead of just spreading it on top, it’s piped right into the cake, so every single bite has that bright, tart citrus woven all the way through.
To finish things off, the whole cake gets topped with the smoothest cream cheese frosting — tangy, creamy, and just sweet enough to tie everything together. A sprinkle of chopped pistachios on top adds a little extra texture and makes it look as good as it tastes.
This is the kind of cake that feels special without being fussy. Perfect for spring gatherings, a birthday, or honestly — just any day you feel like baking something beautiful.” — Kiley Heard
More links:
❋ How to Maintain Wood Cutting Boards
❋ Children’s Cartoons Tier List
❋ Smoked Radishes Salad Recipe
❋ Home Kitchen Organization Maxxing
Have a gorgeous weekend! New digital issue dropping soon :)
— Rocky
❋ All our digital issues are free to peruse. Explore our latest:
❋ Winter 25/26 Coffee Table Book (Print)
❋ Explore the full WARKITCHEN archive here.
❋ Got an article or recipe in mind? We’d love to hear more! Please send your pitch to rocky@warkitchen.net.
My husband is the ice cream maker in our house and he's working through a book that has a lot of interesting recipes in addition to the basics. He recently made a ginger ice cream (we made it for a Lunar New Year celebration) and oh my gosh, it's fantastic. You wouldn't think it would work so well but it does. Jeni's also made a bubblegum ice cream that is shockingly good. I really hope they bring it back this summer.
I love so much about this newsletter! (1) What a concise breakdown of the different parts of gelato, I have been immensely enjoying the warmer weather and the gelato craving has skyrocketed as a results. (2) I love the art style you use to make the graphics (gelato anatomy, spring bingo card, etc.), so retro and classy. (3) The Spring Bingo card is a lovely idea, going to noodle on how to incorporate into my life. (4) So cool to see you share a recipe of Kiley Heard, her bakes are always so effortlessly delicious.