{Restaraunt Review}: The Franklin Fountain

The annual fall national ACS Conference was held in Philadelphia this past year. I am not a city person, but I would go back just for the food! In the Reading Terminal Market there were so many options for a reasonable price. The sandwiches had a pile of meat on them (which you rarely see these days) that was real meat. NOT chewed up meat that was pressed into a form, but REAL whole turkey breast that was hand sliced into a pile of yummy goodness!

My lab mates and I decided to hit the pavement to see the city. We headed to the old city for some ice cream. Mike had seen a Food Network special on Philly and The Franklin Fountain was one of THE places to go. So we shared some sundaes for lunch.

We walked in and were transported back in time to the early 1900s. It was authentic, down to the uniforms the soda jerks were wearing. They serve homemade ice cream, sodas, and baked goods. According to the program Mike saw, we at least needed to try Mount Vesuvius.

My friends and I got the Peach Melba Parfait:

Fresh peach ice cream covered in raspberry puree, diced almonds, and whipped cream

 Mount Vesuvius:

Vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, hot fudge, brownie pieces, and powdered malt

 The Franklin Mint:

Mint chip and vanilla ice cream, marshmallow glaze, chocolate syrup, Creme de Menthe, and whipped cream

My favorite was The Franklin Mint!

You maybe asking why am I focusing on an ice cream shop? What is so special about it, other than the high prices? Well, they make almost everything in house! They make the ice cream from fresh fruit and often it is organic. Their cream is freshly whipped as it is being mounted on the top of the sundaes. The hot fudge and brownies are also prepared by them. This is the ultimate ice cream shop!

Everyone knows that ice cream isn't very good for you, but it IS a necessary experience in life! If you are going to eat it, you should choose to eat quality without any preservatives and artificial flavors or sweeteners. Keeping it simple will allow the natural flavors to shine through and it will be better for you.

If ever in Philly, you should head to The Franklin Fountain and try one of their many sundaes!

The Science Behind: Whipped Cream
To make whipped cream you can use a whisk, mixer, or a fork. I prefer using a whisk on a hand mixer to beat air in faster. A tip I picked up from Alton Brown is to chill the bowl and whisk in the freezer before beating. This will help to stiffen the fats and make it easier for the cream to be whipped. You should beat the cream (heavy or light) until just before peaks begin to form and then add in the sugar and flavoring. If you add them in too early, the whipped cream may not form as easily. Be sure to get all of the sugar dissolved before beating to stiff peaks; otherwise, you will have gritty whipped cream.

The purpose of whipping the cream is to introduce air into the fat of the cream to form what is called a colloid. A colloid is a mixture where one substance is microscopically dispersed amongst another substance. If you continue to beat the cream past the point of stiff peaks, you will start to clump the fat and butter will begin to form.

Because it is a colloid of fat and air, over time the air will escape and the whipped cream will fall. Thus making it necessary to be made as needed, but once it falls the cream can be re-whipped.