Have you ever wondered why it is that certain foods can elicit such strong emotions in us? I was told once that every experience we have ever had is filed away in our subconscious mind. Even though we may not remember them, they are all there – waiting to be triggered by some seemingly unrelated sight, touch, taste or smell. I have found myself in this situation many times. I’ll be going about my business and then suddenly – POW! A familiar scent wafting out of someone’s window as I walk by, the locking of eyes with a kindly stranger on the street, or even watching a television commercial can send a flood of long-forgotten memories rushing to the surface. The process of making this Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream was one of those times.
As I gathered the fresh mint I needed from my garden, I suddenly saw myself at five, lying in a patch of green. It took a minute or two, but I eventually realized that I was remembering myself as a little girl playing in my grandmother’s garden. She had lush, thick rows of fragrant, fresh spearmint growing up and down the little flagstone path that led from the street up to her front door. I thought it was so exotic! I would lie down in the piles of feathery, textured leaves, drinking in their intoxicating scent, until Grandma would come out of the house and tell me to get up because I was “a crusha da meent”. I can only imagine what the neighbors must have thought seeing this crazy little kid rolling around on the ground!
Now that I can recall the experience again, it is so clear and vivid in my mind. And, I’m very grateful to that mint for bringing such a cherished memory back to me. That must be why I’ve always felt the need to have fresh mint growing somewhere in my yard, even though I don’t normally use it all that much. Somehow, just knowing that it’s there is a comfort. read more >>
Filed Under: Chocolate, Ice Cream and Frozen Treats, Recipes
