Of Cardamom and Cold
Cardamom is a spice that makes me think of Jersey City in the winter. There is a falafel place on Grove Street called Ibby’s, and there I had my first amazing baba ganoush, hummus, and Middle-Eastern style tea. The tea occasionally had a cardamom pod floating on the top, and its earthy, velvety scent would linger in my head while the sharp winds from the Hudson River cut past my layers of wool and cotton on the way to the PATH.
Tonight is a cold night in Seattle, unequal to the full-body shudder of a New Jersey night in the ‘teens but still uncomfortable. I’m not sure what possessed me to want ice cream, but I think it may have involved the delicious caloric glory of halibut-n-chips from Ivar’s. (Keep clam! Does the joke ever get old?)
Upon arriving at Molly Moon’s in Wallingford, there was a small crowd inside. It wasn’t very late yet and the smell of waffles was in the air. The flavors of the moment up on a blackboard were a combination of comforting and exotic choices. I decided to have a taste of the cardamom ice cream as soon as I saw it, and I was riveted to my spoon as my thoughts froze in time. Then, in an instant, I decided that the one small tasting was perfect, and freed from my curiousity I moved on to a sundae. “Gigante Elegante” was my pick, a small scoop of chocolate ice cream topped with vanilla bean caramel, whipped cream, and a dash of cinnamon.
Mike had no delusions of subtlety with the flavor he picked – “Birthday Cake”. You can see the sugar rushing to his brain in this photo:
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