In no particular order, here are some links related to my ice cream obsession.

• Gannon’s Isle Ice Cream, Syracuse, NY. I was in a long-distance relationship with my now-husband for six years–he was in Syracuse and I wasn’t. The ice cream at Gannon’s is the only thing I miss about that time. They inspired my favorite flavor–a brown sugar cookie dough ice cream (they call it “Tollhouse”) that I’ve been developing tirelessly. I also have them to thank for learning about Penn State’s ice cream course offerings (they proudly displayed their completion certificate).

• Ice Cream 101, Penn State University. This is a weekend workshop offered each year in late January. I attended the workshop in 2012. They also offer a week-long “Ice Cream Short Course.”

• Scoop Adventures. A blog devoted to ice cream? Who knew? Well, Lindsay knew. I love her charming blog sharing her ice cream recipes and reviews of pints and ice cream shops. I’m grateful to Lindsay for introducing me to the ice cream cookbook  Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home, which helped me translate the science I learned at Ice Cream 101 into recipe development.

• Ice Cream Geek. Russell is a like-minded ice cream geek. I found his blog when I returned home from Ice Cream 101 and was researching how to make an ice cream butterfat calculator to help with my recipe development. Ice cream making is as much science as it is art!

• Carl’s, Fredericksburg, VA. A friend of mine from college lived in Fredericksburg when I first moved to the D.C. area. Knowing how much I love ice cream, she took me to Carl’s. I ordered a small twist cone, decided the chocolate soft ice cream was the best I’d ever tasted, and regretted not getting a large. So I went back for a second cone.

• The Dairy Godmother, Alexandria, VA. Custard is not usually my favorite form of ice cream, but the custard at the Dairy Godmother is an exception. Before I started making ice cream at home, I suggested my favorite flavor to the owner in the hopes I could get my fix without traveling to Syracuse. And she actually made it! Tollhouse cookie is the flavor of the day every few months!

• Antoinette’s, Buffalo, NY. This is my favorite place to go for ice cream sundaes when visiting my husband’s hometown. They have so many possible combinations, it’s overwhelming!

• The Bent Spoon, Princeton, NJ. One of the first things I did during a week-long work trip to Princeton was search for ice cream places to try. When I saw this charming video, I knew I had to visit the Bent Spoon (I love how the owner gets choked up talking about ice cream!). Try their ricotta flavor!

• Romolo Chocolates, Erie, PA. This is a handmade chocolate candy store in my hometown. They also have a cafe attached to the chocolate shop where they serve ice cream, but I haven’t tried it yet. It’s lucky I don’t live in Erie any longer, because I’d go to Romolo’s every day! I’ve already made an ice cream flavor inspired by one of their candies (chocolate frogs!).

• David Lebovitz. What list of ice cream-related links would be complete without a shout out to David’s food blog? He wrote the book, after all.

• Ice Cream Connections. One of the very knowledgeable (and entertaining!) guest instructors at Ice Cream 101, Steve Christensen (“the Ice Cream Bloke“), launched this website to provide an “online portal to the ice cream industry.” The site contains links to vendors, training, and recipes and other resources.

• operation:eatery. Billed as a “culinary think tank,” this firm provides guidance and assistance for all things related to food-based businesses. I met Rebecca at a small business conference and am grateful for the advice she provided both at the conference and her willingness to correspond with me after the conference as well. I’m also fascinated by Chef Rich’s recipe for buttered popcorn gelato.