I’ve had various drafts of this post in the works for months. I delayed publishing and emailing it because the message kept changing. The story of what’s next for me, what’s next for MilkMade has changed almost monthly since we closed last November. And now… I mean, does it even matter?
Initially, in December, I wanted to tell you that I missed you, but that I was excited to pass on the torch to another ice cream business who would be taking over my lease and picking up where we left off, serving you their ice cream at the picture perfect little shop at 204 Sackett this summer.
Then in February, that fell through in a very strange way. So I wanted to let you know that I tried! But the ice cream legacy will not live on at 204 Sackett. I painted over the pink trim as my symbolic farewell to Carroll Gardens.
Today those drafts are moot; the details and sentiments are obsolete in the current state of our city, our world. I’ll share them at a later time, perhaps as part of a recipe book memoir I’ve been thinking about penning. But for now I’m writing to say: Stay Home and Make Ice Cream.
Though I’m especially glad that I chose to close MilkMade when I did, I really regret that we can’t deliver our ice cream to you during this time of isolation. I also wish there was a way we could be there to greet you when this is over and we all come out of hibernation. Gosh, the image of that feels like some sort of utopian dream right now.
In MilkMade’s absence, I’d like to encourage those who can to try to make ice cream at home. Everyone’s talking about their sourdough starter, but ice cream is just as magical. More so, if you ask me. It’s a really gratifying activity, and if you have kids, it’s a fun experiment (and great pastime!). If you have an ice cream machine, great. If you don’t, that’s okay, I’ll show you how to make it without one. Stay tuned for more but for now, here is my first quarantine ice cream recipe, Basil Chip.
It’s hosted on our Instagram @milkmade and our old Tumblr, Adventures in Ice Cream, where I’ll be posting new recipes each week.
I’d also like to let you know that I’m starting a newsletter / mailing list. I’ve been wanting to do so for a while and figure now is an okay time for me to start. It’ll be a hybrid of MilkMade’s old newsletter, plus a revival of my blog from pre-MM days, What I Learned Today. I’ll share one of MM’s recipes each week, but will also expand beyond ice cream to other projects I’m working on or things I find interesting. Here is the link to subscribe. Thank you for subscribing! Be safe, be well.