Wyck Old Rose Gelato

Each morning I check in on the World Cup news. It's important. Guiseppe Rossi, the American-born Italian was left off the Italian National team, along with Milan striker Marco Boriello. To the left is Sr. Guiseppe being mugged by the Italian team after scoring an incredible goal against France. Leaving them off the squad is a truly epic mistake. Just saying. Anywho, last week I was reading that a French international player turned down an offer from the Philadelphia Union because he wants to be in a "beautiful city." Huh? Okay, it's not Paris, but are you kidding me?

I will be honest, I am a little depressed. Work is very hard right now, the end of the school year always throws in some wrenches, it is soccer tryout season, refrigeration (need I say more?) and it so so hot to run on the drive. All this = exhaustion. One thing that always keeps me going is the eye candy in Philadelphia. Get yer minds outta the gutta! I am talking topography. I love what my eyes take in each day. Kelly Drive during a regatta, the million of blooms everywhere and the architecture. Philadelphia is old by American standards. I live in a row home that was built when Abraham Lincoln was in office. Very cool. One of the most beautiful parts of the city is Germantown. Germantown is breathtaking. I get to look at Germantown every morning and it makes me so very happy. It is filled with Quakers and their minimal asthetic and it thrills me. The amount of preservation here is phenomenal. This part of the city has been forgotten to some degree, which has probably helped it stay so beautiful. On the edge of Chestnut Hill, close to Manayunk and the Art Museum Area, it should be easy to get to. By car, yes; by public trans, no. The streets are a combination of ruin and perfect preserve. There are many Quaker schools and meeting houses and the amount of churches are ridiculous.

Which brings me to the Wyck Historic House and Garden. The Wyck is deep in Germantown and can easily be missed snuggled between beautiful large homes. The Wyck home was continually occupied by 9 generations of the same Quaker family since 1690. The colonial house is beautiful and covered with climbing roses that date back to 1814. The variety of roses are called "old roses" and are breathtaking in fragrance as well as appearance. Looky! These roses are descendants of the roses planted in 1814. The grounds are beautiful and the smell divine. You can feel the history in the air.


Then the phone rang....(actually the email came) asking me if I would like to sell some gelato at the Wyck's Summer Festival, I jumped at the chance. I offered to donate the gelato and in turn they offered me some roses!!! Roses that were descended from 1814 AND never treated with any pesticides or chemicals. You could EAT them!! Pinch me, I feel faint.

Barbara Overholser, the Wyck's Development Coordinator, met me in a back parking lot. It was quite nefarious. She handed over 6 beautiful bags of petals. I could smell their fragance through the ziplock! I could not wait. Of course, being a small business, everything that could happen to postpone the making of the Wyck Old Rose Gelato happened. We had a power outage, a pipe burst, the air went down, and my little guy came down with strep. Everything that could take my attention away from the roses did. Good times. Finally, the roses slid into the hot milk and the aroma... We all stood around the pot with these sick smiles on our faces. The smell was reminiscent of baking bread or hot rain on the sidewalk. I know, I'm weird. When I had my first bite, it was light and playful, not cloying or sticky. It tasted like what I want roses to taste like. I hate those shopping center cakes with their blue roses. You always want them to taste as good as they look. Even the beautiful buttercream roses that you can find on delicious cupcakes, never seem to measure up. This measured up. We have made Rose Water Gelato and Rose Tea Sorbetto, but nothing, and I mean NUTHIN, was as delicious as Wyck's Old Rose Gelato.

Please! You must try this! They will be serving it at their Summer Festival on Friday June 11th!

Thank you Wyck!