When my father went through chemo he lost weight as if it were falling off him. The chemo dulled his appetite to the point that he didn't want to eat anything. I'd imagine George is experiencing something like this: He probably just can't bring himself to eat right now. It has nothing to do with what his priorities "ought" to be. If I were Leone (hi, Leone!) I'd be "into" anything that helps George put the weight back on. Those sorbet and ice cream experiments sound fab to me. Wouldn't mind having a sample of all of them right now! Karen

Some folks, like my mom, only make ice cream with a custard base. Mom thinks anything else is not worth eating. I, being the modern, cutting-edge, foodista (that's a joke folks!), have made ice cream with such exotic ingredients as Greek yogurt, eschewing a cooked custard base. Below is a cooked custard recipe from The Kitchn: Basic Custard Ice Cream Base 3 cups dairy (whole milk, heavy cream, or a mix) 1 cup sugar 8 egg yolks pinch of salt 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional) Have a strainer in a bowl ready over an ice bath. Bring the dairy to a simmer in a medium pot over medium-high heat--about 5 minutes. Watch it carefully so it doesn't boil over. Remove from heat as soon as you see bubbles forming and let sit until it's cooled to room temperature--about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, beat the eggs, sugar, and pinch of salt into a thick paste. When the dairy has cooled, stream it in while stirring the egg mixture. Once combined, return everything to the pan and cook over medium-low heat. Stir gently in an "S" shape, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan. The sauce is ready when it looks silky, has thickened so it coats the back of a wooden spoon, and has reached a temperature of about 170-degrees. Strain it into a bowl set over an ice water bath and stir in the vanilla. When cooled, freeze mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Here is a link that might be useful: Custard Base for Ice Cream from The Kitchn

Interesting, Sooz, about the frozen berries and color. I can imagine how that would do it. Writersblock, you've inspired me! I would want it to taste like dark brown sugar to be worth giving up pretty pink for, and I've worked enough with organic raw sugar to know it will go beige and not have enough of a punch. ... But! White sugar and just enough black molasses to give it that brown sugar taste might work. That's as a ribbon. If it stays as a ribbon, the ice cream would still be pretty pink. It might need to be reduced first. This is sounding interesting. :) Thanks, again, Sooz!

Tillamook is a new offering in my local chain grocers. There have been promotions at half price -- and BOGO's. I think Ben & Jerry's is higher quality at about $4 a pint. Tillamook is $7 for 1.5 gallons. Ice cream gurus say to dish up ice cream and let it sit a few minutes so that your tongue can appreciate the flavors.. Try that with Tillamook, and you'll get a watery 'soup'. The B & J will turn to cream. Tillamook has done several things here. It is easy to scoop, and you can taste the flavors right away. Instant gratification! The bigger cartons make it look like a bargain. (It is better than the even more heavily aerated, huge carton store brands that weigh almost nothing.)