Ice Cream

BRIGANTINE, N.J. - People who sit on the beaches of Ventnor, Wildwood, and Atlantic City - where the ice cream man will put his box down and hand over a banana Fudge Bomb without your even moving, except to find the money - might be shocked to learn that in Brigantine, people lack this fundamental Jersey Shore right. And that, for the most part, they do not care. But that, possibly as early as next week, when the City Council is scheduled to vote on a seven-page ice cream ordinance 15 years in the making, they could at last be granted the right of beach ice-cream sales.

5 cups pitted sour cherries (or other fruit) 2/3 cup sugar (brown or white) 1 to 1¼ cups Basic Crisp Topping   1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 6 to 8 ramekins (depending on ramekin size). 2. Mix the cherries with the sugar. Fill the ramekins with the sweetened fruit to within a half inch of the top. Cover fruit with desired amount of crisp topping. 3. Place on a baking sheet and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until the topping is well browned and the cherries are bubbling and thickened slightly.

Learn the history of soda pop at the sixth annual Philly Phyzz Phest at the Physick House, a celebration Saturday honoring the life of Dr. Philip Syng Physick, inventor of the carbonated soft drink. From 1 to 5 p.m. discover what makes soda pop by conducting "phyzzical science" experiments. Play colonial games, sing "Happy Birthday" to Dr. Physick, and enjoy cake and homemade ice cream. Dr. Physick's Black Cherry Soda, brewed from the original recipe by Del Connor, will be available for purchase.

MOUNT VERNON, Va. - George Washington never had air-conditioning, but he knew how to keep cool: a mansion with lots of windows elevated on the banks of a wide, rolling river and lots of ice cream, maybe with a little brandy. It was a little like the old days without electricity Wednesday, as the nation's capital region celebrated Independence Day the better part of a week into a widespread blackout that left millions sweltering in 90-plus-degree heat. At George Washington's Mount Vernon estate, one of the most popular Fourth of July attractions was a demonstration of 18th-century ice cream making.

On a scorcher of a day, the hardest thing at the Taste of Philadelphia food festival was to keep the ice in ice cream. A team of 400 volunteers executed a precision plan that mapped out the move of chocolate and vanilla from refrigerated truck to standing dry-ice freezer to table to cup to outstretched hand. Yasu Nagi, of Center City, downed 15 scoops in an hour. "It's hot, but that's great for eating ice cream," said Nagi, 31. Nagi, who is originally from Japan, was among the crowds of people who came out to Penn's Landing on Saturday to sample the sweet and the savory at the annual Taste of Philadelphia food festival, part of the 10-day Wawa Welcome America!

Crowds came to sample the sweet and savory at the Taste of Philadelphia food festival Saturday, but it was the ice cream that seemed to rule the day. Under a relentless sun, the cool smudge of freshly scooped ice cream soothed the hot and sweaty who came to celebrate the Wawa Welcome America festival. The Taste of Philadelphia is one of many events in the 10-day freedom fest which includes fireworks, music, food, history, and plenty of red, white and blue. "It's a nice day. It's hot and you can't beat $7 dollars for all-you- can-eat ice cream," said Mia Allen, 30, of Northeast Philadelphia.

Taste of Philadelphia Eat into the weekend with a visit to the food and music fest at Penn's Landing, continuing from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Some of the city's finest restaurants will have stands, while food trucks will park on the Chestnut Street bridge over I-95. For ice cream lovers, there's the Super Scooper All-You-Can-Eat Ice Cream Festival from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot at Walnut Street and Columbus Boulevard. Admission is $7, with the money going toward pediatric cancer research.

Ethical and moral indifference Jake Blumgart's commentary "Gov. Corbett's easiest decision" (Monday) was both frightening and infuriating. Corbett and Republican lawmakers are ready to slash the $150 million program that helps the disabled, those caring for the elderly, victims of domestic violence, and recovering addicts. An untold number of children will clearly be the tangential victims of these budget cuts. Have we truly reached the point where we are willing to shred the social safety net that defines our civility and our humanity?

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, Ontario — There's a good deal of shrieking involved. And, if you don't plan ahead (who knew?) you'll wind up walking through this lovely, sedate town soaking wet — and my wet-T-shirt days are, believe me, long gone. This is the jet-ski experience — a trip down the Niagara River through wild rapids, stopping just short of the whirlpool known as Devil's Hole (www.whirlpooljet.com). It's one of the many things to do here that don't involve going to the theater — this is where the Shaw Festival happens every year (my review of the five shows I saw is posted at www.philly.com/philly/blogs/phillystage/)

When it's time to tip a bit of liquid into your skillet to pick up those brown bits and make a quick sauce, you probably reach for wine. It's a classic ingredient in all manner of steamed, braised, or boiled dishes. But vino is not the only option for enhancing the flavors of food. In fact, many chefs prefer wine's humble cousin — beer. With Philly Beer Week upon us, the malty beverage takes center stage in special events, dinners, and talks around the region. It's a celebration of beer drinking, to be sure, but chefs will also be bringing the foamy stuff out from behind the bar and into the kitchen, where beer becomes a key ingredient in both special menu items and dishes created especially for beer week festivities.