Louise Carroll: Discovering what a bombe is
There's a National Day Calendar that lists days and months dedicated to almost anything.
For instance, Aug. 21 is Senior Citizen Day, a day to celebrate and honor senior citizens. Aug. 17 is I Love My Feet Day, and I'm not sure what we should do with that. There are a vast list of things to celebrate on designated days.
I haven't read much of it, but I do know there is a day or month for nearly everything. I wouldn't be surprised is there is a National Hang Nail Day.
For some reason, July is National Raspberry Month, but August has three Raspberry Days. Aug. 1 is National Raspberry Cream Pie Day, and the perfect way to celebrate would be to enjoy a nice big slice. Aug. 7 is National Raspberries and Cream Day, and that would be a joy to celebrate.
I was on a roll until I read that Aug. 11 is National Raspberry Bombe Day. Honestly, I didn't even know what a raspberry bombe was, but people are celebrating it.
Since it said raspberry, I assumed it had to do with food, but I recall a very rude noise made by pressing the tongue and lips together and making a sputtering noise. It is used to express either real or faux contempt, mockery, or displeasure. I told you it was rude.
I looked it up and raspberry bombe is a food. I'm a foodie and I never heard of it. A typical bombe contains sherbet, heavy cream, sugar, chopped nuts, candied fruit and a dash of rum. With all those goodies, it is bound to taste scrumptious.
The dessert is layered using a round mold and frozen overnight. The explanation said, "With raspberries as the main ingredient, the result creates a terrific centerpiece." A centerpiece? I don't want to look at it, I want to eat it. Yes, I've heard we taste with our eyes first.
I'm a big fan of red raspberries, and the bombe sounds delicious, and now I know it exists.
I can't believe that I am the only one who never heard of raspberry bombe. I would also like to know if anyone has made it. Perhaps they would share their recipe. I won't promise I will make it, but there's probably some creative cook out there who will make it.
While writing this column, I'm getting a bit of culinary education, and I'm happy to share it with you. A bombe is a dome-shaped dessert, so you could have a peach bombe, or a banana bombe, or whatever you want.
I never knew there were special dessert shapes. I also learned that a bombe is an ice cream dessert, frozen in a mold to resemble a cannon ball. I can't imagine why any woman would want to put a replica of a cannon ball on her table.
When I read that bombes have been on restaurant menus since 1882, I don't know why I never heard of them. They've been around awhile, and I have, too, but we have never met. Do you know a restaurant that has a bombe on its menu? Obviously, I have not eaten at the right restaurants.
Raspberry Bombe Day will come and go, and I won't have any, but I now know what it is. Isn't education grand?
Raspberry bombe may never show up on my plate, but there are foods that I know up close and personal, and I will celebrate them, and celebrate them again and again.
Aug. 4 is Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, and Aug. 8 is Frozen Custard day, and it doesn't get any better than that.
It doesn't matter what day of the month it is, I am ready for chocolate chip cookies and frozen custard. There are a lot of flavors of frozen custard. I suggest they make a chocolate chip cookie frozen custard. They have flavors like cookie dough, so why not?
This article originally appeared on Ellwood City Ledger: Carroll: Discovering what a bombe is
