Cold comfort

One of the consequences of the pandemic, my teenage granddaughter realized last year as she was attending school online, is that it may never again be necessary for a school district to observe a snow day. Students no longer have to worry about getting to class in inclement weather. Thanks to Zoom, they can be present at home. Gone are the days of eagerly tuning in to KFVS-TV at the crack of dawn to see if school will be open or whether the fabled Meyer Bus Line will be running. No longer will students, the weather forecast in mind, go to bed with fingers crossed. And, I might add from personal experience, this goes for teachers as well.

But even so, kids can still have a snow day, in fact many of them, ironically during summer, when school is already out. That's because summer is the time for snow cones. They have become synonymous with the season.

You might consider snow cones an All-American treat, but they go back long before the birth of this country, to ancient times in fact. The Chinese were making something similar, with real snow even, as far back as 4000 B.C. It was the precursor to ice cream.

Moreover, just about every culture has its own version of the snow cone. There's Japanese Kakigori, Hawaiian Shave Ice, Chinese Bao Bing, Puerto Rico's pyramid-shaped Piragua, Indonesia's Es Campur, and India's Gola. Mexico has the Raspado, which sometimes is spiked with chili powder, and Peru's Shikashika is distinctive if for no other reason than in order to be authentic, it requires ice brought down from the Andes mountains.

All of these concoctions vary considerably in their ingredients, but perhaps none is more elaborate than the Korean Bingsu, which, in addition to a towering mound of snow-like shaved ice can contain chopped fruit, condensed milk, rice cakes, toasted soybean powder, ice cream, and red bean paste. Having recently sampled the treat in the Koreatown section of Los Angeles, I can tell you the combination works.

Snow cones aren't just for kids as evidenced by this homemade Raspado, the Mexican version of the icy treat.Tom Harte

The American version of the snow cone traces its origin to Baltimore in the 1850s when trucks shipping huge blocks of ice would give small shavings to kids who would take them home for moms to flavor with egg custard, still the most popular variety there today.

Soon others around the country, like Samuel Bert, inventor of the first snow cone machine in 1919, got into the act, and today the chance that any of us will go through a summer without the treat is about the same as the proverbial snowball's chance in you know where.

Gourmet Snow Cones

There's nothing wrong with a snow cone ladled with iridescent blue syrup or, better yet, a rainbow of flavorings. But for something a little more sophisticated try one of these concoctions. If you don't have an ice shaver, a high speed blender will produce acceptable results.

Affogato Snow Cone: combine 4 shots espresso, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 4 tablespoons cream, and 2 tablespoons Kahlua. Chill 10 minutes. Fill four cups one-third full with whipped cream. Add 2 cups shaved ice to each cup and pour espresso mixture over. Top with more whipped cream and chocolate shavings. (Adapted from www.thenibble.com.)

Strawberries and Milk Raspado: bring 2 cups strawberries, 1 cup water, and 3 tablespoons water to a boil. Cook on low for a few minutes until berries soften. Cool 10 minutes. Puree and cool completely. Fill each of four cups halfway with shaved ice. Top each with â…“ cup syrup, more ice, and another 1/3 cup syrup, garnishing with 2 tablespoons chopped strawberries and drizzling with 1 tablespoon condensed milk. (Adapted from www.myrecipes.com.)

Baltimore Snoball: Combine 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup cream, and 1 teaspoon vanilla and bring to a simmer. Beat together 3 egg yolks and 3 tablespoons sugar. Gradually whisk in hot milk mixture, return to heat, and stir over low heat until thickened. Strain and chill. For each snowball fill a cup halfway with shaved ice and drizzle with egg custard sauce. Top with 2 tablespoons marshmallow fluff. Add more ice, drizzle with additional egg custard sauce, and top with another dollop of marshmallow fluff. (Adapted from www.epicurious.com.)