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The Scoop on Gelato
A cool idea to make gelato brings a bit of la dolce vita to Durham.
CEO'S GELATO BISTRO OWNER
Carolyn Ottney spent 28 years pursuing a
career in finance and subcontract management.
In 2015, her passion for gelato -
the Italian version of ice cream - motivated
her to go in a completely different
direction and learn how to make the
creamy treat.
She enrolled at Ice Cream University
in West Orange, New Jersey, where she
learned the basic how-to skills. Later, she
spent time in Bologna, Italy, taking master
classes in the science behind making gelato.
Once Ottney had confidence in her skills,
she began to experiment with different flavor
combinations, setting up a commercial
kitchen in Dover and making gelato from
scratch. Her inspiration, she says, was " fueled
by the delicious gelato that I was able
to produce, even in those early days. "
Two years ago, Ceo's Gelato Bistro,
formerly located in Portsmouth, moved to
Madbury Road in Durham. Just reading the
shop's flavor board is a delight. Standbys
like vanilla and chocolate will always be on
offer, and the extensive list of other flavors
includes such temptations as berry basil,
cinnamon chipotle swirl, ricotta and fig,
and roasted peach crisp.
Not stopping there, Ottney has been
known to whip up more than 50 different
kinds of sorbetto. For her, making gelato
is a never-ending process of learning and
churning. It keeps her going, one scoop at
a time!
Mary Ann Esposito [MAE]: What
inspired you to make gelato?
Carolyn Ottney [CO]: I must confess that
I set my sights on opening a gelato shop
long before I had any intention of making
it myself! I just really loved the product
and felt that it would be the perfect
business to own. When I realized that I
would have to learn how to make gelato,
I started experimenting at home, making
it in small batches. Once I got the basics
down, I experimented with different flavors,
with a plan to have 50 flavors under
my belt before starting my business. As I
got closer to opening the shop in Portsmouth,
I took a class at Ice Cream University,
which helped me to make gelato on
a larger scale and with the commercial
equipment that I would be using once I
launched the business.
MAE: Are customers aware that gelato
is not ice cream?
CO: Yes! We describe the differences often,
and once they try a sample, they can tell
that it's clearly different. Gelato comes
from the Italian word " gelare " (to freeze).
Ice cream has a minimum of 10% fat, while
gelato has about 5% to 7% fat. Also, gelato
is churned at a much lower speed than
ice cream, so not as much air is whipped
into it, which leaves it much denser and
creamier. Gelato contains about 25% to
30% air while ice cream can have as much
as 50%.
Unfortunately, some people won't even
try gelato because it's not ice cream! But
most are delighted with the texture, the
flavor and the fact that it's even healthier
for them. They are also often surprised
that they can combine flavors in any size,
which they can't always do with ice cream.
MAE: How do you come up with the flavors?
CO: The menu is continually rotating,
and I want to be sure I have a good
representation of categories, including
Interview and recipes by Mary Ann Esposito / Photography by John W. Hession
July/August 2024 31
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