Whipping cream is another word for heavy cream.
Heavy cream has a high fat content -- between 36 and 40 percent -- that allows it to double in volume when whipped. Whipping cream is used to make whipped cream (or chantilly, which is slightly sweetened whipped cream).
Do not try to whip light cream, as it will not obey, no matter how hard you beat it.
Vanilla extract is a vanilla-flavored liquid made from vanillin, one of the organic components that creates the aroma in vanilla beans. A century ago, vanilla extract was produced in apothecary shops and taken to soothe upset stomachs. Today, it's used to flavor desserts (and has become a popular flavoring for savory dishes as well).
Pure vanilla extract is made by extracting the vanilla flavor by macerating the bean in alcohol and water. The FDA requires at least 13.35 ounces of vanilla beans per gallon of at least 35 percent alcohol (and 65 percent water). But the quality of the beans is not regulated and can vary accordingly. And even though vanilla is naturally sweet, the extract may contain added sugar, corn syrup, caramel, colorings or stabilizers.
Vanilla extract deepens with age and will hang out until you need it in a cool, dry place.
You really get what you pay for when it comes to vanilla. Beware of imitation vanilla flavoring, which is harsh-tasting and no match for the real thing.
You can make your own vanilla extract by soaking split vanilla beans in vodka or rum in a sterilized bottle and allowing it to steep in a cool, dark place for about 8 weeks, shaking it every few days.
Pure vanilla is the fruit of an edible orchid, which opens once a year for a few hours in order to be pollinated.
The long, thin vanilla bean is harvested while green, cured and dried in the sun for several months until it becomes dark brown and sprouts edible vanillin crystals. Vanilla beans are primarily harvested in Madagascar, Mexico and Tahiti.
The vanilla bean is used to make vanilla extract, vanilla powder from the dried pod and vanilla sugar. Beware of imitation vanilla flavoring.
When cooking with vanilla beans, split the bean lengthwise using a sharp knife and scrape the pod to extract the seeds. If you are using the vanilla bean to flavor milk or cream for a pudding or sauce made on the stovetop, you can also add the split bean to the mixture; the seeds will be released as the mixture heats (remove the bean before serving).
Otherwise, add your dry, de-seeded vanilla beans to a jar of sugar -- they will perfume it with a subtle vanilla essence.
Gelato is Italian for ice cream.
The difference between most American and Italian ice creams is that gelato has less air (usually less than 35 percent), making it dense and rich. Like ice cream, gelato can be made with milk, sugar and things like fruit, nuts (hazelnut gelato is a Northern Italian specialty) or chocolate.
Unlike ice cream, traditional gelato is not homogenized, meaning that it melts faster. Gelato is kept frozen in a special forced-air freezer that keeps it at a firm but not rock-solid temperature that means it can be eaten straight out of the freezer. Putting gelato in a traditional ice cream freezer overfreezes it.
Milk-based gelato is traditional in Northern Italy. Water-based fruit sorbetto is more common in the South of Italy.
