Bologna, May 30th 2019 – In the summer of 2019 a group of travelling filmmakers will begin the American road trip searching for the Secret to Happiness. "Some Like It Cold - USA Mission" will be filmed with the support of Carpigiani Frozen Dessert University in collaboration with Gelato University. The mini-series will include 8 episodes and extra teasers based around the frozen dessert success stories. Every episode of the traveling mini-series will focus on a unique protagonist who comes from diverse backgrounds. Each of the artisans have their own path that led them to ice cream or gelato. One of them is the former pastry chef of the infamous Noma who develops vegan frozen dessert recipes, another is an energetic young woman who drives a massive gelato food truck. Not only do the chef backgrounds change, but each chef uses different ingredients in their own way such as the Pennsylvanian who creates seasonal ice cream recipes based on availability of fresh ingredients ranging from flowers to carrots, or the Brooklynite who has never changed his secret recipes. These are some of the stories that will be told in the new mini-series led by director Aldo Innocenti. The film crew will depart from Manhattan on June 6th and then head west, concluding the sweet tour in Minnesota on June 30th.

The series will be available on Carpigiani Gelato University's YouTube channel and on Carpigiani Facebook page.

Here is the list of the 8 protagonists of this road trip:

• Jon Snyder from the Laboratorio del Gelato in Manhattan, New York

Jon comes from an Ice Cream making family of a well-known franchise. He opened Ciao Bella Gelato in 1989, serving artisanal gelato at the best restaurants in Manhattan. In 2002 he opened the Laboratorio del Gelato on the Lower East Side, a large open production space where he produces 300 flavors for the public and for local restaurants and cafés. In 2017 he opened a second store in Greenwich Village. 

• Malcolm Livingston from 36 Brix by Ghetto Gastro in Bronx, New York

Former pastry chef at Noma in Copenhagen and co-founder of the artistic culinary collective Ghetto Gastro that creates fusions of Music, Fashion, Black Power and haute cuisine. His Ice Cream project is called 36 Brix. The name alludes to the technical name for sugar levels used in Ice Cream alchemy as well the famous Hip Hop album 36 Chambers by Wu Tang Clan. The frozen dessert brand is in its infancy as all the flavors are plant based vegan flavors and presented in luxury settings.

• Dino Russo from Uncle Louie G's in Staten Island, New York

The self-made entrepreneur created a Water Ice and Ice Cream empire from nothing. Dino Russo’s efforts are helping to maintain the classic American product called “Italian Ice” or “Water Ice” created indigenously by Americans of Italian descent.

• John Fezzuoglio from Owowcow in Ottsville, Pennsylvania

The Ice Cream parlor as a point of reference for an entire community. John does not write down his recipes and lets himself be inspired by the ingredients of local producers creating new Ice Creams literally every day. He studies and experiments with flavors and ingredient combinations using only organic or locally sourced ingredients. He currently has five stores dedicated to Premium Ice Cream.

• Linda Mercurio from Mercurio's Pizza & Gelato in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The perfect evening for the Mercurio family has two ingredients: pizza and gelato! A dual shop dedicated to these two pillars of Italian cuisine. Members of the Mercurio family studied how to make gelato and Neapolitan pizza in Italy, offering customers an authentic Italian menu from entrée to dessert.

• Lara Hammell from Izzy's Ice Cream in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

There's always a line at this large shop in the capital of Minnesota. The founders learned the secrets of frozen dessert at Carpigiani Gelato University, used these skills to perfect their take on Premium Ice Cream. However, Izzy’s is more than an Ice Cream shop, it is a community center. Every year they organize a contest to let their customers choose new flavors to put on the menu. In addition, they offer every customer an “Izzy scoop” which is a free extra scoop to help their customers try new flavors that they otherwise might be too shy to do so and when you order a cone you always get an extra scoop of another flavor of your choice, just to try it.

• Kathy Turek from The Knotted Cone Gelato in Appleton, Wisconsin

Inspired by travels in Italy, Kathy become obsessed with the unique Gelato she had tried in Italy and knew she wanted to bring this form of frozen dessert to her home state of Wisconsin. After graduating from Carpigiani Gelato University, she created a Gelato food truck where she produces authentic Gelato using the best local ingredients such as the famous Wisconsin dairy and locally made ricotta. 

• Billy Lodde from The Igloo in Lafayette, Indiana.

The Some Like it Cold van will zoom over to try the classic egg based treat: Frozen Custard at the one and only The Igloo in Lafayette, Indiana. The shop is run by Bill Lodde, a third-generation Frozen Custard maker who has steadfastly maintained the original recipe his grandfather developed while seeing trends rise and fall. The Igloo represents the classic Frozen Custard shop ubiquitous to the Midwest and is one of the oldest continuously run business in Indiana.

ICE CREAM & GELATO

Ice Cream and Gelato are two frozen products that have deep links to history and to their countries of origin. Consumers of all ages enjoy Ice Cream and Gelato the world over as the two cold treats simultaneously coexist, but there is often confusion on what is the difference between the two beloved desserts.

It is very common for the word gelato to be translated into English and other languages as ice cream or its local equivalent. However, there are significant differences between Gelato and Ice Cream. In the United States, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), the government body that deals with the regulation of food and pharmaceutical products, defines Ice Cream. The FDA defines Ice Cream as a frozen dairy product with no less than 10% butterfat. There is no distinction between artisan or industrial production. Gelato is not legally defined by FDA.

Ice Cream makers like their Gelato counterparts have a long tradition of making freshly made products in the United States. Large international brands of Ice Cream, made on an industrial scale have made large headways into American supermarkets; but as every American knows, nothing compares to Ice Cream fresh on-site from the local Ice Cream Parlor that uses local ingredients and employees from the community.