Mooo…. i scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream

I tasted Moorenko’s ice-cream about a month or so ago for the first time and let me just say that there has been no looking back. My kids adored the ginger ice-cream and I must say that they have good taste!

I interviewed Susan Soorenko about her love of ice cream and how she has created it into such a terrific business

• Tell me little bit about your background.

Grew up in Philadelphia. I have two sons, 28 and 24. Studied dance for many years and was a fitness trainer for 25 years.

• How did you get into ice-cream making?
I was on vacation with my sons and we tasted some really good ice cream. My kids suggested I find a way to bring that ice cream back to NoVA (they say they meant a quart, not a company). When I couldn’t work out the details for that, I decided to make my own.

• I have tasted your ice-creams.. and oh, that ginger ice-cream.. i could eat it for breakfast. Do you get tempted?

I don’t consider that a temptation. I consider it an obligation to my customers. In my world, there is no wrong time to eat ice cream. It’s just as valid at breakfast as it is after I’ve eaten all of my spinach. Actually, because it’s not unusual for me to be tasting a number of times during the workday, I usually crave savory foods, especially since I can get my hands on more ice cream than I could ever eat anytime I want.

• What are some of your favorite flavors?

Coconut Almond, Chocolate Peanut Butter. Both of those taste so wonderful to me that I savor every bite. I adore our Pistachio White Chocolate. It’s such an expensive flavor that I don’t have it very often, but I just love the grainy texture of the pistachios and the earthiness of it. Also, the Grapefruit Campari sorbet. However, my favorite changes with my mood.

• How do you decide on a flavor?

I really don’t know how to answer this one. Sometimes flavors are suggested by customers or friends. Sometimes my staff comes up with things. Frequently and idea will wake me up. I try to come up with complementary twists on things so the flavor is not too far from something familiar, but different enough to make you pay attention.

• You were telling me that people could “rent” your space for an event and create their own ice-cream flavors. Can you tell my readers more about that?

We offer the opportunity to be the Ice Cream Chef for the Day (basic price is $200 for up to 8 people in the kitchen, then $25 for each person above 8). You get to design your flavor (in consultation with me to make sure it’s doable) and and name it, make it, and then eat it. Everyone gets to take some home, the remainder we sell in our store with your name on it and it gets promoted in our weekly email blast. People frequently give this as a gift or people who want a signature ice cream for an event can do it. For example if a couple wants a special flavor for a wedding or a child wants a flavor created for their Bar/Bat Mitzvah. We just had a 11th Birthday party where all of the kids were involved in making the ice cream. It was a lot of fun and a very unique party.

• Where can my readers buy your ice-cream?
Moorenko’s Ice Creams can be purchased at our shop, 8030 Georgia Avenue, where you’ll find the largest selection of flavors. Also at all local Whole Foods Markets, selected Giant Food Stores, all of the MOMs markets, Roots, and many independent markets (if it’s not in yours, let us know and we’ll see if we can get in there!). We’re in about 90 local restaurants, and in the new year we’ll be in 8 The Fresh Market stores.

For more information: http://www.moorenkosicecream.com/