Mama's Gelato & Pizzeria at IWA Bazaar

Thank you so much for all of you who came and visited our booth at the 2011 International Charity Bazaar. This annual was organized by the Indian Women's Association in Jakarta and featured many arts and crafts from various Asian countries, including Vietnam, India and Indonesia.

Here are some snapshots of the event. We will keep you updated when Mama's Gelato will join in another fun bazaar near you!

Available for take away: Lasagna Beef & Veggie,

Macaroni Schotel, Carrot Cake, Chocolate Chip Muffin

2011 International Charity Bazaar 

The Bazaar features various arts and handicrafts

from various Asian countries.

Mama's Gelato & Pizzeria

International Charity Bazaar - Jakarta

Thought to remind you that Mama's Gelato & Pizzeria will be at the International Charity Bazaar organized by the Indian Women's Association in Jakarta. The event will feature many goods from various countries worldwide.

When: Wednesday, August 10th, 9am-6pm
Where: Four Seasons Hotel, Ballroom, Jakarta

Please visit out booth at the Bazaar. Our "Sweet and Savory" yummies are available for you. Please see our catering menu for available items at www.mamasgelato.com

We'll be waiting!

Click on image to enlarge

From Our Home to Yours

We are excited to share with you our NEW CATERING MENU. All made to order. Come have a taste!

click image to enlarge

Cooking w/ Cheese

We love cheese at Mama's Gelato & Pizzeria. It's a staple ingredient ini our recipes and gives flavor to our dishes, from lasagna, pizza to pasta. Here are some tips we collected over the years that we think you would find useful for your home kitchen. 

Choosing:

- Shop with your eyes. Always, always, always look at the expiration date of cheese, or any other product for that matter, that you buy. 

- Some cheese, like parmesan, are better purchased on the rind than pre-grated. A little exercise with the grater makes all the difference. Not to mention toned arms!

Keeping:

- To keep cheese moist and mold -free, always double wrap it when storing it in the fridge/freezer. You can use parchment paper first then wrap it with aluminum foil. 

- Type of cheeses that can be kept frozen: parmesan, mozzarella, goat cheese, cheddar, gruyere. Soft cheeses, like brie, are best not frozen.

Cooking:

- Remember when cooking w/ parmesan cheese, make sure to follow the recipe if specified. The grate size, such as fine, medium or coarse, can impact the way your food tastes because it alters the weight and volume. 

- It's easy to use a grater with hard cheese, but what if the recipe calls for soft cheese? Semplice! Just brush on a bit of oil on the side of the grater/grate box. 

Cleaning:

- Having a hard time getting those bits of cheese off your grater? Soak it in hot, soapy water for about 10 minutes dan use a soft brush to clean the grate holes. 

Happy cooking!

SUGAR FREE-DIABETIC GELATO: Sweet Treats for Everyone

We received a lot of requests from loyal customers to bring back our series of SUGAR FREE - DIABETIC GELATO and SORBETTO, so here they are just in time for summer!

Our gourmet DIABETIC GELATO is made from imported ingredients from Italy. It is milk based and sweetened with fructose, which is a natural simple sugar found in fruits, honey and vegetables.

There are three kinds of sugars that a person normally consumes:
1. Glucose: made when your body breaks down starches (such as rice)
2. Fructose: sugar found naturally in fruits or fruit juices
3. Sucrose: table sugar

We make our DIABETIC GELATO without added sucrose, which means it is SUGAR FREE. This gelato series is ideal if you are trying control your weight, with diabetes or just prefer a healthier option when satisfying your sweet tooth.

Always remember to take everything in moderation to protect your overall health.

Over the next few months, we will continue to launch new flavors of our  SUGAR FREE - DIABETIC GELATO & SORBETTO series. Make sure you taste each one!

New Menu: ITALIAN QUICHE LORRAINE

We always love to bring an Italian twist into classic dishes such as the Quiche Lorraine, which originally hails from the region of Lorraine in France.

Our selection of Quiche range from spinach, beef salami, and chicken mushroom. We've added Italian cheese to our pies, which we hope you will love as much as we do!

Available at Mama's Gelato & Pizzeria, Pondok Indah Mal 1, Ground Floor or call for delivery (021) 32477987.

This delightful dish is perfect for breakfast, lunch or as an afternoon snack. Buon appetito!

Italian Twist on Quiche Lorraine:

Beef salami, Chicken mushroom, Spinach

Come Support "Bulir Padi: Enlighten & Empower Book Drive"

Books are a gift that enlighten and empower.

We at Mama's Gelato & Pizzeria, together with 71 Sandwich House, are proud to support Bulir Padi Foundation in another charity project called "Enlighten & Empower Book Drive".

Come join us to support this wonderful cause, which will help build a new community library for low income kids and families in West Jakarta.

If you or your children have gently used books piling up at home, please donate them to our book drive. New books are also welcome! Book drive drop off points between 23 June - 18 June:

- Mama's Gelato & Pizzeria, Pondok Indah Mal 1, Ground Floor, East Entrance (Across ATM BCA), or
- 71 Sandwich House, Jl Gunawarman no. 71, Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta.

Since 2002 Bulir Padi Foundation has provided merit-based scholarships to over 400 low-income kids in Jakarta with the support of its big brother and sister sponsors. For more information go to www.bulirpadi.com or email bulirpadi.foundation@gmail.com

ENGLISH e-flyer (click to enlarge)

BAHASA INDONESIA e-flyer

"Like" Us on Facebook!

Come visit our Facebook fan page and "Like" us at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mamas-Gelato-Pizzeria/193284914045558

You will find updates and photos on our menu, products and more!

Baking with Bananas

Inspired by several tweets of a friend of ours that we read in our @mamasgelato Twitter timeline recently, we decided to share tips and tricks on how to bake with this fabulous fruit. We've had several baking mishaps in an effort to create the perfect recipe for our "Banana, Chocolate & Walnut Loaf" (which we have added on to our Mama's Gelato & Pizzeria 'DESSERT BAR MENU' by the way). Here are some tricks we learned along the way.


We hope these tips will help you make better desserts for your loved ones. Keep us posted on the results!


1. ALWAYS USE OVER-RIPE BANANAS. Yes, we mean the darker and heavily speckled fruit, which equals to sweeter and moister bananas. You may want to make sure to adjust the sugar used in the recipe, so keep an eye on the sweetness level. 
2. REV UP THE PROCESS. Your local supermarket most likely will not be well-stocked in over-ripe bananas. So, what you can do is speed up the ripening process, and place the bananas in a paper bag out on the kitchen counter (not refrigerated). They will be ready for use in a few days. 
2. NOTHING GOES TO WASTE. If you have some over-ripe bananas that you don't need to use right away, just seal them in a plastic bag and freeze. Thaw them out to room temperature before using. 
3. SMOOTH OPERATOR. We always soften our bananas with a fork before incorporating it with other ingredients. Sometimes it helps to mix it with the wet ingredients in a separate bowl before folding it into the dry ingredients. 
4. FOLD DON'T MIX. Lightly fold the banana and wet ingredients mixture into the dry ingredients. Don't over-mix, or the end product will be tough and rubbery. The consistency we look for is thick and chunky batter. 
5. THE HEAT IS ON. The key for a cake or any other dessert to be baked thoroughly well is that it needs even and all-around heat distribution. Professional ovens are definitely better at doing this than household ones - but do not worry! Try insulating the cake pan by placing it on a thick baking/cookie sheet. Or, you may also want to try and wrap aluminum foil on the outer sides of cake pans as well. 


One more thing; always remember never take recipes at face value. Local produce and ingredients are different everywhere, so adjust recipes as you see fit and make them your own!

Sorbetto: All About Fruit

This delightful thirst-quenching frozen dessert is made from fruit puree and whipped to achieve an ultra light and smooth texture. Sorbetti (plural form of sorbetto) is all about fruit and then some. These frozen desserts rely on fresh fruit juice and sugar for flavor and contain no eggs, cream or milk (dairy free), so don't confuse sorbets with sherbets, which have milk added for creaminess. For those of you who are lactose intolerant or counting calories, sorbetto is a delightful dessert that is perfect for you.

You will find popular gelato flavors, such as hazelnut, pistachio, chocolate, straciatella in Northern Italy, whereas the South prides itself with bringing mouth-watering and refreshing sorbetto flavors, such as strawberry, watermelon and lemon.

Our Lemon Sorbetto is just oozing with freshness

If you go to a respectable gelateria (ice cream parlor) in Italy, like Giolitti in Rome, you will find that your taste buds will be titillated by vast choices available of milk/cream-based gelati (Italian ice cream) and fruit-based sorbetti (Italian ice/sorbet).

Jakartans, you don't have to travel all the way to Italy to have a taste. Drop by Mama's Gelato & Pizzeria at Pondok Indah Mal 1 - Ground Floor, and let our gelati & sorbetti do the work and transport your taste buds there!

Gelati and Sorbetti to please your palate 

- only at Mama's Gelato & Pizzeria

Speak Your Mind

Mama's Gelato & Pizzeria is now listed on OpenRice.com. Please click here to go to the OpenRice.com website or view the full link http://id.openrice.com/jakarta/restaurant/sr2.htm?shopid=16642

Do tell us your thoughts and comments, as your feedback will only help us provide you with better service. We would love to hear from you. Thank you for your support!

Crazy for Carrot Cake

Let's give a warm welcome to the latest addition in our Dessert Bar at Mama's Gelato & Pizzeria: Carrot & Walnut Cake w/ Cream Cheese Frosting. 


Yes, carrot cake actually hails from Britain not Italy, but, hey, we don't discriminate against anything that tastes sweet and yummy. Better yet carrot cake is considered a healthier option to the traditional fruit cake because it uses fresh ingredients as opposed to dry ones.

Here are our top 3 (three) reasons why you should share our love for it:
1) Carrots are good source of vitamin A/beta carotene, which is an anti-oxidant and helps prevent cell degeneration. They're also good for the skin and not to mention your vision!
2) Walnuts are an excellent source of protein and packed with fiber, Vitamin B and E. These wonderful walnuts are also filled with omega 3 fatty acids, which are known to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. 
3) We use vegetable oil, not butter, in our cake batter. Research shows that soy bean oil is low in saturated fat and contains no trans fat, which means it benefits those with heart disease. It is also rich in antioxidants and Vitamin E.


So, what are you waiting for? Now you know why we're crazy for carrot cake. It's guilt-free dessert at your fingertips!

Mama's Gelato & Pizzeria's Carrot & Walnut Cake

(photo courtesy of Yustina Wijaya)

Please email mamagelato@gmail.com or call (021) 32477987 to order any of our dessert bar selections.

Look Good, Feel Good

Mama's Gelato & Pizzeria is very happy to partner with 71 Sandwich House and support Bulir Padi (BP) Foundation and its efforts to provide scholarships for children in Palmerah, West Jakarta to complete their high school education. Each year BP sponsors 50 students in its scholarship program since it was founded in 2002.

"Bags for School" fundraiser at 71 Sandwich House

The Foundation's most recent fundraiser "Bag's for School" was a great success and managed to sell 50+ vintage branded bags and accessories. BP's sales proceeds go to fund the Foundation's scholarships, which are incentive-driven (kids w/ GPA > 8.0 receive 100% tuition and those w/ GPA < 8.0 receive 75% tuition).

Over 50 bags and accessories were sold to raise 

funds for the Bulir Padi scholarship program.

In addition to enjoying two days of guilt-free shopping, BP's Bag's for School patrons also got to taste Mama's Gelato & Pizzeria delicious mini pizzas, quiches and cream puffs as well as mini sandwiches from 71 Sandwich House on Jl. Gunawarman no. 71, South Jakarta.

Yummy munchies courtesy of

Mama' Gelato & Pizzeria and 71 Sandwich House

The event also featured the launch of new indie clothing label S'Habiller, whose line includes affordable ready-to-wear wrap dresses and chic tops.

Truly an excellent way of to look good, with your very own authentic vintage branded bag, and feel good, as proceeds are for charity!

Check out this link at www.rileks.com for video coverage of the event and interview w/ BP founders:  http://www.rileks.com/details/
234/cuci-gudang-merk-merk-ternama-look-good-feel-good- 

Bulir Padi founders (left to right)

Tia Sutresna, Irma Isnaedi and Illiana Wijanarko

In Our Community: Bulir Padi "Bags for School"

We all believe in the power of education to shape one's future. Where would we be without it? That's why Mama's Gelato & Pizzeria is proud to support the Bulir Padi Foundation "Bags for School" event on April 7th and 8th at 71 Sandwich House, Jl. Gunawarman no. 71, South Jakarta.

Please click on the image to view the e-flyer and get event details. See you there!

Taste for the Original

Recreating something that originates far away is not always an easy task. As makers of Mama's Gelato in Jakarta, we wanted to make sure that our gelato comes close to the original. What better way to do this than taking a trip to La Bella Italia and taste some local favorites? Here are highlights from our "research", which we are only too happy to report.

- GIOLITTI, Via del Ufficio del Vicario no. 40, Roma (Rome)
One of our favorites by far. Rich, creamy and tastes oh so McDreamy. Opt to top your gelato with home made whipped cream (or "panna" as the Italians call it). You won't find any aerated canned versions here!

- SAN CRISPINO, Via della Panetteria no. 42, Roma
The taste of its gelato is just as heavenly as its namesake. We thought it was interesting that each flavor was housed in a stainless steel containers. This is for gelato purists, as San Crispino provides good texture gelato in simple flavors. Popular with locals and tourists.


- VIVOLI, Via Isole delle Stinche no. 7, Firenze (Florence)
Located on a small side street (like anything worth to find), and following the tradition of many gelato artisans in Italy, this place only serves gelato in a cup. We tend to agree, as you can taste the flavor and texture of gelati better than eating out of  a cone. But, to each her own. There's no right or wrong way. Everyone loves gelato no matter how it's served!

- Random Gelato Bar near Il Duomo, Firenze
You will find many gelato bars along the streets of popular tourist destinations. Be forewarned: it's a hit or miss! Some places actually serve decent gelato while others offer mass-produced products with artificial flavors. Tread and taste carefully!

What's the difference between Gelato and Ice Cream?

Italian style ice cream is called gelato, which translated into English means "frozen" (from the Italian word "gelare" or "to freeze").

Gelato uses more milk than cream compared to its French and American style ice creams, hence it is lower in fat than the latter.

You will find that Italian gelato (or "gelati" in plural form) is more dense and creamy in texture compared to its French and American counterparts.

We believe that there's no better or worse between the different styles. It's all a matter of personal preference and taste. Why not do your own taste test, and tell us what you think?

Our Gelato

At Mama's Gelato & Pizzeria, we create 16 Italian style gelato flavors at a time and rotate them frequently to maintain flavor and freshness of ingredients. In addition to gelati, we also make milkshakes, affogato, shakes and smoothies. Diabetic gelato is also available.