Here’s the scoop

If you needed another excuse to eat ice cream, here it is. Edy’s will donate 50 cents to The National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations’ awareness programs for each ribbon you clip from the company’s Pink Ribbon packages. To date, more than 50,000 ribbons have been clipped. The ribbons can be found on such flavors as French Silk, Chocolate Fudge Mousse, and S’Mores & More, to name a few. Now if they could only release a study saying ice cream consumption reduces the risk of breast cancer …

Taste of Italy

Speaking of cool ideas, The Store Ampersand in Orono just got its gelato machine up and running. Gelato is a creamy, Italian-style ice cream that is softer and denser than the American version. This week’s flavors include espresso, toasted walnut mocha, cherry, chocolate-hazelnut, and vanilla. For a limited time, The Store will sell gelato at a promotional price of 75 cents a scoop – a sweet deal.

Bowled over

For an elegant, retro way to serve ice cream (or other treats), check out Sur La Table’s brightly colored anodized bowls. They cost $19.95 for a set of six and are available at www.surlatable.com or by calling (800) 243-0852.

Cone head

Almost a century ago, Italo Marchiony had a very cool idea. Literally. Marchiony, who immigrated from Italy in the late 1800s, went into business selling lemon ice from a pushcart in New York City. Looking for a more efficient way to serve it, he developed what we now call an ice cream cone, which made its debut on Sept. 22, 1903. The original was made of paper, and a pastry version – far tastier – came later.

Tidbits is hungry for news about local food products and events. Send your Tidbits by mail to: Bangor Daily News, attn: Kristen Andresen, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor ME 04402-1329; by fax to 941-9476; or by e-mail to kandresen@bangordailynews.net.