I often dream of the first time I had ricotta gelato from Grom in Florence, Italy. I was in gelato nirvana. Over the years, I've tried a number of recipes in an attempt to experience that feeling at home. Even the recipe from Ici in California that gets rave reviews did not do it for me. One day I stumbled upon a Gourmet recipe for a Watermelon Sundae that cleverly combined a rich ricotta ice cream and icy-cold watermelon. I immediately made the ice cream and after a few tweaks, I finally found the texture and flavor similar to what I had experienced at Grom. The addition of a little more cream and candied citrus peels (orange, citron, lemon) was the trick. The Grom version did not have chocolate or pistachios but these addtions make for an even more delicious, cannoli- like ice cream. I've made this with homemade ricotta, a good store-bought ricotta and even a fresh sheep's milk ricotta. The sheep's milk ricotta gives the closest taste to Grom's. Note that no cooking is required for this recipe.

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