Carmel Magazine

Local Father Creates Low-Allergen Ice Cream A fter setting out to make allergen-free ice cream for his 4-year-old daughter, Torian, Butch Adams became a self-described "mad scientist." "I became obsessed," says the Seaside resident. "Every night I was con- cocting something." His experiments delighted Torian, who suffers from severe food allergies, but Adams and his wife, Zephyr, weren't satisfied with those early recipes. Then, he churned out a batch of caramel ice cream. "When Zephyr tasted the caramel, she just said, 'Wow...' When I got that reaction, I knew it was good. To this day, that's her favorite," says Adams. Eventually, the ice cream maker decided to go pro. Adams opened Kai Lee Creamery (a combination of his daughters' middle names) in October, scooping 12 flavors at a time in the American Tin Cannery. The recipes leave out corn, wheat, soy, peanuts and other allergens, as well as the dyes, preservatives and stabilizers common in conventional brands. Adams starts with Straus Family Creamery's certified organic ice cream base, a simple mix of milk, cream, sugar and eggs. Finished flavors range from traditional favorites with a twist, such as Triple Bean Vanilla and Chocolate Mousse, to creative blends like Cookie Monster—crushed, crunchy gluten-free cookies folded into vanilla cream. Adams candies gin- ger for the popular Ginger Honey, and he sources ingredients from Seaside's Acme Coffee for the caffeine-rich Road Dog. He also makes gluten-free cones (and crushes them into crust for ice cream pies), and future plans call for a selection of dairy-free flavors, as well. Adams hopes to someday open additional scoop shops in cities where customers crave organic, non-genetically modified ingredients. "I like people to get the best ice cream they can get. I kind of feel like it's my duty, now that I know how to make it...with great power comes great responsibility," he laughs. Kai Lee Creamery is located at #128 in the American Tin Cannery, 125 Ocean View Blvd., Pacific Grove. For hours, flavor lists and other details, visit www.kaileecreamery.com or visit their Facebook page. —Renee Brincks SHORTCUTS NEIGHBORS Kai Lee Creamery in the American Tin Cannery in Pacific Grove provides organic ice cream without many common allergens and preserva- tives, along with gluten-free cones and cookies. Creator Butch Adams taste-tested the recipes on wife Zephyr and daughters Serene and Torian. 62 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 Photo: Kelli Uldall 046-76 Shortcuts_SU05 Carmel Magazine 1/24/14 9:05 AM Page 9

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