Instructions: You know how to eat ice cream, dont you? Silly question. Youve been doing this since you were 2. You just stick out your tongue and lick.

Ah, no, for the true ice cream aficionado - and you do pride yourself on being one - anticipation builds long before the first bite. And when you do eat ice cream, youre savoring a combination of aroma, texture and flavor - and memory.

"Ice cream is so nostalgic. We have an association with specific ingredients or an ice cream name that may bring memories," says Dale Conoscenti, who formerly held the title of chef-philosopher for Ben & Jerrys Homemade Inc. in Burlington, Vt. "For so many, ice cream is an event. We create a certain feeling around the experience of eating ice cream.

During days when Id eat a pint of ice cream at a sitting, Id think about it for hours ahead of time," says Conoscenti, who is now the licensing and franchising manager for the company.

One of his favorite childhood recollections was summer afternoons, sitting on a curb with his friends and eating Good Humor Creamsicle Cream Pop Bars, with their combination of vanilla ice cream and orange ice.

Bruce Weinstein also whets his appetite with memories. "I wanted to re-create ice creams with the flavors and textures found in an old-fashioned ice-cream parlor," says Weinstein, an ice-cream lover and author of

Once youve set your ice cream mood, youll want to take the necessary steps to taste and enjoy every bite. Start with temperature. Its the thing youll first notice, the experts say. Conoscenti takes a pint of ice cream from the freezer and refrigerates it 30 minutes before eating. "It has to be the right temperature, not too cold, not too wet and mushy," he says.

Then texture: "When you bite into ice cream and say, This is good, youre responding to texture. Even before flavor, youre hit with the texture," Weinstein says. "You definitely dont want to feel ice crystals. Thats a sure sign the ice cream has been defrosted and refrozen."

The texture should be smooth, without the gritty sensation of ice. It should be dense, which indicates theres a low proportion of air whipped in (often referred to as the overrun). Premium ice creams with a low proportion of air are dense, a quality ice-cream lovers can sink their teeth into. "It feels better in your mouth. It has a chewy quality I love," Weinstein says.

You probably wont notice a greasy texture in commercial ice creams. That unpleasant, coat-the-roof-of-your-mouth sensation is the result of an ice cream recipe that uses too much fat. Taste is ultimately what you want from ice cream.

"When you bite in, the flavor hits your mouth, goes through your nose to the back of your throat," Weinstein says. "You want to be hit with the flavor. You dont want to have to guess what the flavor is."

His key is to keep formulations simple and use quality ingredients. "I use double-strength vanilla. Its flowery. Its heaven," Weinstein says.

Conoscenti looks for balance and for big flavors. "We have to understand sweetness levels. We get a pleasant sensation when sweet things hit our tongue, but then other flavors have to take hold. You cant have so much sweetness that it overwhelms other flavors," he says.

He mixes in berries for a slightly tart accent or peanuts for a salty contrast, and the more the better. "I go for something with a lot in it - marshmallow swirls, candy and cookie pieces," Conoscenti says.

Whether you prefer making your own ice cream or using a commercially made product, here are ways to create your own delicious experiences.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.