On Wednesday night I swung by the launch party for the 5th season of DineLA Restaurant Week. And boy was I glad I did, because besides chatting with a slew of my favorite chefs and drinking Scotch creations by Joe Brooke (who was recently crowned L.A.'s Best Bartender in the eponymous competition), I happened upon my new favorite treat: Drunken Udder alcohol-infused ice cream.

First of all, what's not to love about a frozen dessert made with vodka, rum, bourbon and tequila? Not all together, of course. The woman who created the line is a chef named Nicci Piscitelli, and she's really not fooling around when it comes to flavor. The bourbon salted caramel is a creamy dream of a bite, and I would know because I had several.

"I'm like a little fat kid that's obviously an alcoholic," joked Piscitelli after I told her that she had me at "alcohol-infused."

Other flavors include caramelized white chocolate Godiva; rum-roasted banana; vodka vanilla bean; milk chocolate stout; tequila lime sorbet; and saffron candied ginger Soco. That last one really appeals to my inner 18-year-old, although you have to be 21 to eat this ice cream.

You can check it out at the following website: www.drunkenuddericecream.com, and taste it at Boneyard Bistro in Sherman Oaks and the W Hotel in Westwood.

ALSO:

The search for a better cup of tea

Learn how to make a classic clam chowder. Yum!

Are you a cookbook collector? What're your favorites?

--Jessica Gelt

Photo: Drunken Udder alcohol-infused ice cream. Credit: Jessica Gelt