SeeCalifornia.com

Pictured: S’mores Ice Cream Cake

This week several of California’s favorite summer foods are celebrated at the Chula Vista Lemon Festival (lemonade) and La Habra Corn Festival (fresh roasted corn.) If you have a yearning for these tastes you can also head to one of more than 23 fairs throughout the state in the month of August.

After writing about the fires in Northern and Central California yesterday, I had my own close-to-home reminder about fires — and food. The indescribable smell of bonfires from Bolsa Chica State Beach wafted through the air into my house on a humid night. Though bonfires at beaches are normally kinda’ cool, people unfortunately bring & burn broken furniture with varnishes, wood pallets with nails and all sorts of things they’re asked not to use. The chemicals contained in some wood-based products not only smell bad, but they release toxins that beach-goers actually cook their hot dogs and S’mores in.

When you go to the beach to enjoy a free fire ring (our beaches have 600 of them,) bring plain wood and enjoy a delicious dessert made with chocolate bars and roasted marshmallows sandwiched in a pair of graham crackers. Better yet, try this recipe from America’s Test Kitchen in your home.

S’mores Ice Cream Cake

• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 8 whole graham crackers, broken into pieces, plus 8 quartered along dotted seams
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup marshmallow creme
• 3 pints chocolate ice cream
• 26 large marshmallows, halved crosswise