Jake Godby

CO-OWNER/CHEF—HUMPHRY SLOCOMBE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA

“I’m passionate about cheese and salty, crunchy things.”

—Jake Godby

Originally from a small town in Ohio, Jake Godby moved to San Francisco to attend the California Culinary Academy. He graduated in 1997, although he says, “I wouldn’t recommend culinary school to anyone.” His real education began when he was working as a pastry chef at Boulevard, Fifth Floor, and Coi and continues today. Jake says, “I am constantly learning.”

One thing Jake has learned over the years is how to make ice cream. Although Jake only made ice cream in small amounts at all of the restaurants he’s worked at, he decided to open his own ice cream parlor when he came into an inheritance in 2009. Soon after, he and his business partner, Sean Vahey, opened Humphry Slocombe, where ice cream flavors range from the traditional (Chocolate, Mint Chocolate Chip) to the exotic (Candied Ginger, Hibiscus Beet Sorbet) to the downright mysterious (Government Cheese, Elvis The Fat Years). But serving unique flavors didn’t always help the store, and in 2012, Jake and Sean courted mild controversy for serving a foie gras ice cream sandwich after California banned the use of foie gras. Jake and Sean were undaunted by criticism, and today Humphry Slocombe has been featured in The New York Times and Bon Appétit magazine and is considered the ice cream authority in the Bay Area.

Jake’s most notable food-inspired tattoos, a parade of ice cream cones around his forearm, were based on designs he drew during the process of opening Humphry Slocombe. He got them done in two five-hour sittings. Jake says, “Opening my shop was an arduous process that took two years, and I figured that if I got the tattoo that there would be no turning back. It was a sign of commitment to myself.” His other prominent tattoos, a “5¢” on his right bicep and a companion “10¢” on his left, represent his hobby of collecting old fixtures and signs from Woolworth’s (some of which adorn the ice cream shop).

Secret Breakfast Ice Cream

Jake is known for his ice creams, and they are represented in his tattoos.

YIELDS 1 QUART

FOR CORN FLAKE COOKIES:

YIELDS 24 COOKIES

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 cups corn flakes

FOR ICE CREAM:

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

2 teaspoons salt

3 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1⁄2 cup bourbon

TO COMPLETE:

1⁄2 cup chopped Corn Flake Cookies

  1. For Corn Flake Cookies: Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer or beating by hand with a wooden spoon, cream the butter with both sugars until smooth and well blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating just until smooth after each addition. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture a little at a time, beating just until incorporated. Fold in the corn flakes. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours; will keep up to 2 weeks.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Scoop golf ball–size portions of dough onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing them about 1" apart. Bake until very well done and dark brown, about 30 minutes for crisp cookies. Transfer to wire racks to cool. If they are still soft when cooled, flip them over and cook for 5 minutes more. (You want crisp cookies to use in the ice cream, but you can also make soft cookies to enjoy separately. For softer cookies, bake 12 to 15 minutes.) When the cookies are cooled and crisp, roughly chop for folding into the ice cream. Store whole cookies in airtight containers at room temperature. They are best enjoyed on the same day but are good for at least 3 days before they start getting stale. (It’s easy to keep dough in the fridge and bake fresh as desired. You’d be kinda silly to make them and not eat them, you know.)
  3. For Ice Cream: Fill a large bowl or pan with ice and water. Place a large, clean bowl in the ice bath and fit the bowl with a fine mesh strainer. In a large, heavy-bottomed, nonreactive saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream, milk, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until hot but not boiling. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until well blended; then whisk in the vanilla.
  4. Remove the cream mixture from the heat. Slowly pour about half of the hot cream mixture into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Transfer the yolk mixture back to the saucepan with the remaining cream mixture and return it to the medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly with rubber spatula and being sure to scrape the bottom of the saucepan so it doesn’t scorch, until the liquid begins to steam and you can feel the spatula scrape against the bottom of the pan, 2 to 3 minutes.
  5. Remove the custard from the heat and immediately pour it through the strainer into the clean bowl you set up in the ice bath. Stir in the bourbon. Let cool, stirring occasionally. When the custard has totally cooled, cover the bowl tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or preferably overnight. When you are ready to freeze the custard, transfer it to an ice cream maker and spin according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  6. To Complete: Right after spinning the ice cream, fold in the chopped cookies. Eat immediately, or transfer to an airtight container, cover, and freeze for up to 1 week.