Correction: The original version of this story misattributed a quote. The quote was made by Case, not Chaplin.

Fried chicken and waffles is considered a Southern delicacy, but Natasha Case, the co-founder and co-owner of Coolhaus, thinks it makes a great ice cream sandwich.

Coolhaus, the food truck that sells these out-of-the-ordinary ice cream sandwiches will be giving away free samples tonight at the Food Truck Panel in Ackerman Grand Ballroom. Case will be one of the panelists, along with her partner, Freya Estreller, and speakers from L.A. Weekly.

The ice cream sandwich company, which was started by Case and Estreller in 2008, sells a wide array of flavors, including Red Velvet, Coffee Oreo and Dirty Mint. Most of the ingredients are organic, and the dairy they use is hormone-free.

“I’m inspired by the things we eat at restaurants. We see things on the menu and are interested in making it into an ice cream sandwich. Sometimes, we make custom flavors for private parties,” Case said.

Not only does Coolhaus convert exotic flavors into ice cream sandwiches, but the company also combines both architecture and food into its sandwiches.

Case, who received her masters of architecture degree at UCLA in 2008, received her inspiration when she studied architecture abroad in Italy. After seeing the quality in the ingredients in some dishes, she formed the first thought of applying the idea of food with architecture.

Her second and main inspiration came when she built a model for a student housing project during her last year at the Department of Architecture at UC Berkeley. Her architecture professor criticized her model because it looked like a layer cake. So, during the second round, Case created a model entirely out of cake and noticed that most everyone in the class was paying attention.

“The attention that I captured through having an edible model stuck with me in a way,” Case said. “People just started relating more and feeling more welcome and excited. Incorporating architecture and ice cream makes it more approachable to have a discussion about architecture rather than having a lecture at Perloff (Hall) which is more intimidating.”

As for today’s panel, Case will be discussing the global food movement, more specifically, the food-truck phenomenon. She will focus on why Los Angeles’ history and background make food trucks a new part of its culture.

Cathy Chaplin, a blogger for the Gastronomy Blog, will also be a panelist. Her perspective is that the food-truck business is waning. As opposed to being a hot trend in year’s past, it’s now more like a staple.

“I really love Coolhaus. They were one of the first ones. I love them because they’re entrepreneurial, and they repackaged something into something more than that,” Chaplin said. “I love supporting independent business. In this economy it’s super important.”

Today, Coolhaus has expanded to major cities such as New York City, Miami and Austin, TX. They recently opened a headquarters in Culver City late 2011. Case plans for the company to keep growing.

“There’s definitely no reason to not entertain the idea of expanding internationally. I would to spend time and open a business in Asia. … I know Paris and Rome quite well, maybe in London. The possibilities, I wouldn’t rule it out,” Case said.