Nashville pastry chef Lokelani Alabanza has dreamed up more than 300 ice cream flavors over the course of her career.
She just published “Ice Cream Queen: Flavors from Black America’s Past, Present & Future,” and she joins host Scott Tong to talk about the book.
Book excerpt: ‘Ice Cream Queen’
By Lokelani Alabanza
Juneteenth Sorbet
Makes about 1 ½ quarts
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 cup dried hibiscus flowers
- 1 ½ pounds fresh or frozen raspberries
- 1 ½ cups tapioca syrup or light corn syrup
- 1 ¼ cups fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
On June 19, 1865, two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in the midst of the Civil War, Union army forces finally arrived in Galveston, Texas, to formally enforce it. Since then, Juneteenth has grown from a small celebration at Black Texan churches to a federal holiday. Among the many traditions associated with the holiday, like picnics, festivals, and even rodeos, the color red plays a very significant role, symbolizing the blood shed by the millions who were enslaved. At a Juneteenth celebration, you will find many versions of red foods and drinks, from red velvet cake to red whiskey. You’ll also find hibiscus tea, which has roots in the foodways of Western and Eastern Africa. Bissap, a common tea in Western Africa, features the boiled leaves of roselle, a type of hibiscus, and is both tangy and floral.
June is the peak month of berry season, especially raspberries. Pureeing the tart, bright berries makes a perfect sorbet base that pairs well with hibiscus—flavors for our past, present, and future.
- In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and 4 cups water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat. Add the hibiscus flowers and steep for 15 minutes, then strain.
- Working in batches as necessary, blend the raspberries and 1⁄4 cup water in a blender until smooth. Strain into a medium bowl and discard the seeds. Add 1 cup of the hibiscus syrup, the tapioca syrup, lime juice, vanilla paste, and salt. Whisk until combined.
- Pour the mixture into an ice cream machine and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to freeze until the mixture thickens, 20 to 30 minutes depending on your machine.
- Scoop the sorbet into a freezer-proof container. Cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap to prevent ice crystals from developing on the top of the sorbet and close with an airtight lid. Freeze for 4 to 6 hours or overnight before scooping.
NOTE: The leftover hibiscus syrup can be added to sparkling water or used to sweeten tea.
Sarah Estell’s Parmesan
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Sarah Estell’s Parmesan. (Courtesy of Lokelani Alabanza)
Makes about 1 ½ quarts
Here is my ode to Sarah Estell and Parmesan ice cream, a celebration of an unsung ice cream heroine and an unsung ice cream flavor. In 1840 the base would have had a custard-like texture, heavy on the yolks and cream, making it dense and smooth. My vanilla base is lighter and brighter. The secret to this flavor is Parmigiano-Reggiano, a high-quality Parmesan, aged at least 12 months to increase the nutty, fruit-like, and umami notes of the cheese. I also add ground black pepper for extra oomph.
- Whisk the grated Parmesan and black pepper into the ice cream base. Mix the ice cream base in a blender (or with an immersion blender) for 30 seconds. Strain into an ice cream machine and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to freeze until the mixture thickens, 25 to 30 minutes depending on your machine.
- Scoop the ice cream into a freezer-proof container. Cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap to prevent ice crystals from developing on the top of the ice cream and close with an airtight lid. Freeze for 4 to 6 hours or overnight before scooping.
Vanilla Ice Cream Base
Makes about 1 quart
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 ¾ cups whole milk
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup tapioca syrup or light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon Madagascar Bourbon vanilla paste or seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean pod
The story of vanilla begins in hardship; it is the story of a spice that young enslaved Black hands cultivated under brutal conditions. And then, it transcends—vanilla became a flavor Black American hands would produce in their shops, scraping the precious tiny beans out of their thin dried stalks and turning them into a delicious, creamy miracle.
No two vanilla ice creams are the same, and taste depends entirely on the quality of the vanilla you’re using. What distinguishes this recipe from the vanilla bases you might’ve made in the past is that it has the ability to transform into any flavor you want it to be. Here I suggest Madagascar vanilla, which tastes creamy with hints of tobacco, but I invite you to try different types of vanilla as you make this again and again.
- In a medium, heavy-bottomed pot, bring the cream, milk, sugar, syrup, and salt to a boil. Whisk occasionally until the sugar has dissolved.
- Set up an ice bath: Put a medium stainless-steel bowl in a large bowl filled with ice water. Set a fine-mesh strainer next to the ice bath.
- Temper the egg yolks: Whisk the yolks in a small bowl. Slowly add 1⁄2 cup of the hot milk mixture to the eggs while whisking. This allows the yolks to heat up slowly so they won’t curdle when you add them to the pot of hot milk. Remove the pot from the heat. Whisk in the egg mixture until combined. Return the pot to the stove over medium-low heat. Using a heatproof spatula or your favorite wooden spoon, stir until the mixture thickens slightly and reaches 160°F, making sure the mixture doesn’t curdle.
- Strain the mixture into the bowl set in the ice bath. Whisk in the vanilla. Cool the mixture, stirring from time to time, until it is cold, then remove from the bath. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or, preferably, overnight to let the flavor develop.
NOTE: To make a plain ice cream base, simply omit the vanilla in this recipe.
Vanilla Ice Cream Base
Makes about 1 quart
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 ¾ cups whole milk
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup tapioca syrup or light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon Madagascar Bourbon vanilla paste or seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean pod
The story of vanilla begins in hardship; it is the story of a spice that young enslaved Black hands cultivated under brutal conditions. And then, it transcends—vanilla became a flavor Black American hands would produce in their shops, scraping the precious tiny beans out of their thin dried stalks and turning them into a delicious, creamy miracle.
No two vanilla ice creams are the same, and taste depends entirely on the quality of the vanilla you’re using. What distinguishes this recipe from the vanilla bases you might’ve made in the past is that it has the ability to transform into any flavor you want it to be. Here I suggest Madagascar vanilla, which tastes creamy with hints of tobacco, but I invite you to try different types of vanilla as you make this again and again.
- In a medium, heavy-bottomed pot, bring the cream, milk, sugar, syrup, and salt to a boil. Whisk occasionally until the sugar has dissolved.
- Set up an ice bath: Put a medium stainless-steel bowl in a large bowl filled with ice water. Set a fine-mesh strainer next to the ice bath.
- Temper the egg yolks: Whisk the yolks in a small bowl. Slowly add 1⁄2 cup of the hot milk mixture to the eggs while whisking. This allows the yolks to heat up slowly so they won’t curdle when you add them to the pot of hot milk. Remove the pot from the heat. Whisk in the egg mixture until combined. Return the pot to the stove over medium-low heat. Using a heatproof spatula or your favorite wooden spoon, stir until the mixture thickens slightly and reaches 160°F, making sure the mixture doesn’t curdle.
- Strain the mixture into the bowl set in the ice bath. Whisk in the vanilla. Cool the mixture, stirring from time to time, until it is cold, then remove from the bath. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or, preferably, overnight to let the flavor develop.
NOTE: To make a plain ice cream base, simply omit the vanilla in this recipe.
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