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Forbes
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
A Local Tastemaker's Style Guide To Portland
Ask a Portlander what single experience captures their city best and the answer might surprise you—ice cream Portland boasts a diverse culinary scene, access to nature and a warm, laidback crowd. Justin Katigbak In 2011, cousins Kim Malek and Tyler Malek launched a humble ice cream cart called Salt & Straw with the goal of building community. In the 13 years since, they've done just that, using their flavors to tell the stories of local businesses. While Salt & Straw has expanded to 41 shops across the country (most recently debuting two locations in New York City), and developed a cult-like following nationwide, they continue to be a community-driven ice cream shop that celebrates Portland. Nob Hill is a quaint neighborhood filled with independent boutiques. Nashco From a cocoa hazelnut flavor made with single-origin Ecuadorian chocolate from a local chocolatier to their line of edible perfumes made with a local perfumer, the flavors at Salt & Straw are a collection of short stories, each shedding light on a different part of the city. One of the authors crafting these stories is head ice cream maker Tyler Malek, who is continuously tasting his way through the city and meeting with local businesses for flavor inspiration. The wildly inventive recipes that result are on display in his new cookbook, America's Most Iconic Ice Creams: A Salt & Straw Cookbook . In 2011, cousins Kim Malek and Tyler Malek launched an ice cream cart called Salt & Straw in Portland. Posy Quarterman Photography Since moving to Portland in 2011, he's lived in almost every neighborhood and fallen deeper in love with the city. 'It's a really magical place,' Malek explains. 'I say this jokingly and lovingly, but when I got to New York, the first thing I do in the morning is I look in the mirror and hype myself up so I'm ready to take on the street. When I arrive in L.A., I do a sun salutation to hone all my energy to take on the day. In Portland, you can go weeks and weeks without ever really waking up, simply existing in this dream state. There's something really beautiful about that.' 'It's a really magical place,' says Salt & Straw founder Tyler Malek on why he's proud to call Portland home. Posy Quarterman Photography The Salt & Straw founder finds the city's small size and lack of big Fortune 500 companies results in a creative, close-knit business community. 'We're forced to create and support our own economy here. There's this mentality that we are Portland, we support Portland,'says Malek. 'This is the place 20-something's come to retire, it's got that vibe. You're safe everywhere, you're welcome everywhere. It really is a cool city to be in.' "There's this mentality that we are Portland, we support Portland,' says Salt & Straw co-founder Tyler Malek. Salt & Straw While Malek's new cookbook is a celebration of flavors spanning the country, his passion lies in exploring Portland. Whether on the job discussing potential collaborations with local businesses or venturing around the city on a rare day off, Malek is deeply immersed in Portland, making him the perfect intel on what to see, do and taste on your next trip. Read on for the taste-maker's top Portland picks. What To Do: In The City Mingle with local tastemakers and farmers at Portland Farmers Market Portland Farmer's Market NashCo Every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., downtown's South Park Blocks transforms into the city's most beloved outdoor grocery market boasting 140 farmer and vendors stands. 'If you're a foodie, this is a MUST,' says Malek. 'It really is the bounty of Oregon, you can find every type of mushroom you can ever dream of, all kinds of baked goods. It's a local treasure and has some of the most unique ingredients you'll ever see.' Get lost in the stacks at Powell's Bookstore Powell's Books is the largest independent new and used bookstore in the world. getty Boasting a collection of over one million new and used books, the world's largest independent bookstore is a must when visiting Portland. Centrally located in the Pearl District, you can find everything from the latest releases to obscure fan fiction to beautiful art books across the store's 3500 sections. Don't miss the rare books room, which houses several thousand of Powell's most valuable books, and the Guilder Café in the Southwest corner of the store. 'I know this is cliche for any Portland Visitor guide, but I promise, it's worth it!' says Malek. Chocolate taste your way through Ecuador at Cloudforest Cloudforest Cloudforest For ten years, owner Sebastian Cisneros has been sourcing single-estate Ecuadorian cacao to sell at his shop in Portland and at retailers nationwide. 'You can go to their cafe for a chocolate tasting and he's always doing unique hot cocas at the back bar,' says Malek. 'We're getting ready to do a Salt & straw flavor with them for our Chocolateers menu in February.' Cozy up on a rainy day with a cup of Smith Tea Smith Tea Travel Portland After moving to France, Stash tea founder Steven Smith was inspired by his neighborhood chocolatier, baker and perfumer to start a small tea business sourcing the finest tea on the market and blending it in Portland. Since 2009, Smith has grown to become a household name. 'They've got two tasting rooms in the city, I could spend hours there. You can taste many different teas and you can see them making the tea blends in the back,' says Malek. 'My favorite is the ice cream royale tea, a tea recipe I wrote with them. It's a Taiwanese milk oolong tea with amaretto and vanilla beans. It's got these little French sugar pearls and a little bit of chamomile.' Stop and smell the roses in Washington Park The International Rose Test Garden boasts over 10,000 roses in bloom from May through October. Universal Images Group via Getty Images With 410 acres of gardens, trails and parks to explore, it's no wonder this is one of the top tourist destinations not only in Portland but in Oregon. Marvel at more than 2300 species of trees along 12 miles of trails in the Hoyt Arboretum and the 10,000 roses in bloom from May through October in the International Rose Test Garden, which Malek describes as insane, without exaggeration. 'The rose garden is so beautiful to walk through. I've gone to a dozen shows at the little amphitheatre there. You can bring a blanket, have a picnic, hang out in the sun surrounded by roses and listen to beautiful music.' Portland Japanese Garden celebrates Japanese art and culture with manicured gardens and seasonal events Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Malek also likes to visit the nearby Portland Japanese Garden which houses eight garden styles and celebrates Japanese art and culture with seasonal activities and performances. 'The Japanese gardens are really pretty, there's a little tea house up there,' describes Malek. 'I always take my family there when they're in town.' The Oregon Zoo is another popular attraction in the park, home to nearly 2000 animals representing over 200 species from around the world. 'I would go to all these places separately,' Malek laughs. 'The whole Washington park area is awesome' Or, for a more remote hike, head to Forest Park Forest Park boasts 80 miles of trails. Jason Hill By Better Located a 20-minute drive from downtown Portland, this 5,200-acre park boasts 80 miles of trails, along which you can spot native wildlife and plant species. 'This is one of the biggest urban parks in the country (sorry Central Park!) and has an incredible labyrinth of trails,' explains Malek. 'My favorite is to start hiking at the Witches House and then get lost in the weaving trail system from there.' Lower Macleay Trail in Forest Park Travel Portland If you're bringing your dogs to Portland, Malek says Thousand Acres Dog Park is like a giant dog amusement park, 'It's a 1000-acres of off-leash dog park, that's basically Disneyland for dogs. You can take a mile-long trail walk to the river and spend hours tiring out your pup. You can get lost in the trails forever. Sometimes you'll even find chanterelles growing on the side of the trails' Practice your mixologist skills at Straightaway Cocktails Straightaway Cocktails offers mixology classes. Andrea Morris 'If you're into cocktails and mixology, they're a quintessential stop on the West Coast,' says Malek. 'They make all their own amaros and apertifs for their cocktails, they're pretty iconic in the liquor world.' While the chef recommends buying their pre-made cocktails to drink at home, you can learn the techniques and methods for making craft cocktails yourself in one of their mixology classes. Throughout the session, you'll make four cocktails with their Accompani liqueur and vermouth. What To Do: Day Trips Outside Portland Wine tasting through Willamette Valley With 22 growing areas, Oregon is the third-largest wine-grape-producing state in the country. Durant at Red Ridge Farms 'With over 900 wineries in the state, to know this is only a 50-year-old industry is mind-blowing,' explains Malek. Oregon's 22 distinct growing areas make the state the third-largest wine-grape-producing state in the country. While there are countless wineries to choose from, Malek recommends Sokol Blosser as they were one of the first families to start producing wine in Oregon. 'Still to this day they're doing some great pinots,' says Malek. 'As part of the wine tasting they'll take you on a hike through their vineyard and you can stop on the block of 100 vines and taste a wine from that block.' You can also taste a special watermelon rose sorbet the winery makes in collaboration with Salt & Straw. Sokol Blosser was one of the first wineries to produce wine in Oregon. Andrea Johnson 'Sokol Blosser is next door to Durant Olive vineyard so you see the olives that go into our ice cream,' says Malek, referring to the olive oil ice cream Salt & Straw makes in collaboration with Durant Olive Mill. Since 2008, Durant Olive Mill has become a household name to Portlanders for their olive oil. 'You can walk through their olive orchard and see how they make olive oil. Then they've also got this beautiful garden and a wine tasting room you can taste from. They've constantly got holiday and harvest events, there's always something to do there.' Durant is best known for their olive oil but they have wine vineyards too. Durant at Red Ridge Farms Malek also recommends Soter Vineyards, a winery dating back to 1997 home to a biodynamic, regenerative farm, vineyard and tasting room. If you're looking to taste something more contemporary, head to Corollary Wines, a new winery specializing in sparkling wines. 'They've got this beautiful restaurant on site where they grow almost everything on their farm behind their winery,' explains Malek. 'On top of that, their family is obsessed with preserving Oregon oak and they've got one of the biggest protected Oregon oak nature areas in the state. It's this iconic tree that feels provincial French. You can really feel the spirit in those trees.' Soter Vineyards is a biodynamic, regenerative winery dating back to 1997. Gregory Woodman Sea Foraging at Cannon Beach With Shifting Tides, you can learn how to forage for mussels, barnacles and edible seaweed on a sea foraging tour. Getty Images 'This is my favorite little beach town of all time,' exclaims Malek. 'All of the candy shops serve local ice cream from the nearby Tillamook Creamery and lots of saltwater taffy.' While Cannon Beach is one of the state's most popular destinations for its foggy, windswept beach dotted with striking rock formations, few visitors experience the beach by way of a guided forage. With Shifting Tides, you can learn how to forage for mussels, barnacles and edible seaweed and cook them for a delicious picnic overlooking the beach. Still hungry? 'Make sure to stop by Ecola Seafood for fish and chips after your foraging tour with Shifting Tides,' suggests Malek. Where To Eat Kann Led by James-Beard Award Winning chef Gregory Gourdet, Kann is one of the hottest reservations in Portland. Steve Freihon Serving comforting, imaginative dishes like hot pink kampachi shaved watermelon ice and habanero ginger smoked peach pork chops, the Haitian restaurant led by James-Beard Award Winning chef Gregory Gourdet is one of the hottest reservations in Portland. But Malek says few diners notice the menu caters to almost all diets. 'It's secretly very accessible from an allergy and dietary restriction perspective, almost everything is dairy and gluten-free. Even the dinner rolls are made from plantains and served with vegan butter,' says Malek. 'Every time I'm there with a big group, it's impossible to not have fun. All the food is inviting, easy to share. There's always a lot of thoughtfulness in the flavor pairings and execution.' Nong's Nong's is best known for their chicken and rice dish, 'khao man gai.' Nong's While there are a few other items on the menu, Nong's specializes in khao man gai, which translates to chicken and rice. The Thai dish which is popular in Bangkok is served here with Nong's signature sauce and a side of soup, and has become one of the city's most craveable comfort meals 'Nong's khao man gai is obligatory. It's officially my children's favorite restaurant,' Malek raves. 'It's the most simple dish you'll ever have—just chicken and rice—but it's done with such precession that it's impossible not to love. The rice, you can feel every grain as you're eating through it, yet its also very tender. The chicken is perfectly cooked through but at the same time, melts in your mouth. The sauce has just enough spice to fill your senses, just enough texture to be intriguing but never off-putting. It's the perfect example of doing one thing and doing it right.' Xiao Ye Xiao Ye is a reflection of co-owners Louis Lin and Jolyn Chen growing up Asian American in California. Carter Hiyama Describing itself as 'first-generation American food,' this neighborhood restaurant pays homage to co-owners Louis Lin and Jolyn Chen's respective childhoods growing up Asian American in the suburbs of Los Angeles. The result is a distinctive menu serving a melange of global flavors—from half-fried chicken with Japanese sweet potato to savory madeleines with mochiko to shrimp scampi with Korean chili flakes. 'It's a restaurant for chefs by a chef. The chef doesn't care what you think, he just wants to have fun and create iconic foods,' observes Malek. 'Every texture, every flavor, is spot on. It's just aggressive enough and delivers on what they're selling. There's enough nostalgia mixed with high end techniques, I'm in love with what they do. You can see this never-ending list of inspiration in their style of their cooking. It's one of my favorites in Portland right now. Le Pigeon Since opening in 2006, Le Pigeon has become a Portland institution. Jamie Francis In 2006, 25-year-old chef Gabriel Rucker opened an unsuspecting French bistro in Portland's East side and Malek says, overnight people were obsessed. Over the next decade, the restaurant would rise to stardom and arguably was the first to put Portland on the national culinary map. 'Le Pigeon is an icon here,' explains Malek. 'It's chef's counter fine-dining, and comes from this perspective of 'I'm going to put flavors together that blow your mind.' The chef became famous for making foie gras profiteroles for his dessert course. It's French food done with really unique style and Portland vibes.' Chinese Cowboy Chinese Cowboy is an homage to chef Kyo Koo's experience growing up Korean American in Portland. Chinese Cowboy The comforting fare served at this spunky, neon-lit restaurant reflect owner and chef Kyo Koo's experience growing up Korean American in Portland. From the creamy crab noodles to the chicken black truffle wontons to the hand-pulled cabbage laced with Sichuan peppercorns—every bite is a surprise packed with punch. 'Chinese Cowboy is so fun,' says Malek. 'It has a little bit of that 'stoner food' vibe I love. I could order every dish and have just that for lunch and have the time of my life.' Where To Rest The Ritz-Carlton, Portland The Ritz-Carlton, Portland The Ritz-Carlton, Portland As the third-tallest building rising above Portland's skyline, this new hotel is bringing the city's luxury hotel market to the next level. The region's first Ritz-Carlton reflects the landscapes that surround it with decor by local artisans, art inspired by famous sites like Multnomah Falls and partnerships with local favorites like Coava Coffee. From the 8th to the 18th floor, you'll find minimalist suites with deep soaking bath tubs and luxurious touches like turndown service. Don't sleep on the hotel's signature restaurant, Bellpine, on the 20th floor. 'I've had a drink there, the views are awesome,' says Malek. The Jupiter The Jupiter Joseph Scardina Property While this eclectic hotel was recently renovated, you can still stay in one of the 81 original rooms converted from a 1960s motor lodge. The recent add-on is called Jupiter Next, a boutique hotel with sleek, modern rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows boasting views of the city. 'It's hard to find a cool spot on the East Side, which is where I usually recommend people go for all the best restaurants,' says Malek. 'It's a total vibe and always seemed really cozy.' The Nines Hotel The Nines Hotel The Nines Hotel If you want something affordable that's more central, Malek recommends this 'bright' hotel downtown. The hotel pays homage to its roots as the historic landmark that once housed the flagship Meier & Frank department store with 331 rooms 'dressed to the nine' with lamps resembling mannequins, elegant Tiffany blue velvet and luscious ivory-shaded satin drapes. 'Gregory Gordet used to have a restaurant on the top floor, that rooftop restaurant has beautiful views,' says Malek. 'It's one of nicest hotels in Portland.'
The Independent
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
The innovative ice-cream makers at Salt & Straw serve up secrets and recipes in a new cookbook
If you're intimidated by the idea of making ice cream at home, just think of it as making soup. That's advice from Tyler Malek of Salt & Straw, the innovative gourmet ice cream maker known for its ever-changing lick-able treats. 'Making a pint of ice cream is very similar to making a pot of soup where if you have a good stock recipe — like chicken stock, vegetable stock — then you start just adding to it until it tastes good,' he says from his kitchen in Portland, Oregon. 'If you have really good stock base recipe, you could blend strawberries into it and make strawberry ice cream. You can drizzle chocolate into it and make chocolate ice cream. You can do really anything.' The base is the base That ice cream base is also at the heart of Malek's latest cookbook, ' America's Most Iconic Ice Creams: A Salt & Straw Cookbook.' Just as another summer beckons, he and co-author JJ Goode teach the fundamentals, which then can be built on to make all kinds of delicious treats. That means learning the bases for gelato, custard, sorbet, coconut and ice cream. Only down the road can you confidently turn them into awesome flavors like Strawberry Honey Balsamic with Black Pepper, or Banana Parsnip Sherbet. 'My dream, at its heart, is that someone can take this book and they just pore through it and have so much fun and then it ignites this Pandora's box of imagination,' Malek says. The cookbook focuses on 10 iconic flavors: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, coffee, green tea, pistachio, cookie dough, salted caramel, cereal and rum raisin. Once you've mastered their 'core principles in flavor, in technique,' Malek says, "you can just go wild.' And wild it gets in the cookbook, with flavors like Toasted Sourdough, Chocolate and EVOO, and Lemon Earl Grey Shortbread. 'We wanted it to feel like you were imported into our R&D test kitchen and you could feel like you're writing recipes beside us and understanding why we're testing this and adding more salt or adding more sweetness,' he says. Take salted caramel, which most people think is salty and sweet. 'They're completely wrong,' Malek says, laughing. 'It's salty sweet and bitter. Once you get that flavor trinity, you start understanding that the combination of salty, sweet and bitter can completely open your eyes to different combinations. ' New flavors every month Malek and his cousin, Kim, became ice cream entrepreneurs in 2011 when they opened a small food cart in Portland. Since then, they've expanded to over 40 stores in seven states, becoming known for their refreshing and off-beat approach and rotating menu, with new flavors added every month. Other flavors have included Malted Potato Chip Cupcake and Black Olive Brittle and Goat Cheese. For Thanksgiving, they once offered Caramelized Turkey & Cranberry Sauce. 'I've written 2,500 recipes and maybe 20,000 fails,' says Malek. Salt & Straw leans on xanthan gum, which Malek uses to combat 'heat shock,' when ice cream melts and freezes again into bigger crystals. ("It's as innocuous as cornstarch or baking soda," he writes.) He also harnesses the power of acids, like citric, malic and tartaric, calling them 'an ice cream maker's secret weapon.' 'I think he is part scientist — maybe a mad scientist — and part artist,' says Clarkson Potter editor Francis Lam, who with Susan Roxborough helped craft the book. Lam first encountered Salt & Straw when he ate their prosciutto ice cream at an event in Portland. At another event, he had their sea urchin flavor and felt compelled to meet Malek. 'He's one of these people who doesn't shut down an idea before he runs with it for a little bit,' Lam said. 'My passion is in learning' Salt & Straw is part of an artisanal ice cream boom in recent years that includes companies like Van Leeuwen, Gelato Fiasco, Lick Honest Ice Creams, Morgenstern's and Wanderlust Creamery. Malek has leaned on partners for innovations; he and a doughnut maker in Florida, for instance, created a cream cheese ice cream with glazed brioche doughnut chunks and guava curd. He has interned at breweries to learn the ins and outs of beer making to incorporate it into his desserts. 'My passion is in learning and storytelling. If I weren't making ice cream, my dream job was always to be a travel writer," says Malek. 'I had no idea when we first started the company that ice cream is like the coolest medium to channel that through because it really is like writing a story through every single ice cream.' He learned that different regions of the country have their blind spots; when Salt & Straw opened in Los Angeles, few knew what rhubarb was. At the same time, he didn't know there were different types of avocados. Another tip borrowed from soup: As with soup bases, Malek says, home cooks should make big batches of different ice cream bases, separate them into containers and freeze them. 'Then when you're ready to make ice cream, defrost it in your microwave real quick and blend in your strawberries that you got fresh from the farmer's market and make strawberry ice cream,' he says. 'That's the trick: to make ice cream within a day or literally within hours of finding a really special ingredient.' ___ Here's a recipe from the new cookbook 'America's Most Iconic Ice Creams: A Salt & Straw Cookbook' by Tyler Malek and JJ Goode: ___ SALTED MALTED CHOCOLATE CHIP DOUGH Makes about 2½ pints Ingredients 3 cups 17% Butterfat Base (see separate recipe below) 1½ teaspoons molasses (not blackstrap) 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt 1 cup packed Malted Cookie Dough (recipe follows), frozen ¾ cup Malted Fudge (recipe follows) Directions In a medium bowl, combine the ice cream base, molasses, vanilla and salt, and whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and turn on the machine. Churn just until the mixture has the texture of soft serve, 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the machine. Alternate spooning layers of the ice cream and generous dollops of the cookie dough and fudge into freezer-safe containers. Freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or for up to 3 months. ___ Salt & Straw's 17% Butterfat Base Makes about 3 cups Ingredients ½ cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (yes, I'm easy to find!) 1 1/8 cups whole milk 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 1 1/8 cups heavy cream, very cold Directions In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, milk powder, and xanthan gum. In a medium pot, stir together the whole milk and corn syrup. Add the sugar mixture and immediately whisk vigorously until smooth. Set the pot over medium heat and cook, stirring often and reducing the heat if necessary to prevent a simmer, just until the sugar has fully dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the cold cream and stir until fully combined. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 6 hours, or for even better texture and flavor, 24 hours. Stir well before using. The base can be further stored in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw completely and stir well before using. —- Malted Cookie Dough Makes about 1 ½ cups Ingredients 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 tablespoons granulated sugar ¼ cup lightly packed light brown sugar 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt 2 tablespoons heavy cream 1 tablespoon light corn syrup 1 teaspoon molasses (not blackstrap) 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract ½ cup all-purpose flour, toasted 2 tablespoons malt powder ¼ cup finely chopped (chip-size pieces) dark chocolate Directions In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, cream the butter, both sugars, and the salt on medium high speed, scraping down the sides as necessary, until the butter takes on a lighter color, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and add the cream, corn syrup, molasses, and vanilla, then mix on medium-low speed until the mixture is just combined, about 1 minute more. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and malt powder. Add the flour mixture to the stand mixer and mix on medium speed, scraping down the bowl once, until there are no more clumps of flour (specks of malt are just fine!), about 1 minute. Add the chopped chocolate to the stand mixer and mix on low speed until it's well distributed. Pack tightly into an airtight container and store in the freezer until ready to use or for up to 2 months. —- Toasting flour note: Our cookie dough excludes eggs for some just-in-case food safety assurance, since as you've probably heard, consuming raw eggs carries a minor but real risk of salmonella. What you might not be aware of is that eating raw flour does, too. So if you're someone who avoids sunny-side-ups or carbonara, consider playing it extra safe and cooking the flour for this recipe: Spread it on a sheet pan and bake in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes. ___ Malted Fudge Makes about 2 cups Ingredients 1/3 cup malt powder 1/2 cup light corn syrup 1/3 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 teaspoons cocoa powder 1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt 3/4 cup chopped (chip-size pieces) good dark chocolate Directions In a small saucepan, combine the malt powder and 1/4 cup cold water and whisk until most of the lumps are broken up. Add the corn syrup, cream, and butter and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, add the cocoa powder, xanthan gum, and salt and continue to whisk until the cocoa powder is dissolved and the mixture looks glossy, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the chocolate pieces, and let them sit for a minute. Whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and combined. Let cool to room temperature and then use immediately or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. ___ Reprinted with permission from 'America's Most Iconic Ice Creams: A Salt & Straw Cookbook' by Tyler Malek and JJ Goode. (Clarkson Potter, 2025).
Associated Press
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
The innovative ice-cream makers at Salt & Straw serve up secrets and recipes in a new cookbook
NEW YORK (AP) — If you're intimidated by the idea of making ice cream at home, just think of it as making soup. That's advice from Tyler Malek of Salt & Straw, the innovative gourmet ice cream maker known for its ever-changing lick-able treats. 'Making a pint of ice cream is very similar to making a pot of soup where if you have a good stock recipe — like chicken stock, vegetable stock — then you start just adding to it until it tastes good,' he says from his kitchen in Portland, Oregon. 'If you have really good stock base recipe, you could blend strawberries into it and make strawberry ice cream. You can drizzle chocolate into it and make chocolate ice cream. You can do really anything.' The base is the base That ice cream base is also at the heart of Malek's latest cookbook, ' America's Most Iconic Ice Creams: A Salt & Straw Cookbook.' Just as another summer beckons, he and co-author JJ Goode teach the fundamentals, which then can be built on to make all kinds of delicious treats. That means learning the bases for gelato, custard, sorbet, coconut and ice cream. Only down the road can you confidently turn them into awesome flavors like Strawberry Honey Balsamic with Black Pepper, or Banana Parsnip Sherbet. 'My dream, at its heart, is that someone can take this book and they just pore through it and have so much fun and then it ignites this Pandora's box of imagination,' Malek says. The cookbook focuses on 10 iconic flavors: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, coffee, green tea, pistachio, cookie dough, salted caramel, cereal and rum raisin. Once you've mastered their 'core principles in flavor, in technique,' Malek says, 'you can just go wild.' And wild it gets in the cookbook, with flavors like Toasted Sourdough, Chocolate and EVOO, and Lemon Earl Grey Shortbread. 'We wanted it to feel like you were imported into our R&D test kitchen and you could feel like you're writing recipes beside us and understanding why we're testing this and adding more salt or adding more sweetness,' he says. Take salted caramel, which most people think is salty and sweet. 'They're completely wrong,' Malek says, laughing. 'It's salty sweet and bitter. Once you get that flavor trinity, you start understanding that the combination of salty, sweet and bitter can completely open your eyes to different combinations. ' New flavors every month Malek and his cousin, Kim, became ice cream entrepreneurs in 2011 when they opened a small food cart in Portland. Since then, they've expanded to over 40 stores in seven states, becoming known for their refreshing and off-beat approach and rotating menu, with new flavors added every month. Other flavors have included Malted Potato Chip Cupcake and Black Olive Brittle and Goat Cheese. For Thanksgiving, they once offered Caramelized Turkey & Cranberry Sauce. 'I've written 2,500 recipes and maybe 20,000 fails,' says Malek. Salt & Straw leans on xanthan gum, which Malek uses to combat 'heat shock,' when ice cream melts and freezes again into bigger crystals. ('It's as innocuous as cornstarch or baking soda,' he writes.) He also harnesses the power of acids, like citric, malic and tartaric, calling them 'an ice cream maker's secret weapon.' 'I think he is part scientist — maybe a mad scientist — and part artist,' says Clarkson Potter editor Francis Lam, who with Susan Roxborough helped craft the book. Lam first encountered Salt & Straw when he ate their prosciutto ice cream at an event in Portland. At another event, he had their sea urchin flavor and felt compelled to meet Malek. 'He's one of these people who doesn't shut down an idea before he runs with it for a little bit,' Lam said. 'My passion is in learning' Salt & Straw is part of an artisanal ice cream boom in recent years that includes companies like Van Leeuwen, Gelato Fiasco, Lick Honest Ice Creams, Morgenstern's and Wanderlust Creamery. Malek has leaned on partners for innovations; he and a doughnut maker in Florida, for instance, created a cream cheese ice cream with glazed brioche doughnut chunks and guava curd. He has interned at breweries to learn the ins and outs of beer making to incorporate it into his desserts. 'My passion is in learning and storytelling. If I weren't making ice cream, my dream job was always to be a travel writer,' says Malek. 'I had no idea when we first started the company that ice cream is like the coolest medium to channel that through because it really is like writing a story through every single ice cream.' He learned that different regions of the country have their blind spots; when Salt & Straw opened in Los Angeles, few knew what rhubarb was. At the same time, he didn't know there were different types of avocados. Another tip borrowed from soup: As with soup bases, Malek says, home cooks should make big batches of different ice cream bases, separate them into containers and freeze them. 'Then when you're ready to make ice cream, defrost it in your microwave real quick and blend in your strawberries that you got fresh from the farmer's market and make strawberry ice cream,' he says. 'That's the trick: to make ice cream within a day or literally within hours of finding a really special ingredient.' ___ Here's a recipe from the new cookbook 'America's Most Iconic Ice Creams: A Salt & Straw Cookbook' by Tyler Malek and JJ Goode: ___ SALTED MALTED CHOCOLATE CHIP DOUGH Makes about 2½ pints Ingredients3 cups 17% Butterfat Base (see separate recipe below) 1½ teaspoons molasses (not blackstrap) 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt 1 cup packed Malted Cookie Dough (recipe follows), frozen ¾ cup Malted Fudge (recipe follows) DirectionsIn a medium bowl, combine the ice cream base, molasses, vanilla and salt, and whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and turn on the machine. Churn just until the mixture has the texture of soft serve, 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the machine. Alternate spooning layers of the ice cream and generous dollops of the cookie dough and fudge into freezer-safe containers. Freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or for up to 3 months. ___ Salt & Straw's 17% Butterfat BaseMakes about 3 cups Ingredients½ cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (yes, I'm easy to find!) 1 1/8 cups whole milk 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 1 1/8 cups heavy cream, very cold DirectionsIn a small bowl, stir together the sugar, milk powder, and xanthan gum. In a medium pot, stir together the whole milk and corn syrup. Add the sugar mixture and immediately whisk vigorously until smooth. Set the pot over medium heat and cook, stirring often and reducing the heat if necessary to prevent a simmer, just until the sugar has fully dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the cold cream and stir until fully combined. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 6 hours, or for even better texture and flavor, 24 hours. Stir well before using. The base can be further stored in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw completely and stir well before using. —- Malted Cookie Dough Makes about 1 ½ cups Ingredients4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 tablespoons granulated sugar ¼ cup lightly packed light brown sugar 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt 2 tablespoons heavy cream 1 tablespoon light corn syrup 1 teaspoon molasses (not blackstrap) 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract ½ cup all-purpose flour, toasted 2 tablespoons malt powder ¼ cup finely chopped (chip-size pieces) dark chocolate DirectionsIn a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, cream the butter, both sugars, and the salt on medium high speed, scraping down the sides as necessary, until the butter takes on a lighter color, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and add the cream, corn syrup, molasses, and vanilla, then mix on medium-low speed until the mixture is just combined, about 1 minute more. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and malt powder. Add the flour mixture to the stand mixer and mix on medium speed, scraping down the bowl once, until there are no more clumps of flour (specks of malt are just fine!), about 1 minute. Add the chopped chocolate to the stand mixer and mix on low speed until it's well distributed. Pack tightly into an airtight container and store in the freezer until ready to use or for up to 2 months. —- Toasting flour note: Our cookie dough excludes eggs for some just-in-case food safety assurance, since as you've probably heard, consuming raw eggs carries a minor but real risk of salmonella. What you might not be aware of is that eating raw flour does, too. So if you're someone who avoids sunny-side-ups or carbonara, consider playing it extra safe and cooking the flour for this recipe: Spread it on a sheet pan and bake in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes. ___ Malted FudgeMakes about 2 cups Ingredients1/3 cup malt powder 1/2 cup light corn syrup 1/3 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 teaspoons cocoa powder 1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt 3/4 cup chopped (chip-size pieces) good dark chocolate DirectionsIn a small saucepan, combine the malt powder and 1/4 cup cold water and whisk until most of the lumps are broken up. Add the corn syrup, cream, and butter and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, add the cocoa powder, xanthan gum, and salt and continue to whisk until the cocoa powder is dissolved and the mixture looks glossy, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the chocolate pieces, and let them sit for a minute. Whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and combined. Let cool to room temperature and then use immediately or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. ___ Reprinted with permission from 'America's Most Iconic Ice Creams: A Salt & Straw Cookbook' by Tyler Malek and JJ Goode. (Clarkson Potter, 2025).
Forbes
01-05-2025
- General
- Forbes
The 5 Best Ice Cream Makers To Whip Up Frozen Treats At Home
Store-bought ice cream pints are reliably good, but sometimes homemade is just better. With a dedicated ice cream maker, you can whip up rich, flavorful creations with minimal effort, allowing you to focus on dreaming up new combinations. Out of the very best ice cream makers on the market, the Cuisinart ICE-20 is our top recommendation for most households because it's compact, affordable and delivers consistently great results. If you're thinking about investing in one of these machines, Tyler Malek, co-founder and head ice cream maker at Salt And Straw, recommends prioritizing size and speed. 'Try to find machines that can handle at least one quart of ice cream,' Malek advises. 'The bigger the better, since it will equate to stronger freezing components.' He also suggests looking for a machine with multiple churning speeds, which can influence the texture of frozen treats. Based on expert insights and in-depth research, these are the five models we recommend for making delicious ice cream, gelato, sorbet and other frozen treats from the comfort of your kitchen. Dimensions: 9.5 x 9 x 11.3 inches | Weight: 11 pounds | Capacity: 1.5 quarts | Dishwasher safe: No | Includes: Motor, lid, mixing bowl, paddle Best for: Skip if: The Cuisinart ICE-21 might not be the sleekest or most advanced model out there, but it's reliable, beginner-friendly and affordable. And unless you make frozen treats all the time and you're willing to splurge on a larger machine, a basic canister-style machine like the ICE-21 is your best bet—it's ideal for pulling out on occasion to make ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet and more. Operating this model couldn't be easier: After you add your ingredients to the double-insulated freezer bowl, all you have to do is press the 'on' button. And as it churns, you can pour in mix-ins through the spout on the top of the machine. Then, in 20 minutes, it can make up to 1.5 quarts of ice cream. Just note that the bowl needs to spend at least 16 hours in the freezer ahead of time, so you either need to make permanent room in your freezer or plan ahead before making a batch. Fortunately, the bowl—and the machine itself—is on the smaller side, so it doesn't require a ton of space. Dimensions: 16 x 11 x 9.5 inches | Weight: 30 pounds | Capacity: 1.1 quarts | Dishwasher safe: No | Includes: Cleaning brush, bowl, paddle, motor Best for: Skip if: If you don't want to deal with the freezer bowl that comes with canister-style machines, you'd likely be happier with a compressor-style ice cream maker. While the latter typically costs more, it's because they feature a mechanical cooling element that "allows you to make ice cream without the pre-freeze-overnight forethought needed,' says Malek. Out of all the compressor-style machines on the market, the Breville Smart Scoop is a solid choice for most people. This sleep ice cream maker has a clear LCD screen that guides you through achieving your perfect frozen dessert, step by step. The knob allows you to select your desired ice cream consistency (12 settings, from sorbet to fro-yo to hard ice cream), and you can either follow one of the four pre-programmed recipes or take a manual approach. There's also a keep-cool setting that will maintain the appropriate temperature for up to three hours. This way, you can prepare your dessert ahead of time and keep it in the machine until it's time to serve it to guests. Now, this isn't the fastest working machine on the list; it takes anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes until a batch of ice cream is ready to enjoy. But you won't have to pre-freeze a canister a day ahead of time, which means turnaround time is still decently speedy. You'll also have to keep size in mind with this machine; it weighs over 30 pounds and calls for 16 inches of width and almost 10 inches of height to fit on a countertop. Price is another factor, as it's one of the more expensive models on our list. Dimensions: 15.2 x 10 x 17.5 inches | Weight: 20.8 pounds | Capacity: 16 ounces | Dishwasher-safe: Yes | Includes: Motor base, 2 pints with lids, outer bowl with lid, dispensing lid with swirl press, Creamerizer paddle, recipe book Best for: Skip if: A descendent of the cult-favorite Ninja Creami, the Ninja Swirl is designed with soft serve lovers in mind. It has both a soft serve output and canister-style component to yield anything from milkshakes and gelato to soft serve and fruit whip. In total, there are 13 programs to choose from. This machine is relatively slim and easy to use, which makes it a great option for ice cream making beginners or casual indulgers. The control panel has several intuitive buttons for each function, and the machine comes with a convenient recipe book with over 30 frozen desserts to choose from. Just like the Creami, the Swirl has a mix-in function to easily incorporate add-ins like candy, nuts and chocolate chips. This machine requires you to freeze your batch of ice cream ingredients 24 hours in advance, which is different from other canister models that require just the container to be frozen. That means you'll have to really plan ahead, rather than just find enough freezer space to house an empty container. Luckily, this machine comes with two freezable pints with lids, so you can always have a batch ready to go for next time. Dimensions: 18 x 12 x 11 inches | Weight: 40 pounds | Capacity: 1.5 quarts | Dishwasher safe: No | Includes: Motor, lid, mixing bowl, paddle Best for: Skip if: Whether you have experience making homemade ice cream or you simply want a larger, more premium model to whip up inventive batches, the Lello 4080 Musso Lussino might be a smart investment. Crafted from stainless steel, this Italian-made machine—which comes from a respected brand that's popular among the pros—has a lot going for it. As a compressor-style machine, it's fully automatic and doesn't require any pre-freezing—all you have to do is add your ingredients and press a couple of buttons. It's also exceptionally fast, capable of churning up to 3 quarts of ice cream in just 15 minutes. The only downside of this machine (aside from its higher price) is its size. Not only is it relatively large, but it weighs nearly 40 pounds, so lugging it in and out of your cabinets whenever you want to use it can be a pain. But if you want to make truly impressive batches of ice cream (and you have the budget and storage space), you'd be hard-pressed to find a better machine. 'It consistently produces the smoothest and creamiest ice cream," says Courtney Blagrove, co-founder of Urban Dessert Lab. This is because the model 'produces smaller ice crystals' and incorporates a lot of air into the ice cream as it churns, she explains. (Salt And Straw's test kitchen is also equipped with a Lello model, though the shop relies on a commercial-grade maker.) Dimensions: 10.9 x 10.3 x 10.3 inches | Weight: 6 pounds | Capacity: 2 quarts | Dishwasher-safe: No | Includes: Bowl, dasher, hub connector Best for: Skip if: For ice cream lovers who already own the renowned and highly versatile KitchenAid Stand Mixer, this attachment is a no-brainer. It's a favorite of Malek's when it comes to canister-style models, thanks to the appliance's inherently strong motor and controllable speed. The 2-quart insulated freezer bowl is compatible with most KitchenAid Stand Mixers (both tilt-head and bowl-lift models), and it comes with a churning paddle that's designed to mix the batch evenly, incorporate mix-ins and scrape the sides of the bowl as it goes. Just like the Cuisinart—and other ice cream machines without a compressor—this attachment requires pre-freezing; the bowl needs to be stored in the freezer for at least 16 hours before use. Once it's ready to go, though, it calls for just 20 to 30 minutes of churning before the ice cream is ready to enjoy. (If you prefer a harder consistency, the brand recommends storing the prepared ice cream in the freezer for a few hours before eating.)This attachment can churn out up to 2 quarts of ice cream in one serving, so it's great for entertaining large groups. It's clearly not a top pick for anyone who doesn't already own a KitchenAid stand mixer—but if you have the multipurpose appliance or plan to get one, this is a fun way to stretch its capability even further. The home team at Forbes Vetted is committed to helping our readers shop for the best products that suit their lifestyle, needs and budget. In order to provide the most reliable recommendations, we spent hours researching the best machines on the market that churn out reliably delicious ice cream, sorbet and gelato at home. There are several trusted kitchen brands that make accessible yet high-quality ice cream makers, including Breville and Cuisinart. And if you're looking for a professional-grade machine, Musso ice cream makers come highly recommended by the pros for their speed and consistency. This is highly dependent on your experience and how often you see yourself making homemade ice cream. If you're a beginner or casual ice cream enjoyer, consider opting for a smaller and more affordable model, such as the Cusinart ICE-21 maker or the KitchenAid attachment. 'I always recommend starting with the canister-style machine,' Malek says. 'It's easy to use, has very few parts that can break and—if you remember to pre-freeze the canister—makes really good ice cream.' For those who are more experienced and willing to make space for a larger appliance, it may be worth splurging on something more advanced. 'As you get more into ice cream making, I recommend jumping up to a compressor-style machine like Breville or Lello,' he says. The first choice you need to make when shopping for an ice cream machine is deciding whether you want a canister-style or compressor-style ice cream maker. (There are also salt-and-ice models, though Malek doesn't recommend them, as they can be messy and expensive.) 'The canister-style is both the easiest and cheapest way to get started making ice cream because it simply needs to be 'charged' in the freezer overnight,' Malek explains. 'Compressor-style machines are the best of the best, and they allow you to make as much ice cream as you want, since it never loses its 'charge'.' The build of the machine is important, too. 'Excellent ice cream makers have a paddle design and rotation speed where the blade can properly scrape the sides of the bowl and uniformly incorporate the colder part of your mix with the warmer part,' explains Blagrove. 'It's also worth mentioning that the materials used to construct the ice cream maker will affect the longevity of the machine.' For example, stainless steel models tend to be more durable than plastic ones. Lastly, you want to keep in mind size, features and price.
