Pista Kulfi

Today I'm posting a recipe from one of my favorite Food Network Chefs, Aarti Sequeira. Her first episode, which was over a year ago, featured one of her favorite treats, Earl Grey Kulfi Pops. I like the fact that it's a shortened recipe because I don't know who has the time to spend reducing milk on the stove these days, so this recipe definitely appeals to us busy folks always on the go. One day soon you will see me in the kitchen making this from scratch!

Anyway, I made this awhile back and now getting around to posting it! It really is a sweet treat but I didn't think it was as sweet as some people have mentioned after trying this. Just watch your serving. A little bit will go a long way to curing your craving and a lot will leave you with a stomach ache! In the end, I absolutely loved this ice cream and plan on making it again very soon. Give it a go!

Pista Kulfi

by Aarti Sequeira

1 12oz can Evaporated Milk
4 Earl Grey Tea Bags
1/2 t Ground Caradmom
14 oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup Heavy Cream
Finely Chopped Pistachios

First, I chopped the pistachios and set them aside.


Only had whole cardamom on hand so I had to grind them.


Now...

Heat the evaporated milk over medium heat until small bubbles form around the pot.


Snip the tops of the tea bags. Once the milk is hot, whisk to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom. Turn the heat off and add the tea. Cover. Let it steep for 30 minutes.


Strain the evaporated milk into a bowl. Whisk in the cardamom, condensed milk, heavy cream, and pistachios.





Pour into popsicle molds, small bowls, or one large bowl. Cover bowls with a piece of plastic wrap to avoid freezer burn and formation of a skin. Pop into the freezer overnight. I poured the mixture in a jar and covered it with plastic wrap. Oh and I made this in the morning and decided I didn't want to wait all day for it! In a few hours, it was soft serve status and delightful.


When ready to serve, run the popsicle mold under hot water to loosen it or serve it like regular ice cream if made in a bowl. Sprinkle with more pistachios if you'd like.

I think I've got a new appreciation for tahini now. I previously mentioned in my Hummus post that I was not a fan of tahini at all. And to be honest, I'm still not really a fan of it but I've decided to just continue to try it in different ways in hopes that I will someday like it or at least give it a chance no matter what. You'll never know if you like something if you don't give it a try.

I'm glad I gave it another chance because I really think I found a winner. No, I know I did because I daydreamed at work for a week just thinking about that sauce. I say only at work because I didn't have to dream about it after work!

My sister's fiance and family came over a couple weeks ago and brought the sauce with them to accompany the BBQ we had that day. And that's how it started. I was told I was supposed to try it and that it pairs extremely well with meat. I wanted to just avoid it, but ended up giving it a go just to be nice. Ummmm yeah, it was too good to be true. Seriously. I can't even begin to explain it. And when it concerns food, sometimes you don't have to.

I straight just asked them for the ingredients. I don't have the measurements so you're gonna have to eyeball what you need. When I figure it out, I'll update later. I pretty much have the idea but will wait until I actually try it out myself so there are no inaccurate measurements.

Tahini
Plain Yogurt
Vinegar
Lemon
Salt
Water, small amount just to achieve liquid consistency
Chopped Parsley

***Vanilla Cupcakes with a Vanilla Buttercream Frosting***



Despite how I feel about Valentine's Day (Don't agree with it; things like this shouldn't be planned. Do whatever you want whenever you want.), these were for kids and you just have to go with it. They'll figure it out later! :-p

I kept this batter that I made from scratch simple since kids were going to be the ones to enjoy this batch of cupcakes. No need to add in my usual spices and such! I made a regular vanilla cake batter with a vanilla buttercream frosting that I dyed using my rose pink and red gel colors. The red helped to enhance the color and attain the deep-to-hot pink color that I wanted. And topped it off with sprinkles. Nothing too fancy. Just wanted to make sure the class left with smiles on their faces. And they did.

Zzzzaaaaapp... Gotcha!

Finally got to check out that one restaurant a couple friends and I had been interested in for quite some time now. We tried to check it out in November but it was closed for the day and ended up going to Karma instead. We took the chance again to see if Zapp would be open. It WAS!

Zapp is known to be serving Thai dishes but I believe it's more than that. It also serves the cuisines from Malaysia, China, Japan, Laos, Vietnam, and even Italian. So it's an interesting mix they got going over there. And I couldn't wait to dive in.

We got a combined order of...

Young Coconut Water. Well that one wasn't shared! All mine. :) I know, I probably should have passed because it would have been cheaper to just buy it at a supermarket, but I love it!



Thai Bruschetta. Fantastic appetizer. The flavors together were wonderful and balanced.



Mussel de Coco. A superb combination of Green Mussels, lemongrass (!!!), kaffir lime leaves, cilantro, green curry paste, and coconut cream. Couldn't get enough of this. Even the heat. I wanted to bottle it up.



****
Pho and Eggrolls (not pictured). Pho was wonderful, warm, and full of goodness. And fish balls too. Chicken Eggrolls were lovely and absolutely loved the kick of the curry dip. We grabbed more on the side.

****

Yaowarach. A salad combination of duck, lychees (!!!), scallion, ginger, deep fried garlic (!!!), onion, peanuts, cilantro, tomatoes, sesame seeds, and a tangy plum dressing over a bed of spinach.

Yeah, I really really love lychees.

Anyway, the salad fit completely well. Interesting flavor. Everything soaked up that plum dressing goodness. Combination worked and was flawless. The duck---unbelievably moist and tender. I have finally found a place that serves perfect duck. I've had it at a few other Asian restaurants but are usually somewhat dry. This was delicious.



And dessert too...

Penang Panna Cotta. Made with strong Malaysian coffee. Just perfect. Period.



They also have an almond pudding that we will probably try the next time.

I give Zapp 5 hearts: ♥♥♥♥♥. Flavor was flawless. Dishes were presented beautifully. Service was absolutely wonderful. Price was a little expensive but we combined and it was affordable. Unfortunately the location is poor. Hopefully they will pick up and find a better location because it would be a shame if their location = their downfall. I would definitely like to return and dive into more dishes. I'm going to take a small hiatus right now from spicy foods, eating out, and changing my diet around a little so I'll probably check out this place again a little later but this is a definite must if you are in the area.