Turmeric Ice Cream or Semifreddo

Turmeric Ice Cream is florecent yellow and will stain anything in comes into contact with

By Cookbad

Happy belated Tết, everyone!

I've been planning on going to Little Saigon in Westminster, Ca for a year now. I unknowingly chose the day before Vietnamese New Year. I figured this out upon my arrival. It was like trying to navigate Fairway the day before Thanksgiving. The only difference is it was much more fun and much less a contact sport.

My sister was in town visiting and we did our favorite thing to do (besides drink and yell at the television) & went grocery shopping.

I skipped the buckets of pig blood (someday. . . .) but got some lovely things, one of which was a nicely decorated single serving hand coffee grinder--double as a spice grinder. Perfect for camping.

Tiny Vietnamese hand coffee grinder. Coffee goes in the top, comes out in the cute little drawer.

We also got some fresh Turmeric that my sister thought it would be fin to make ice cream. Dried Turmeric is the stuff that turns curry yellow. Fresh turmeric has a rooty, slightly ginger carrot flavor and will stain the hell out of anything that is comes in contact with.

Raw tumeric root.

It also recently occured to me that Semifreddo is the best thing to make if you don't have an ice cream maker. It is very simple, beautiful to serve and sounds fancy.

Here is how to make them both:

Turmeric Ice Cream:
Serves 6

1. Get together 5 or 6 oz. of fresh Turmeric root.
2. Change into all black clothing.
3. Peel Turmeric.
4. Place into a small food processor or blender with 1/2 c. of milk and puree.
5. Pour 2 cups of milk, 3/4 cups of sugar (more or less depending on how sweet you like your ice cream) and 2 scrambled eggs into a sauce pan.
6. Heat and stir over med. low. Do not allow the mixture to boil or you'll end up with milk sweet scambled eggs. Just stir more or less constantly for 10 minutes.
7. Put in the fridge or freezer to chill
8. Whip 2 cups of cream to peaks.
9. Once everything is cold, put it all into an ice cream maker for 20 minutes.

You can toss in some shelled pistachios. They add a nice texture and the green is ridiculously dramatic against the florecent yellow.

Turmeric Semifreddo:
Serves 6

1. Separate 3 eggs.
2. Beat the egg yolks with 1/2 c. of caster sugar until they turn pale yellow.
3. Beat the egg whites until they come to stiff peaks.
4. Whip 1.5 cups of heavy cream to peaks.
5. Put on all black clothing
6. Peel 5-6 oz. of fresh Turmeric root.
7. Puree with 1/2 cup of milk in a food processor or blender.
8. Line a loaf pan or any type of mold you would like with plastic wrap.
9. Gently add the Turmeric to the egg yolk mixture.
10. Gently fold the egg yolks into the whipped cream and egg whites.
11. When combined, pour into mold, cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.