Lemon Heaven

National Ice Cream 🍦Day + Art Plundering in WWII

Jul 20, 2023

A Midjourney generated lemon grove in the style of Van Gogh

Monday was #NationalIceCreamDay, so of course, I have to share another ice cream recipe. This is another one from Hannah Spiegelman, whom I discussed in my post about her Sour Cherry Coriander Ice Cream recipe, which you can check out here. This is the recipe she came up with after being inspired by Feast of Sorrow, and the ancient Roman gourmand Apicius.

And while you may be saying to me, WAIT! There were no lemons in ancient Rome! That's only partially true--for early ancient Rome. Arab conquerors brought lemons and other citrus fruits to Sicily in the early part of the third century. And while Apicius probably never knew what they tasted like, I feel confident that he would have fallen madly in love with their wonderful yellow color and tart flavor. I am more than positive that he would have adored this ice cream just as much as I do.

LEMON BLACK PEPPER ICE CREAM WITH HONEY FIG JAM

BY HANNAH SPIEGELMAN

Honey Fig Jam

1 lb. figs, stemmed and quartered
¼ cup honey
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
¼ cup water

1. Place the figs, sugar, and honey in a large saucepan and heat over medium-high heat, occasionally stirring until the sugar is dissolved and the figs are juicy, about 12 minutes. Add the water and lemon juice, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat, stirring occasionally. Simmer until the fruit is very soft and the liquid thickens, about 20 minutes.

2. Put the jam into a container and let it cool at room temperature before storing it orin the fridge. It can be stored for up to 3 months.

Ice Cream Base

1 ½ cup cream
2 cups milk
¼ cup corn syrup or glucose
¾ cup sugar
5 large egg yolks
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. cornstarch, mixed with 2 tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. black peppercorns, crushed
1 tbsp. lemon zest
Juice of 1 lemon juice

1. Put the cream, milk, glucose, sugar, and peppercorns in a medium saucepan, and place it over medium-high heat. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the mixture comes to a full rolling boil, then remove the pot from heat.

2. Add in the cornstarch mixture. Cook for another minute and then remove from the heat.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the yolks. Add about a cup of the hot dairy mixture into the yolks while whisking so the hot milk doesn’t scramble the yolks. Pour the tempered yolks back into the pot of hot dairy. Place the pot over medium-low heat and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot constantly with a rubber spatula.

4. When you notice the custard thickening, immediately pour the custard into a metal or glass bowl. Nest the hot bowl into an ice bath, stirring occasionally until it cools. Add in the lemon zest and juice.

5. When the custard is cool to the touch, strain it through a fine mesh sieve to remove any bits of egg yolk.

6. Chill the base in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.

7. Churn the base according to your ice cream machine’s instructions. Layer with the jam as you put the ice cream in a freezer-safe container. Harden in the freezer for at least 6 hours.

Buon appetito!

The Last Masterpiece: A Novel of World War II Italy by [Laura Morelli]

If you read my post about San Antonio and the Historical Novel Society conference, you know I did a session with the incredibly talented Laura Morelli. Her latest book, The Last Masterpiece, a Novel of World War II Italy, comes out August 1. I’ve had the chance to have an early read, and boy, you are in for a treat.

What’s extra cool about Laura’s launch of this great book is that if you pre-order it (by July 31), you also get free access to her 3-part lecture series about the plundering and saving of art by the Nazis, Italians, and Americans during WWII.

The history is fascinating, and I can’t recommend her lectures enough. For your chance to get in on this very worthwhile deal, head here.

What’s Bringing Me Joy This Week:

Jhumpa Lahiri’s story, P’s Parties, in the New Yorker. It’s translated from her Racconti Romani (Kindle version here, hardback version here), a collection of stories she originally wrote in her adopted language of Italian. P’s Parties is from the forthcoming English translation, Roman Stories, out October 10.
Watching The Witcher Season 3 and The Bear Season 1. Oh, and last week I saw Asteroid City, which I really enjoyed. It was the first movie I’d seen in a theater since 2019!
I recently went to high tea at the Boston Public Library and they had a heavenly tea which I HAD to have. The tea company, Mem Tea, is based in Somerville MA and this beautiful green tea blend has already become my go-to.