In LA, Mashti Malone's ice cream is a a bit of a cult hit. No, it's not ice cream from an Irish-Iranian family. Mashti and Mehdi Shirvani grew up in a small town in northern Iran, and after immigrating to Los Angeles, took over Mugsy Malone's Ice Cream Parlor, but didn't have enough money to change the sign completely. They could only change the first half, and thus Mugsy Malone's became Mashti Malone's.
Mashti's has several flavors that include Mango, Orange blossom, and Pomegranate, but it' the Rosewater flavors for which people come back. There is Creamy Rosewater, Rosewater Saffron with Pistachios, and Ginger Rosewater. If you have an ice cream maker and can find rosewater at a local Persian or Asian market, you can use this recipe from the Citizen Times to make what they call "Persian Ice Cream," basically the same as Mashti's Rosewater, Saffron, and Pistachio.
Persian Ice Cream
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/2 of a vanilla bean
6 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon saffron
1/3 cup rosewater
1 cup finely chopped pistachios
Bring half-and-half to a boil, add vanilla bean and saffron. Beat egg yolks and sugar together. Add half-and-half mixture slowly to yolks, then cook over simmering water until thickened. Remove, cool in an ice bath, add rosewater. Refrigerate overnight. Strain through a fine strainer, add pistachios, and freeze in ice cream maker.
Serves 4 to 6.
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