“I” is for Ice Cream #AtoZChallenge @AprilA2Z

I scream; You scream; We ALL scream for ice cream!  And no where do we scream for it louder than at the end of a Chinese meal!  Ice cream seems like the perfect dessert to end a dinner of Chinese food.

However, when it comes to dessert, the Chinese just don’t do dessert well.  Sad, but true.

There’s fortune cookies, and ice cream, of course.  But, you won’t find those in authentic Chinese restaurants.  You’re more likely to find either slices up oranges or pineapple chunks served at the end in an authentic Chinese restaurant.  You might, if you’ve really gone authentic, and are at the end of a family banquet, likely to be served red bean soup.

If you do a Google search combining the following search terms:

1. Chinese Food
2. Jewish
3. Carvel Ice Cream

Do you know what you find?

You’ll find that there’s not a single match on Google that’s pertinent to all three search terms!  I’m assuming you can try it in other search engines as well, but I feel that you’ll find exactly the same result.  Or lack thereof!

Now, how can that be??

We’ve already ascertained that Jews and Chinese food go together like it’s a divine combination.  And what we’ve come to conclude, almost to the point of it becoming ritualistic, is that we have been going straight to the nearest Carvel right after eating and enjoying the perfect ending to the “perfect” meal.  Of course, not every meal has been perfect (check our reviews), but to a Jew, the perfect meal is Chinese food.

There’s just something about the cool, sweet taste of ice cream that seems to bring all the spices and tastes we’ve just enjoyed to the perfect ending to the perfect meal.  Is it the coolness?  Is it the flavor?  Do different flavors to better with spicy, Szechuan style Chinese food?  Do others compliment Cantonese style Chinese food?

Does your favorite flavor of ice cream differ from the flavor of ice cream that you choose when eating Chinese food?  What flavor do you fancy on your spoon?

[polldaddy poll=8291081]

Why not take it to the next level, and make your own ice cream?!!  Combine the goodness of Ginger, with the sweet creamy decadence of ice cream, and I’d say you’ve made a heavenly dessert!

STEM GINGER AND ALMOND ICE CREAM

You can make this luxurious ice cream milder or stronger depending on how much ginger you use. I’ve given quantities for 4 as it’ll fit into a standard ice cream machine. Just double the recipe ingredient to serve 6-8.

Ingredients

4-6 pieces of stem ginger + 3 tbsp of syrup from the jar

150ml Stone’s ginger wine

1 tbsp Cointreau (triple sec) or other orange liqueur + extra to serve

300g carton fresh custard

142ml carton whipping cream

A few drops of almond essence

Fortune cookies and mandarin oranges to serve

Directions

1. Chop the ginger very finely and place in a bowl.
2. Put the syrup in a small saucepan with the ginger wine and Cointreau, bring to the boil and simmer for about 8-10 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half.
3. Pour over the ginger and cool for 10 minutes.
4. Transfer the custard into a large bowl and stir in the ginger and syrup.
5. Whip the cream lightly and fold it into the custard, then add a few drops of almond essence to taste.
6. Pour the custard into an ice cream machine and churn until firm, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Or, if you don’t have a machine, pour the mixture into a shallow dish or plastic container and place in the freezer then remove after 1 1/2 hours and whisk with an electric hand whisk.
7. Repeat this freezing and whisking process 2 more times then leave until thoroughly frozen.
8. Store the frozen ice cream in a sealed plastic box and freeze for 24 hours.
9. Transfer the ice cream to the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving to make it easier to scoop.
10. Serve with fortune cookies or another light crisp biscuit and tinned mandarin oranges drained and marinated in 2 tablespoons of Cointreau or another orange liqueur.

Do give each person 8 segments – 8 is a sacred number in China and considered to bring luck and prosperity!

Humbly submitted for your consumption,

—Mee Magnum  (“Chop!  Chop!”)