NEW YORK (AP) — Making ice cream at home doesn’t have to be daunting — in fact, it’s a lot like making soup. That’s the unexpected advice from Tyler Malek, co-founder of the renowned ice cream company Salt & Straw, whose latest cookbook offers an insider’s look into crafting gourmet frozen treats at home.
“Making a pint of ice cream is very similar to making a pot of soup,” Malek says from his kitchen in Portland, Oregon. “If you have a good base — like a soup stock — you can just add ingredients until it tastes good.”
That foundational philosophy is the basis of Malek’s new book, America’s Most Iconic Ice Creams: A Salt & Straw Cookbook, co-written with food writer JJ Goode. Released just in time for summer, the cookbook demystifies the art of ice cream-making and provides the tools to invent flavors as bold and creative as Salt & Straw’s own.
From Vanilla to Prosciutto: A Flavor Journey
The book walks readers through mastering essential frozen dessert bases — from gelato and custard to sorbet and dairy-free coconut milk options — which serve as canvases for experimentation. Once those are understood, the possibilities are endless: think Strawberry Honey Balsamic with Black Pepper, Banana Parsnip Sherbet, or Chocolate and Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
“My dream is that someone picks up this book and it sparks a Pandora’s box of imagination,” says Malek. “Once you understand the core principles in flavor and technique, you can just go wild.”
Among the ten “iconic” base flavors covered are classics like vanilla, chocolate, and pistachio, as well as more unconventional entries like cereal milk and rum raisin. From there, the book explores uncharted territory with flavors such as Lemon Earl Grey Shortbread and Toasted Sourdough.
“We wanted readers to feel like they’re right there in our R&D kitchen, watching us tweak recipes, tasting as we go, learning why we add salt or a touch more sugar,” Malek explains.
Science Meets Sweetness
Malek, who co-founded Salt & Straw with his cousin Kim in 2011, brings a scientific curiosity to his craft. The company has grown from a single food cart in Portland to more than 40 stores across seven states, all known for their rotating menus and unexpected flavor combinations.
He uses ingredients like xanthan gum to prevent “heat shock” — the formation of large ice crystals during melting and refreezing — and incorporates acids like citric, malic, and tartaric to brighten flavors. “They’re an ice cream maker’s secret weapon,” he notes.
Clarkson Potter editor Francis Lam, who helped bring the cookbook to life, describes Malek as “part scientist, maybe a mad scientist, and part artist.” Lam was first drawn to Salt & Straw after sampling their prosciutto ice cream, later attending an event where the company served sea urchin-flavored scoops.
“He doesn’t dismiss any idea until he’s run with it a little,” says Lam.
From Food Cart to Flavor Lab
Salt & Straw is part of a new wave of artisanal ice cream brands — like Van Leeuwen and Morgenstern’s — redefining the frozen dessert landscape. Malek has collaborated with everyone from Florida doughnut makers to craft breweries to push the boundaries of what ice cream can be.
“For me, making ice cream is a form of storytelling,” he says. “If I weren’t making ice cream, I always dreamed of being a travel writer. This lets me tell stories through flavor.”
The book also includes practical tips for home cooks: Malek recommends preparing large batches of base, freezing them, and defrosting small portions as needed to incorporate seasonal ingredients. “You find strawberries at the market? Defrost a base and blend them in,” he suggests. “You’ll have fresh ice cream within hours.”
Recipe Spotlight: Salted Malted Chocolate Chip Dough
One of the standout recipes in the cookbook is Salted Malted Chocolate Chip Dough, which features a rich 17% butterfat base, molasses, vanilla, and house-made malted cookie dough and fudge. The book provides detailed instructions for each component — from toasting flour for food safety to crafting glossy, melt-in-your-mouth fudge.
The full recipe — included in the book — offers a taste of the Salt & Straw experience, with a balance of salt, sweetness, and a hint of bitterness that Malek calls essential to the flavor’s complexity.
“Most people think salted caramel is just salty and sweet,” Malek says with a laugh. “But it’s really salty, sweet, and bitter. That trinity opens your eyes to an entirely new world of flavor combinations.”
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