lavender ice cream

A dear friend is in town this week, so I'm afraid I've been a little absent for the past few days. Summer is getting off to a marvelous start for us, however, with a Dodgers game (which is really just an excuse to have a giant hot dog and a beer) last weekend, a beautiful charcuterie and cheese plate with wine at Cube, books in the park, and...lavender ice cream!

Mashti Malone's, a Persian ice cream parlour in Hollywood, makes all of its kosher rosewater-based treats on site. I love roses but am not the biggest fan of the scent, so I was a bit worried that I'd find the rose flavor overpowering--or that the lavender would taste too perfume-y. But the lavender ice cream was absolutely perfect, fresh and light and fragrant at the same time. The icy texture was silky smooth, and the flavor was subtle but distinctly interesting and pleasurable all the way through.

I'll definitely be back to Mashti's to taste some of their other flavors, including saffron, pomegranate, and Turkish Coffee, though I'd probably skip the sugar cone next time. For those not in Los Angeles, Mashti's will also ship their pints overnight via FedEx--and since their ice cream has no eggs, no preservatives, no corn syrup, and no artificial flavors, it's probably one of the healthiest sweet treats you could ever hope for.