Salep (sometimes spelled Sahleb) is a very curious ingredient, it is a flour from dried tubers of the Early Purple Orchid which is native to Turkey. There it is commonly used to create a milk based drink and also an ice cream called Dondurma. Salep thickens the milk, and when enough is present, it becomes gelatinous. As this mixture is worked and frozen, it becomes elastic. Because of these properties, ice cream made with Salep does not melt the same way as traditional ice cream. Toasting the surface just before serving makes this a very different and interesting contrast in flavor and texture. 

The harvesting of Salep has made the Early Purple Orchid become endangered, so exports of Salep are not very high. I have not been able to find pure Salep, but I have found the drink mix in local International type spice shops. You can also find Salep on eBay. I've never been to Turkey or had this ice cream, but I have been determined to do my best to create something similar.

The Recipe

• 4 cups of Goat's Milk
• 1 cup of Salep Drink Mix
• 1/4 cup of Sugar
• 2 Pieces of Chios Gum Mastic
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Vanilla
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Cinnamon
  
• 1/4 Teaspoon of Xanthan Gum (this keeps the ice crystals small, great when your ice cream maker doesn't have a build in freezer)
  

The Procedure
Gum Mastic is very sticky, to make working with it easier, freeze it. Combine enough of the sugar with the Gum Mastic in the cup of your smallest food processing device. Pulse until the Gum Mastic has been turned into a powder. 

Heat all of the Goat's Milk to 120oF over low heat. Add all of the Salep Drink Mix, Gum Mastic mixture and any remaining sugar. Whisk vigorously and continue heating to 165oF. Whisk frequently to avoid burning the milk.

Remove the mixture from the heat and transfer into the bowl of your stand mixer. Add all of the Vanilla and Cinnamon and Xanthan Gum. Starting whisking on low speed and work your way up to the highest speed to ensure no spattering. Allow this to continue for 15 minutes. Allow this mixture to continue to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill overnight.

Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker. Ice cream makes with the freezer bowl work, but ones with a built in compressor work much better.

After plating, take a blow torch and caramelize the top to taste. Serve immediately;

Reverse Spherification is the process of cooking a liquid in a Sodium Alginate bath. This is opposed to Spherification in which the liquid being cooked contains Sodium Alginate and gets cooked in a bath of Calcium Chloride or Calcium Lactate. The word "cook" used in this context is referring to the reaction which occurs between the Sodium Alginate and Calcium without the application of heat. The presence of the Calcium causes the Soldium Alginate to gel and form a thin membrane around the liquid being cooked. 

Calcium Lactate Gluconate (also known as Calcium Gluconolactate or Gluconate) is used with Reverse Spherification because it will impart no flavor when added to the liquid being made into spheres.

The Process

To prepare the liquid which will be made into spheres, use a ratio of 5 grams Calcium Lactate Gluconate to 200 grams of liquid (or 2.5% Calcium Lactate Gluconate). Depending on the size and exact shape desired a thickener may be needed. Xanthan gum is typically used in a ratio of ~0.3 to ~0.5 percent, but exact amounts should be included with the recipe. Use an immersion blender (or counter top blender if immersion is unavailable) to incorporate all the Calcium Lactate Gluconate into a third or so of the liquid. Then integrate the remaining liquid by hand. The immersion blender will incorporate a lot of undesired air into the liquid, mixing the liquid in this two step process will help reduce the amount of air. This air will be visible in the resulting spheres so an extended period of rest or a trip though a vacuum will be needed. Exact times will vary based on the mixture of the liquid, but expect a wait two to twelve hours.

To prepare the Sodium Alginate bath, use a ratio of 1 gram sodium alginate to 200 grams of water (or 0.5% Sodium Alginate). Incorporate the Sodium Alginate and water the same way as above. This mixture should rest for at least two hours to let the air bubbles escape, up to twelve hours would be better. 

The size of the bath should be determined by the amount and size of spheres being made. 

After both mixtures have rested and contain no air bubbles, drop the Calcium Lactate Gluconate fortified liquid into the Sodium Alginate bath by using a syringe (to form caviar like spheres) or a spoon (to make larger spheres). Allow a cooking period of one to three minutes depending on the size of the spheres. Extract the spheres using a slotted spoon or fine mesh strainer and rinse the spheres with water.

Tips for spherification

• Do not use tap water. Tap water varies greatly based on the area it is coming from. Calcium levels vary and can affect your Sodium Alginate bath. Instead always use bottled or filtered water. 
• Use a digital scale with at least 0.1 gram accuracy, also be sure it is calibrated properly. A scale similar to the My Weigh Durascale 100 would be ideal.

Resources

• http://www.lepicerie.com
  
• http://texturaselbulli.com/ENG/
  

In most pumpkin pie recipes, the cinnamon and ginger take over and play the dominant taste. Some contain too much brown sugar which will also over power the pumpkin. Dairy however, pairs very nicely with pumpkin. This recipe produces a creamy and light tasting cheesecake that I would favor over any pumpkin pie.

Cheesecake:
One 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree, drained 
14 ounces cream cheese
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon Orange zest
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

5 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup heavy cream, room temperature
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Crust:
33 Graham Cracker Squares
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
4 ounces unsalted melted butter

Start by draining any excess liquid from the pupkin puree can.

Next, gently mix the cream cheese in a stand mixer just to loosen it up, about 20 seconds. Use a spatula to scape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.

In a seperate bowl, combine the sugar, orange zest, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice. Mix by hand until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Add the contents of the bowl to the stand mixer. Mix on a lower speed for about 30 seconds. Again use the spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl. Continue mixing on a medium speed for about a minute.

Mix the pumpkin into rest of the mixture. Let this mixture sit and come to room temperature for about 30 minutes, this time will allow the flavors to marry. While this is going on, preheat the oven to 500 degrees fahrenheit and make the crust. Crush the graham crackers, by hand is best, and mix with the butter and brown sugar. Prepare the baking pan by lining it with parchment paper. Use about 2/3 of the crust mixture and press it into the bottom of the baking pan. Reserve the rest for the sides of the cake, this will be applied after baking. Blind bake the crust and reserved crust for about 8 minutes.

Mix the eggs, heavy cream, corn syrup, lemon juice and vanilla in a container. Start the stand mixer with the pumpkin puree on slow. Slowly pour the egg and heavy cream mixture in. Halfway through, stop and use a spatula to scape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl. Pour this mixture into the baking pan. Gently tap the baking pan to help any air bubbles rise to the surface. 

Prepare a water bath by bringing about a two quarts of water to almost boiling. Put a roasting pan in the oven with a towel on the bottom to protect the surface. Place the cheese cake on top of the towel, then pour the heated water in the pan and stop when it reaches 2/3 of the height of the cheesecake pan.

Reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees fahrenheit and bake for an hour. Do not open the door, but do turn off the oven and let sit for another hour. Remove the cheese cake from the oven and let come to room temperature, about another hour. Refrigerate overnight.