Summer to Fall - Poptail Crush
Here is how I see it. All Summer you want things cold and frozen. There popsicles are perfect for them. Then, sets Fall, when it is not quite cold enough for hot toddys and certainly not warm for a brain freeze. Now, it is time for Poptails!
A poptail by my definition is a drink where the shaved ice pops form the base flavor of the drink. The fruit combinations are heady in of themselves and the already frozen concoctions draw out the flavor through the course of the drink. Unlike muddled fruit, they don't settle to the bottom but rise up effervescently as you sip along.
Saffron Pistachio Kulfi Pops
Kulfi and I have history. One that has roots from high school! I honestly don't remember much of my school days. Looking back, I realise I went most of it a haze of self-defense. I never fit, so I choose to exclude myself voluntarily, thereby creating a myth of control and years of no nostalgia.
But amidst all of that barrenness are a few flickers of bright memories, the few times, I indulged in life and life ruffled my hair and said you can laugh and have fun. Kulfi is one of those few happy memories I retain from that time of my life. And, through it the longest friendship of my life. Although, I haven't been a good friend most of the time in that relationship and the tenuous connection continues only because of the other person. I am sorry for that. And, I am kinda hoping to make up for that, by dedicating this recipe to her.
It was like this.
Pop goes the.....
Ice Crunch!
It is that time of the year when licking, biting, slurping cold and frozen things are entirely normal cravings. Along with this seasonal shift of palate comes a change in the colors on our plate. The markets are now overflowing with fruits of every color in the vibrancy range and I am really trying very hard to hold myself back from picking up one of everything!
Then, my attempts in self-policing are significantly encumbered by the wide variety of food porn I subscribe to. For several weeks, I have been inundated with photos of ice creams and popsicles. Eventually, I realised I simply cannot continue with this masochistic endeavor and had to succumb to Amazon and get myself a popsicle maker!
Now on to phase 2, or the agonizing on flavors. Berries, berries, berries. It was like a trance. I could not get away from them and somehow, I managed to get through the clinging tentacles (or rather thorns) of the bright pinks, reds and deep purples and laid eyes on a lovely ripe papaya. It sang to me.
You see, to understand why, I must take you back to my childhood world of India and my grandparents garden......