GATHER JOURNAL

Photograph by Keirnan Monaghan and Theo Vamvounakis Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero


    
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust (1972)

Golden Third Eye Mochi Ice Cream

Desserts from Issue 9 – Summer 2016 – The 1970s

“I felt like an actor,” Bowie said in documentary Five Years of his most famous role, Ziggy Stardust, the rockstar alien who fell to earth. The public’s first glimpse of the supernatural, outrageously outfitted creature and his spiders from Mars came on Top of the Pops in 1972; they were rapt. The throbbing “wham, bam, thank you ma’am” audacity of “Suffragette City” or “Moonage Daydream,” led by guitarist Mick Ronson, was proof that Ziggy had rock ’n’ roll chops too. Bowie would officially put Ziggy to rest on July 3rd, 1973, but his soul lives on in our golden mochi, modeled after the glimmering third eye that he would scrawl on his forehead against a backdrop of Kabuki-style makeup.

serves 6



  • ginger ice cream
  • ⅔ cup sweet or glutinous rice flour (we like Mochiko)
  • 6 Tbsp sugar
  • cornstarch, for dusting
  • edible red and gold dust

  • 1

    Scoop 6 medium scoops of ice cream onto a very cold plate and keep frozen.
  • 2

    Fill a pot large enough to hold a steamer basket with water, to just below the level of the basket. Wrap the lid with a kitchen towel and knot it on top to keep away from flame. Bring water to a simmer. Stir together rice flour, sugar, and ⅔ cup water in a medium heatproof bowl. Place the bowl in the steamer and steam, covered, over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring mochi halfway through cooking. Carefully remove bowl with a dry towel.*

    *Alternate method: Use a microwave. Stir together rice flour, sugar, and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover bowl loosely with plastic and microwave for 1 minute at a time, stopping and stirring with a wet rubber spatula. Cook until translucent and one solid piece, 2½ to 4 minutes. (Mochi will be very hot.)
  • 3

    Generously dust a surface with cornstarch. Scrape the warm mochi from the bowl onto the surface, turning to coat all sides. Divide into 6 balls. Roll balls out to 5-inch rounds about ⅛-inch thick. Let cool.
  • 4

    Working quickly with one round at a time, place a ball of ice cream in the center and wrap the mochi around it, pinching and pressing to enclose into a ball. Pinch off any excess. Return to freezer. If desired, when solidly frozen, dab on glitter dust with your fingers.