By Coral Gables Gazette staff
Books & Books will open its December cultural calendar with an event designed to thrill Coral Gables’ food lovers, home cooks, and anyone curious about how a simple scoop of ice cream becomes a platform for culinary imagination. On Monday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m., co-founder and head ice cream maker Tyler Malek will appear at the Aragon Avenue bookstore to discuss America’s Most Iconic Ice Creams: A Salt & Straw Cookbook—a deep dive into ten classic American flavors and the creative riffs that have defined one of the country’s most innovative dessert brands.
This arts preview examines Malek’s new cookbook as a piece of culinary storytelling and cultural craft, and how the event fits into Books & Books’ long tradition of elevating authors who merge technique, creativity, and contemporary food culture.
A culinary world built from ten flavors
The new cookbook, published by Clarkson Potter and released last April, centers on a deceptively simple premise: explore America’s ten most iconic ice cream flavors—vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, and several more—then show readers how structure, technique, and imagination allow those flavors to evolve into something new. The book builds outward from Salt & Straw’s signature base recipes, offering “ultimate” versions of each classic alongside dozens of variations, from Smoked-Cherry Vanilla to Chili Crisp Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup to Coffee Toffee Banoffee.
The event at Books & Books gives readers a chance to hear from Malek about the interplay between nostalgia and innovation that animates Salt & Straw’s approach. For Malek, a flavor is not only a recipe but a narrative. The cookbook reflects that philosophy by grounding each chapter in the story of why a classic flavor endures—and how that foundation can support creative reinterpretation. It positions ice cream not just as dessert but as a creative medium shaped by memory, place, and ingredients.
Salt & Straw’s rise: From Portland storefront to national phenomenon
The exhibition-like structure of the cookbook mirrors Salt & Straw’s own evolutionary story. Founded more than thirteen years ago by Malek and his cousin Kim Malek, the company grew from an artisanal Portland shop into a national brand with more than 60 locations. The pair built a following not only for adventurous monthly flavor menus but for the way each flavor tells a culinary story—whether by collaborating with chefs, partnering with farmers, or responding to local ingredients.
Malek’s recognition as a Forbes “30 Under 30” honoree and an Eater “Young Gun” underscores how Salt & Straw helped shift American ice cream culture from nostalgia-driven simplicity to culinary experimentation. The event previewed at Books & Books, a venue long known for hosting major figures in contemporary food writing, reflects that trajectory. It gives South Florida audiences a chance to engage with a chef who has helped redefine an American staple through technique, imagination, and narrative framing.
A conversation with a maker who has created more than 1,600 flavors
The Coral Gables gathering offers more than a cookbook signing. It is positioned as a conversational evening—a chance to hear from an ice cream maker who has created more than 1,600 flavors and reintroduced American audiences to ingredients and combinations seldom associated with ice cream. For readers familiar with Salt & Straw’s limited-edition menus—often tied to seasons, cultural moments, or collaborations—the cookbook serves as both a guide and an invitation: to understand the science behind flavor development and to experiment at home.
Malek’s coauthor, JJ Goode, is a James Beard Award–winning food writer known for shaping cookbooks that blend technical clarity with narrative flow. That influence shows in the book’s structure and will likely inform the evening’s discussion. Goode’s collaborations with chefs across continents—Gregory Gourdet, Andy Ricker, Stuart Brioza—bring a broader culinary perspective to the Salt & Straw project.
A community stage for culinary creativity
For Books & Books, hosting Malek continues its tradition of making Coral Gables a hub for contemporary culinary culture. The independent bookstore has long been a venue where chefs, food writers, and cookbook authors unpack the creative and cultural dimensions of their craft. Events of this kind create a space for readers to encounter industry-leading food thinkers not on a screen or in a recipe but in direct conversation.
With the book already on the shelves, the Dec. 1 event offers attendees the rare chance to explore the work with the author present—and to better understand how a brand often associated with playfulness is rooted in disciplined technique and deep culinary knowledge.
The evening is free and open to the public, and books will be available for purchase. For those unable to attend, Books & Books provides ordering options through its shop and online storefront.
Event details
- Author: Tyler Malek
- Book: America’s Most Iconic Ice Creams: A Salt & Straw Cookbook
- Date: Monday, Dec. 1
- Time: 7 p.m. EST
- Location: Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables
- Cost: Free; books available for purchase
