October 2008 - Posts
In the photo above I am in the Spice Market in Istanbul, Turkey surrounded by aromatic heaps of bright red Turkish pepper. I was swept here by what felt like a human tidal wave on the busy streets into this ancient and bustling emporium on the banks of the Bosphorous Sea. On the outside of the market are stalls of the most gorgeous produce known to man, walnuts so plump and perfect that the vendor is filling a bag for me before we even speak. The interior of the Spice Market is devoted to dried goods, glistening jewel-toned blocks of Turkish delight studded with pistachios and pomegranate seeds. Teas of every sort are displayed alongside dried apricots, nuts and spices, shaped into peaked domes almost taller than I am. The various vendors are quick to sprinkle little tastings of Turkish pepper into the palm of my hand, which I lick, savouring the duality of heat and sweetness in the crumbly, slightly sticky flakes. I wish I could take home enough to last me for the rest of my life.
At home here in Calgary, Turkish pepper is sometimes referred to as Aleppo pepper. Seek it out in Middle Eastern food stores such as Somar Food Market (17 - 9250 MacLeod Trail SE - 403-252-2700) and use it as I do to add depth, colour and flavour to salad dressings, marinades and sauces. A good place to start using Turkish pepper is a hearty, multi-flavoured Bulgur Salad, scented with the tart acidity of pomegranate molasses (Somar carries it!), the fruity bite of Turkish pepper, the crunch of toasted walnuts and the vibrant grassiness of handfuls of freshly chopped parsley. Pomegranate molasses is the syrupy concentrate of pomegranate juice that is both tart and sweet, oozing with fruit aromas. Prepare to find yourself completely intoxicated by it and the other sensual notes in this salad:
Bulgar Salad
1 cup coarse-ground bulgar (fine bulgar turns to mush); 1+1/2 cups boiling water; 1/2 tsp. salt; 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil; 2+1/2 tbsp. pomegranate molasses; juice of 1/2 lemon; 2 tbsp. tomato paste; 1 tsp. ground cumin; 1 tsp. ground coriander seeds; 1/2 tsp ground allspice; 1/2 tsp. Turkish pepper (also called Aleppo pepper); freshly ground black pepper to taste; 1 cup walnut pieces, toasted, cooled and coarsely chopped; 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted; 1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley.
Soak bulgar in water with the salt, covered, until tender, about 25 minutes. All the water should be absorbed by the bulgar. If it is not, drain well. Whisk olive oil with pomegranate molasses, tomato paste, lemon juice and spices. Pour half of this dressing over the bulgar. Let it absorb for 10 minutes. Add nuts and parsley and the remaining dressing. Mix well. Taste for salt and pepper and add more if needed. Best left to sit in the fridge for a couple of hours, for the flavours to develop.
The Bulgar Salad is a Claudia Roden recipe from the New York Times Country Weekend Cookbook edited by Linda Amster. The recipe makes enough salad for 4 people, can easily be doubled and pairs very well with grilled chicken and Greek salad.
Muhammara (left) and Babaganouj (right)
If you are looking for another canvas to showcase both Turkish pepper and pomegranate molasses, try Muhammara, a tangy roasted red pepper and walnut dip well known in the Middle East. This recipe is from a tattered index card in my collection, from an unknown source, and is brightly flavoured and very well balanced:
Muhammara
4 fresh red peppers, roasted, skinned, deseeded and chopped; 1/2 clove of fresh garlic, crushed; salt to taste; 1+1/2 cups walnut pieces, toasted and cooled; 1/2 cup bread crumbs (best from stale pita bread); 1 tsp. Turkish pepper (also called Aleppo pepper); 2 tbsp. pomegranate molasses; 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice.
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until roughly textured, not perfectly smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with crackers or celery sticks or as an accompaniment to broiled fish or meat.
Intrigued by the flavours of the Mediterranean? These titles will titilate you:
Feast from the Mideast : 250 sun-drenched dishes from the lands of the Bible / by Levy, Faye.
Claudia Roden Arabesque : a taste of Morocco, Turkey & Lebanon. by Roden, Claudia.
Middle Eastern cookbook / by Khalifé, Maria.
I never throw away the skin of a lemon, lime or orange without first pillaging its tangy zest, wherein lie the oils that offer us their fragrant essence. My thinking is that if I am using lemon juice somewhere, this somewhere will be even more sumptous with the extra jolt from the lemon's zest. So, in a vinaigrette for salad where lemon juice joins olive oil, in goes the grated zest of the very same lemon I am juicing. With some minced, fresh garlic, a dab of Dijon mustard, salt and pepper and perhaps a smattering of chopped fresh herbs, you are well on your way to wonderfulness. Or, when I roast cubes of butternut squash with a splash of orange juice, honey and olive oil, the addition of orange zest creates a brighter citrus effect, seductively floral and complex. This is a form of alchemy. A humble dish is transformed into a great one and you are transformed into a kitchen wizard.
If you do not own a Microplane zester grater, as seen above from www.cooking.com, do consider purchasing one. Not only does it make simple work of zesting citrus fruits, you will love the clouds of fluffy parmesan cheese it produces and the handsome heaps of freshly grated ginger that fall from its razor sharp miniature blades. It is also wonderful for grating chocolate into feathery light mounds, or for morphing the hard knob of a whole nutmeg into a mass of ethereal powder. My grater is my single most favourite kitchen tool.
So, you have your zester and you are ready to rock and roll. Now what? Try your hand at this assertive and vividly coloured Carribean Black Bean Salad: Cook up some black beans or use some from a can, well rinsed. Dress the beans with the oil of your choice and generous amounts of fresh lime juice and lime zest. Add salt and pepper and fresh, minced garlic to taste. Grate in some fresh ginger for heat and bite. Toss in diced peppers in an assortment of colours, a diced jalapeno pepper or two, some purple Spanish onion, and lots of fresh, chopped cilantro. I love including kernals of cooked corn in this salad. You many want to season the salad with some cumin and chile powder for a Mexican touch.
If you are keen on this sunny theme, read on for books that will delight and inspire you. Lori Longbotham is probably the reigning queen of lemons and in her books you will find many reasons to give lemons a squeeze.
Lemon zest : more than 175 recipes with a twist / by Longbotham, Lori.
Luscious lemon desserts / by Longbotham, Lori.
Cooking with lemons & limes / by Glover, Brian.
October is here, suddenly, it seems, and I am only now realizing that I didn't post a Food of the Month, a little habit I started back in July when raspberries were in season. So, instead, I have a Food of the Minute for you, cranberries in time for Thanksgiving weekend and beyond. I'll spare you my usual banter and hand over some great cranberry recipes I love. You will too.
Cranberry sauce is a beautiful concept. So is this Cranberry Chutney, adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe, a perfect pairing for turkey dinner or to jazz up a cheese plate:
Cranberry Chutney
1 tbsp. canola oil; 1 small onion, finely chopped; 1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries; 1 cup raisins; 1 cup runny honey; 2 tbsp. fresh grated ginger; 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon; 1/4 tsp. ground star anise (optional); 1 tbsp. yellow mustard seeds; 1/4 tsp. ground cloves; 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar; 3/4 cup orange or apple jucie; 2 apples, peeled, cored and diced; 1 stalk celery, diced small (about 1/2 cup), 1 tsp. salt or to taste; freshly ground pepper to taste; hot pepper flakes to taste.
In a medium saucepan heat oil and cook onion until soft, about 4 minutes. Add all the remaining ingredients to the saucepan and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat so mixture simmers. Cranberries will pop open and break down. Cook until the apples and cranberries are softened and the chutney is thickened, about 20 minutes or so. Stir often at the end of cooking to avoid scorching. Let the chutney cool. Pack it into jars and store in the fridge.
Also worth making in the theme of cranberries are these gorgeous Oatmeal and Cranberry Muffins adapted from Marie Simmons miniature but superb book Muffins A to Z. Bursting with exploded fresh cranberries, studded with walnuts and laden with wholesome oatmeal and whole wheat flour, these ruby-flecked gems are the perfect offering when cranberries are at hand.
Oatmeal and Cranberry Muffins
1+1/2 cups milk; 1+1/3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, plus more for topping; 1/3 cup unsalted butter; 2/3 cup whole wheat flour; 2/3 cup all-purpose unbleached flour; 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar; 2 tsp. baking powder; 1 tsp. baking soda; 1/2 tsp. salt; 1 tsp. ground cinnamon; 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract; 2 large eggs; 1 cup fresh cranberries; 1 cup chopped walnuts.
In a small saucepan, combine milk and oats. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Stir to mix in the butter once it melts. Cool slightly. Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups. Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl mix eggs with the brown sugar and vanilla. Add the milk slowly to the egg mixture and stir to combine. Add the cooked oatmeal/butter mixture to the egg mixture. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix just until evenly moistened. Add in the cranberries and walnuts and fold together just until evenly distributed. Divide the batter evenly amongst the muffin cups, sprinkling each muffin with oats. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the muffin comes out clean, 18-20 minutes. Cool and serve. Makes 12 medium or 8 large muffins.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Here is a book about cranberries you may want to look at:
Cranberries: Recipes from Canada's Best Chefs by Elaine Elliot
A sea of spices in a Turkish market!
An easy and fun way to perk up the flavours of your cooking is to blend your own spice mixes. It is very much like playing in a sandbox: you take a bit of this, a pinch of that, a handful of this and a scoop of that, then smoosh it all together!
Start with very fresh spices, not the dusty jars of spice powder sitting in your pantry for the last decade. Buy whole spices where possible, cumin seeds, cinnamon sticks, whole peppercorns, mustard seeds, star anise, etc. For maximum flavour gently toast individual spices in a hot, dry skillet very briefly JUST until they release their fragrance and JUST START to change colour. Remove toasted spices from the skillet right away because spices can go from aromatic to bitter and burnt in a nanosecond. Let spices cool and then grind them in a mortar and pestle or in a spice grinder.
Coriander Seeds
Let me introduce you to a lusty all-purpose spice mix called Bone Dust, from BBQ guru Ted Reader's newest book "Napolean's Everyday Gourmet Grilling". Use this bold seasoning on everything from scrambled eggs to steaks to grilled vegetables to stews.
Bone Dust
1/2 cup paprika; 1/4 cup chile powder; 3 tbsp. kosher salt; 2 tbsp. sugar; 2 tbsp. ground coriander seeds; 2 tbsp. garlic powder; 2 tbsp. curry powder; 2 tbsp. hot dry mustard; 1 tbsp. ground black pepper; 1 tbsp. dried basil or oregano; 1 tbsp. dried thyme; 1 tbsp. ground cumin seeds; 1 tbsp. cayenne pepper. Combine spices together and store in a jar in the pantry.
I have been making my own Mexican Chile Powder for years, buying deeply hued dried Gaujillo, New Mexican, Chipotle, Pastilla, Ancho and Puya chiles from La Tiendona Market on 36th St. SE in Calgary. You can combine different types of chiles for depth of flavour and for varying amounts of heat. Gently toast chiles on all sides in a hot, dry skillet, pressing down on their skin with a spatula to try to toast the rumpled surfaces until fragrant. Remove chiles immediately from the skillet. Let them cool. Grind chiles into a powder. Combine 1/2 cup ground ancho or pastilla chile, 2 tbsp. ground cumin seeds, 2 tsp. dried oregano (Mexican oregano if possible), 1 tbsp. paprika and 2 tbsp. ground coriander seeds. Yield: about 1/2 cup. This deeply aromatic spice blend is subtly sweet and hot at the same time, the sweetness from the paprika, the hotness from the chiles.
Ancho Chile Peppers
Another one of my favourite blends, also from Napolean's Everyday Gourmet Grilling, is Jerk Spice Rub, a Carribean inspired mix that is fabulous on grilled chicken pieces or pork loin. Using lots of assertive allspice, dried thyme and ginger, your nose will transport your mind to a faraway place with swaying palm trees and white sand beaches. Combine 2 tbsp. onion powder, 2 tbsp. ground allspice, 2 tbsp. cayenne pepper, 2 tbsp. dried thyme, 1 tbsp. brown sugar, 1 tbsp. ground black pepper, 1 tbsp. dried granulated garlic, 1 tbsp. kosher salt, 1 tbsp. ground ginger, 1 tsp. mustard powder, 1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg and 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon. Makes about 1 cup.
Once you start blending your own spices you will never buy commercial curry powder again. Try this beautiful blend, called South Indian Curry Spice Mix: 1 tsp. canola oil; 1 tbsp. coriander seeds; 1 tbsp. fennel seeds; 1 tsp. cumin seeds; 4 whole cloves; 2 green cardamom pods; 1/2"-piece cinnamon stick; 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns; 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric; 1 tsp. ground cayenne pepper. Put a small frying pan over medium heat. When it is hot, add oil. When oil is hot, add coriander, fennel, cumin, cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick and peppercorns. Cook the spices, stirring, until they just release their aromas and just begin to change colour. Immediately transfer spices to a spice grinder or mortar. Let the spices cool and grind to a powder. Add turmeric and cayenne and mix well. This recipe is from www.finecooking.com.
Cardamom and Cinnamon
Here are some books that will add spice to your life:
Where flavor was born : recipes and culinary travels along the Indian Ocean spice route / by Viestad, Andreas.
Eating India : an odyssey into the food and culture of the land of spices / by Banerji, Chitrita.
Spice : flavors of the eastern Mediterranean / by Sortun, Ana, 1967-
Cantucci
I recently had a perfect day in Siena, Italy, the perfect place to have it. Delicious cookies played a part. I started the day in my room in a converted 14th century monastery by opening the heavy, oak shutters to sweeping views of land undulating in folds to the horizon, the same soft air and wispy atmosphere that is seen and almost felt in a Renaissance painting.
View from our room in Monastery
Breakfast was served in the monastery's ancient wine cellar, a cheerful room sitting under an enormous arch of honey-coloured bricks. There were cookies for breakfast with foamy cappuccino, along with the more usual offerings like bread, cheese, cereal, fruit and yogurt. What wonderful cookies these were, and with capricious names: Cavallucci, Ricciarelli and Cantucci. We had read that Siena was famous for its biscotti (all cookies are biscotti in Italian) but nothing had prepared us for the intriguing treats laid out before us. Cavallucci are nubby, bumpy, chewy, thick and homely, yet bursting with peronality from the unusual marriage of anise and corinader seeds, local walnuts, honey and candied fruit. Ricciarelli are a conceptual contrast to Cavallucci, soft and white as a cloud, sprinkled with a dusting of confectioners' sugar. They are pretty and cakey, shaped like and scented with almonds, with a texture that is a cross between meringue and marzipan. Cantucci are hard, chubby toasted little almond slices, twice-baked and best enjoyed when softened by dipping them into vin santo (sweet wine), which we refrained from doing at breakfast, dipping into our cappuccinos instead.
My husband and I quickly determined that we needed our very own stash of these Sienese biscotti to sustain us through the day. Bini Bakery was right across the street, certainly a sign meaning we and the cookies were meant to be together. We nibbled on cookies as we ambled through the ancient, winding streets of Siena, unchanged since medieval times. We munched in Il Campo, the sea-shell-shaped piazza (public square) and focal point of Siena, the only relatively flat space in a town that rises and falls everywhere else. We sat on the marble steps of the Duomo with cookies in hand, awestruck by the fantastical frenzy of twisted gothic columns and golden frescoes on the facade of the cathedral. We climbed 505 steps to the top of the Torre Mangia fortified by our goodies, swooning over the beauty of the "sienna"-coloured land. Even dirt is pretty in Siena. And we picked at the crumbs at the bottom of our bag after a delightful dinner of pici pasta, long, thin strands of hand-rolled pasta dough doused with assertive arrabiata sauce.
View from Torre Mangia
A perfect day must nourish your heart and soul, delight all your senses and deliver continual pleasure from morning to night. Nothing ugly should pass before your eyes; no discordant sounds should disturb your ears. You should definitely eat delicious cookies. This is exactly what my perfect day in Siena was like.
Bring the aromas and flavours of Sienese baking into your home with these delicate Ricciarelli:
2 cups whole blanched almonds; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1+1/4 cups confectioners' sugar; 2 egg whites, stiffly beaten, 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract; pinch of salt.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 11" x 17" baking sheet with parchment paper. Pulverize the almonds with both sugars in a food processor fitted with a metal blade until soft and floury. In a mixing bowl beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Add the almond extract and a pinch of salt into the egg whites and stir gently to just combine. Gradually add the almond/sugar mixture to the egg white mixture and stir well to form a malleable paste. Break off walnut-sized balls of dough and roll them in confectioners' sugar. With your hands, mould dough into tapered almond-shaped cookies about 1/2" thick and 2" long from end to end. Place cookies 2" apart on baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes until set but still soft and not browned. Let cool and dust with a cloud of confectioners' sugar. Makes 20 lovley cookies.
Ricciarelli
If you would like to learn more about Italian baking, you may want to borrow these library books:
Italian baking secrets / by Orsini, Joseph E.
La dolce vita : sweet things from the Italian home kitchen / by Ferrigno, Ursula.