Springtime Vegetarian Rice Sartù

Honestly, I was pretty sure I couldn't make it this time, with MTC.

Passover finished only this Tuesday night, so no way to have breadcrumbs and even rice, at home. And to make matters worse, I've been very busy, overwhelmed if you want, in a delicate situation you don't want to know. 

But the truth is that I really didn't want to miss Marina's challenge.  Because of her, and also because I never heard about this dish before in all my life.

So, I wanted really try. I HAD to try. 😊

I've been started to think and writing notes on Sunday night in one of those rare moments of calm that I achieve to have. Thinking first in the main ingredients, to choose the others according to them.

I was sure that the common thread had to be Spring and that my Sartù should not contain any meat. 

a Springtime Vegetarian Sartù, in other words.

I'm sorry, but this time I mad all by eye and by heart and there are lot of ingredients that are not measured, or given very approximatively.

And sorry for the short post.

Anyway, here it goes:

Springtime vegetarian rice Sartù

For a Charlotte mold 18 large, 10 high

for the rice:

400 g Carnaroli rice

stock (scroll down for the recipe)

butter
100 g parmesan cheese
4 eggs

I've cooked the rice like a risotto. First, I toasted the rice with any grease until it turned opaque and "pearl color". Then, I started adding the stock until it was 3/4 cooked. I stirred the butter and the parmesan in.
I did everything as it was suggested in this amazing article.
Once done, I left it cool. Then, added the eggs one by one.

for the non-meat balls

150 g zucchini, finely grated
salt
2-3 tablespoons ricotta
1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon basil, finely chopped

1 bread slice
milk
extra virgin olive oil for frying

Soak the bread in some milk to make it soften.
Put the grated zucchini in a colander, sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Let drain for two hours, then, press them to eliminate all excess of water. Squeeze in your hands, then, put in a dry bowl.
Squeeze also the bread and add it to the zucchini.
Add the ricotta cheese, the yolk and the basil. Mix and form hazelnut sized balls.
Deep fry in hot extra virgin olive oil.

for the filling

2 asparagus bunches, (the spears only)
butter (maybe a tablespoon or two)
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
100 g green peas
some of the vegetable stock, maybe a cup (scroll down for the recipe)
1 handful basil

150 g buffalo mozzarella cheese
salt
white pepper

Melt the butter in a skillet, add the onion and let soften. Add the asparagus spears, salt and a little pepper. Sauté the asparagus, the add the peas and pour some stock on it. Let cook the vegetables uncovered, then add the basil, at the end off cooking. Turn off. Set apart.

For the vegetable stock

Yelds 2 liters

1 white onion, halved
1 carrot, peeled cut into chunks
1 leek, the white part cut into chunks
the asparagus stalks, peeled, trimmed cut into chunks
some peppercorns
3 liters water
The peel of one lemon (NOT grated)

In a big pot, put all ingredients but lemon peel. Bring to boil then turn the heat down and let simmer  uncovered for 1 hour. It will reduce. Turn the flame off and add the lemon peel cut in big stripes. Cover and let infuse for one hour.
Strain and set apart.

for the velouté:

1 liter stock
50 g butter
50 g flour, sifted thrice
salt
white pepper
juice of half lemon

Melt the butter, then add the flour. Mix until you have an homogeneous mix. Cook at low fire until the roux will turn light blond. Let it cool.
Heat the stock until starts to boil. Pour half of the boiling stock on the cooled roux and mix vigorously with a whisk. Pour the rest of the boiling stock bit by bit, do not stop whisking.
Texture must to be smooth with no lumps.
Season with salt and pepper.
Return the pot to the fire and bring to a boil, never stop whisking. Let the sauce reduce and thiken, at very slow fire, about 15-20 minutes. The velouté must reduce to 2/3 of its initial volume.
Turn the flame off and add the lemon juice. Whisk again.
Strain the sauce in the "chinois".

You also will need: butter and breadcrumbs.

Preheat the oven at 180°
Grease the mold with butter and breadcrumbs.
Form one cm of rice on the bottom and one cm on the mould walls. Pour half of the filling, a little velouté, half of the zucchini balls and half of the mozzarella cheese. Make another layer of one cm of rice, pour the rest of the filling, a little sauce, the rest of the zucchini balls and mozzarella. Cover with the rest of the rice. Sprinkle with more breadcrumbs.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the rice will start to separate from the mould walls.
Wait about 15 minutes and remove the sartù from the mould. (praying at the same time)


Serve the sartù with the sauce, both hot.

And Thank you Marina!

Cristiana's Plums Far, for The Recipe-Tionist

The first step, was trying to understand Flavia's recipe-tionist rules.

Once I got it, I went to surf Cristiana's blog.

I've been surfing for hours.

I was looking for a recipe that was possible to make with the ingredients found here and that I could interpretate in kosher way, changing only one ingredient.

I was going to throw the towel when I ended up here.

The far. A french recipe. 

Intrigued by the use of fresh plums instead of dried, I continued reading.

I have to say that I am not a romantic person and I barely and rarely feel moved, but while I was reading, I saw my own grandmother.

I've found her light blue eyes, her tiny body moving in a small kitchen, her skills in the kitchen. Everything seemed easy looking at her.

I remembered her anger, "like a tiger" as Cristiana writes, when my sister Sarah died, so prematurely. The only difference is that my grandmother could not go on, she died of sorrow, two months later.

Unfortunately, she didn't left us a recipes notebook, she cooked by heart, I was only sixteen when she past away, not interested yet to learn about the kitchen mysteries. 

When I was measuring the milk for the far, I suddenly remembered the noise.

I could still hear the scrape of it. The long sound. Metal on metal.

Shrill like a scream, piercing the morning chill, and my dreams. Its sharp persistence disallowing silence and sleep. My grandmother emptying the porridge pot in the kitchen, cleaning carefully, edge to curved edge, with a spoon. The rule was: no waste.

I remembered the sullen complaints: my elder sister burrowing her head under the pillow and I pulling the covers over mine, in vain.

Every morning. My grandmother prepared porridge every morning, so we did not need an alarm clock in school time.

I have to admit now that all of a sudden, I miss that gray, gloopy mess.

But Cristiana's grandmother's far is much better:

 Fresh Plums Far

300 g fresh plums

200 g flour

150 g sugar

4 eggs

500 ml milk

1 tablespoon Armagnac

100 g butter

pinch of salt

Wash plums, cut in half and take out the bones. 

Warm the milk with the butter, until butter is melted. Allow to cool.

In a bowl, mix flour, sugar and salt. Add eggs and let the flour absorbing the eggs. 

Add the milk, working with an hand whisk in order to have a mix like the crêpes mix. Add the Armagnac. Set aside, for one hour.

Preheat oven at 180°.

Grease a 22 cm tick border tin and put the prunes on the bottom.

Cover with the dough and cook 45 minutes.

Serve cool.

Lox Terrine, with Piccalilli and Mizeria

Lox terrine, with Piccalilli and Mizeria.

New Delhi, March 2017

What is half French, half British, with a Polish accent?

No, it's not the doctor, it's my terrine for  Giuliana and MTC. 😊

First of all, I have to warn you, it's a very long job. It took 4 days to do it, but it can worth all the time spent in the kitchen.

Second, This is a real Nomad recipe. It has some of France (the terrine itself), some of England (the piccalilli) and some from Poland (the Mizeria Salad).

The idea came quite quickly. The difficulty was finding some of the ingredients in New Delhi Jungle of markets and little stores. 

When I told Ele I wanted a wild salmon fillet, you can't imagine her face. But, as she always is optimist she told me that she would find it and maybe knew where. And finally she did.

The unexpected Odyssey was for the English Mustard powder. 

-India is the country of mustard-she said.

-Yes, but...  it's really not the same for the piccalilli.

I know, she has patience just because she loves me, otherwise...😉

Well, Imagine to traverse a 23 millions inhabitants city, from north to south, east to west, only to find a little, tiny, yellow box of mustard.

Unbelievable in an ancient British colony, but true.

We finally found it, by a friend of her in the British High Commission. I had al last all the ingredients to start the long process of this terrine.

In the first moment, I imagined it entirely covered of lox. While I was mixing the ingredients, I changed my mind as I thought that it would be nicer and lighter folded in cucumber slices.

The clarified butter gives a nice taste and a spreadable texture, in addition to keep the terrine together.

I hope you'll enjoy.

Slice detail, ready to serve, at room temperature

Lox (salt cured salmon)

Make your lox at least three days ahead.

1 big, whole wild salmon fillet, skin on (mine was about 1 kg)
300 g coarse salt
100 g sugar

Start washing your salmon and ensure all bones are removed. If they are not, just take a plier and pull the bones off. 

Mix salt and sugar in a bowl and cover the fish with this mixture. Be generous, because the fish will absorb part of the salt mixture during the curing process. Next, wrap the fish in plastic and put it on a shallow dish (can be a pyrex). Put in the fridge with a weight on top. I used a large heavy dish with two wine bottles on top.

Check the salmon every 12 hours and eliminate any excess of liquid.

After 48 hours, you can check if it's enough cured to your taste. Normally, I prefer it a little more salty and consistent, which I achieve after three days.

When you feel it's done, rinse it well and slice it thinly.

Notes: 

-Once you cover the fish with salt, you can also put some aromatic ingredients such dill (the most common), lemon zest, zaatar, onion, herbs, pepper, shallots.... I didn't this time just because I wanted a "pure" tasting lox.

-You can freeze your lox cut in slices, ONLY if you bought a fresh fillet. Do not freeze if you started with a frozen fish.

-Try with smoked salt for a smoked salmon taste ;)

Another view of the finished and plated dish

Piccalilli

250 g cauliflower
1 little cucumber (mine was 150 g)
half white onion
2 shallots
30 g fennel
30 g courgette
1 liter water
25 g salt
200 ml white wine vinegar
75 ml cider vinegar
1 red chili
1 bay leaf
25 g sugar
1 pinch turmeric
25 g english mustard powder
1 g xanthan gum*

Cut cauliflower in tiny florets. Peel, deseed and cut the cucumber in small cubes. Peel onions and shallots and chop roughly. Cut fennel and courgette in small cubes. 

Mix all vegetables and soak in water and salt for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

Wash the vegetables and pat dry throughly.  It's very important that vegetables are dry before adding them in the mustard cream.

In a saucepan, mix the vinegars, the red chili and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes, strain, discard leaf and chili. 

Mix sugar, turmeric and mustard and add to the reduced vinegars. Mix well, cook for three minutes.

Allow cool, add the xanthan gum and make the mixture thicken with a stick blender.

Dip the vegetables and combine. Let macerate overnight.

Keep in a jar in de fridge until use.

*If you don't have xanthan gum, then mix 2 teaspoons cornstarch in the mustard mix before adding to reduced vinegars, and cook to thicken. I prefer xanthan just because it doesn't have any aftertaste.

Polish Mizeria Salad

300 g cucumber, peeled, deseeded, thiny sliced
150 g sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons dill, finely chopped

Slice the cucumber as thin as possible. Some people also use to grate the cucumber, do as you prefer.

Put the slices in a colander and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Let drain the liquid for about 30 minutes. In a bowl, mix cucumber slices with sour cream, vinegar and dill (you can save some dill for decoration). Put in the fridge for one hour. Season with more salt, if needed, and pepper to taste before serving.

Lox Terrine

(for a 1 liter terrine)

1 leek
100 g clarified butter
1 big potato
400 g lox
3 shallots, peeled and finely diced
100 g cornichons, finely sliced
65 g capers, finely chopped
20 g flat parsley, finely chopped
10 g chives, finely chopped
200 g clarified butter
200 g fresh cucumber, finely sliced

Trim the green part of the leek. Ensure to cut it to the same length of the terrine. Blanch the leek in salty water until tender, drain and set aside.

Peel the potato and slice 1 cm thick. Melt 100 g of clarified butter, poach the potato slices and cook at very low temperature until soft but not overdone. The grease must to entirely cover the slices.  Potato has not to fry, not to take color, just be "confit", slowly cooked in the grease. When done, take out from the butter and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Chop the lox as a very fine "tartare". In a bowl, mix lox with the chopped shallots, cornichons, capers, chives and parsley.

Using the melted clarified butter in which you cooked the potatoes, generously brush the bottom and sides of the terrine. Finely slice the fresh cucumber and brush one side of each slice and stick the slices on the bottom and sides of terrine, to line it completely. The starch released by the potatoes will help cucumber slices to stick.

Melt the rest of new, unused clarified butter.

Start to layer the terrine with a first layer of lox mixture. Pour some of the butter and press the lox down.

Put the leek on this first layer, pressing a bit down, then cover with a new lox mixture layer and some of the melted butter. Lay down the potato slices on the length of the terrine. I've cut the round edges to make them line up, like one single slice. Push delicately down, being careful to not to break them. Cover with the last layer of lox mixture, pour another little amount of clarified butter.

Cover nicely with thin cucumber slices and finish with a little butter to fix.

Put your terrine on the fridge with an appropriate weight on the top, to press it overnight.

The whole terrine, just out from the fridge

What I did, was to cut a customized piece of cardboard at the same size of my terrine container. I folded it with cling wrap, covered the terrine with it and finally put a bowl filled of river stones on it.

As the butter will harden in the fridge, take out your terrine on time to serve at room temperature.

Gently, scrap out the excess of butter from the top.

Slice the terrine when still hard, leaving the slices at room temperature.

Serve sliced, with piccalilli and Mizeria salad.

Notes: 

-If you have time, use homemade clarified butter. It has a better taste and texture.

-MY MISTAKE: I should had minced the lox mixture more finely for a more refined result. The texture I got it's maybe right for a "terrine de campagne", but not for an elegant lox or smoked salmon one. Just my opinion.

Lox Terrine, still a bit hard, enough to cut it

Alsatian Schenkele or Lady's tights. Mardi Gras in Alsace.

Schenkele, the Alsatian almond and kirsch flavored fritters. Mardi Gras in Alsace.

New Delhi, February 2017

Mardi Gras in Strasbourg smells like Hanukkah in Jerusalem. 

The smell of frying food is everywhere. Especially sweet fried food.

Schenkele, also called Lady's tights, are a must in this period.

When I was pouring the clarified butter in the frying pan, my husband showed up in the Kitchen.

-Are you going to fry again?- the doctor asked

I looked at him, with my best big smile.

-You said frying is good for the liver (but not for memory, I'm afraid)

-No, I said it's not bad if you don't eat it often. You will end killing me.

(Don't tell him but it's exactly the goal I married him for)

-You're not forced to eat the Schenkele, my dear. I will make a fruit salad only for you.

(Big Deal. He won't eat my Schenkele. What a pitty. There will be more for us)

-Schenkele????

Now, guess who ate a lot and wanted more.

His Alsatian genes are stronger than his willpower. It's clear. 😃

You have to know that in Alsace we observe very closely every calendar's celebration. No matter if you're Jewish, Christian or Muslim, if you're Alsatian, any excuse is good to enjoy special foods.

Indeed, if the primary meaning of a religious celebration can sometimes be lost along the way, the greedy tradition remains, in turn, intact.

When Mardi Gras approaches, you can find thus fritters everywhere and in all the shapes in Alsace. In fact, "Boules de Berlin" (Sufganyoth, Kraphen, Donuts or Berliner Pfannkuchen), Roussettes de Strasbourg (kind of Angel wings), Apfelkiechle (apple fritters) and Schenkele are the best seller in all the region's pastry shops in this period.

Why this madness about donuts and fritters in February?

This tradition is typically the legacy from a Catholic religious practice that is non longer necessarily observed, but whose food rituals has endured.

Rituals, even if they loose their religious meaning, retain the power to gather people. No matter which is your faith, Mardi Gras is an excellent pretext for gorging on donuts and fritters without guilt!

So, I say, it would be so wrong to deprive yourself. Isn't it?

Anyway, if it's not your G-d who will hit you on your fingers for your excess of gluttony, then the scale, your cholesterol levels or your favorite skinny jeans will soon make you call to order.😇

Finally, the calendar festivals have the merit of putting a little order in what could be quickly become total anarchic. Just imagine if it was the period of cakes, candy apples, donuts, fritters, chocolate eggs, bredele and Christmas log all the year long!

No, it's better non to imagine all this considered. 

It must be admitted that seasonality makes all the charm of certain specialities. With no doubt, these Schenkele flavored with Kirsch, deliciously soft inside and so crispy outside, are more appreciated as their consumption is occasional but...

...as I use to say, after all there are many pants sizes but only one life.

Don't you think?

Enjoy!

Schenkele (Lady's tights)

I use to make this for Hanukkah Festival and eat it somewhere else in this period. But being in India, I missed the aroma of fried sweets flooding the streets so I decided to make and share it.

The particularity of these pastries is that, unlike other fritters, they keep crunchy for days. Some people use to roll the Schenkele in a mix of sugar and cinnamon just after frying when still hot. In my family we only use sugar for sprinkle. Modern variations include orange or lemon zest instead of kirsch, but honestly, I've never seen a citrus tree in Alsace.

Last, but not least, I've fried in clarified butter because I like most. You can use the grease you want.

For about 50-60 pieces

4 eggs
250 grams sugar
125 grams butter
2 tablespoons Kirsch
125 grams almond meal
pinch of salt
500 grams flour

grease for deep frying (I used clarified butter)
sugar, to sprinkle

Melt butter and stir in the kirsch. Let it cool slightly.
Whisk the eggs with sugar until light and fluffy. When eggs will be fluffy, add the melted butter and liquor, making sure it has cooled, or you will risk to "cook" the eggs. Add the almond meal and salt, as well. Combine.
Add the flour in several batches. You have to obtain a smooth but still sticky dough. Fold it in cling wrap and let in the fridge for 2 hours.
After this time, you will have an easy to work dough.
Flour your hands and take a small piece of dough (about 20 grams each), roll in your hands to make a cylinder shape (5 to 6 cm long and 2 to 3 wide) and press the ends in order to form points, as shown in the picture.

Lay your raw Schenkele on a floured surface.
When done, heat your frying grease at 160°C. Temperature is very important here, because if your oil is too hot, you will have a colored surface, but a raw inner. So, try to maintain a constant temperature while frying. What I did, was put my frying pan at high heat until it reached the ideal temperature, then I lowed the fire always keeping an eye on the thermometer.
Fry non more than 10 to 12 pieces at batch. They first tend to sink and stick on the bottom of the pan, then they will float; that's why you must turn very often to cook evenly.
If the temperature is the right one, it will take up to 10-20 minutes to cook your Schenkele until golden brown and perfectly cooked in the center.
They will crack during the cooking time. Don't worry, it's absolutely normal. They have to.
When done, transfer each batch to a plate lined with paper towel and sprinkle with sugar immediately, before they get warm.
Eat warm or cold with any moderation!
It's just for one day. 😊

Almond Baklava. Grocery shopping in New Delhi: a real adventure.

Almond Baklava: grocery shopping in India is a real adventure. Or a Mission, I dare to say.

New Delhi, Febraury 2017

India: it's not a bed of roses, but what a bouquet of experiences... (read a sigh here)

New Delhi is not an easy place to be. 

It's a tentacular, complicated city. Dirty and polluted. Poor to make you cry.

I have not the same romantic idea of India as my niece and husband. I just can't.

According to them, India is amazing, colorful, beautiful, magic, meaningful, incredible, peaceful and safe. That is, the perfect place to be.

Yes, if you are a cow.

I'm not saying that I'm unhappy here, on the contrary. It's just that I can't see only all the good as they do. This city can be a nightmare, just only for that simple thing as grocery shopping is.

The thing I like the most here is spending time with mi niece. Only the both of us. I'm eager to make up for lost time, trying to spend as hours as possible with her, cooking, chatting, going out or simply in silence, looking into each other eyes, trying to find things in common. We already found a lot, beyond DNA matters and physical features.

One is that we both are passionate about markets. Food markets, firstly.

The first two times I've been here, she was severely ill, so she couldn't show me the city as she would want to do. Now she's recovering, always like a roller coaster, but there are days when she feels fully in shape and loaded with powerful, infecting energy. It's when I understand why my husband can't live without her and is totally fine only when she's around, since the day he met her.

-Let's go to INA Market- she suggested, one of those good days. -But you have to get yourself psychologically ready-she added.

I admit that I was afraid and worried in front of her proposition and the snigger in her face.

Before I continue my story, you have to know that there is not a supermarket in Delhi. Not even one. Every neighborhood has its own market and there are several specialized markets in the city. One for clothes, one for jewels, one for organic vegetables, and so on. If you need something specific, you have to move from one to another, otherwise you can find basic products just nearby. Things like season vegetables and fruits, milk and some other staples.

When I say market, don't immagine the European open air kind. Those markets are squares with little, dark shops all around. You can find jewelers, fashion boutiques, hairdressers, coffee bars and little basic groceries full of Indian stuff with unpronounceable names.

If you need to buy fish, meat or simple European food, like pasta for example, you have to take your car and have a nice time in Delhi's traffic jams.

It takes more than half an hour to cover 5 kilometers and reach this INA Market, but it seems to be worth it, judging by Michael and Ele's tales. I have to admit that I thought it was a bad jape, knowing them.

I was wrong. Kind of.

INA Market is a real Ali Baba's cave for foodies. You can find whatever you want from almost any country and if don't see it in your sight, they will find it for you. However, if you are a prissy person, this may not be the right place for you. It's always Delhi, it's always India: dirt, hawkers, homeless people and beggars jump immediately to the eye while you are concentrated doing the giant slalom through the stray dogs in the aisles.

A truly Indian experience.

This colorful, crowded indoor market is really exciting, with small shops full of packaged imported foods and local dry goods merchants. When you arrive at the parking, an army of coolies (porters) move close to you with a big smile, ready to carry your choices in a basket while you shop for few rupees. You have to choose among about fifteen guys: I chose the less intimidating one.

In a huge and multi-colored fruits and veg stall I saw some packages of Indian Buffalo Mozzarella in a fogged fridge and I asked for it.

-Don't- Ele said- Don't buy cheese here because you can't know how long it has been under the sun, before reaching that fridge.

-Right. So where do you buy cheese?

-In Meher Chand Market, just 4 kilometers from here

Great, another mission only to buy cheese. Ok, I can live with it.

After we got our fill of fruits and vegetables, always with the guy following us with his plastic basket, we had a random walk until reach the fishmongers side. Amazing. Less choice compared to the Tel Aviv fish markets, but much better and fresher compared to Strasbourg. Plus, fish are sold whole, so you can recognize what is kosher and what is not before they ask you if you want it in fillets. Since I have a retired surgeon at home, who wants fillets? He will make a better job than nobody else.

In a muddy lane in the back, you have the butchers. Mutton, goat, chicken and pork meats are available here. All the meat are halal and sellers are muslims, except for the pork, of course. The floor is wet, the odor is disgusting and a huge community of flies lives there, despite the fans and the electric fly zappers. Hygiene? Not available. 

At least, you know that meat is fresh. You have the option of choosing your live animal and they are so kind to kill and cut it just in front your eyes.

Now I understand why the majority of Indians are vegetarian.

-Tell me you never buy meat here.

She laughed.

-No. I buy kosher chicken from the Chabad Community and other Halal meats from a Japanese store which are...

-Let me guess...far and away?

Her laugh answered my question.

I can make it, I feel it. I will need to join her daily yoga class, but I will make it. Breath long and deep...

That day I bought a lot of almonds from Kashmir. They have a very pleasing aroma and a great texture. 

Yesterday, we all had a very bad day. Especially Ele. Then I wanted to try to cuddle her in some way.

I know for sure that her favorite sweet treat is Baklava.

The only problem is that I didn't know if phyllo pastry is available here. The homemade one is good, but sincerely, not the same.

I was afraid to ask

-Where can I find phyllo pastry?

-In the Modern Bazaar. 

Modern. Sounds so comfortable.

-And...where is it? 

-Just a few minutes from home

Yeah!

Long post, I hope you enjoyed my distress. But you maybe came here for the recipe...
Here it goes:

My Almond Baklava

There is not only one baklava recipe, there are thousands. The only thing they have in common is the dry fruits filling in a crunchy phyllo pastry shell, with a sticky flavorful syrup. This is my favorite one, with almonds only, orange blossom flavored.

for a 27x35 cm pan:

500 g almonds
4 tablespoons sugar
150 g butter
100 ml extra virgin olive oil
500 grams phyllo pastry

for the syrup:

500 g sugar
250 ml water
juice of 1 big lemon
about 2 tablespoons orange blossom water

If using frozen pastry, let it thaw completely before.

Preheat the oven at 180°.

In the meanwhile, chop the almonds. You can do it carefully in a food processor, but I like do it by hand, with a large knife, especially when I'm upset or angry, like I was. Those thinks work better than yoga for me.

Transfer the chopped almond in a bowl and mix with 4 tablespoons sugar.

Melt the butter along with the oil. Pour about 4 tablespoons of this mix on the almonds and mix well. Grease a the pan with oil or butter. Carefully, open and unfold the pastry sheets, place a dump cloth on them to prevent it from drying out.

Gently handle the phyllo dough sheets one by one, taking care to not to tear or damage it.

Place a sheet in the pan and brush it with the butter and oil mix. Place another sheet on the top of the first one and brush it, too. Do the same with the half of the package. You must to have a bottom of at least 10 phyllo sheets. Be careful to press the pastry on the edges and corners of the pan to make it adhering. Cut the pastry that pass over the edges of the pan. Scissors are the best tool for this task.

When you finish placing the half of the dough, place the almonds on it in an even layer. Make sure the almonds cover the entire pan.

Cover with the others phyllo sheets, greasing again one by one with the greasy mix. Brush the last one, too. Don't forget.

Normally and traditionally, at this point you have to cut the baklava in diamonds shapes. With a sharp knife, cut 6 rows across the long side. Then cut diagonal rows, first from a corner to the opposite one, then parallel to that row across the rest of the baclava.

Or you can do like me, I just cut in squares.

Bake for 1 hour or until golden and crisp. If after one hour it's not golden rise the temperature to 200° for some minutes, it will take the right tan.

During the baking time, make the syrup. Mix water, sugar and lemon juice and bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the orange blossom water. Let cool.

Take the baklava off the oven and let cool. When syrup and baklava are both cooled, drizzle the syrup all over the baklava. 

Refrigerate at least for 1 hour before serving.

Notes: I use to make baklava only with almonds because I like it more than other variations. You can also mix pistachio, walnuts and almonds or make it only with pistachio. Rose water water can be used instead of orange blossom one. Pistachio baklava with rose water is very common in Iran.

You can replace the sugar syrup with an honey or silan syrup and add spices like cinnamon or cardamom. For a Parve baklava, just substitute butter with more extra virgin olive oil. 

Bulgur, orange and pomegranate salad with honey. Did you say honey?

New Delhi, February 2017

Anedoctes about a doctor, superfoods, and a salad for dinner. With Honey, of course.

Have you ever heard about the story of the nurse who got married with the handsome doctor?

What a commonplace, isn't it?

Simply put, it's our story.

In the autumn of our lives, we got finally married three weeks ago. The doctor and me. I still survive. 

😅

The doctor knows a lot about food, more than anybody else I know. And is hard, very hard to please, as he has a very demanding palate. His favorite word is moderation: he can eat fried chicken thrice in a week to make cooking experiments, then keep vegetarian for an entire month and skip sugar for weeks.

He doesn't believe in superfoods. Superfoods are marketing gimmicks- he use to say,- it's just a buzzword created to make you think that certain foods have "magic" powers as curing cancer or dementia. A dangerous and life-threatening strategy.

The good approach is a balanced and varied diet, because even a "superfood" can cause harmful effects if eaten in large amounts. 

That's what he says, and i believe he's right. 

So, there’s no such thing as a superfood... but Honey!

Honey is the only real superfood on Earth.

He can skip sugar for weeks but not honey for a single day.

He can talk for hours about honey types, plants, bees breeds and the benefits of every and each sort of honey. I mean, really, for hours. Never ask him about honey if you don't have time to listen, I recommend you.

But believe me, with his "Leonard Cohen-like" voice, it's a real delight listening to him.

The privilege of an elite 😄

The doctor has an inestimable collection of honeys from all over the world that he allows me to use sometimes under his strict control. His Jaffa Orange blossom honey was perfect for this nomad recipe. A bit of Israel's sun and taste in the gray, polluted New Delhi.

Speaking of superfoods, my starting idea was making the salad with quinoa or millet. Then his crabby jewish side emerged: "Too expensive and flavorless. Besides, it's birds food" he claimed.

Right then, so be it.

It seems that pomegranate is one of those new superfoods. Here in India they are beautiful, bright red and taste wonderful; in addition, they are in peak season, as oranges, as well.

Superfoods or not, the doctor loved this salad. It's for the honey hint, maybe? ;)


Cut to the chase, without further ado, here is the recipe:

Bulgur, orange and pomegranate salad with honey

Serves 4 as side dish

100 g bulgur
500 ml vegetable stock
8 pitted Medjool dates, coarsely chopped
20-30 g parsley, finely chopped
20 g green onions, finely sliced
2 navel oranges peeled with wedges cut into chunks
the juice of 1 orange
the juice of 1 lime
1 handful pomegranate seeds
about 2 teaspoons cinamon
3 tablespoon orange blossom honey
extra virgin olive oil
salt, to taste

In a pan, bring the stock to a boil and add the bulgur and cook for 20 minutes. Here the bulgur is sold loose and not precooked. If you have a precooked one, then follow the package instructions.
When ready, fluff it with a fork or simply by hands. I know it's an inherited vice, I like to touch the food, but I always have clean hands, short nails and I use no polish on them.
In a large bowl, combine the dates, pomegranate, orange, parsley and green onion. Stir the cinnamon in. Add the cooked bulgur and stir again.
In a little bowl, mix the orange and lime juice, oil and honey. Whisk strongly until dressing is smooth. pour the dressing on the salad and combine.
Add more cinnamon if you desire and a dash of sea salt. Stir and serve.

Raspberries brown butter cake

New Delhi, February 2017.

"Do not use your blog only for the Challenge. Share your recipes, spread them over the world."

These were my niece words. Followed by a lot of "but" from me.

It's not because I don't want to share, not at all. It's because I think that the net is already saturated of cooking stuffs. I have nothing to teach, a lot to learn.

And I admit, I'm a very shy person. Not the in the window "see me, see me" kind.

But she insisted.

In the end, she convinced me. I think I'm becoming like Michael, my husband, who can't say no to her. Maybe.

She is also teaching me to take food pictures with the camera. I'm not a good student, but I promise I will improve.😊

The other day, we went to a local farm market and we found a lot of organic, nice red berried. Blackberries, raspberries, gooseberries and so on. The surprise was that they were relatively cheap  and good, compared to the imported ones that you can find everywhere here in Delhi.

I bought a bunch of them and on the way home I've been ruminating on what to do with, besides eating them just plain. Which we did, of course.

Lost in my thoughts, I remembered a fragrant and nutty flavored raspberry cake I ate once in my friend Esther's house in Tel Aviv.

So I asked her the recipe, it was just mouth watering, as I remembered.

Here it goes

Esther's Raspberry Brown Butter Cake

for a 20 cm cake:

170 grams butter

4 eggs, at room temperature

300 grams sugar
300 grams flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
200 grams raspberries

Icing sugar for dusting and an handful of raspberries to decorate (optional)

First of all, you have to brown the butter. If it's the first time you do it, I advice you to use a stainless steel pan, so you will see the color of the butter change. If you're not new in doing this, use the pan you want. Heat the butter in a large pan until melted. Medium heat is best for this. Rotate the pan to allow an even cooking. After several minutes, you will see the foam, then you will watch it to change color from yellow to darker. When the butter turns golden or light brown just smell it. If you smell nutty, similar to hazelnuts or toffee, it is done. 

Do not overcook, otherwise it will taste bitter and will be harmful for your health. 

Once is done, remove from heat, transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Preheat the oven at 180°C. 

Grease and light flour a 20 cm cake tin

In a bowl, with an electric mixer, mix the brown butter, eggs and sugar. Blend them. Add the vanilla extract and the milk and mix.

In a large bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add this mixture to the butter batter, mixing at low speed to avoid a big mess.😅  Mix until incorporated.

Add the raspberries stirring by hand...or with a spatula, I prefer using my hands, it's the funniest part.

Pour the batter in the tin and bake for 35-40 minutes.

It has to be golden in the edges. The toothpick test is useful, too.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Put it on a wire rack to allow cool completely.

Dust with icing sugar and decorate with fresh raspberries, if you desire.

Enjoy and let me know.

Fried chicken, with an Alsatian twist

This is my recipe to take part for my first time to the MTChallenge, which I follow monthly since years ago.

This month's challenge is Silvia's fried chicken.

First of all, I want to say a big Thank You to Elisa Baker, for all her support. She knows what I mean.

So here I am.

Still can't believe it.

I opened a blog. A cooking blog. Me.

Yes, Me.

When I entered in the Blogger platform, my first thought went to my mom. She's the one who simply doesn't tollerate when somebody takes pictures of food. Take notes, -she use to say- taste it, touch it, feel it, remember it, but don't take pictures. 

Don't ask, I don't know why.

This only means that she will never have the link of this blog.

Don't tell her.😉

Then, I thought about my husband and my niece. They do have a cooking blog, an amazing one. It's supposed that I had to publish my recipes in their blog. They are going to get mad. 

They will know about it at my first publication.😊

Which is today....

Surprise!

Why The Nomade Kitchen?

Because I used to live in France, in Strasbourg. I had a very quiet life until I decided to get engaged (once again) with my very first love who's such a great man, brilliant, clever, handsome, gifted in many ways...but a bit crazy and nomade, indeed. Now that we got married, I don't even know where do I live. Still in France? In Israel? In India, where I'm writing from?

A question that is impossible to answer. I don't even try. And, honestly speaking, I don't care.

I only enjoy the view from the planes, beginning to enjoy my new nomade life and nomade kitchen. With a nomade husband. Who can't live without my nomade niece, and so on.

I'm not going to bore you more. Let's talk about this fried chicken.  

I've carefully read the rules for this challenge but it happens that I'm a quite observant jew and we use to not mix milk and meat. Never. I know, we're very complicated people in food issues.

So, no buttermilk for me in the marinate. I thought that I should maybe skip this month, but they reassured me that for me the buttermilk was not an obligation.  Thank you!!

To not betray my "Strasbourgeoises" origins what did I do? Take a guess.

I used beer, of course!

Then, I meditated on giving an Alsatian twist to the whole dish. That's why I choose potato crumbs to breading. And Onion and beer sauce and braised cabbage for complements.

WARNING: I don't feel to be worthy of others MTChallengers level. When I cook, I just follow my feelings. I have not any geniality in cooking. Just simple things, with simple ingredients.

Actually, I don't cook. I fix lunches or dinners to feed my loved ones.

Just to say that I'm here only to play, enjoy, learning from others and...because my niece pushed me!

Now it's time for the recipe. It goes like this:

The breaded fried chicken with an Alsatian twist:

I made just one chicken, half my way, the other half in Silvia's way

Myriam's Braised red cabbage with apples.

This is a very traditional Alsatian recipe. The original one also asks for chestnut but only in season. Some add "lardons" (small bacon dice), bay leaves, juniper berries and cloves.

This is my mother's version, from a poorer and simpler jewish kitchen.

1 red cabbage

100 g schmaltz

1 big minced onion

4 "reinette" apples (I used Gala)

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

500 ml red wine (I used Sula, a local Indian Cabernet)

250 g chestnuts (didn't use them)

salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar

Cut the cabbage in four and take the tough parts off. Cut it in thin stripes.

Mix the cabbage with the salt, sugar and vinegar and let it marinate overnight. The vinegar has the task to fix the cabbage color.

The day after, melt the schmaltz in a oven proof pan and sauté the onion. When it's soft, add the cabbage and pour the wine. Season with salt and pepper.

Cover the the pan with its lid and put it simmer in the oven at 180° for one hour.

If using, make a deep cut on the chestnut skin and deep fry them for 3 or four minutes. Peel them when still hot paying special attention to eliminate the thin black skin. You can also use frozen or canned chestnut but believe me, the taste will neve be the same.

Incorporate the chestnuts to the cabbage in the last 20 minutes of cooking.

Peel and cut the apples. You can choose as you like cut them in cubes or in 8 wedges. I prefer the cubes, but it's your choice. Add the apples to the pan 10 minutes before the end of cooking time.

The dish is done when no cooking juice is left. It has to be moist but with no extra liquid.

Roasted Onion and beer sauce

When you use beer, food may tend to be bitter. You can balance this with a pinch of sugar or in other sweet ways, as using roasted or caramelized onions. Don't use the beer from the marinade, open a new one, same kind.

I only find red onions here, but yellow or white ones suit better.

Extra virgin Olive oil

2 large onion, unpeeled , quartered

250 ml blonde beer (Leffe, for me)

salt

freshly ground white pepper

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Preheat your oven at 200°C.

In a baking tray, lay down the onions quarters, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. I don't peel them because of the smoky flavour of the roasted peels, which is irresistible to me.

Bake the onions until tender and surface is golden brown. It will be about half an hour.

Transfer the onion to a blender and puree until smooth.

In a saucepan, pour the beer and bring to a boil over high heat until reduced to the half. Add the onion puree. Correct the seasoning if needed. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice.

Heat the sauce just before serving, being careful to not to boil.

His Majesty the fried chicken itself

1 Whole chicken, cut in pieces (I didn't weigh it)

Marinade:

1 blonde beer (Leffe for me)

1 celery stalk, whole, with leaves on

1 carrot, peeled, cut in chunks

1 leek, cut in chunks

some juniper berries

some good black peppercorns

Combine all ingredients and put your chicken pieces to take a relaxing bath for 3 hours. Beer is very powerful for marinades, You can also leave it overnight but you will find your meat with an ugly grey color and a mushy texture.

Turn the chicken often lo let penetrate the marinade everywhere.

Potato chips crumbs

1kg potatoes

4 tablespoons schmaltz, melted

2 teaspoons powdered onion

salt to taste

pepper to taste

Plus:

3 eggs

100 g flour

lot of schmalz for frying

salt

First, make your crumbs. You can make this ahead and store them in airtight container for weeks.

Preheat you oven at 190°C. Slice potatoes into 3mm slices and toss them with the melted schmaltz, onion powder and a little salt. In a baking sheet, arrange them in a single layer. Bake about 15 minutes, until golden brown. Now, season again with salt and pepper to taste. For the maximum crispiness, transfer them immediately to a wire rack to let them cool.

When cool, do not succumb to the temptation to eat them all. Forget it. 

Grind them in a food processor until obtaining a coarse powder, like sand. Set aside, or store it.

Now, Remove chicken from the marinade, shake it to eliminate the excess and let it drain on a rack for about half an hour. Discard marinade.

Prepare everything you need: a plate with the flour, a bowl with the beaten eggs, another plate with the crumbs. You will also need a plate to lay down the breaded chicken and another one lined with kitchen paper towels, to put the just fried pieces.

Only then, you can proceed.

Be sure your chicken has dripped off any excess of marinade. You also can throughly wipe it with paper towel to make sure the coating adhere.

Breaded chicken before frying

Roll the chicken trough the flour.

Dip each piece in the beaten eggs. Hold the piece over the bowl and shake it to eliminate the excess.

Roll each piece in the crumbs, pressing on to make them adhere properly. 

Put them on a plate while you finish coating all your pieces.

Now, let's have fun.

Take your frying pan. A cast iron one, for me.

Melt the schmaltz and heat it until reach 180°C.

Fry your chicken few pieces at time, until beautiful golden brown.

Let drain on a plate lined with paper towel.

Season with salt after frying.

Keep the chicken warm in the oven at 120° while you finish frying.

Enjoy it dipped in the onion sauce, accompanied by the braised cabbage.

Breaded fried chicken. Internal view .

For Silvia's floured fried chicken:

same beer marinade as the previous recipe

1/2 chicken cut in pieces

100 g flour

salt 

pepper

schmaltz for frying

Floured chicken before frying

Proceed as above to remove the chicken from the marinade and let it drain.

Mix flour, salt and pepper in a large food storage bag.

Insert the chicken pieces and shake it until perfectly coated.

Floured fried chicken. Internal view

Deep fry in schmaltz heated at 180°C, three pieces at time.

Let it drain on a plate, lined with paper towel to eliminate the excess of fat.

Keep it warm in the oven at 120°, while you finish frying.