may – schwarzwald kirchtorte, black forest's
legendary cherry cake
january 2006 - melokhia, green egyptian herb
soup
may the new year be joyous and prosperous with friends gathered
at the groaning board of your life and table. but now come on.
have you had it with figgy pudding, auld lang syne and latke’s?
i credit my good friend mary (who hails from cairo! and currently
lives in duluth, georgia) for this original ‘food pyramid’ recipe.
melokhia is a marvelous egyptian green herb soup perfect for the
new year and new resolutions.
2 qt. chicken or meat stock
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ cups dried melokhia leaves (find frozen at local mediterranean
groceries)
2 leaves silq (silverbeet or swiss chard)
1 recipe ta'leya (see accompanying note)
bring stock to a boil. adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
measure melokhia leaves, then crumble finely (if dried). remove
white stocks from silq and chop finely.
add melokhia and silq to boiling stock, return almost to the
boil and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
make ta'leya and add to the soup, cover pot and simmer for 2
minutes.
ta'leya garlic sauce
3-4 cloves garlic
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon ground coriander
pinch of hot chili pepper
crush garlic with salt in a mortar (or just finely chop and mix
with salt).
heat butter in a small pan and add garlic. cook, stirring constantly
until golden brown. remove pan from heat and stir in coriander
and pepper. use while sizzling hot.
february 2006 - basbousa
a one-bowl cake that is buttery and smooth, the semolina flour
is the absolute key to its texture. add a few dried apricots to
the plate. valentine’s has never been so simple.
½ cup butter
¾ cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 eggs
2 cups fine semolina
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup yogurt
blanched split almonds
preheat oven to 350 degrees. combine cake ingredients, pour in
a buttered and floured 14-inch-round cake tin, strew the batter
with the almonds and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown
and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
march 2006 - koshari (or kushari)
a dish of biblical proportions koshari blends the ancient trio
of rice, lentils and pasta. make new and fresh by serving over
a salad mixte of the newest brightest lettuces of spring.
1 cup brown lentils
1 cup rice
1 cup uncooked macaroni (orzo, small shells or elbow macaroni)
2 large onions, diced
2 tablespoons oil
hot chili powder and salt to taste
2 cups mixed salad greens per person
cook the lentils in salted water until tender and strain. cook
the rice in salted water until tender and drain. also cook the
macaroni, rinse and strain. place lentils, rice and macaroni in
a cooking pot. fry onion in oil until browned, then drain the
onions on absorbent paper towel and strain the oil into the lentil
mixture. return to cooking surface and cook for 7-10 minutes,
stirring to prevent sticking and burning.
place salad on each plate and top with a generous serving of
the koshari, onions and a sprinkle of hot chili powder if desired.
variation: omit macaroni and double the amount of rice and/or
combine lentil mixture, sauce and onions in pot, heat and serve
on plates.
conversions
1 kg = 2.2 lbs
0.45 kg = 1 lb
1 lt = 1.06 qt
0.95 lt = 1 qt
30 g=1oz = 2 tbs
60 g = 2 oz = 1/4 cup
115 g = 4 oz = 1/2 cup
180 g = 6 oz = 3/4 cup
225 g = 8 oz = 1 cup
450 g = 16 oz = 1 pint
april 2006 - ricotta cheese
what could be more in tune with april and the holidays of rebirth
than fresh and creamy, soft as a cloud sweet ricotta? naturally
sweet from the milk but maybe, perhaps, perchance, ummped a little
by honey, try a delicate kind, lavender or millefleur.
1 ½ gallons milk
¾ cup white distilled vinegar to 5 percent (this is common supermarket
white vinegar)
salt
heat the milk evenly, stirring occasionally, to 185 degrees (f).
when little bubbles form around the edge of the pot, remove the
pot from the heat and add vinegar. stir well. (you will notice
that the milk has curdled and the ricotta has begun to form.)
cover the pot with cheesecloth, and let it stand, unrefrigerated,
overnight.
the next morning, drain the cheese. line a colander with two
layers of cheesecloth, cut generously enough to rise above the
sides.
pour in the contents of the pot and allow it to drain freely
for about half an hour then make a package out of the cheesecloth;
twist and squeeze until the liquid begins to run milky. turn the
cheese out into a bowl, and add about ¼ teaspoon salt. Serve warm
as is with honey and fruit.
may 2006 - schwarzalder kirschtorte (black
forest cherry cake)
may day in the black forest of germany – ummpahoompah.
cake:
1 tablespoon butter (softened)
6 tablespoons flour
10 tablespoons sweet butter (or regular)
6 eggs at room temp.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
½ cup sifted flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa
syrup:
¾ cup sugar
1 cup cold water
1/3 cup kirsch (cherry liquor) substitute: cherry juice (from
a cherry jar)
filling/topping:
3 cups chilled heavy cream
½ cup confectioners' sugar
¼ cup kirsch (same substitute)
1 cup poached pitted fresh red cherries or 1 cup drained and
rinsed canned sour red cherries
fresh sweet red cherries with stems, or substitute maraschino
cherries with stems, drained and rinsed
chocolate curls:
8 ounces semisweet bar chocolate
*tip* before you begin making the cake: make the filling/topping
(begin at step 6).
preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease three 7'' round cake pans
using 1 tablespoon of butter, and lightly flouring after applying
the butter.
in an electric mixer, beat the eggs, vanilla and 1 cup of sugar
together at high speed for 10 minutes or until the mixture is
thick and fluffy. by hand or rotary beater, this may take as long
as 20 minutes.
gradually add the flour and cocoa. then add butter 2 tablespoons
at a time. don't over mix!
gently pour the batter into the prepared cake pans, dividing
evenly among the three of them.
bake in the middle of the oven for 10 to 15 minutes (although,
from my experiences it can take 30 minutes or longer) or until
cake tester comes out clean. then remove cakes and let them cool.
meanwhile, if you are using fresh cherries, follow this step.
otherwise skip ahead to step 7. remove the stems and pits, then
combine them with 2 cups of water and ¾ cup of sugar in a small
saucepan. bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to
low, simmer for 5 minutes, or until the cherries are tender. drain
them in a colander, discarding the syrup, and pat the cherries
completely dry with a paper towel. skip ahead to step 8.
canned cherries must be rinsed in cold water and patted completely
dry with a paper towel.
in a large chilled bowl, beat the cream with a whisk until it
thickens lightly. then sift ½ cup of confectioners' sugar over
the cream and continue beating until the cream forms firm peaks
on the beater when it is lifted out of the bowl. pour in the ¼
cup kirsch or substitute in a thin stream, and beat only until
it is absorbed.
cake assembly: place one of the three layers in the center of
the serving plate. with a spatula, spread the top with a ½-inch-thick
layer of whipped cream (at camp we first spread a layer of melted
hazelnut chocolate with bits of white chocolate in it and then
applied the whipped cream with a pastry bad equipped with a star
tip). strew the fresh or canned cherries over it leaving about
½ inch of cream free of cherries around the perimeter. gently
set a second layer on top of the cherries and spread it with ½
inch whipped cream. then set the third layer in place. spread
the top and sides with the remaining whipped cream. with your
fingers, gently press chocolate curls into the cream on the sides
of the cake and arrange a few chocolate curls and maraschino cherries
attractively on top.
(to make chocolate curls, take the 8 ounce semisweet chocolate
bar and peel it with the peeler of your choice.)
