A Recipe from Guest Correspondent

Yes, somerville kitchen loves hearing from the readers about their own food adventures and recipes. Thank you Cake Lady for this delicious recipe and great pictures. All others, feel free to submit your stories to somervillekitchenwindow@gmail.com and you will be published.

Freekeh Soup -  a fantastic recipe that was enjoyed by all.   

It's not an overly complicated recipe but the work involved was worth it!!
 
I love the fact that ordinary ingredients that we use each day are used in this type of cooking but it is the exotic spices that are added that just bring out the magic that makes these dishes so well received!
 
Cooking with the Freekeh was marvelous. A simple ingredient but added so much to the final product.

Its consistency reminded me of barley which I love!!  It was a perfect recipe and has inspired me to try more of the recipes in the Jerusalem cookbook.

Spicy Freekeh Soup with Meatballs.  (Jerusalem Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi) 

Meatballs
400g ground beef, lamb, or a combination of both  (I did the combination of both and used ½ pound of each)
1 small onion finely diced
2 TBSP finely chopped flat-leafed parsley
½ tsp Allspice
¼ tsp Cinnamon
3 TBSP All Purpose Flour
2 TBSP olive oil
Salt and Pepper 

 Soup
2 TBSP olive oil
1 large onion chopped
3 cloves garlic crushed
2 carrots peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes
2 celery stalks cut into 1 cm cubes
3 large tomatoes chopped
2 ½ TBSP Tomato Paste
1 TBSP Baharat Spice ( I was told at Jasmine Halal that 7 spice is the same thing as Baharat)
1 TBSP Ground Coriander
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 TBSP Sugar
1 Cup Freekeh
2 Cups Beef Stock
2 Cups Chicken Stock
3 ¼ cups hot water
Cilantro chopped
Lemon cut into wedges to serve with the soup

Mix meat, onion, parsley and spices and form into ping pong sized balls and roll them in flour. You will get around 15. Heat the olive oil and fry the meatballs in a large Dutch oven until golden brown on all sides. Set aside.

Wipe out the pot and add the olive oil for the soup. Over medium heat fry the onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Stir in carrots and celery and cook for another 2 minutes. Add  tomatoes, tomato paste, spices, sugar, 2 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper. Stir in Freekeh. Cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add stocks, hot water and meatballs and bring to a boil. Lower the heat simmering gently for 35-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.


Ladle the hot soup into serving bowls and sprinkle with cilantro and serve with a wedge of lemon.

Captured Guest Correspondent

The below was not written for the blog, just for me personally. But looking at the picture, I just could not waste it in my in-box and decided to capture a Swedish Chef as a guest correspondent.

Here's what the chef had to say....

I need a cottage on somerville too so that I can take my turn and host dinners.  I was impressed with my presentation tonight...and wanted to share my success with someone I know would appreciate. :)

"Steamed Maine lobster with close slaw and a herb, green late summer salad with a light sprinkling of balsamic olive oil vinegrette."

Now back to analyzing advertising :)

The Holiday Party I Really Wanted To Attend

There was one holiday party that I really wanted to attend, and it was the one I missed. But thanks to Guest Correspondent Carolyn Fung, we can all live the experience together. Over to you Carolyn

Earlier last month Noise Digital had our post Christmas “party” at the Dirty Apron. Over the course of three hours, we were taught by patient Dirty Apron chefs how to prep, cook and dress three decadent, delicious dishes. Based on popular vote, we chose our menu prior to arriving at the Dirty Apron and to encourage a little friendly competition, teams were split up into three, each taking a course - appetizer, main and dessert course. Although each of the dishes sounded intimidating and fancy the chefs walked us through each step making the experience virtually fool proof. Each dish was prepped and cooked/baked by the respective teams presented and served to the rest of the group.

The entire experience was incredibly well organized by the staff at Dirty Apron and each person was given a task so that everyone ended up contributing to final meal. We were taught basic kitchen skills including how to properly bread anything and basically made to feel like pro-chefs for one night. Here are some of the most memorable moments from our Dirty Apron cooking experience:

Appetizer Team: Dungeness crab cakes and smoked paprika frilled prawns with lemon citrus

The crab cakes sat on a layer of flash-frozen avacado that was so easy to make and instantly dressed up the plate. To create this bottom layer, all we had to do was press the mean of 2-3 avacados in a ziplock bag until flat, put in the freezer and cut into slices.

When breading the Dungeness crab cakes we were taught that the trick to breading anything is to keep on hand “wet” and one hand “dry”. Keep the two separate and you’ll never end up with a  sticky mess.

Main Course: Wild mushroom & truffle crepe with herb-crusted beef tenderloin medallion

From the trimming of fat from a large piece of raw meat to the careful peeling of each individual mushroom this dish was made with extreme detail and care. Topped off with asparagus and a creamy mushroom it was a decadent and deliciously perfect main course.

Dessert: Trio of Desserts: Roast pear tart with Frangelico red wine syrup and muscat zabaglione, lemon biscotti biscuit and chocolate-dipped strawberries

  Arguably the best biscotti I have ever had with fresh out of the oven with crasins baked inside. We could smell it before we tasted it and there is nothing quite like desserts straight out of oven. The roast pear tarts were soaked in wine syrup and artfully placed on top of a flaky tart like base, the strawberries dipped in a chocolate swirl and the tart was flaky and light.

By far, the best part of the night was getting to cook and share our final dishes with each other. For anyone who is interested in trying cooking classes at the Dirty Apron I would highly recommend it. They have a variety of different classes from group cooking lessons to kitchen skills or specific dishes. The staff are great, the kitchen is world class, and even if just one night, it’s your chance to feel like a chef-extraordinaire. For more information on the Dirty Apron and their cooking classes, visit them online at http://www.dirtyapron.com/Classes/ for details.

Dirty Apron

540 Beatty Street

Vancouver, BC

www.dirtyapron.com

 

Thank you Guest Correspondent Carolyn Fung

 

 

Family Dinner with Guest Correspondent Xuan

Note - Blogger is still busy looking for a Date for International Picnic on Sunday (click HERE to win a free ticket to Joy of Feeding). Thus tonight's article is courtesy of a Guest Correspondent; Thank you Xuan.

Last weekend, my parents and I went to Toronto and had an amazing dinner. We went to 93 Harbord, a Middle-Eastern restaurant in the Annex. My mom started off with a delicious smelling litchi martini which she wouldn't share. The first thing we got was grilled pita bread with olive tapenade.

For appetizers, we had seared shrimp with cumin caramelized apple rings and dill, along with sour grape coulis. The apples were buttery and melted in your mouth while the shrimps were succulent. 

Our second appetizer was grilled calamari with Turkish fig salsa. The calamari was sooo tender and the salsa on it was tangy and sweet with the strong fig flavour.

For mains....

Mom had lamb and shiraz fig tagine with steamed couscous and ginger red wine coulis. The lamb was really tender and the figs were delicious.

Dad had vine wrapped grilled salmon with saffron-infused basmati pillou and tahini lemon dressing. Being the salmon lover my dad is, he loved it.

I had the special which was a rack of lamb with sour cherry sauce and roasted potatoes. The cherries were sour and went really well with the spiced lamb. The potatoes were fantastic too. 

Finally, we had three amazing desserts. 

We had a créme caramel with pistachios and strawberries;

pistachio yogurt stuffed apricots with strawberries;

and a chocolate caramel torte with walnuts and strawberries - they were all fantastic but my favourite was the torte.

Everything was great at 93 Harbord and I'd happy to go back if we have a chance.

93 Harbord

93 Harbord Street

Toronto, Ontario

www.93harbord.com

Thank you guest correspondent Xuan, write again.

 

Arrr Mateys! Yer Ready for Yer Pirate Pak? - By Guest Correspondents

We're the Gluttony is Good Group (A, J and T) - 3 friends who live for, think about and breath FOOD... and it's so fitting that somerville kitchen decided to let us guest blog today. So to get to know us a little bit more... our typical routine... after we get into the office, boot up our computers and get our coffee, we turn to each other and ask "what's for lunch?" Mind you, this is what we usually do at 9 am and from that moment on we dream about what we want to eat while trying to work. There isn't a moment that goes by where we're not thinking about what we want to eat.


Today "A" suggested going to White Spot since they are bringing back their Pirate Pak Day for adults. Boy, were we excited to hear about the Pirate Paks - and it's all for a good cause too - $2 from every Pirate Pak sold will go to Zajac Ranch for children with serious medical conditions. We haven't had one of those Pirate ships since we were 5!

So the three of us decided to go treat our inner child to a Pak and headed down to White Spot. The restaurant was "packed"...excuse the pun! We sat down, scanned the menu, and to satisfy our appetites, all three of us decided on the Bacon Cheddar Bigger Burger. Here's what our lunch looked like.


The burger was juicy and the famous legendary sauce and cheese oozed out with every bite. It was messy... but soooo worth it. The fries were fried to perfection...nice and golden and fresh out of the fryer.

For dessert, we had a choice of Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry premium ice cream. We each chose a flavour and were pleasantly surprised at how smooth and creamy the ice cream was.

The vanilla even had specks of vanilla bean and the strawberry had real chunks of strawberry. The chocolate was just so-so and could have been over the top with the chunks of chocolate. To top it off, the gold coin....ahh... reminiscent of our youth.

Overall, we had a great time there and we look forward to another Pirate Pak day.

Thank you guest correspondents Gluttony is Good Group

Not-at-all-authentic Kaak Bi Haleeb Part 2 - By Guest Correspondent Shatoura

(continued from Not-at-all-authentic Kaak Bi Haleeb Part 1)...

Plain Cookies Preparation and Baking Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F and line four baking sheets with parchment paper.

Divide the dough into three equal portions and set two aside.

Gently knead one of the dough balls a few times – it will be very elastic. Divide into 36 equal pieces (cut the dough ball in half, cut each half in thirds, cut each third into six small pieces – each 1 inch in diameter).

Roll each small piece between your hands into a four inch cylinder, join the ends to form a circle and press together to form a tiny bagel. Don’t fuss too much shaping them; variation is the hallmark of your handiwork.

Arrange 36 cookies on two parchment-lined baking sheets. 

  Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 18 to 20 minutes, switching and rotating baking sheets after ten minutes. Cookies are done when slightly puffed and the bottoms are just starting to brown.

Cool on pans for ten minutes, then transfer to platter. Enjoy!

Almond Crunch Cookies Preparation and Baking Instructions

While the first batch is baking, gently knead, then flatten the second dough ball into a rectangle, approximately 9 x 5 inches, and sprinkle the chopped almonds over the dough.

Fold over the dough in thirds and knead briefly until almonds are well distributed. 

Set aside any left-over almond bits (they won’t all want to stay in the dough) and proceed as for plain cookies, above.  

Hi-Test Cherry Almond Crunch Cookies

Drain the cherries and pat dry with paper towels. The left-over cherry-infused liqueur is the chef’s treat. Go ahead, it’s wonderful.

While the second batch of cookies is baking, gently knead, then flatten the third dough ball.

Sprinkle the marinated cherries and reserved chopped almonds over the dough, fold in thirds, knead until cherries and almonds are well distributed, and proceed as for plain cookies, above. 

Expect this last batch of dough to be much stickier and a little harder to work with than the previous two; a side-effect of the alcohol. 

Not to worry, just keep a damp cloth handy to moisten your hands and wipe off excess dough from your fingers as you go, and don’t fret too much about how wonky they look – once baked they will be perfect. 

By now the first two pans have cooled enough to re-use. No need to change the parchment.

Thank you Guest Correspondent Shatoura!

Not-at-all-authentic Kaak Bi Haleeb Part 1 - By Guest Correspondent Shatoura

The upside of putting off learning how to cook until your mid-fifties is that you can easily pick up the basics and almost immediately begin to produce really good food - without ever having to learn the rules. Case in point; inspired by a gift of fabulous home-made kaak bi haleeb (milk cookies), I blithely set out to create a cookie similar to the classic Lebanese treat. 

Certainly, had I understood that I would be toying with history (a recipe for kaak is recorded in the Wulsa, the much-revered 13^th century Arab culinary guide), I would have been intimidated. 

Had I understood that I would be baking bread – not cookies – I would never even have attempted it. To my ear “cookie batter” just sounds so much more do-able than “bread dough,” but this recipe is so easy that the hardest part is waiting out the six hours of resting time. 

Once you sink your teeth in one you’ll know what I mean; each cookie is actually a tiny sweet roll, with the subtle resistance of its crisp crust giving way to a chewy creaminess reminiscent of a sweet bagel.

I did a lot of research before coming up with this recipe. My (very) limited experience with bread-making has always involved a bread machine, and my (even more) limited exposure to Middle Eastern fare has usually involved a take-out menu. So, armed with nothing more than my library card, internet access, and the enthusiastic support of somerville kitchen, I began my quest for an easy recipe that would produce delicious and digestible, if not-at-all-authentic, kaak. 

After much reading and many memorable taste tests, I came up with this Almond Cookie version, which features 100% whole wheat flour augmented with flax meal and extra virgin olive oil to boost the fibre and Omega-3 content, while retaining some of the traditional ingredients that have come to characterize Middle Eastern baking: mahlab seeds, mastic tears, rose water and orange blossom water. Don’t be intimidated if these ingredients seem exotic or mysterious -- they are easy-to-use everyday items in many Mediterranean kitchens and are readily available at any Middle Eastern market. 

Below you'll find:

(a) basic recipe ingredients

(b) dough preparation instructions

(b) notes on the not-so-common ingredients.

Tune in tomorrow for the cooking instructions of three delicious versions: Plain Cookies, Almond Crunch Cookies and Hi-Test Cherry-Almond Crunch Cookies. Yes, make them all. This recipe yields nine dozen cookies (36 plain, 36 Almond Crunch, 36 Hi-Test Cherry-Almond Crunch). These cookies freeze beautifully, but why would you? Kept on the counter in a tightly sealed container they will stay fresh and scrumptious for several days ... or until they’re gone.

Basic Recipe Ingredients

1.5 cups slivered almonds

2 tsp whole mahlab seeds*

0.5 tsp mastic tears**

2 cups sugar, divided

1 Kg 100% whole wheat flour (about 7 cups)

2 Tbsp flax meal (optional)

1.5 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 Tbsp baking powder

1.5 tsp of each lemon zest and orange zest

1 Tbsp instant yeast

1 cup butter, melted and cooled

2 Tbsp extra virgin oil (optional)

1 Tbsp of each of rose*** and orange blossom water****

2 cups milk

1/2 cup dried tart cherries

1/4 cup orange flavoured liqueur

Dough Preparation Instructions

Gently toast 1 ½ C slivered almonds in a dry pan over med-low heat, stirring often, until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan, let cool and coarsely chop. Set aside ½ C chopped almonds. In a coffee or spice grinder, process remaining 1 C chopped almonds into a fine meal, and place meal in a very large mixing bowl.

With the same grinder, process the whole mahlab seeds, mastic tears , and ¼ C of the sugar into a fine powder and add to almond meal.

Add flour, flax meal (if using), baking powder, lemon and orange zest, nutmeg, and yeast, and combine well.

In a small bowl, mix together the cooled melted butter, remaining 1 ¾ C sugar, extra virgin olive oil (if using), rose water and orange blossom water, combine well. Stir the melted butter mixture into the flour mixture.

Stir in milk in three additions, combining well, and gently knead the mixture a few times until it forms a soft, smooth ball of dough.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm, draft-free spot (two good options: atop the fridge or under the hood lamp on the stove top) for six hours.

While the dough is resting, pour liqueur over dried cherries, and let soak. If you prefer to avoid alcohol, the cherries may be soaked in the same amount of either orange juice or water.

Notes on the not-so-common Ingredients 

 

*Mahlab (aka mahleb, ,mahlep, mahlepi, St. Lucie’s cherry): the husked kernel of a black cherry native to the Mediterranean. Fragrant, sweet, nutty; tastes of almonds and cherries with a slightly bitter undertone. Widely used in bread and pastry-making in the Middle East, Turkey and Greece. Best to buy whole and grind immediately prior to use. Priced similarly to other whole spices such as nutmeg, allspice or cinnamon.

**Mastic tears (aka aza, gum mastic, mastika, tears of Chios): fragrant, brittle droplets of resin from the Mastic tree, traditionally harvested on the Greek Isle of Chios. Recommended as a digestive aid by Hippocrates, mastic tears are an essential ingredient of toothpaste and chewing gum (chew = masticate). In the kitchen, mastic enhances the chewy texture of baked goods and the creaminess of ice cream and puddings (it’s so rich and yummy tasting I now make my rice pudding with mastic rather than eggs). You must ask the shopkeeper for mastic, as it is rather pricey and kept behind the counter in most shops. Expect to pay around $1.00 for each tiny cellophane envelope. Trust me, it’s worth every penny.

***Rose water (aka maward, golab, gulaba jala, eau de rose): as the name suggests, the distilled water extracted from roses, particularly Damascus roses.  A Halal substitute for alcoholic ingredients (such as vanilla extract) in many recipes, rose water lends its signature aroma and delicate flavour to lokum (Turkish Delight), gulab jamun, sweet lassi, rice pudding, etc. Very affordable at around two dollars a bottle, a little rose water goes a long way.

***Orange blossom water (aka ma’el zhar, anthonero, orange flower water): distilled from bitter orange blossoms, common in Middle Eastern and Moroccan dishes both sweet and savoury, and a traditional ingredient in French madeleines. As with rose water, inexpensive and powerful.

Thank you Guest Correspondent Shatoura. Tune back in tomorrow for the three cookies' prepration and baking instructions.

 

Saskatchewan Turtle Burgers

I received this material via email from a blog follower who received it from someone else. I am publishing this as a guest correspondent entry with pictures and write up as they were in the email. Whoever you are who initiated this, thank you. Anyone else wants to contribute to the blog as a guest correspondent, please do.

Saskatchewan Turtle Burgers are required nourishment if your work requires long hours out of doors in wind chills temperatures greater than -38 celsius. So here's a twist on how to serve burgers high in cholesterol.

Handmade ground beef patties, topped with sharp cheddar cheese, wrapped in a bacon weave. Then the next step is to add hot dogs as the head and legs with slits for toes and tail.

Place on an oven rack, covered loosely with foil and baked for 20 - 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Or you can do them on the Barbee too. A little crispy, not too crunchy... just how a turtle should be, right?

Happy Purrday To Me - By Guest Correspondent Cats

I turn 12 today and my human threw me birthday purrty. Yes, purrty with foods and something human call Anita Cake.

But what I really wants is to be a famous blogger like my buddy Mr. Puddy Puddy and  Everyday Mr. Puddy blog.

Human not agree to this, but I roll, look cute, give love bites, and human say, okay, okay, right your own blog and I take a break today. Love my human.

Human is smart too. He knows cats makes cuter tummy rolls for women so human invites all women to party. All women smell intruder cats. One smells strong jazzy cats, one smells mummy cats, daughter cats and daughter daughter cats.

My favoryte is one smells two beautiful woman cats purrrrr.

Women go outside and lite fire. I say too dirty outside, come back. They listen not to me. I follow and it muddy everywhere in gardin. Silly humans, I go back in. If cats can dirty floor with cats tinee pawws, humans make big messs with humans big pawws.

Human all forget cats. It my birthday cats says but no one listens. Cats tells human womans I friends with womans cats on BookFace, my BookFace is somerville cats and have 158 friends, more than human ones.

I show my blog chat du jardin but human just purrty and think about orange cats cake they hunger for. 

I lets them have cakes but want first to try. Anita thinks cats eat carrots, she has no wikipedia to check. 

But Anita smart with fluffy white light cream and butters and scheese all over cakes.

But what best thing about my purrday purrty? Makes my naighbour Blotchy jealous, look at picture down how jealous Blotchy looks outside mine window.... hehe if you not hiss on me me invite you for purrty, next year...

 

But my BookFace friends like me and no hiss at me. They send me lots of purrday wishes. See what BookFace friends sent cats.

..../\„,„./\
...( =';'= )
.../*♥♥*\
.(.|.|..|.|.)
(,,(,,).(,,),) ♥*¨*♥ ❤ ♥*¨* ░H░A░P░P░Y░ *¨*♥ ❤ ♥*¨*
...............░B░I░R░T░H░D░A░Y░ *¨*♥ ❤ ♥*¨*

 Thank you Guest Correspondent Cats.

Happy Birthday Herr (a.k.a. Cats, Cat Satoul, Crazies)