It’s stone fruit season here in the Middle East, and pairing sweet with tart, using an almond cream body, is a very tasty option. Baked almond cream (frangipane) is simple to make and consists of almond flour, butter, sugar and eggs. It can be topped with any manner of
Skirt steak is a little-known, unattractive, ribbon-like cut of meat, seldom if ever found on the menus of well-to-do establishments. It comes as a long, thin strip of meat with a sort of pleated appearance, like a wrap-around skirt. What the steak lacks in charm and presentation it makes up
Buffalo wings have nothing to do with the bovine herds that once grazed the Great Plains of the North American continent and everything to do with the city of Buffalo in up-state New York. Apparently they first appeared at the Anchor bar in Buffalo circa 1964, when the owner cooked
Churros are a easy deep-fried dessert and popular around much of the globe. They were introduced to South America from Spain and Portugal by the Conquistadors some 600 years ago. Churros are basically a choux pastry dough (used to make eclairs), without eggs, piped through a toothed piping bag nozzle
This is further to the antipasto platter described last week. Zucchini (courgettes) comes in all shapes, sizes and colours. Zucchini is a marrow that is picked at a very young age. Personally I am not so enamoured with the flavour of zucchini. Being quite bland, it is really a sort
Antipasto literally means before the meal, referring to a dish or dishes that are designed to open up one’s appetite and are served before the main dish. In French it’s is called the entrée (entry dish) and in English it is usually referred to as an appetiser, starter
One day a butcher, one day a pasta man, a baker, a pastry chef and, yes, one day a chocolatier. Trying to mix things up and keep life interesting, I made chocolate pralines to decorate a coffee granita dessert (summer here). Pralines are straightforward if you have the right equipment
More often than not, the simplest recipes are the tastiest. The flavours in these simple creations are of the natural ingredients without all the fancy fanfare of what baking and cooking has become today. This recipe is from a 1970s cookbook: the creations appear dated and there was never any
Light, refreshing, cleansing, tasty and enjoyable. Sorbet is a light dessert to lick the heat, a refreshing intermission between courses to cleanse the palate and, more often than not, enjoyable to boot. Most people wouldn’t know Antonio Latini from a bar of soap. Latini, the Italian 17th-century chef of
It’s not always about the main dish: the accompanying dishes can be just as important and even much tastier. Potato gratin (the Italian derivation) is one of my favorites and I use it in its supporting role as often as I can. While gratin has its origins in France,
One of my all time favorites is pasta salad. If made well and with interesting and complementary quality ingredients, it can be enjoyed as a tasty side or main dish. This particular recipe I created for the menu of my first restaurant Al Dente in Jerusalem, Israel, back in the
Challah is made usually as a braided bread reserved to be eaten on the Sabbath, at festivals and on special occasions such as weddings. The challah as we know it today has its origins in Eastern Europe but its roots are in the Bible where the Jews are commanded by
Tartufi is a chocolate delight that few can resist. It is also a useful addition to the kosher for Passover dessert menu being offered at the seder night feast. Tartufi in Italian or truffles in French are Ectomycorrhizal fungi (mushrooms) that grow near the roots of trees. Chocolate truffles are
With Pessach (Passover) looming large, Jewish homes the world over are frantically cleaning and gearing up for a week without chametz. Chametz is any food in which the leavening agent yeast can thrive and grow. This is of course from the Torah or Old Testament book of Exodus 11–19
In NZ, number-eight fencing wire is a well-known and popular Kiwi idiom. Here in the Israeli kitchen, number eight can only refer to the best cut of meat suited to a super-tasty longer cooking stew; the importance of food and its consumption is a unique and inseparable part of the
As a meal or an entrée, the Niçoise salad accompanied by pan seared fresh red tuna is a winner. Originating in the southern French Mediterranean city of Nice, the Niçoise salad is a rounded meal with protein, carbohydrates, greens and vegetables. Many foodies call it the ‘ultimate’ summer salad. Simple
