A Spicy Delicious Lamb Recipe

I am not posting so often meaty recipes, but lately, I've fall in love with lamb and its rich texture and tastes, therefore, it was a great experiment to test a couple of delicious spicy matches. As usual, the mixture between sweet and savory is one of my favorite combinations, therefore, expect a lot of unusual matches in this recipe. Unfortunatelly, for various - very serious reasons - I did not keep any picture of the ready meal...As for now, you should believe my genuine words.

Ingredients

450 gr. lamb

100 ml. lime juice

50 gr. grated ginger

150 ml. honey

2 tablespoon Ras el Hanout spices from Spice Kitchen UK, part of the Brand Ambassador Programme

50 ml. walnut oil

9 medium-sized walnut cloves

150 ml. red wine

Directions

Rub the lime and the ginger on both side of the meat. It will help to diminish the unpleasant lamb smell which is obvious especially when the meat was deeply frosten before being used. Rub the honey on both sides and the Ras el Hanout spices. 

In a pan, add the red wine, the walnut oil and the cloves.

Heat the oven at 250C.

Turn the meat on both sides every 45 minutes. If you want it throughout, it will last at least 2h30 until perfectly ready.

As lamb is a bit difficult kind of meat, you better eat it warm, shortly after preparing it. After heating and reheating for a couple of times, the meat will most likely have the texture of a plastic sponge (unfortunatelly).

As a side dish, roasted potatoes with rosmarin, plus a fresh tomatoes and cucumber salad will be a very good choice. A glass of red wine with an aromated fruity texture is the best match, with add-on to the wine-soaked meat.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 3 hrs.

Bon Appétit!

What is Tamarind and How Can you Use it?

Pods of tamarind in my Berlin Asian store

The disadvantage of growing up not only in a house where food was the least priority - we had books, after all, lots of them - but also the traditional tastes were very simple - garlic was part of (almost) everything so it didn't count as a 'spice' and adding chilli or pepper to a dish was a great cooking achievement (did I say my mom actually never used salt in the kichen) - was that I had a very long way acknowledging basic spices and flavors. While some were debating about what kind of Oriental spices are suited for the lamb, I was slowly exploring various peppers and trying to understand how much salt I shall add to a soup to make it really tasty. 

As usual, I was able to use this relative disadvantage as an opportunity to better explore a flavor and therefore to set the basics for my own knowledge about foods and their hidden qualities that a good spice can perfectly outline. 

During my journey, besides the Middle Eastern flavors, I fell in love with Asian food. The combinations of exotic fruits, the freshness of vegetables and the sour-sweet variations are fascinating and probably correspond to by complex, curious personality. 

However, the more I am exploring the Asian stores, cookbooks and venues, the more I realize how much I still have to learn and test. Tamarind, is one of those products I am focused right now, that I am working hard to get to know.

Tamarind, the 'date' of India

A native fruit from Africa, particularly Sudan, but also growing in India, Pakistan or the tropical regions with a high popularity in South America and Mexico, tamarind has at the first sight the consistency of the date. The pulp inside the pod looks a bit like and biten raw it has a special sweet taste that justifies its name of 'date of India'. 

Unless you find them raw in their natural environment, it is usually found as pressed, the result of boiling the pulp, which has a nutty sweet taste. The young fruit has a completely different taste, sour, with a predominant acid note. It can be also dried and turned into a spice.

What you can do with tamarind: some hot chilli bonbons

The tamarind can be used in different cooking ways. Mostly for chutneys in India, in the Thai cuisine it is a constant ingredient for pad thai or seafood dishes, but also to add a sweet note to meats - especially lamb or duck which is so well suited for a variety of complex, complementary tastes. A very unusual discovery was a box full of bonbons made of a mixture of tamarind to which an explosive mixture of very hot chilli, salt and pepper was added. It simply exploded into your mouth and I strongly recommend to have it alone, at home, without sharing it with your kids. In my Asian store I also spotted a tamarind-based drink, which is a bit naturally sparkling. 

My challenge for the next weeks is to try at least one savory and one sweet dish using tamarind. As for now, I am looking for proper recipes and inspiration...A foodie story to be continued very soon.

Full in vitamins too

Tamarind has also a high concentration of nutrients, especially Magnesium and Potassium, Calcium, Phosphorus, Vitamin B1, B2 and B3. If consummed long term, it may have some positive effects on the immunity system, but such issues are normally determined by the individual's health/medical condition. It is also said to have a good effect on heart health and circulation, anti-inflammatory effects and help improve digestion. 

Something (more) unusual about tamarind

As you may know already, I am pretty interested in keeping my old silver family treasures in a good shape, therefore I was pleasantly surprised to discover that due to its relatively high level of acidity, it can be also used as a metal polish. It is a chemical-free solution, easy and does not affect the metal, as it might happen when you use vinegar or baking soda. Spread the tamarind on the surface of the cooper or bronze object and massage it throughouthly. The stains will be removed fast and your kitchen ware or decorative objects will regain their original healthy shining.

3 Ways to Use Your Sumac Spices

If you are having a tasty visit to any of the genuine Middle Eastern - especially Persian - restaurants, you may find on the table in addition to salt and pepper, also a reddish powder. It is sumac, made of red berries and sprinkled over a variety of foods, from salads to lamb, chicken and fish. It has a fruity salty taste, which may create a good balance by the marinade and add a fresh note to the hummus or fattoush. 

Part of my mission of brand ambassador for the multi-awarded Spice Kitchen UK, I included sumac as part of my list of favorite spices. Exciting adventure, as before that, I only shyly tried sumac in restaurants but never experienced its texture and flavor on my own.

Therefore, my first encouter involved learning how to use it in some easy, classical combinations, but as soon as I got a strong foot on the spicy ground, I moved forward creating one unique - and unusual - recipe. 

Here are my three ways to use sumac in the kitchen. And it is just the beginning, as I feel bold enough to try even more creative recipes. Wait and see until the end of the post...

Summer salad

Summer was amazingly long in my part of the world, which allowed me - when I was not relaxing in the countryside - to create a couple of healthy recipes. I substituted salt with sumac which added even more freshness and a special taste to the salad. My favorite variant that I will keep doing it regardless of the season involved: finely chopped cucumber, canned corn, and finely chopped small tomatoes. The amount of sumac is on taste, but I personally added 1/4 teaspoon. No oil, no balsamico. Just those veggies and the fresh touch of sumac.

Rice

If you grew up with rice - which I didn't - you don't need to read cooking books to learn how to properly boil it or what spices to add. I did the hard way - and don't regret it - which also involved that I needed a lot of time to properly learn how to prepare and use basic cooking ingredients, such as rice. My favorite combination involved jasmin rice with a generous sprinkle of sumac on the top. To be served as a separate meal, or in combination with chicken or fish. As I usually find rice bland and tasteless - the water among the meals - sumac is a welcomed diversion which makes me reconsider the flavor qualities of the rice.

Banana smoothie with tahini and sumac on the top (yes, you've read it right!) 

And now, the exciting recipe is finally coming, after writing what an experienced cook will rightfully call 'platitudes'. This latest combination I tried - over and over again - this weekend and I confirm it is so tasty that my guests convinced me that I definitely need to share the recipe as well. It also uses an ingredient which is so popular nowadays - tahini, especially in addition to sweets. I've personally found it a very special smoothie, with an unforgettable taste. 

Ingredients:

400 ml. canned coconut milk

2 1/2 big size banana, cut into cubes

1 teaspoon tehina

1 teaspoon brown sugar or honey - if you want some extra sweetness

1/4 teaspoon sumac

Directions

In the blender, add the coconut milk, the banana, tehina and sugar. Mix them well at moderate speed for maximum 3 minutes. Pour into glasses, add the sumac on top and let it to rest in the fridge, at least 30 minutes before serving. 

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Serves: 3

Disclaimer: Spices offered by Spice Kitchen UK for review, but the opinions are, as usual, my own

Baked Quinces, East European Style

One of the very few meals that I associate with childhood are quinces. Baked quinces, to be more specific. Every autumn, someone from my family, getting smaller and smaller with each year, used to prepare a tasty, spice-infused meal based on quinces. Very hard fruits with a very complicated texture and taste - not so sour but not sweet either - baked in an aromated sauce whose preparation was filling the air with various smells and aromas. Not the fruits I might love, but nevertheless the fruits reminding me of childhood. For years I tried to find them back and it is not that easy in Berlin, unless you are lucky to have a Russian or a Turkish store near by. Three years ago, I've found some, took them in my hands and smell them, with the same dedication as some might smell and look at the esrog on Sukkot. Actually, in the old country, the custom was to have them in the house near this beautiful autumn Jewish holiday. Only this year I've decided with all my mind and body to search for a simple recipe which might suit my visual and olfactive memories.

The escape came from the acclaimed book by Olia Hercules, Mamushka featuring Ukrainian and East European cuisine. (Actually, a couple of days ago, I've discover a similar recipe in a cooking book dedicated to the Middle East so maybe there is more history to this recipe that I thought). I was personally a bit disappointed as I was expecting some more childhood recipes, but maybe it is because the Ukrainian-, Russian speaking focus. However, my beloved baked quinces were there, waiting for me to prepare. 

As usual, my recipe is an adaptation, as ingredients as juniper berries - it might sound strange to you, as it did to me initially, but if you ever tasted gin, you need to know that those small purple berries do give to that drink most of the taste - were not easy to find, and replaced cinnamon stick with powder. I used a bourbon vanilla bean which was not the best choice in terms of taste. For the star anise I preferred the powder. The ingredients of the syrup are very important as they should smoothly come along with the taste of the quince, which, as I mentioned before, is one of a kind.

As a first time try, I was happy with the result, but I am more than sure that it can be done much better. 

Before you start, be sure that you have around 3 hours available for the entire preparation and baking process. 

Ingredients

3 medium sized quinces, almost 750 gr.

100 gr. brown sugar - instead of the white recommended in the original recipe

2 tablespoon cinnamon powder

1 1/2 tablespoon star anise

1 bourbon vanilla bean

around 500 ml. water

Directions

Before starting, warm the oven at around 160C. 

For the syrup, in a pan, add the sugar, 350 ml. water, spices and put to boil, while stirring slowly for around 15 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved.

Meanwhile, wash and cut the quinces into slices. Be sure you clean the core for the seeds, and the ends. You may need a very strong and sharp knife, as the raw quince has a hard texture.

Add the quinces into the syrup pan and boil it covered for around one hour in the oven at 250C. I added around 150 ml. water to be sure that the quinces are covered in syrup. Every 15 minutes I moved the quinces on sides to be sure that all parts are well covered. After one hour, take the cover and keep boiling it, with the 15 minutes checking. 

Ready to be served warm. 

My favorite part about it: how the aromated spices invaded the air and perfumed the house for at least half of the day.  

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: around 3 hours

Serves: 6

Bon Appétit!

Easy recipe: cauliflower soaked in olive oil and lemon juice

I am quite lazy these days, getting ready for some marathon of cooking soon - meaning tomorrow - for Purim seuda and some more work in the kitchen coming up in the next month - because, your guess is right, Pessach is coming. But we still should eat something so tried in less than 30 minutes - 20 minutes to be right - a new very easy recipe, an alteration of the latest cauliflower recipe in the NYTfood edition today.

Ingredients:

1 small cauliflower

3 tablespoon olive oil - it can work with truffle oil too.

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

juice from one lemon

3 garlic gloves, finelly chopped

Serves 2, as an individual meal or in combination with: potatoes, meat or fresh tomatoes or various salads

 Mix the oil, lemon zest, pepper, salt and garlic. Let to rest for around 5 minutes while slowly wisking.

Wash and cut the florets of the cauliflower. Add to the bowl and mix it well for around 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven at 250 Celsius.

Add the ingredients from the bowl on a tray and mix it a bit before leaving in the overn. Turn it on all sides. Bake it for another 10 minutes. If you want it roasted well, you can wait for another 5 minutes or so.
Served at room temperature. If you are in the mood and you are not a big fan of citric juice, why not add one teaspoon of soy sauce too.

Playing with spices (Part I)

The crushed pistachios were added to each recipe

I have a big collection of spices from all over the world at home, and trying to get along with each flavour is part of a daily practice that I want to acquire. The winter time is most recommended for various combinations especially because the weather allows long hours of cooking. 

The two weeks ago Friday evening menu included a delicacy that I cannot find easily here: kosher turkey that was simply prepared in the oven, with some olive oil poured over it and some Indian Garam Masala that gave a special delicious nutty flavour.  

Such a delicious treat needs some side dishes and I was offered another occasion to create a dream recipe I was thinking about for a long time: couscous with raisins. I am not a big fan of raisins, but in the case of this recipe, it goes very well as the taste matches all the other ingredients.
The recipe can be prepared in around 20 minutes and serves 5.

Here are the directions I followed: 

2 tablespoon olive oil and 1 spoon cumin are mixed and fried in a pan heated at 150C, for 5 minutes.
Add 20 crushed pistachios in the pan for another 2 minutes

In the next minutes pour and mix together: 200 ml water, 250 gr. couscous grains, 1/4 tablespoon kosher salt. If necessary and the couscous is absorbing the water too fast, add another 250 ml. water after 10 minutes. 

2 beaten eggs

2 tablespoon raisins

Mix the composition carefully in order to avoid getting too sticky or burned.

To be served cold or hot, adorned with some fresh coriander. 

For the next recipe, I needed to prepare first the oil: 2-3 tablespoons olive oil with 1/2 teaspoon cumin, mixed well. 

In a frying pan add: 6 medium potatoes cut in 8 little pieces, 20 crushed pistachios. Paint the potatoes on all sizes with the  oil and cumin prepared before. Bake them at 250C - around 30 minutes. It serves two and it goes very well with fresh coriander.

I needed also a salad, and the simplest I had in my mind was the following: 250 gr. cherry tomatoes, sliced in 4; 25 crushed pistachios; 3 tablespoon olive oil; 150 gr. corn; 1 generous bunch of coriander. The preparation takes around 15 minutes and it serves two hungry adults. Add some salt on taste if needed. 

I was offered a package of spices to try by Spice Kitchen UK, but the opinions are, as usual, exclusively my own. 

To be continued...

Testing recipes is always fun!

Recently, I went involved in a very nice and pleasant project: I offered my availability to test a recipe and to send my feedback once I was done. I am used to do such editing and correction work as an academic editor, but never happened before to do such a professional work for cooking. First and foremost, because I consider my cooking experience at a very beginniner level. I learned a lot and still learning each day, but I have a long road ahead and each time I succeed to prepare a recipe I feel extremely happy.

For this testing recipe experience, I felt compelled to share my own opinions and modest contributions to get a better composition. I enjoyed so much the experience that I would offer myself to repeat it as often as possible, as I learned a lot about using and cooking some spices, as well as about how to organize and write a recipe correctly. As I still have in mind the idea to write my own cooking book, this will help me to be able to write my book at least in the next decade.

If anyone interested to use my disponibility for testing recipes, drop me an invitation at: boiledwords@gmail.com

Cutting instead of grinding

I am a big fan of various kinds of flavour and I can hardly miss any opportunity to try to smells and tastes, even not necessarily included in the original recipe. I have various old time utensils that help me to do the grinding, but sometimes it doesn't work properly. I want to surprise my guests by offering them the choice of guessing what fine ingredients I used and this is possible only if the spices are finely cut. The ingredients should be cut in a way that will enrich the food by the different aromas that are melt together. 

Through my wonderings from a shop to another, I discovered the products offered by SchneidWerk. From the technical point of view, it is the kind of product that helps a lot the beginner chef, and offers a lot of satisfaction to the professionals in the domain of cooking. It is provided with a stainless steel blade with sharply etched teeth designed to cut spices and dried herbs very fast and efficiently. It works very well with both hard and dried types of spices, such as: anise, chilli, ginger, fennel, coriander, caraway, mustard seed, black and white sesame and  thyme. 

Foto credit: SchneidWerk

The prices are affordable and they are designed to last long. You can find at least six models available, with a friendly design and very easy to use. 

Orange Pepper

I didn't have any idea about the taste, but the name and the colour were enough for me for buying this spice. 

It contains: orange peel, pepper, curcuma and sugar.

When you taste it, the first second sensation is of sweetness. The next second, the spicy taste is getting more and more intense.
By now, I used it with chicken and also in some salads and the final taste was a perfect and pleasant surprise.

Indian spices?

Are you interested? Some solutions for your Indian cooking ideas might be found here.
Good luck and enjoy your food!