Once you get a spice in your home, you have it forever. Women never throw out spices. The Egyptians were buried with their spices. I know which one I'm taking with me when I go. - Erma Bombeck There is something incredibly sumptuous about the food of the Middle East. It is steeped in history and mystery, teasing the palate with exotic and tantalizing flavors. Delicate and spicy, aromatic and fragrant, scented and syrupy-these are some of the words that come to mind. The tastes are rich and pleasing, the images romantic, airy and ancient. Rose petals and orange blossom, tamarind and dates, figs and apricots, mulberries and melons, saffron and orchid root, almonds and pistachios, olives, coriander and cumin-a myriad of flavors and dishes that are intricately entwined in the fascinating history of this vast and exciting region. - Ghillie Basan, The Middle Eastern Kitchen: a Book of Essential Ingredients with over 150 Authentic Recipes Spices and herbs are, and have always been an integral part of my cuisine. I intensely treasure them and cannot imagine living without those precious and irreplaceable condiments which not only enhance, complement and balance the flavors of a dish, but also benefit our health (they can be used as natural preventive medecine). A marvelous source of gratification and well-being! It is one of the main reasons why I am irrevocably attracted to the glorious gastronomy of the countries situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean basin and the Arabian hinterland. If you want to make my eyes twinkle, my mouth salivate and receive my total attention , then I recommend you to pronounce those three simple words: "Middle Eastern Food" and I'll come running like a worshipful dog on amphetamine. In my opinion, there is nothing quite as varied, refined, intriguing, dazzling, exhilarating, dreamlike and worthy of "The Thousand and One Nights" than the gourmet fares served at Lebanese (my favorite), Iranian, Palestinian, Syrian, Israeli, Jordanian, Omani, Kuwaiti, Iraqi, Quatari, Saudi Arabian, Yemeni or Emirati tables.   So, you can imagine my excitement when the talented Faith Gorsky of " An Edible Mosaic " (her headquarters are in upstate New York) kindly proposed to send me her cookbook " An Edible Mosaic - Middle Eastern Fare With Extraordinary Flair ". There was no way I was going to decline her generous offer and pass the opportunity of reviewing this wonderful publication entirely written and illustrated a web friend and colleague whom I respect and have been following for the last three years (I first came across her site in 2009, if my memory does not fail me...). Having been born and raised in America, nothing predestined this blogger to become a specialist on the subject of Middle Eastern food. As a matter of fact, before she tied the knot with her Syrian husband in the Middle East and lived there for the first six months of her matrimony, she barely had any knowledge of the specialities prepared by the people populating this part of the Arab world. Everything changed the day Faith married her life companion; she discovered and embraced a whole new culture.   During her stay in Damascus (the capital of Syria), she had the opportunity to explore and experience firsthand the magic of the cuisine of this region of the globe and even more so when her mother-in-law, who happens to be a master cook, took her under her wing and gave her a thorough course in Middle Eastern cooking that resulted in the creation of " An Edible Mosaic ". Over the past six years, this passionate young lady has visited the Middle East four different times, each trip contributing to deepening her love as well as expanding her enthusiasm for the culinary traditions and civilization of this fascinating land of contrasts. As a result, Faith's travels helped enrich her increasingly successful blog and build a devoted readership, thus ultimately leading her to writing the book I have the honor of introducing to you this Friday. The Ultimate Communal Meal "Generally, one could say that Near and Middle Eastern and North African cooking and nutrition are healthy. As in other Mediterranean gastronomies, meat is rare and vegetables often used. The religious purity rules also have consequences for the kitchen, which is important for the health of the people. - Peter Heine, Food Culture in the Near East, Middle East, and North Africa   With its ten chapters (Basic Recipes, Breads and Pies, Salads, Vegetables and Rice Side Dishes, Appetizers and Light Meals, Beans and Lentils, Chicken and Seafood, Beef and Lamb, Desserts & Drinks), four useful sections ( Cooking Tips and Techniques, Basic Cooking Tools, Buying the Right Middle Eastern Ingredients and Middle Eastern Grocery Stores ) and many ( over a hundred) easily reproducible, inspiring, meticulously detailed, carnivore as well as vegetarian/vegan -friendly, authentic and elegant recipes, " An Edible Mosaic - Middle Eastern Fare With Extraordinary Flair " will rejoice both beginner and experienced cooks. Each entry, side dish, main or dessert  presented within the 144 pages of Faith's manual will make your mouth water and nudge you into the kitchen to prepare scrumptious delicacies that are vibrant, remarkably toothsome and nutritionally harmonious.   Since I am somewhat knowledgeable about Middle Eastern cuisine and already possess a certain number of bestsellers on the topic, I had my doubts on whether or not this cookbook would help me broaden my gastronomic horizon. Well, I am pleased to inform you that I was not deceived at all by it. " An Edible Mosaic - Middle Eastern Fare With Extraordinary Flair " is far from being boring or uninteresting. Actually, it is an extremely enjoyable read as it is chock-a-block full with delectable ideas for healthy, irresistible and lip-smackingly good dishes (some of which I have never even tried or concocted and plan on testing soon) ranging from "Thyme Spiced Flat Pies", "Tabbouleh", "Fried Eggplants With Garlic And Parsley Dressing", "Fried Cauliflower With Sesame Parsley Sauce", "Saffron Rice With Golden Raisins And Pine Nuts", "Spiced Cheese Balls", "Creamy Chickpea And Yogurt Casserole", "Fish Pilaf With Caramelized Onion", "Chicken Kebabs", "Roasted Green Wheat With Chicken", "Fried Kibbeh", "Scrambled Eggs With Meat And onions", "Upside Down Rice Casserole", "Sweet Cheese Pastry (Knafeh)", "Coconut Semolina Cake (Harissa)", "Creamy Hot Sahlab Drink" to "White Coffee". Plenty enough meals to keep you busy for several months! As you can imagine, choosing a recipe to showcase on "Rosa's Yummy Yums" wasn't an easy task (especially if you are a tergiversator named Rosa). It took me a while before I could make up my mind. Anyway, after a week of intense delibaration, I selected a hearty meat-free dish called " Mujaddara Burghul " (" Lentil And Bulgur Pilaf " in English) which is traditionally savored with cramelized onions and accompanied by plain yogurt, tomato, cucumber and/or onions slices (mine was served with some cooked beetroot since it is soon winter here in Switzerland and I disapprove of buying out of season vegetables) . The outcome was highly satisfying and the legume, cereal and spice addicts that we are were totally seduced by this main course's unique combination of bulgur, lentils and seasonings. Each element composing this magnificent one-pot mingled together perfectly, thus causing an exclamation of delight and a sigh of bliss after every forkful. An economical, filling, fit, comforting and exquisite pilaf. One of life's simple pleasures !   Mujaddara Burghul (Bulgur And Lentil Pilaf) Recipe by Faith Gorsky of " An Edible Mosaic " . Serves 6. Ingredients: 1 1/3 Cups (275g) Dried brown lentils 6 Cups (1.5 liters) Water 2 Tbs Olive oil 2 Tbs Butter 2 Large Onions, quartered and thinly sliced 1 Bay leaf 2 Pods cardamom, cracked open 2 Cloves 2 Tsps Ground cumin 1/2 Tsp Ground cinnamon 1 1/2 Tsp Fine Sea salt 1/4 Tsp Freshly ground black pepper 1 Cup (185g) Coarse-ground bulgur wheat 1 1/2 Cups (300ml) Boiling water Thick plain yogurt (optional, for serving) Method: 1. Sort through the lentils to remove any small stones or pieces of dirt, and then rinse with cold water in a colander. 2. Bring the rinsed lentils and the water to a boil in a lidded medium saucepan. Cover the saucepan, turn the heat down to a simmer, and cook until the lentils are tender but not mushy, about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water as necessary so that they’re always immersed; strain and set aside. 3. While the lentils cook, heat the oil and the butter in a large skillet over moderately-high heat; add the onion and sauté until completely softened but not yet browned, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 4. Transfer half the onion to a small bowl and set aside. Continue cooking the remaining onion until deep caramel in color, about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water as necessary if the onion starts to get too dark. Set aside. 5. Put half a kettle of water on to boil. Transfer the sautéed onion (not the caramelized onion) to a medium saucepan. Add the bay leaf, cardamom, clove, cumin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper and cook 1 minute. 6. Add the bulgur and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly. 7. Give the bulgur a stir, then cover the saucepan, turn the heat down to very low, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes (do not open the lid during this time). 8. Turn the heat off and let the bulgur sit 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork and gently stir in the lentils. Taste and add additional salt, pepper and olive oil if desired. 7. Transfer to a serving dish and top with the caramelized onion. Remarks: Instead of making this dish with dried brown lentils, you can prepare it with the same amount of green lentils or 2 cans of brown lentils, rinsed and drained. For an easy variation of this dish, use white or brown rice instead of bulgur wheat. Serving suggestions: Serve with plain yogurt (to spoon on top) and accompany by sliced tomatoes, cucumber and/or onions. Mujaddara Burghul (Pilaf Au Bulgur Et  Aux Lentilles) Recette par Faith Gorsky de " An Edible Mosaic " . Pour 6 personnes. Ingrédients: 275g de Lentilles brunes séchées 1,5L d'Eau 2 CS d'Huile d'olive 2 CS de Beurre 2 Gros oignons, coupés en quartiers et tranchés finement 1 Feuille de laurier 2 Gousses de Cardamome, écrasée 2 Clous de girofle, entiers 2 CC de Cumin en poudre 1/2 CC de Cannelle en poudre 1 1/2 CC de Sel de mer fin 1/4 CC de Poivre noir fraîchement moulu 185g de Boulgour concassé en gros grains 300ml d'Eau Yaourt nature épais (en option, pour servir) Méthode: 1. Trier les lentilles pour enlever les petites pierres ou les impuretés, puis rincer à l'eau froide dans une passoire. 2. Dans une casserole, porter les lentilles rincées et l'eau à ébullition. Couvrir la casserole, et baisser le feu. Laisser mijoter/cuire jusqu'à ce que les lentilles soient tendres mais pas molles ( remuer de temps en temps et ajouter plus d'eau si nécessaire afin qu'elles soient toujours immergées ), environ 20 à 30 minutes. Egoutter et mettre de côté. 3. Dans une grande poêle, faire chauffer l'huile et le beurre à feu vif, ajouter l'oignon et faire revenir pendant environ 10 minutes ( remuer de temps en temps ), jusqu'à ce qu'il soit mou et translucide mais pas encore doré.   4. Transférer la moitié de l'oignon dans un petit bol et mettre de côté. Poursuivre la cuisson de l'oignon restant pendant environ 5 à 10 minutes ( remuer de temps en temps et ajouter un peu d'eau si l'oignon commence à devenir trop sombre ) , jusqu'à ce qu'il ait caramélisé. Mettre de côté. 5. Dans une casserole de taille moyenne, faire bouillir les 300ml d'eau. Ajouter, l'oignon cuit (pas l'oignon caramélisé), la feuille de laurier, la gousse e cardamome, les clous de girofle, le cumin, la cannelle, le sel et le poivre. Faire cuire pendant 1 minute. 6. Ajouter le boulgour et faire cuire encore 1 minute suplémentaire, en remuant constamment. 7. Couvrir la casserole, baisser le feu à très doux et laisser cuire pendant envirion 10 minutes, jusqu'à ce qu'il soit tendre (ne pas ouvrir le couvercle). 8. Baisser le feu et laisser le boulgour reposer pendant 10 minutes, puis l'égrainer avec une fourchette et incorporer délicatement les lentilles. Goûter, puis saler et poivrer selon votre goût et ajouter un trait d'huile d'olive si désiré. 7. Transférer dans un plat de service et garnir avec les oignons caramélisés. Remarques: Au lieu de faire ce plat avec des lentilles brunes séchées, préparez-le avec des lentilles vertes ou 2 boîtes de conserves de lentilles brunes, rincés et égouttés. Pour varier un peu, le boulgour peut être remplacé par du riz blanc ou brun. Suggestions d'accompagnement: Servir avec le yaourt (versé sur le dessus du plat) et accompagner de tranches de tomates, de concombre et/ou des rondelles d'oignons.  

After having gobbled many chocolate rabbits, Easter pralines and sugar eggs for the last 6 weeks (This year, my boyfriend's Grischun parents literally spoilt us rotten, although we are far from being children anymore!), I am now getting slightly over-saturated with all things sugary. At the moment, my interest is rather focused on eating in a more balanced way and testing new savory recipes with all the marvelous spring vegetables that are inundating the market stalls... The truth is that even if I can go totally beserker over cookies, cakes, chocolates and any creamy, sticky, gooey, rich and luscious dessert, I have a really soft spot for salty foods too. Despite the fact that my blog tends to showcase more baked goodies than savory starters, main courses or snacks, it is not meant to be exclusively in that way. A good homemade pizza can drive me as crazy as an ambrosial cheesecake. I refuse to support one camp to the detriment of the other as I am a fervent partisan of both sides. I need to entertain a yin-yang relationship between both worlds, because a lack of contrast and change in my menu plan would bore the socks off me. Generally, I cook dishes worthy of blogging about during the weekend as my budget is very tight and I cannot permit myself to prepare Sunday dinners every single day of the week. Of course, it doesn't mean that my weekly culinary concoctions are insipid, austere or monotonous and would not deserve to be put under the spotlight (all the contrary) . They are just a lot simpler, humbler and less luxurious/glamorous (no meat, fish and a lot of veggies) than my Friday or Saturday evening meals. Not forgetting that, during the weekend, the conditions are never optimal to take pictures of my creations, since we usually eat late in the evening when it's dark and there's no natural light. Besides, I rarely have the power to interrupt our romantic repast in order to take pictures for hours while everything is getting cold on the plate, and my exasperated boyfriend is yammering and getting extremely impatient. I am a way too finicky person to do things in a haste, with somebody breathing down my neck and not such a talented photographer to obtain the desired cliché by only taking a few quick shots. Anyway, lately, I have been dying to show you the spicy side of my personality. It is for that reason I am trying to remedy to this situation by posting recipes that don't contain sucrose - or at least in very small quantities only... I would be a liar if I told you that I don't enjoy stuffing myself with hyper-calorific goodies, yet I am a food lover who nonetheless tries to control her diet and always make sure that it is well-balanced. My Monday through Thursday meals are mostly vegetarian and light, thus this gives me the opportunity to devour "dirty" treats in the evening while watching a movie or one of my favorite series. In any case, those aren't even that bad for me as I never buy anything that is industrial or full of additives and make everything myself with quality ingredients. So, in order to show you how I eat on a daily basis, and since the weather has been very summery lately and I have been craving sunny as well as healthy dishes, I thought that it would be a great idea to invent an unconvential, unpresumptuous and easy everyday egg "salad" with the ingredients stocked in my well-garnished fridge and Ali Baba's cave-like pantry. There, I found all the ingredients I needed to create something funky and out of the ordinary: some eggs bought at the farmers' market, a leftover rhubarb stalk, galangal, red onions, a bunch of fresh coriander, fruity olive oil and all kinds of useful seasonings (balsamic vinegar, sambal oelek, soy sauce, mustard, grey sea salt and whole black pepper - perfect for putting an original vinaigrette together). This Far East-inspired main course turned out just as I had imagined it to be. The happy combination of round, musky, sweet, sour, salty, bitter, exotic and heady flavors was amazing and my tastebuds saw fireworks. My " Eggs With Asian-Style Rhubarb Vinaigrette " tasted very fresh, refined and was delightfully aromatic. A fantastic gustative experience! For those of you who are not familiar with galangal, it is a big pleasure for me to introduce you to this wonderfully versatile and characterful produce. It would be awesome if thanks to me, this ingredient would enter your kitchen and become a precious cooking ally. That would prove that I do my blogger "job" correctly and that my site is informative/has a purpose... "Galangal" (aka "Greater Galangal", "Thai Ginger" or "Blue Ginger") is a rhizome of a plant in the ginger family which is native to the grasslands areas of Indonesia. It has many culinary as well as medicinal uses and is cultivated in China and the whole of Southeast Asia as well in hotter regions of California and Florida . Two different varieties exist: one is known as "greater galanga" and the other, "lesser galangal" . The first is larger in size, lighter in color and subtler in aroma than the second which is hotter than ginger and has an underlying "earthy" flavor. According to research, galangal it is an antibacterial and helps fight against fungal infections ( for ex. candidiasis in the intestinal tract). It has been employed for centuries as medicine as it has always been known for reducing cramping and numbness, being a digestive stimulant (laxative), healing bruises and swelling, treating respiratory ailments (tuberculosis) and skin diseases (eczema), removing toxins from the body (blood purifier), having warming properties, settling an upset stomach (indigestion, stomachache and diarrhea), easing nausea, curbing flatulence and combating tuberculosis, eczema, hiccups, canker sores, oral ulcers and gum pains . Apparently, it is also believed to be a stimulant, a tonic, an aprhodisiac and a mild hallucinogenic. .. Over a thousand years ago, it was introduced into Europe by Arabian physicians and became very popular in our latitudes during the Middle Ages. For some unknown reason, it disappeared from European culinary and medical scenes as it seems it fell out of vogue, along with other spices, when milder foods became the order of the day in the 18th century . Cooks also love to prepare fragrant dishes (curries, dipping sauces, salads, soups, etc...) with this citrusy, sharp, sweet, peppery, piney, earthy, cedary, "soapy" and delicate tasting herb. Galangal masks the fishiness of seafoods and the heaviness of red meats, thereby making them taste cleaner, more delicate and succulent. Before being incorporated into a dish, t his seasoning ingredient is either crushed, finely chopped or cut into matchstick-like strips. As galangal is very dense and hard, you'd better make sure to have a sh arp knife at hand, otherwise you'll have difficulties cutting through its tough flesh. In Asian supermarkets, you can either buy it fresh or dry (in the form of powder having a pronounced musky and rooty flavor unlike the sharp bite of the fresh root ) . An incredibly interesting rhizome which, I hope, will seduce and enchant you! For more recipes containing galangal, please check the following posts: " Thai Yellow Curry ", " Thai Massaman Curry " and " Indonesian/Malaysian Fish Rendang ". This post was submitted to Ivy at " Kopiaste...To Greek Hospitality " who is hosting Creative Concoctions #4 – Cooking with Olive Oil . ~ Eggs With Asian-Style Galangal & RhubarbVinaigrette ~ Recipe by Rosa Mayland @Rosa's Yummy Yums, May 2011. Serves 4. Ingredients : 8 Hard boiled eggs , shelled 90g Rhubarb 1 Tsp Mild mustard 2 Tbs Sweet soy sauce (ex. Kikkoman) 2 Tbs Dark balsamic oil 6 Tbs Virgin olive oil 1/3 Tsp Sambal oelek 3 Tsps Fresh galangal root, finely chopped 1 Small Red onion, finely chopped 1/2 Bunch Fresh coriander (+ more for decorating), chopped Fine Sea salt, to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste Method: 1. Cut the hard boiled eggs into thin slices and place them on 2 plates (in an overlapping manner) or coarsely chop the eggs (if you serve this salad in verrines). 2. Cut the rhubarb into very small dice. 3. Mix together the mustard, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, oil, rhubarb, sambal oelek, galangal, onion, coriander, salt and pepper. 4. Sprinkle the salsa over the eggs or mix the vinaigrette together with the chopped eggs and serve in verrines. 5. Let rest for about 20 minutes, then decorate with coriander and serve. Remarks: You can replace the galangal by chopped lemongrass or finely diced ginger. Finely chopped garlic can be added to the vinaigrette. Serving suggestions: Serve that dish as a starter or serve as a main course, accompanied with cold soba noodles, glass/mung bean noodles (both seasoned with sweet soy sauce and sesame oil), boiled potatoes or sourdough bread. Pair with a good Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewürtzraminer, Chasselas or Petite Arvine. ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ Oeufs Et Sa Vinaigrette Asiatisante Au Galangal & A La Rhubarbe ~ Recette par Rosa Mayland @Rosa's Yummy Yums, mai 2011. Pour 4 personnes. Ingrédients : 8 Oeufs durs , pelés 90g de rhubarbe crue 1 CC de Moutarde douce 2 CS de Sauce soya douce (par ex. Kikkoman) 2 CS de Vinaigre balsamique foncé 6 CS d'Huile d'olive vierge 1/3 CC de Sambal Oelek 3 CS de Galangal frais, finement haché 1 Petit Onion rouge, finement haché 1/2 Bouquet de Coriandre fraîche (+ un brin de plus pour décorer) , hachée Sel de mer fin, à volonté Poivre noir, à volonté Méthode: 1. Couper les oeufs durs en tranches, puis dresser en écailles sur 2 assiettes ou les hacher grossièrement et les mettre dans un saladier (pour les verrines) . 2. Couper la rhubarbe en très petits dés. 3. Mélanger la moutarde, la sauce soya, le vinaigre, l'huile, le sambal oelek, la rhubarb, le galangal, l'oignon, la coriandre, le sel et le poivre. 4. Verser cette préparation sur les oeufs et laisser reposer 20 minutes (mettre dans les verrines si vous ne les présentez pas coupés en tranches, sur une assiette). 5. Servir en parsemant de coriandre. Remarques: Vous pouvez remplacer le galangal par du lemongrass ou du gingembre hachés finement. Un peu d'ail haché peut être ajouter à la vinaigrette. Idées de présentation: Servir cette salade comme entrée ou comme plat principal avec des nouilles soba ou des vermicelles transparentes froides (assaisonner les deux avec de la sauce soya et de l'huile de sésame), des pommes de terres à l'eau ou du pain au levain. Accompagner d'un bon Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewürtzraminer, Chasselas ou d'une Petite Arvine.

Lebanon. This name sounds very poetic, don't you think? Pronounce this unique, bewitching word and you'll get me phantasizing about refined and dreamlike dishes with exhalirating aromas and fragrant perfumes, antique temples still standing triumphantly even when in ruin, glorious ancient empires full of mystique (Phoenician, Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Macedonian, Roman & Byzantine), busy markets with stalls exploding with fresh veggies, fruits , spices, dried fruits and exquisite desserts , gorgeous sunny landscapes, snowy mountain tops, flat desertic plains, luscious pine tree forests and postcard-like coastlines, small coffee shops an d restaurants crowded with men and women casually enjoying a delightful meals and sipping on their coffees or arak, and hospitable as well as frindly people who open the doors of their homes to visitors and happily s hare their meal with you. All of that might not be very accurate or the same in reality, but it is nonethel ess w hat this complex country inspires me... One thing I am sure of though is that the Lebanese rich gastronomic traditions have a lot to offer for gourmets like me and there is no doubt about the reasons why this place's cuisine is venerated all arou nd the world. It's deliciousness is incomparable. Absolutely no myth here. If you already know the century-old Lebanese cuisine, then you know that I'm not lying and if you have never tasted it, well I can only assur e you that you must immediately remedy this situation as you most likely have missed out on a fab ulous experience. Every time I plan to prepare a yummy dish for the weekend, I in variably pick up one of my Middle Eastern cookooks and leaf through it's page while drooling. For me, that kind of is synonymous of culinary enlightment and extreme epicurian pleasure. I am constantly amazed by the recipes hailing from that region of the globe. But there is no mystery to why I am attracted to such wonderful exotic eats . I am crazy about spices, l amb , poultry, pilafs, mezze, dips, sticky and nutty desserts, flat breads and bulghur. Such goodies have a drug-like effect on me. Being a really well-organized foodie who behaves like a squirrel (a stock freak) I always make sure that my cupboards and freezer are garnished with a vast array of ingredients (tons of spices, grains, leg umes, pastes, sauces, herbs, cans, meat, etc..). In that way, it leaves me the opportnity to cook or bake more or less anything I want without having to run out to the supermarket. As my pantry is a treasure trove just like Ali-Baba's cave and it hides many gem s, I had no problem putting together one of Lebanon's national dishes, a " Kibbeh " that I had spotted in Claudia Roden's excellent book " Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey, and Lebanon ". Thanks to my tendency to accumulate goods I had everything at hand. The ground lamb meat was in the freezer, a bag of pine nuts that needed to get used was sitting on my dried fruit shelf, a bottle of pomegranate m olasses was carefully kept in the sauce section of the counter next to the oven, a packet of bulgh ur was stocked i n my IKEA cart and both the cinnamon as well as the allspice were waiting for me in the spice cabinet. Perfect! The name " Kibbeh " derives from the Arabic word "kubbah" meaning "ball". This delicacy is one of the Levantine cuisine 's most widespread dishes and can be found in Syria, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, Iran, Egypt, the Arabian Penninsula, Armenia, Israel, Latin America ( Brazil,Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras or Mexico - imported by the Syrian & Lebanese dispora) and Cyprus. This course is made with bulghur (sometimes even with rice), meat (also fish, pumpkin or potatoes) and spices. There are different varieties (vegetarian, balls, oval-shaped, patties that are either baked, cooked in broth, yoghurt, bitter orange juice or fried and there's even one version that is very similar to tartare and consists of raw meat), but the most common of them is the torpedo-shaped croquettes that are stuffed with minced beef or lamb and are deep-fried. Making " Baked Kibbeh " for the first time was no big deal for me, th anks to my food processor and my years of experimenting with cooking. The preparation required no particular skill and was not messy, long nor complex. It was quite straightforward and idiotproof, but what came out of t he oven was far from being plain or simple. With it's complex and refined flavors, this Middle-Eastern meatloaf is extremely palatable. The meat base is soft, moist and meatilicious, and is crowned a sweet, sour, savory onion and pinenut topping . This " Baked Kibbeh " can be served hot or at room temperature as a mezze (cut in small pieces) or main dish, and makes a grandiose potluck or picnic dish that will be wolfed by adults and kids alike. With th e leftovers you can even create a scrummy sandwich (use pita, fattoush breads or baguette Parisienne and add the spread of your choice - yoghurt, " Tarrator Sauce ", " Baba Ganoush " or " Hummus " ) . ~ Kibbeh Saniyeh ~ Recipe adapted from " Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey, and Lebanon " by Claudia Roden. Serves 4. Ingredients For The "Baked Kibbeh" Base: 2/3 Cup (160g) Fine-ground bulgur 1 Medium white onion, cut into quarters 1 Pound (500g) Lean ground lamb (lean & boneless cubed leg of lamb) 1 Tsp Sea salt Ground black pepper, to taste 1 1/2 Tsp Ground cinnamon 1+1 Tbs Vegetable oil (to grease the pan and the top of the kibbeh) Ingredients For The "Onion & Pine Nut Topping": 1 Pound (500g) White onions, sliced (half-moon) 3 Tbs Extra-virgin olive oil 1/3 Cup (50g) Pine nuts Sea salt, to taste Ground black pepper, to taste 1/2 Tsp Ground cinnamon 1/3 Tsp Ground allspice 3 Tbs Pomegranate molasses Method For The "Baked Kibbeh" Base: 1. Cover the bulgur with water and let rest 10 minutes. Drain well. 2. In a food processor, purée the onion, then add the meat, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. B le nd to a fine paste. 3. Add the drained bulgur and blend again in order to get a smooth, homogenous a nd soft paste. 4. Preheat the oven to 190° C (375° F). Oil a 26cm (10inch) diameter tart pan/dish and then press the paste into the bottom of the pan/dish with your hands. 5. Flatten and sm ooth the top. Rub with 1 tablespoons oil. 6. With a pointed knife, cut the kibbeh into 6 wedges through the center, and run the knif e around the edges of the dish to release them. 7. Bake the kibbeh in the preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes, until browned . Method For The "Topping": 8. Meanwhile, fry the onions in the olive oil until they are golden brown, stirring often. 9. Add the pine nuts. Stir-fry until lightly golden. 10. Salt and pepper to taste, then add the cinnamon, allspice and the pomegranate molasses. 11. Continue cooking and stirring for about 1 minute. 12. Spread the onion mixture over the top of the kibbeh and serve. Remarks: You can replace the pinenuts by 2/3 cup (90g) shelled walnuts, broken into pieces. If you wish, you can also add 2 tablespoons raisins that have been previously soaked in water for 15 mi nutes and drained (in case you are using the raisins, ommit the pomegranate molasses) or add 1 tablespoon sumac to the onion topping (then ommit the pomegranate molasses). Serving suggestions: Serve hot or at room temperature, alone or with a salad, a dollop thick yoghurt, " Tarrator Sauce ", " Baba Ganoush " or " Hummus ". ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ Kibbeh Au Four ~ Recette tirée et adaptée du livre " Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey, and Lebanon " de Claudia Roden. Pour 4 personnes. Ingrédients Pour le "Kibbeh": 160g de Boulghour fin 1 Onion blanc (moyen), coupé en quatre 500g de Viande d'agneau hachée maigre (ou du gigot d'agneau désossé et coupé en cubes) 1 CC de Sel de mer Poivre noir moulu, selon goût 1 1/2 CC de Cannelle en poudre 1+1 Cs d'Huile végétale Ingrédients Pour La "Garniture Aux Oingons": 500g d'Oignons blancs, coupés en demi-lune 3 CS d'Huile d'olive extra vierge 50g de Pignons de pin Sel de mer, selon goût Poivre noir moulu, selon goût 1/2 CC de Cannelle en poudre 1/3 de Tout-épice en poudre 3 CS de Mélasse de grenade Méthode Pour le "Kibbeh": 1. Recouvrir le boulghour avec de l'eau et mettre de côté pendant 10 minutes. Bien égoutter. 2. Dans un mixer, réduire l'oignon en purrée, puis ajouter la viande, le sel, le poivre et la cannelle. Mixer afin d'obtenir une sorte de pâte. 3. Ajouter le boulghour égoutté et mixer à nouveau afin d'obtenir une pâte collante, homogène et fine. 4. Préchauffer le four à 190° C. Huiler un moule à tarte de 26cm et presser (avec les mains) la pâte dans le moule. 5. Bien applatir et lisser le dessus. Peindre avec 1 CS d'huile. 6. A l'aid e d'un couteau pointu, couper le kibbeh en 6 tranches égales (co mme pour une tarte) et passer le couteau dans les bords afin de les libérer. 7. Cuire le kibbeh dans le four préchauffé pendant 30-40 minutes, jusqu'à ce qu'il soir doré. Méthode Pour La "Garniture Aux Oingons": 8. Pendant ce temps, faire frire les oignons dans l'huile d'olive tout en remuant de temps à autre, 9. Ajouter les pignons de pin. Continuer à cuire jusqu'à ce que les pignons soient dorés. 10. Saler et poivrer, puis ajouter la cannelle, le tout-épice et la mélasse. 11. Cuire encore penadant 1 minute tout en remuant. 12. Etaler la garniture sur le dessus du kibbeh et servir. Remarques: Au lieu d'utiliser des pignons de pins, vous pouvez préparer ce plat avec 90g de noix , grossièrement concassées. La garniture peut aussi être faite avec 2 CS de raisins secs qui ont été trempés pendant 15 minutes et égouttés avant utilisation (dans ce cas, omettez la mélasse ) ou bien il vous est aussi possible d'ajouter 1 CS de sumac (dans ce cas aussi, omettez aussi la mélasse). Idées de présentation: Servir chaud ou à température ambiante et accompagner avec une salade ou du yaourt à la grecque, du " Baba Ganoush " ou du " Hummus ". .

J'avais mis cette recette de Melissa D'Arabian dans mes favoris il y a plusieurs semaines déjà. Comme j'ai un stock de poitrines de poulet à écouler et que j'ai un litre de babeurre à utiliser, je me suis dit que c'était le bon temps de tester ce poulet ! J'ai décidé de cuire ce poulet entièrement au four car pas envie d'avoir de l'huile qui gicle partout sur mon poêle... Ah paresse, quand tu nous tiens... ! Ce poulet est vraiment fantastique ! Le babeurre donne un goût et une texture sans pareille. La viande est goûteuse et juteuse, miam ! Vous remarquerez que depuis quelques temps, je fais mes plats avec du panko au lieu de la chapelure. Je trouve ça plus facile, plus croustillant et vraiment meilleur. À essayer si ce n'est pas déjà fait ! 2 portions 2 poitrines de poulet (environ 150g chacune) 1/2 tasse de babeurre Une grosse pincée de sel 1/2 cuillère à soupe de sambal oelek 1/3 tasse de panko Mélanger le babeurre, le sel et le sambal. Y déposer les poitrines de poulet et mariner pendant au moins 8h ou toute une nuit. Égoutter légèrement le poulet puis enrober de panko. Vaporiser d'huile d'olive des deux côtés et cuire au four à 375°F pendant environ 30 minutes, ou jusqu'à bien doré.

C'est l'été et le jardin regorge de tomates bien mûres et de fines herbes mais vous n'avez pas envie de passer la journée à préparer une sauce tomate classique ? Essayez donc cette fabuleuse sauce crue chipée chez Melissa D'Arabian ! Toute simple, ça prend seulement 5 minutes à préparer et c'est tout simplement irrésistible. J'en profite pour vous présenter ma dernière découverte en matière de pâtes : les nouilles shirataki . Ce sont des nouilles faites à base de tofu, donc sans gluten, qui ont une texture spéciale qui ne ressemble à rien que je connaisse et que j'aime bien (par contre, il semblerait que ce n'est pas le cas pour tout le monde...). Le seul problème, c'est qu'elles ne sont pas super nourrissantes : pratiquement aucune protéine et seulement 40 calories par paquet. On a intérêt à mettre de la viande dans la sauce ou à les accompagner d'autre chose de plus soutenant. Vous les trouverez à l'épicerie au rayon du tofu. Ne soyez pas rebutés par son emballage (un petit sac plein de liquide dans lequel baignent les nouilles), ces nouilles ne sont pas gluantes et n'ont pas une texture de spaghetti trop cuit ! 1 portion 2 petites tomates (jaune et orange pour moi) 2 cuillères à thé de câpres 1 gousse d'ail pelée, écrasée Une pincée de flocons de piment fort Un peu de zeste de citron Une sélection d'herbes au choix, ciselées (persil plat, basilic et menthe pour moi) Huile d'olive Sel et poivre 1 portion de pâtes Couper les tomates en petits dés. Ajouter le reste des ingrédients (sauf les pâtes), bien mélanger et laisser reposer pour que les saveurs se mélangent, environ 30 minutes ou plus. Retirer la gousse d'ail. Pendant ce temps, cuire les pâtes. Bien égoutter. Verser les pâtes sur la sauce crue. Laisser reposer 1 minute puis bien mélanger. Servir avec du parmesan râpé.

Depuis le début du mois de janvier, Foodnetwork regorge de nouvelles émissions dont celle de Melissa D'Arabian qui consiste à cuisiner des repas pour quatre personnes à moins de 10$. Lors du premier épisode que j'ai regardé, elle faisait cette salade toute simple à base d'un paquet d'ingrédients que j'ai dans mon garde-manger et auxquels je n'ai pas touché depuis belle lurette. J'ai légèrement modifié la recette pour la rendre plus attrayante pour moi, notamment en diminuant la quantité de lentilles de moitié (je ne suis pas fan et c'était juste parfait pour moi) et en ajoutant des tomates, du jus de lime et beaucoup plus de coriandre. Malgré que ce plat soit bien bon, facile à faire et peu coûteux, je remarque deux choses. D'abord, il y a une petite amertume que je n'aime pas tellement que j'attribue au zeste de lime (mon zesteur a dû prélever la petite peau blanche de la lime j'imagine). Je retirerais donc cet ingrédient. Aussi, je trouve qu'il manque un ingrédient pour que l'expérience de saveur soit complète. Je propose ou bien des cubes d'avocat, ou bien des suprême d'oranges, ou pourquoi pas les deux. 4 portions 1/2 tasse de quinoa 1/4 tasse de lentilles brunes 1 cuillère à thé de moutarde de Dijon 1 cuillère à soupe de vinaigre de vin rouge 1/4 tasse d'huile d'olive (au goût) 1/8 cuillère à thé d'ail en poudre Le zeste d'une lime et la moitié de son jus (seulement le jus la prochaine fois) Sel et poivre au goût 1 échalote française hachées finement 1 cuillère à soupe de coriandre fraîche hachée (au moins 4 fois plus pour moi !) 1 tomate en dés Débarrasser les lentilles des corps étrangers, rincer et couvrir d'eau. Porter à ébullition puis laisser mijoter à feu doux environ 30 minutes. Égoutter et laisser refroidir. Réserver. Porter 1 tasse d'eau à ébullition. Ajouter le quinoa, mélanger, couvrir et baisser le feu au minimum. Laisser reposer 12-15 minutes jusqu'à ce que l'eau soit toute absorbée et que le germe blanc soit libéré. Laisser refroidir. Réserver. Dans un grand bol, les ingrédients de la vinaigrette puis incorporer l'échalote, la tomate et la coriandre. Ajouter les lentilles et le quinoa refroidis. Bien mélanger. Servir.

Salut les patafoins! Ajourd'hui je fais ma grosse larve et je te suggère une ancienne recette que j'avais publiée il y a déjà deux ans et demi. Je la trouve  parfaite pour les fêtes de fin d'année, et je trouve ça dommage qu'elle croupisse parmi mes vieux articles, du temps où j'étais la seule à lire mon blog (bon, d'accord, il y avait ma Reine Mère aussi, qui avait pitié de moi... et de mon pauvre humour). Je te laisse mon petit bavardage de l'époque (je vivais encore aux Ztazunis, pour situer un peu le contexte) Bon week-end les cocos! Et sinon: good News, la boîte à musique est enfin réparée! Pour combien de temps, je ne sais pas, mais voilà que Deezer ne me fait plus de boudin et est à nouveau mon ami, incroyab'!!  J'en profite donc pour vous mettre un peu de zizique de NoYel. "J'adooooOOOre le filet mignon de porc! Le meilleur jamais mangé... un filet mignon au Maroilles , le pied total!! C'était au Grand Chemin, en Belgique ... Ici, bien entendu, on ne trouve pas de Maroilles ... trop parfumé, trop collant, trop "pas assez pasteurisé". Les Américains ne savent vraiment pas ce qu'ils ratent! J'ai par contre trouvé cette recette qui est un délice sur http://www.foodnetwork.com/ , une recette de Melissa D'Arabian . Vous pouvez la retrouver ici ou bien suivre la recette en français, c'est plus fastoche pour les "non fluent" Généralement, avec un filet mignon, je sers 4 personnes... mais après ça dépend de la taille du vôtre... de filet mignon, bien entendu!" Si vous voulez suivre mes charmantes aventures et ne rater aucune actualité, n'hésitez pas à rejoindre ma page Facebook en cliquant ici ! Ingrédients pour la croûte un oignon en cubes une botte de coriandre fraîche 2 gousses d'ail écrasées 2 cuillères à soupe d'huile d'olive 30 g de chapelure (je la fais moi-même, avec du pain raci que je fais toaster puis que je mixe une fois froid, c'est meilleur) sel Ingrédients pour le filet mignon 1 filet mignon de porc (forcément) 2 cuillères à soupe de moutarde 1 cuillère à café de cannelle en poudre 1 cuillère à soupe de cumin en poudre 1/2 cuillère à café de piment de cayenne en poudre sel 5 cl d'huile Comment qu'on fait? Préchauffer le four à 375°F = 190°C Dans un tout petit récipient, mélanger les épices ( cannelle , cumin et piment) avec le sel. Frotter cette mixture tout autour du filet. Dans une grande sauteuse, faire chauffer l'huile sur feu moyen et y faire dorer le porc, sur tous les côtés. Attention, parce que l'huile " pschitt " un max quand on retourne le porc, alors prévoyez du K2r, si vous avez décidé de sortir vos plus belles fringues pour l'occas '! Réserver le filet dans un plat à four, et garder la sauteuse telle quelle pour plus tard. Pendant ce temps là... mixer l'oignon, l'ail et la coriandre. Dans la fameuse sauteuse que vous avez pris soin de ne pas laver entre temps; ajouter l'huile d'olive, et faire revenir la mixture jusqu'à ce qu'elle soit tendre (pas longtemps, peut-être 3 ou 4 minutes). Ajouter la chapelure et faire revenir encore quelques minutes. Un peu de sel par dessus tout ça... et le tour est joué, y a plus qu'à tout mettre en place maintenant! Badigeonner le filet avec la moutarde à l'aide d'un pinceau, c'est plus facile et plus régulier. Et enfin appliquer une bonne couche d'herbes tout autour de la bête. Il faut bien presser pour que ça adhère comme il faut. Enfourner pendant environ 45 minutes. Une fois cuit, le sortir du four et surtout, SURTOUT le laisser reposer 10 bonnes minutes avant de le découper! Ce sera meilleur, et encore super chaud, croyez-moi ! D'habitude, je fais de l'orzo pour accompagner ce plat et une fondue de poireaux toute bête. Bone Appétouze ! Article séléctionné par Libéfood  

J'adooooOOOre le filet mignon de porc! Le meilleur jamais mangé... un filet mignon au Maroilles , le pied total!! C'était au Grand Chemin, en Belgique ... Ici, bien entendu, on ne trouve pas de Maroilles ... trop parfumé, trop collant, trop "pas assez pasteurisé". Les Américains ne savent vraiment pas ce qu'ils ratent! J'ai par contre trouvé cette recette qui est un délice sur http://www.foodnetwork.com/ , une recette de Melissa D'Arabian . Vous pouvez la retrouver ici ou bien suivre la recette en français, c'est plus fastoche pour les "non fluent" Généralement, avec un filet mignon, je sers 4 personnes... mais après ça dépend de la taille du vôtre... de filet mignon, bien entendu! Si vous voulez suivre mes charmantes aventures et ne rater aucune actualité, n'hésitez pas à rejoindre ma page Facebook en cliquant ici ! Ingrédients pour la croûte un oignon en cubes une botte de coriandre fraîche 2 gousses d'ail écrasées 2 cuillères à soupe d'huile d'olive 30 g de chapelure (je la fais moi-même, avec du pain raci que je fais toaster puis que je mixe une fois froid, c'est meilleur) sel Ingrédients pour le filet mignon 1 filet mignon de porc (forcément) 2 cuillères à soupe de moutarde 1 cuillère à café de cannelle en poudre 1 cuillère à soupe de cumin en poudre 1/2 cuillère à café de piment de cayenne en poudre sel 5 cl d'huile Comment qu'on fait? Préchauffer le four à 375°F = 190°C Dans un tout petit récipient, mélanger les épices ( cannelle , cumin et piment) avec le sel. Frotter cette mixture tout autour du filet. Dans une grande sauteuse, faire chauffer l'huile sur feu moyen et y faire dorer le porc, sur tous les côtés. Attention, parce que l'huile " pschitt " un max quand on retourne le porc, alors prévoyez du K2r, si vous avez décidé de sortir vos plus belles fringues pour l'occas '! Réserver le filet dans un plat à four, et garder la sauteuse telle quelle pour plus tard. Pendant ce temps là... mixer l'oignon, l'ail et la coriandre. Dans la fameuse sauteuse que vous avez pris soin de ne pas laver entre temps; ajouter l'huile d'olive, et faire revenir la mixture jusqu'à ce qu'elle soit tendre (pas longtemps, peut-être 3 ou 4 minutes). Ajouter la chapelure et faire revenir encore quelques minutes. Un peu de sel par dessus tout ça... et le tour est joué, y a plus qu'à tout mettre en place maintenant! Badigeonner le filet avec la moutarde à l'aide d'un pinceau, c'est plus facile et plus régulier. Et enfin appliquer une bonne couche d'herbes tout autour de la bête. Il faut bien presser pour que ça adhère comme il faut. Enfourner pendant environ 45 minutes. Une fois cuit, le sortir du four et surtout, SURTOUT le laisser reposer 10 bonnes minutes avant de le découper! Ce sera meilleur, et encore super chaud, croyez-moi ! D'habitude, je fais de l'orzo pour accompagner ce plat et une fondue de poireaux toute bête. Bone Appétouze ! B.O.R (bande originale de la recette) : Zero 7 "Simple Things " Porc , Plat , Epices , Moutarde , ail , Filet Mignon

Mamina nous a organisé un super jeu, où on devait utilise la gamme « Le fruit deMonin™ » pour préparer de petits plats. J’aime bien avoir des morceaux dans mes boissons – des bubble teas (sans le thé, bien sûr), du jus de coco avec des morceaux, des sangrias, … Par la même occasion, en faisant cette recette, j’ai testé des cocktails en couches. La prochaine fois, j’utiliserais des couleurs différentes pour que les strates soit plus nettes. Le résultat était un cocktail équilibré et très féminin. J’ai aussi inclus une photo du cocktail mélangé avec les morceaux de gelée flottant dessus. Cocktail coco des milles et une nuits Ingrédients Pour la gelée de basilic 50ml sirop de basilic Monin™ 250 ml d’eau 1 càs de gélatine en poudre Pour le cocktail 30ml ‘le Fruit de Monin™’ noix de coco 30 ml de sirop de rose 60ml de jus de coco 30 ml de jus de citron 60 ml de gin Quelques gouttes d’angostura bitters Méthode : Pour la gelée Faire chauffer l’eau et en prélever un peu pour y dissoudre la gélatine. Mélanger avec le restant d’eau et le sirop de basilic. Verser dans un moule et faire prendre au frais. Couper la gelée en petits des d’un demi centimètre. Pour l’assemblage du cocktail : Dans un verre à cocktail poser 2 càs de des de gelée de basilic. Couvrir complètement avec le ‘Fruit de Monin ™noix de coco. Mettre dessus délicatement le sirop de rose. Mélanger ensemble le jus de citron, jus de coco, gin et les bitters. Verser ce mélange délicatement sur le sirop de rose – si nécessaire en le versant sur le dos d’une cuillière. A votre santé ! *** Mamina organized a game for us where we had to use the range ‘ Le fruitde Monin™ in our recipes. I like bits of things in my drinks – bubble teas (without the tea for me), coconut water with bits of coconut, sangrias, etc. And at the same time, while making this recipe, I tried my hand at making layered cocktails. Next time, I’ll try contrasting colours to have the layers more contrasting. The result was a yummy and balanced cocktail that was very feminine. I also have posted a photo of the cocktail stirred up with the jelly pieces floating. Coconut Arabian nights cocktail Ingredients For the basil jelly: 50ml Monin™ basil syrup 250ml water 1 tbsp gelatin powder For the cocktail: 30ml ‘le Fruit de Monin™’ coconut 30 ml rose syrup 60ml coconut water 30 ml lemon juice 60 ml gin A few drops of angostura bitters Method: For the jelly: Heat the water and in a little bit of water dissolve the gelatin. Add in the remaining water and the basil syrup and mix well. Pour in a square cake tin and let it set in the refrigerator. When set, cut the jelly in ½ cm cubes. To assemble the cocktail: Pour 2 tbsps of basil jelly in the bottom of the cocktail glass. Cover completely with ‘le Fruit de Monin™’ coconut. Pour delicately the rose syrup on this layer. Mix the coconut water, lemon juice, gin and angostura bitter. Pour slowly on the rose syrup, if necessary, by pouring on the back of a teaspoon. Cheers! ***

Photo credit: Mackenzie Rivers Je travaille actuellement sur la tradution de cette interview en français ! I discovered Map Chocolate while researching craft chocolate-makers on Instagram . At the time, the only chocolate I consumed was mass-produced, mostly because I had a few favorite brands and was not sold on the idea of spending $8-$10 on a small chocolate bar. However, I did want to make the leap to the world of craft chocolate, so I went looking for makers to lead me there. I turned to Instagram to discover the world of small makers. I saw grinders and melangeurs, shiny tempered chocolate and bloomed chocolate that reminded you of the craters of the the moon. I discovered LetterPress Chocolate and Dick Taylor , Violet Sky and Acalli . Right when I started my " 37 Chocolates " challenge, I stumbled upon Map Chocolate's Instagram account . I fell in love with the maker's sense of aesthetics, the composition of her photos, which was pretty, but not precious. Did I mention the captions? I was reading them like poetry. When I went to Map Chocolate's website , it became obvious that Map Chocolate was chocolate with a soul. Yes, its chocolate is made of organic cacao from small cacao farmers and no, it does not contain any lecithin, but that's not all. I read the chocolate descriptions like chapters of a novel and, for the first time, I did not feel intimidated when reading about single origin cacao. I did not know a thing about the difference between a cacao from Belize, Madagascar, or Tumbes in Peru, but I suddenly wanted to know more. I knew right then that $8 would get me chocolate and a map I would gladly want to follow. 1 - Please tell us about Map Chocolate. It was the beans that drew me in. I walked into the Chocolate Alchemy warehouse and was so shocked--I had no idea that chocolate did not just come from one type of cocoa bean. Or that there were so many types of beans, grown in so many places. The fact that there is not just "one" bean, from one place, is incredible, because it means there is not "one" chocolate. Which meant, why the heck does it all mostly taste the same? Aside from Theo, I had never tried craft chocolate, so I went from seeing the beans to saying "I want to make chocolate." To me, this is what craft chocolate offers: chocolate as something real, not the idea of chocolate as one standardized flavor. That was a year and a half ago; I made chocolate for nine months before I made the leap into opening my online shops. I gave a lot away to family and friends to try, my son and his friends ate it every day, I threw out mistakes, and loved every minute. I was at a crossroads in my life and during that nine months I started working for Chocolate Alchemy (the "father" of bean to bar craft chocolate) and every day I would ask John a question about beans or roasting, the chemistry behind chocolate, equipment, etc. He is like the wikipedia of chocolate! I became immersed in the world of small batch chocolate making, and the world of beans. So I have been very fortunate to have people encouraging me and believing in what I am doing, willing to taste my chocolate, and to give me, a new chocolate maker, a try. And that is why my company is called Map Chocolate: map stands for Mackenzie and People. No boundaries, finding open roads, and each of us discovering our path. I am thrilled every time I send out a bar. And as a side note: when I was looking for molds I wanted square ones. I found my molds and when they arrived from Belgium (possibly the smallest order they'd ever had, I bought a total of 3, and could make 6 bars at a time), the invoice had the name of the mold listed as Scheherazade. She is the narrator storyteller behind the ancient stories A Thousand and One Arabian Nights...that seemed like a good sign. Photo credit: Mackenzie Rivers 2 - Could you give us a glimpse into a day at Map Chocolate? Is there such thing as a typical day when you are a chocolate-maker? Because I work part time at Chocolate Alchemy (John supplies and makes bean to bar equipment, beans + supplies, and information), as well as being the sole proprietor of Map I have to be efficient and try to stick to a schedule. I divide the basic chocolate making over 3 days, then fill in everything else in the mornings and evenings. One day is for roasting, making test batches, and making my sipping chocolates. Roasting is when I often get my inspiration for my bars, because at this point it is truly about the beans; I get the first hints of what chocolate the beans might become, and, for me, it is the area that requires the most skill and intuition. I use a barrel roaster, which also gives me a good way to gauge the roast depending on the aroma, and how it changes and shifts during the roast. The second day I reserve for tempering/molding bars, and nothing else; I still hand-temper, so there's a lot going on that day. The third day is for wrapping bars and creating my wrappers, and then on day four I try to fill orders, box, and ship. The actual melanging/conching takes place 24/7. I built my website and do all the maintenance/uploading products, and I create my packaging, which I fit in early in the mornings. If I were an animal I would be a mule: stubborn, persistent, not afraid to work, a bit quirky, often with a mind of its own. But Mule Chocolate does not have the same ring :) Photo credit: Mackenzie Rivers 3 - Your sense of aesthetics and product descriptions are one of the things that set Map Chocolate from other chocolate-makers. Which are some of the artists and writers that inspire you? Always in the back of my head is advice about writing by Ernest Hemingway: say one true thing. I want this to come through in what I am making, as well as what I write. I think his quote is from A Moveable Feast. I try to write and stay true to what the voice in my head is saying, and if it feels difficult or a struggle then I know that is a sign that I am not listening, and it isn't true to my voice. I hope that what I write will open a window, not necessarily point a route to a certain path. As a chocolate maker I'm just a guide: I choose the bean, decide the %, craft it to what I think tastes good, and choose how it will be presented, but then it leaves my hands. Chocolate might be a small thing, but I think there is something amazing about it beyond taste that not only makes us happy, but carries within it the journey of the bean, and awakens memories. This is the story part of it for me, and what I love is that I might say "notes of lemon and birdsong" but then every person has their own notion of what that bird might sound like. Or maybe they will then ask themselves, what would that taste like? Photo credit: Mackenzie Rivers 4 - I love the seasonality of some of your chocolate collections - I have a soft spot for the Squirrel Stash - could you share some of the chocolate creations you are working on for this winter? I love creating collections! They came about because the truth for me is that big bars of chocolate can be daunting, and not just the price. What if I take a bite and I don't like it? what if I unwrap it and now I'm faced with this big bar and I don't want it to go to waste? And when I was first trying craft chocolate, how was I supposed to choose an Ecuador Camino Verde over a Bolivia? What exactly does a Bolivia mean when it comes to chocolate? The packaging out there implies the buyer must already know what an Ecuador tastes like, and the typical tasting notes only help perpetuate and widen this chasm. There is no reference point; for me, when I eat chocolate it takes me somewhere, either back in time or clarifies the present moment. I want to share this with the people who are trying my chocolate. Also, the flip side of that is that I selfishly don't want to just make (or eat) the same old thing, and I think chocolate is as seasonal as any real food. So, for this year I have a 25 piece collection for the holidays that is inspired by the winter sky (various hues of dark, a few flickers of bright, and alpenglow will all be in there) a small 9-piece collection inspired by Admiral Byrd called Packing List: Antarctica (he had chocolate and coffee on his packing list), and another small set called The Tip of the Iceberg which features nine different salts atop one origin. Photo credit: Mackenzie Rivers 5 - Craft chocolate can be expensive. In my experience, many people (I was one of them) feel intimidated by the idea of spending $10 for 2-3 oz of fine chocolate. Some argue their palate is not as refined to appreciate the experience of fine chocolate. As a craft chocolate-maker, what words would you have for someone who is about to dip their toes in the water of craft chocolate? It all begins with intention. I think that is the gift of anything handcrafted: our intentions shape the world, so if we buy something handcrafted, or from a small farmer who might have actually been the person who lovingly pruned the apple trees, we are then acting out of awareness. It is the goal of mass marketing to get us to choose what we are told we should choose, to act out of habit and blindness. As a starting point I would say choose based on the packaging, which might seem contrary to "it's what's inside that matters," but if the outer layers are beautiful, thoughtful, have been created with details at the forefront, then that is a good indicator of what is to come inside.This is not to say fancy or expensive, just created with a respect for both the chocolate and the person who might enjoy it. I recently had a bar from a newer, small maker in Australia (Smooth Chocolator) and the packaging was simple albeit stunning. And the experience of opening it was so satisfying, just lovely; as wonderful as opening a new book and seeing the first page, reading the first sentence and having the words drawing you in, instantly. I could feel the maker's care and love for what they are doing. The "value" or reason to buy craft chocolate is because it is not just another bar on a long assembly line of sameness, but a glimpse into how the maker sees the world through chocolate. Craft chocolate provides not just the (hopefully wonderful) experience of tasting chocolate, but a real connection...that's not something a factory does, or is intended to do. Because Map is so small, even in the world of small batch makers, it often feels like it is a tiny bird attempting to migrate and navigate amidst big jetliners and more than a few well-funded Lear jets, plus there is all that headwind from chocolate critics and "experts." That said, what I believe is that the best stories travel far, and size has nothing to do with it.

Photo credit: Mackenzie Rivers Alors que je travaille sur la tradution de cette interview en français, retrouvez les superbes tablettes de Mackenzie sur ma boutique en ligne . I discovered Map Chocolate while researching craft chocolate-makers on Instagram . At the time, the only chocolate I consumed was mass-produced, mostly because I had a few favorite brands and was not sold on the idea of spending $8-$10 on a small chocolate bar. However, I did want to make the leap to the world of craft chocolate, so I went looking for makers to lead me there. I turned to Instagram to discover the world of small makers. I saw grinders and melangeurs, shiny tempered chocolate and bloomed chocolate that reminded you of the craters of the the moon. I discovered LetterPress Chocolate and Dick Taylor , Violet Sky and Acalli . Right when I started my " 37 Chocolates " challenge, I stumbled upon Map Chocolate's Instagram account . I fell in love with the maker's sense of aesthetics, the composition of her photos, which was pretty, but not precious. Did I mention the captions? I was reading them like poetry. When I went to Map Chocolate's website , it became obvious that Map Chocolate was chocolate with a soul. Yes, its chocolate is made of organic cacao from small cacao farmers and no, it does not contain any lecithin, but that's not all. I read the chocolate descriptions like chapters of a novel and, for the first time, I did not feel intimidated when reading about single origin cacao. I did not know a thing about the difference between a cacao from Belize, Madagascar, or Tumbes in Peru, but I suddenly wanted to know more. I knew right then that $8 would get me chocolate and a map I would gladly want to follow. 1 - Please tell us about Map Chocolate. It was the beans that drew me in. I walked into the Chocolate Alchemy warehouse and was so shocked--I had no idea that chocolate did not just come from one type of cocoa bean. Or that there were so many types of beans, grown in so many places. The fact that there is not just "one" bean, from one place, is incredible, because it means there is not "one" chocolate. Which meant, why the heck does it all mostly taste the same? Aside from Theo , I had never tried craft chocolate, so I went from seeing the beans to saying "I want to make chocolate." To me, this is what craft chocolate offers: chocolate as something real, not the idea of chocolate as one standardized flavor. That was a year and a half ago; I made chocolate for nine months before I made the leap into opening my online shops. I gave a lot away to family and friends to try, my son and his friends ate it every day, I threw out mistakes, and loved every minute. I was at a crossroads in my life and during that nine months I started working for Chocolate Alchemy (the "father" of bean-to-bar craft chocolate) and every day I would ask John a question about beans or roasting, the chemistry behind chocolate, equipment, etc. He is like the Wikipedia of chocolate! I became immersed in the world of small batch chocolate making, and the world of beans. So I have been very fortunate to have people encouraging me and believing in what I am doing, willing to taste my chocolate, and to give me, a new chocolate maker, a try. And that is why my company is called Map Chocolate: map stands for Mackenzie and People. No boundaries, finding open roads, and each of us discovering our path. I am thrilled every time I send out a bar. And as a side note: when I was looking for molds I wanted square ones. I found my molds and when they arrived from Belgium (possibly the smallest order they'd ever had, I bought a total of 3, and could make 6 bars at a time), the invoice had the name of the mold listed as Scheherazade. She is the narrator storyteller behind the ancient stories A Thousand and One Arabian Nights ...that seemed like a good sign. Photo credit: Mackenzie Rivers 2 - Could you give us a glimpse into a day at Map Chocolate? Is there such thing as a typical day when you are a chocolate-maker? Because I work part time at Chocolate Alchemy (John supplies and makes bean to bar equipment, beans + supplies, and information), as well as being the sole proprietor of Map I have to be efficient and try to stick to a schedule. I divide the basic chocolate making over 3 days, then fill in everything else in the mornings and evenings. One day is for roasting, making test batches, and making my sipping chocolates. Roasting is when I often get my inspiration for my bars, because at this point it is truly about the beans; I get the first hints of what chocolate the beans might become, and, for me, it is the area that requires the most skill and intuition. I use a barrel roaster, which also gives me a good way to gauge the roast depending on the aroma, and how it changes and shifts during the roast. The second day I reserve for tempering/molding bars, and nothing else; I still hand-temper, so there's a lot going on that day. The third day is for wrapping bars and creating my wrappers, and then on day four I try to fill orders, box, and ship. The actual melanging/conching takes place 24/7. I built my website and do all the maintenance/uploading products, and I create my packaging, which I fit in early in the mornings. If I were an animal I would be a mule: stubborn, persistent, not afraid to work, a bit quirky, often with a mind of its own. But "Mule Chocolate" does not have the same ring :) Photo credit: Mackenzie Rivers 3 - Your sense of aesthetics and product descriptions are one of the things that set Map Chocolate from other chocolate-makers. Which are some of the artists and writers that inspire you? Always in the back of my head is advice about writing by Ernest Hemingway: say one true thing. I want this to come through in what I am making, as well as what I write. I think his quote is from A Moveable Feast . I try to write and stay true to what the voice in my head is saying, and if it feels difficult or a struggle then I know that is a sign that I am not listening, and it isn't true to my voice. I hope that what I write will open a window, not necessarily point a route to a certain path. As a chocolate maker I'm just a guide: I choose the bean, decide the %, craft it to what I think tastes good, and choose how it will be presented, but then it leaves my hands. Chocolate might be a small thing, but I think there is something amazing about it beyond taste that not only makes us happy, but carries within it the journey of the bean, and awakens memories. This is the story part of it for me, and what I love is that I might say "notes of lemon and birdsong" but then every person has their own notion of what that bird might sound like. Or maybe they will then ask themselves, what would that taste like? Photo credit: Mackenzie Rivers 4 - I love the seasonality of some of your chocolate collections - I have a soft spot for the Squirrel Stash - could you share some of the chocolate creations you are working on for this winter? I love creating collections! They came about because the truth for me is that big bars of chocolate can be daunting, and not just the price. What if I take a bite and I don't like it? what if I unwrap it and now I'm faced with this big bar and I don't want it to go to waste? And when I was first trying craft chocolate, how was I supposed to choose an Ecuador Camino Verde over a Bolivia? What exactly does a Bolivia mean when it comes to chocolate? The packaging out there implies the buyer must already know what an Ecuador tastes like, and the typical tasting notes only help perpetuate and widen this chasm. There is no reference point; for me, when I eat chocolate it takes me somewhere, either back in time or clarifies the present moment. I want to share this with the people who are trying my chocolate. Also, the flip side of that is that I selfishly don't want to just make (or eat) the same old thing, and I think chocolate is as seasonal as any real food. So, for this year I have a 25 piece collection for the holidays that is inspired by the winter sky (various hues of dark, a few flickers of bright, and alpenglow will all be in there) a small 9-piece collection inspired by Admiral Byrd called Packing List: Antarctica (he had chocolate and coffee on his packing list), and another small set called The Tip of the Iceberg which features nine different salts atop one origin. Photo credit: Mackenzie Rivers 5 - Craft chocolate can be expensive. In my experience, many people (I was one of them) feel intimidated by the idea of spending $10 for 2-3 oz of fine chocolate. Some argue their palate is not as refined to appreciate the experience of fine chocolate. As a craft chocolate-maker, what words would you have for someone who is about to dip their toes in the water of craft chocolate? It all begins with intention. I think that is the gift of anything handcrafted: our intentions shape the world, so if we buy something handcrafted, or from a small farmer who might have actually been the person who lovingly pruned the apple trees, we are then acting out of awareness. It is the goal of mass marketing to get us to choose what we are told we should choose, to act out of habit and blindness. As a starting point I would say choose based on the packaging, which might seem contrary to "it's what's inside that matters," but if the outer layers are beautiful, thoughtful, have been created with details at the forefront, then that is a good indicator of what is to come inside.This is not to say fancy or expensive, just created with a respect for both the chocolate and the person who might enjoy it. I recently had a bar from a newer, small maker in Australia ( Smooth Chocolator ) and the packaging was simple albeit stunning. And the experience of opening it was so satisfying, just lovely; as wonderful as opening a new book and seeing the first page, reading the first sentence and having the words drawing you in, instantly. I could feel the maker's care and love for what they are doing. The "value" or reason to buy craft chocolate is because it is not just another bar on a long assembly line of sameness, but a glimpse into how the maker sees the world through chocolate. Craft chocolate provides not just the (hopefully wonderful) experience of tasting chocolate, but a real connection...that's not something a factory does, or is intended to do. Because Map is so small, even in the world of small batch makers, it often feels like it is a tiny bird attempting to migrate and navigate amidst big jetliners and more than a few well-funded Lear jets, plus there is all that headwind from chocolate critics and "experts." That said, what I believe is that the best stories travel far, and size has nothing to do with it.

Comme la plupart d'entres vous , j'ai suivi le Top Chef de ce lundi et certaines recettes m'ont tapé dans l'oeil, aïe ! ouille ! même pas mal ! comme ces oeufs en neige au micro-ondes de Ghislaine Arabian donc j'ai cherché sur le net après avoir vu l'émission, j'avais noté les quelques indications de Chef Arabian et pas facile, parce que sur le site de Top Chef sur M6 on ne nous donne pas les mesures alors j'ai testé pour vous et pour votre dessert les Oeufs en neige au micro-ondes -oOo- mon micro-ondes a une puissance de 870 watts au maximum donc ma recette est basée sur cette puissance pour les temps de cuisson si j'ai bien lu sur le net, il ne faut pas aller au delà de 1000watts à vous de voir -oOo- pour ce faire, il vous faudra pour 3 personnes : pour la crème anglaise : 3 cuillères à soupe de sucre 4 sachets de sucre vanillé 3 jaunes d'oeuf 2 cuillères à soupe de maïzéna 1/2 litre de lait j'ai ajouté les zestes d'un citron non traité (un du jardin familial) sont trop bons ! -oOo- pour les blancs en neige : 3 blancs en neige 1 pincée de sel 2 cuillères à soupe de sucre en poudre -oOo- pour le caramel : 100g de sucre en poudre quelques gouttes de jus de citron -oOo- pour le dressage : quelques amandes effilées grillées -oOo- on commence par battre les blancs en neige ferme quand vos blancs se tiennent et sont bien montés, ajoutez le sucre en poudre en deux fois tout en battant aux fouets électriques pour "serrez" vos blancs réservez -oOo- pour la crème anglaise : vos trois jaunes sont dans un saladier allant au micro-ondes , ajoutez le sucre vanillé, fouettez , faites chauffer 2 mn le lait au micro-ondes pendant ce temps ,continuer à fouettez les jaunes versez la maïzena , fouettez toujours puis versez le lait chaud en douceur , d'abord un peu , fouettez puis le reste en deux fois, fouettez ça mousse, c'est normal déposez le saladier au micro-ondes chauffez 2mn remuez encore 2mn , remuez profitez en pour ajoutez les zestes de citron puis encore 2mn , ça commence à prendre (là j'avoue que j'étais prête à remettre de la maïzena mais oh miracle ! sur la cuillère je vois que la crème commence à prendre) donc j'ai remis 2mn et c'était même un peu épais, j'ai ajouté un tout petit peu de lait pour que ça soit moins épais, plus crème , remuez bien , gouttez , c'est bon ! ouf ! ça c'est fait ... la crème nappe bien la cuillère quand je trace une ligne sur le dos de la cuillère la crème reste en place , c'est ok couvrez d'un film plastic , au contact, c'est à dire qu'il doit toucher la surface de la crème pour éviter qu'une croûte ne se forme et réservez au frais -oOo- on revient sur les blancs : dans une assiette creuse , versez un peu d'eau chaude remplissez une tasse que vous aurez passée sous l'eau , avec du blanc en neige tassez avec la spatule, puis videz la dans l'assiette sur l'eau chaude passez 2,15mn au micro-ondes elle a pratiquement doublé de volume déposez l'île sur un torchon propre procédez ainsi avec les deux autres îles -oOo- pour le caramel : il se fera au moment de dresser bien sûr versez les 100g de sucre en poudre dans un bol, ajoutez quelques gouttes de jus de citron et passez de deux minutes en deux minutes au micro-ondes il a fallu ... 8 mn avec mon micro-ondes pour que ça fasse du caramel d'une couleur ambrée attention le bol est très chaud ! sérieux ! je préfère le faire à la casserole -oOo- il faut dresser dès que votre caramel est prêt versez de la crème anglaise dans un ravier, verre, bol , ce que vous voulez ajoutez une île flottante, puis versez du caramel en filet sur le dessus j'ai saupoudrez de quelques amandes effilées grillées si la crème anglaise est déjà bien froide , servez aussitôt sinon vous pouvez réservez au frais une heure ou deux verdict : c'est un dessert qui est bon certes mais je préfère tout de même la version classique qui n'est pas plus difficile ni beaucoup plus longue habituellement , je fais pocher mes blancs en neige dans le lait qui me servira à faire la crème anglaise cette méthode au micro-ondes est à faire pour dépanner si vous avez des invités de dernières minutes bonne dégustation ! photo Pinterest Pam Braswell