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Nicolai

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Everything posted by Nicolai

  1. I would not put Theeneh sauce i.e. Tarator on Banjan Iman Bayeldi as you will loose all the taste of the dish. Coming back to Theeneh, We do that very often and never think of the recipe as at is a Chef's measure. You have to note two very important preps: 1- The garlic is too be mashed in a mortar and pestle with salt 2- You have to use COLD water to dilute the Theeneh. Duno why but that's the way we do it. I am sure there is a chemical explanation somewhere. Tepid or normal temp water does not give the same texture and taste. I guess for 1/2 cup of Theeneh, one garlic clove, half juice of a medium size lemon and COLD water. Start by mashing the garlic with salt, macerate and mix with the lemon juice and set aside. Dilute the Theeneh with COLD water a little at a time until you get a paste consistency, add the lemon juice and garlic and stir, this will dilute the Theeneh even more. Add lemon juice and/or water to taste. We do not add Cumin in the Levantine version. Egyptians like to add Cumin.It changes the taste. I personally add a pinch of Aleppo Pepper. As a matter of fact, We just had the very Theeneh today poured over Tuna (canned) and scooped with flat bread with a serving of green onions and Pickled Turnips and Caulifower. A pot of Foul was served as a hot dish. Of course salad a side dish. All washed down with a red Melon and dessert was a bar of Lindt Sea Salt Dark chocolate.
  2. It was a private invite where the host takes pride in doing all the cooking.......done by his cook which is usually a family member. As for the cooking method. It comes in different flavours in a hole in the ground: - Haneeth is suspended meat on top of the ember - Madfoon is wrapped in foil on top of the embers - Shuwa (Oman) is wrapped in plant leaves on top of embers Each has a different spicing or marinade and is attributed to different areas in Yemen and Oman. The rice goes in a pot on top of the meat or under the suspended meat. It sounds simple but requires practice and it is not a recipe which can be studied and duplicated.......save that you need a hole in the ground. But........it is worth every effort and every drop of sweat.....it is an experience to tear the meat with your fingers and dip into the tomato Zhoug sauce and remember your humanity. Next on my list is the Jordanian Mansaf which still eludes me as to why we have to eat standing up in front of the table and scoop with the fingers the fermented yogurt rice and meat. Eating rice with the fingers is very messy and I usually insist in wearing the plastic table cloth as a Pancho. You are supposed to pick up the rice and roll in a small ball with the fingers and not the palm. Then you push it in the mouth using your thumb as a lever all the while when seated on the ground cross legged and it is not a comfortable position. Nowadays, people are seated at tables with forks and spoons which is more practical but is like eating a hamburger with a knife and fork.
  3. Some time I wonder why do I bother? Why do I bother pay top money to dine in Michelin Rosetted restaurants to eat assembled and asepticized food. Here is a Yemeni dish called Hanith which is melt in the mouth lamb ribs or shoulder with rice cooked in a hole in the ground. The typical Yemeni bread Mlawah.....puff pastry eat your heart out. This is real food that Michelin followers can only dream about. In other words how would Michelin rate food which you eat seated on the floor barefoot using your fingers tearing away at the lamb with the rice and bread dripping red Sahaweg (Zhoug) liquor sauce on your chin washed with big gulps of Tareeb (yoghurt drink).
  4. Baklawa - MilleFeuille or Galaktoboureko, are all constructed with a Pâte Feuilletée. The difference is mainly about the filling. Baklawa is typically Pistachio nuts. Mille Feuille is Crème pâtissière Galaktoboureko is Semolina Custard The Galaktoboureko custard is usually Vanilla, some add Honey or others add Saffron......etc I wanted to flavour the custard with Rum and was told off by my friend......I think it will be great with Rum as I am a very big fan of Baba au Rhum
  5. Just tease.........as I am only the Syrup pourer. My Chef friend is the one who takes the credit and I will need to ask him for that.
  6. I enjoy Greek food and specially Galaktoboureko. Upon discussing with some friends, apparently it is the Greek version of Mille-Feuille or vice versa. I like Mille-Feuille as well as a Galaktoboureko and finally managed to do an acceptable one........by my Chef Patissier friend......I poured the hot sugar syrup It looks like this........
  7. Thank you for your explanation.
  8. Thank you for the explanation.
  9. Shain, Thank you for your post. But, please explain how you make the casing without meat? Is it Burgul crushed to a paste in a mortar with water? Is it Semolina? Which ingredients and procedure? What is it that binds the Bulgur (crushed wheat) to form the casing?
  10. I am intrigued as to how you can make fried Kibbeh with no meat in the casing? The book recipe calls for rice, which in fact is unheard of in Aleppo, notwithstanding rice being used in the recipe and notwithstanding that it should be crushed wheat but how was the binding for the casing made without meat? There are indeed recipes of meatless Kibbeh but they are invariably shaped as balls and not filled. You also have flat disk meat Kibbeh using rice (Iraq Mosul recipe) filled and not filled. Another variant is layered Kibbeh. Kibbeh Kraas or Kibbeh Traboulsiyeh or Kibbeh Ma'alieh or whatever name used is made with the following ingredients: Crushed Wheat - Lamb mince - onions - spices - pine kernels. All with meat in the casing. Care to explain and share your procedure? Thank you
  11. Yes, you read it correctly. GF Ferre now is in Pastryyyyyyyy.........
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  12. Nicolai

    Dinner 2016 (Part 3)

    What makes a Pizza American? What makes a Wiener Schnitzel and its Italian counterpart, Cotoletta Milanese Austrian or Italian? What makes a Shakshuka Egyptian? The answer my friend is blowing in the wind........
  13. Nicolai

    Dinner 2016 (Part 3)

    Something Red and Something Yellow......an Egyptian Shakshuka....
  14. Nicolai

    Dinner 2016 (Part 2)

    Tossing in progress..... Penne Rigate with Bacon - Scallions - Cream and Truffle Oil......
  15. Nicolai

    Dinner 2016 (Part 1)

    .........Jamón Ibérico de Bellota porn........drooling material.......
  16. Nicolai

    Dinner 2016 (Part 1)

    Hello Smithy 1- Lahm bel Ajeen is akin an open thin pizza with meat. Lahm= Meat Bel Ajeen= In a dough We double fold it, squeeze some lemon and eat it as a sandwich. The plated stuff is the posh way to eat it and for the photograph. 2- Pickling Turnips 1kg Turnips 1 cup red or white wine vinegar 5 cups water 2 1/2 large salt spoons - Wash and cut and discard top and bottom - Cut into chunks or cut but do not separate from the turnip. - First dilute the salt in water and then add the vinegar - Add cut Beetroots for pink color - Red Chillies finely cut is optional. We do not add Chillies - Place in jar and cover with the pickling liquid for 2 weeks - Enjoy
  17. Thank you for the entertainment. I know Chef Ossama personally....nough said. TV Chefs and all......Shawarma with Ginger served in French baguette......next stop Shawarma Croissants!!!! Mind you, an airline is serving on board Shawarma with open pate Feuilleté lattice....so there! You knew I was going to cringe, didn't you
  18. Nicolai

    Dinner 2016 (Part 1)

    Lahm bel Ajeen dinner which is the Armenian/Arabic meat pies. I like to enjoy my Lahm bel Ajeen with Yogurt and Pickles. Today's pickles are Lebanese Turnips - Moroccan Mini Lemons - Syrian Green Chilli Pickles and Cauliflower pickles.
  19. Waiting to be fried......
  20. Got to go for it sometimes....double grilled cheese and a single patty with Mayo - Ketchup - Mustard - Onions - Pickles - Tomato. Of course Fries and a Strawberry Shake......Secret Menu at FiveGuys. Burger Heaven.....on Earth
  21. Let me double clarify. In certain areas of South Egypt and Sudan and bordering neighbouring countries. Fool also means peanuts. The OP is very clearly specifying that peanuts are used in the salad and it is a fact that there are many recipes of salads using peanuts whether as a main ingredient or not......in different parts of the world. Fool also means beans whether Fava or other types in different areas of Africa and the Middle East. Fool is also a particular recipe using Fava beans with a variant in different countries. Please check your facts before jumping in the broth
  22. Nicolai

    Breakfast! 2015

    My breakfast: Knafe bel Jibn
  23. As with everything else, it the Money. Roasting coffee beans does not have a simple rule. It depends on which coffee beans is used, the age of the roasting as well as the age of the grounding. Coffee shops "in general" use a mix of coffee beans and some use a mix of roasting level in their blend. The cheapest coffee beans make the largest profit and they use Robusta to varying degrees of blend. Australia is not known for being a coffee drinkers paradise and hence I assume the taste is subjective to the availability. There is also a missconception that dark roast are bitter and light roast have more beans flavor which is utter nonsense. Purist will only have their Espresso with dark roasted beans......freshly roasted and ground.......FRESHLY ROASTED AND GROUND! Try an Espresso made with dark roasted Arabica beans and you will never look back......and Arabica from which country also makes a huge difference. Now whether you add sugar or not is another debate.
  24. Zaatar is wild thyme + Sumac + Toasted sesame seeds.....salt only if the mix is too sour,,,,,,a chef's measure.
  25. Why do you want to create Ballorieh? Much simpler to buy it ready made. It is Starch of arrowroot or rice, potatoes...etc and water of loose paste constituency which is force passed through some contraption with small holes. You can use a Pasta Vermicelli machine with the smallest holes like here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Manual-Pasta-Noodle-Machine-Maker-Noodle-Maker-Machine-/300824058122?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item460a82d90a http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kitchen-Stainless-Steel-Pasta-Noodle-Maker-Fruit-Juicer-Press-Spaghetti-Machine-/111542451337?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19f872bc89 http://www.ebay.com/itm/CTC-Takka-Pasta-Express-Model-X2000-Machine-Maker-11-Dies-Manual-Display-NEW-/151631060749?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item234dea5f0d You dry the resulting vermicelli in a coldish oven or out in the open air until the vermicelli becomes brittle. You wet the vermicelli with sugar syrup and line up a square baking tray and pack the bottom solid with a layer of vermicelli of 5mm and you layer your pistachio mixed with sugar and very lightly sugar syrup, the sugar should still be crunchy under the teeth. You pile up 10mm high and layer back the wet vermicelli tightly piled. Layer some more sugar syrup and let your eye guide you as you do not the Ballorieh swimming in syrup. It is just wetting the Ballorieh. N.B. The Ballorieh dough is never baked or toasted N.B.B. Easy on wetting with sugar syrup for all the ingredients. The wetting for the vermicelli is simply to make them maleable. Enjoy
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