Stay United With A Mendiant

I love stories, especially stories about food!

The dish that I chose to present at the Food Fair was the one and only Mendiant. With such a simplistic and elegant treat the significant behind it is quite remarkable, and this is what caught my eyes and persuaded me to make this treat. The cultural, and historical heritage dating back to the middle ages in Europe is still so vivid in the dish, and is expressed through the toppings on the chocolate disc.

Mendiant in French translates to ‘begger’ and is linked to the mendicants – which is a  religious order in France. The Mendiant is simply a disc of chocolate with four toppings: two different types of nuts namely almonds and hazelnuts and 2 different types of dried fruit namely figs and raisins, as traditional recipes dictate. Now, it’s here that it gets interesting… the four toppings are a representation of the mendicants,specifically  meant to be recognized as a symbolic gesture to represent the colors of the robes of the four major mendicant orders of the Roman Catholic Church: almonds (Carmelites), hazelnuts (Augustins), dried figs (Franciscans), and raisins (Dominicans). In my opinion I believe the Mendiant is a symbol of unity. where the four topping selected are placed on a circular disc, inferring the notion of the four varying Mendicant orders being united together on the same platform. Having the chocolate disc as a circular shape enhance the idea of unity, with not corners, bringing forth the idea of everlasting unity.

 

The most exciting part of constructing the Mendiant was melting the o-so-decadent 70% dark chocolate and having some extra, just for my own pleasures. The assembly of the dish was very easily done, however it was a challenge to endure that the topping did not get embedded in body of chocolate that was the disc. In addition, because I was making the Mediants in a big quantity, I wanted to find an easy method that would give me uniformity in the chocolate disc shapes but yet not be so time consuming. So I cam up with the idea of spreading the chocolate out on a grease proof baking paper and carefully estimating the appropriate diameter each Mendinat would need so that I could later cut them out at once with a circulate shaped cutter. This technique did work, but it was a little tricky cutting such a fine and delicate piece of chocolate, without trying to split the disc.

At the food fair, the Mediants were received quite well, there were only 5 remaining. I think it may have been accepted so well because of its elegance and its’ simplicity.

 

 

 

 

Oh – What a family to dine with.

Honestly I don’t think it is possible to beat a home-cooked meal, especially when that meal comes with your family.

So before I rant on, let’s introduce you to the lot. First we have my dad, Maurice-he is the best chef in our area. Next up is my mum: she knows how to garnish and just make anything look divine. I’d eat a brick if she gave it to me. Finally, we come to my sister Melissa… she like me… just eats the food.

As always we just dig right into the mains, no need for appetizers. My dad calls this dish ‘a little bit of home,’ referring to the many scrumptious fresh seafood dinners we shared back home in Dubai.

Lobsters and prawns are our favourite type of crayfish, and once my dad gets cooking their is nothing but excitement and buzz floating around in the kitchen as we all anticipate that final moment when they will be all ready to eat.

The homely feeling is gladdening and encourages you to enjoy the meal with comfort! We managed to make our way to the fish market during the early hours of the morning and grabbed the biggest, most juiciest lobsters we could find. 2 kilos of tiger prawns and some salad, totalling to $127 but it was worth it!

The lobsters and prawns marinated in the oven for an hour and the aroma in the house is just magical. If only candles have scents this good! Cheesy, creamy, buttery, chilli, garlic, parsley with a hint of mint aromas fill the house. This was our appetizer! As I watched the Cray cooking in the oven I was left drooling. This was accompanied with some fresh, crisp iceberg lettuce leave, salt, pepper, olive oil, vinegar, tomato and my dad’s very special secret sauce.

Mmmm … seeing a plate full of empty shells made me so happy! This dish really makes me feel like I’m home, and ‘if you are what you eat,’ then I’m more than happy to be a buttery lobster or garlic infused prawn.

Italy’s balls!

Pastry….Deep-fried dough……sugar….donuts……. ahhh just music to my ears!

This time it is the Italians that managed to captivate my sweet tooth, when they introduced Zeppoles to the world. This deep fried doughnut is very common among Italian cuisine, offering a circular bite sized sweet delight. Typically the doughnut is fried, battered in powdered sugar, and can also be filled with custard, jelly, pastry cream……yum or even honey…. really  the possibilities are endless. However according to Italian recipes these are the typical fillings.

Originating from Rome, specifically in the regions of Nepals the dish is well known among all Italians.There are many legends that circulate the original reason of ‘Why were zeppoles created in the first place?’ but in essence a very smart individual decided to experiment with some hot oil and pastry batter and suddenly, bang…..came a miracle!

Arising from Rome, which houses the worlds largest Roman-Catholic followers, the Zeppoles have managed to find themselves being a key element in Catholic sacraments, including festive celebrations of Lent and Christmas, among others.

 

Nowadays the zeppoles have still retained their iconic circulate-mini-bite sized shapes, but in terms of its fillings, there has been more innovation compared to the classical fillings. This includes chocolate, cheese, and a mix of the two. But like I said the possibilities are endless.

SAVARINS…. A gift from above

Who better to tackle desserts than the French??

When the word Savarin pops into mind, does your imagination somehow drift off to the image of a beautifully light and fluffy cake? Or maybe even a french politician? What about a lawyer or a gastronome? Because if it does, I think your mind has just made a marvellous connection between the French delicacy of a Savarin and Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, for whom the cake was named after.

Making delicious, beautiful sculptures with their desserts its hard to believe that the French actually came up with such a simplistic, but of course elegant cake like a Savarin. A buttery, leavened cake,  usually has basic cake ingredients most importantly yeast, according to the traditional recipe.

It is extremely rich in texture and taste, and therefore accompanied by a dollop of freshly whipped cream, chopped blueberries and strawberries! And finally, the generous amount of rum that is poured over the baked cake to add that extra edge that pulls all the flavours together.

Being part Dutch and Middle Eastern, I found this cake particularly interesting. When I jogged my grandmother’s memory, she managed to whip out an old dessert cake that she used to make for us when I was a little girl, that shared a striking resemblance to the Savarin!! It was Breudher. Very similar ingredients, but very different experiences when the textures are compared.

Interestingly the Savarin, has another name….. The Baba. This is because the true origin of this cake was inherited from Poland not France, surprise.. surprise.

However, another plot twist! French chefs managed, purely through the confidence that Brillat-Savarin gave them. As a gastronome, his book ‘The Physiology of Taste;’ inspired them to recreate and improve the ‘Baba’ into the commonly known and loved ‘Savarin’. This was the start of a creative and scientific era of cooking, particularly well received by Parisians.

The dish in its own right is quite simple, however outside the French borders,  the scope for reinventing this dish yet again is present throughout the world. The infusion of champagne and citrus flavoring has seen its way into the cake, and toppings of sweet wine and Vanilla-Grand marnier syrup have replaced the typical whipped cream dollop. This being said, such innovation is quite rare because the dish is almost perfection in its self and so if it’s not broken… why fix it??

 

 

Ajoblanco…the Soup of the Summer.

SOUP…. mmmmm, always yummy and never disappoints.

It’s typical, when thinking of soup, to envision the liquidy goodness, piping hot and ready to warm us up. But, who says that soup always needs to be served hot? What about when the heat kicks in and we want something refreshing to eat?

Ajoblanco, a popular Spanish cold soup, will be the answer to your question! Made with common ingredients and simple methods.It is traditionally made from bread soaked overnight to soften, a paste made from crushed almonds which is minced together with water, olive oil, salt and vinegar to give it a Zing!…….And of course…. It is chilled.The main ingredient,almonds,  tie Ajoblanco to Andalusian roots; as a type of resourceful and sustainable connection.

Variations of the recipe exist, but the profound history surrounding this authentic dish stays constant. Originating from the regions of Granada and Malaga in Andalusia,  the soup was introduced by the Moors, in an attempt to mark cultural identity (H.A. Shugart). Andalusia at the time, was mainly worked by peasants, and Ajoblanco served as a refreshing remedy, keeping them well hydrated and nourished too.

In addition, a serving of grapes compliments this soup nicely, but also links with the authentic way of enjoying it, introduced by the Malaga. Their ‘authenticity is conveyed primarily as simplicity'(H.A. Shugart).

The final touches and garnishing of the soup have seen new trends, but the most exciting of them all, for our ‘oh-so-simplistic Ajoblanco’ is the addition of a new calibre of ingredients! SEAFOOD! some recipes, are calling for the inclusion of prawns and scallops to the cold soup. We even see Chef Shane Delia tackling these futuristic inclusions in Melbourne. Other new trends include the introduction of new cooking methods such as pickling grapes, and the addition of herbs that would not normally be paired with this dish in Andalusia. In recent times, we even see trending recipes, of this traditional dish calling for the use of apples.

Migrating from U.A.E, and growing up in Dubai. I am very inclined to futuristic visions, so the touch of pickled
grapes served with prawns
or scallops, brings me back to a time where fresh seafood was readily available at any corner and served as a staple for almost every meal.
Plus, thinking of Dubai’s climate, a bowl of cold soup during summer, is something I would gladly enjoy, as I watch the sun heat up the city to 45 degrees and above. It has my approval!