Without The Chick Pea What Whould Mediterranean Cuisine Be?

Peace, Shalom, Salaam my friends,

         The chick pea, garbanzo bean, cecci, ciche, Bengali gram, as well as by many other names. is one of the most readily recognized ingredients of Mediterranean cooking. It most likely originated in Turkey and made its way across western asian and into the Indian subcontinent between 7 and 6 thousand years ago. Since then it has taken the Mediterranean bassin by storm turning up in dishes of global renown from the Hummous bi Tahina of the Levant to the Cocido of Spain.

Cocido

      Chick peas can be ground into flour, roasted, stewed and fried whole,pounded and mixed with grains to make porridges and fritters.Without the chick pea many Mediterranean dishes would have a very diffrent character. Imagine Moroccan Harira, Israeli Falafel, Andalusian Tortillias de Camaerones with out chick peas, well, they simply would be something altogether different, and not nearly as interesting, or delicious, as they are. 

       So, I thought since I'm on the subject of chick peas, I might share a couple of my favorite recipes that make excellent use of them. One is a Spanish dish, one of the national dishes of Spain, in fact, called Cocido. Many scholars believe that Cocido developed as a result of the forced conversions of Jews and Muslms in Spain after the Reconquista. It bares some resmblence to the Adafina, or  the Shabbat afternoon dish, which was slow cooked in clay ovens overnight, so that Jews could have a hot meal on Saturday for lunch. There are some tell, tell signs that show that it is a converso dish. Even though it resembles Adafina it always contains pork, and often contains a blood sausage, which of course is forbidden to Orthodox Jews. The other is a soup I thought would be appropriate here since Ramadan will be comming up near the end of the summer season, it is called Harira and it is a very substantial soup that is still eaten by Moroccan Muslims at the close of the day during Ramadan.

                                                       Cocido
                                               Spanish Boiled Dinner
                                    1&1/2 lb. cured brisket
                                     9 oz.chunk of bacon
                                     1 meaty ham bone
                                      1 pigs foot cut in half
                                      1 &1/4 beeef marrow bone cut in half
                                      1 whole garlic bulb
                                       2 bay leaves
                                      1t. coarse ground peppercorns
                                      1 & 1/4 cups chick peas , soaked overnight and drained
                                       2 chicken quarters
                                        1 small onion studded with 2 or 3 cloves
                                        2 lge. carrots cut into chunks
                                        1 &1/2 lbs. new potatues, scrubbed
                                         2 spanish chorizo sausages
                                         1morcilla( blood sausage, it is optional, I have omitted it and not missed it)
                                         2 T long grain rice
                                         1 small bell pepper, finely diced
                                          2 leeks cut in chunks
                                          Salt
Put  the brisket& bacon into a large pan and cover with water. Bring it to a boil slowly, and simmer for 5 minutes, then drain. Using a 5 quart stockpot, place inside all the meats, skin side down, with the marrow bone and pigs foot. Add the garlic bulb, bay leaves and peppercorns, with water to cover. Bring to a simmer, skimming scum with a slotted spoon. Add the chick peas and simmer covered on lowest possible heat for 1 &1/2 hours. checking the liquid level occasionally; the contents should remain nearly covered.
Add the chicken and the onion to the pot. Cook untill the chick peas are done. Start the vegetables. Put the carrots, leeks and potatoe in to a pan with the chorizo(it is not time for the morcilla). Cover with water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 25 minutes, untill potatoes are cooked. Add the morcilla about 5 minutes before the potatoes are done. Strain 5 cups broth from meat pot into a pan, for the soup. Bring back to the boil and sprinklle in the rice, cook for 15 minutes. Add the diced pepper and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Serve the soup as a first course. Drain the vegetables and sausages and arrange on a platter. Serve as a second course as an accompaniment to the meat. Remove the meats to a cutting board and slice. Remove marrow from bones and add to the chick peas. Arrange the chick peas on a heated platter with all the meats and chicken, moisten all with a little broth. Serve this feast with plenty of good country style bread to sop up juices(The Complete Spanish Cookbook, Pepita Aris).

                                                       Harira
                                           Lamb and Chick Pea Soup
This soup has a rich, velvet like texture.
                                           1 & 1/2 cups chick peas soaked and drained
                                           salt to taste
                                           9 cups of water
                                           2/3 cups lintils
                                           3 T white rice
                                            3 T. flour blended with1/2 cup water
                                            3 T. oliveoil
                                             1 & 1/2 lbs. lamb, cubed
                                              2 onions chopped
                                             2cloves garlic minced
                                             1/2 t. grnd. ginger
                                             1t. grnd. cinamon
                                             1/2 t. grnd. turmeric
                                             1&1/2 lbs. peeled and seeded chopped tomatoes
                                              1/2 cup each chopped flat leafed parsley and cilantro
                                              Blk. Pppr. to taste
                                              2 eggs
                                               1/4 cup fresh lemon juice.

Put chick peas into a pan with 3cups water and cook at a simmer for about 1 hour or till very soft, drain, but, reserve 1 cup of cooking water . In a large dutch oven place the oil and heat over medium heat till a haze forms; add lamb and brown well. Add onions, garlic and the spices, sautee till very frangant, add 3 cups water and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes over a low heat. Agg 3 cuups more water and bring back to a boil, add  the rice and lintils, then simmer for 20 minutes, and add flour/water slurry, stir in very well, add in the tomatoes, chick peas, herbs and the salt and pepper to taste( heavy on the blk.ppr.), simmer about 15 minutes more.If too thick , thin with a little chick pea cooking water. Remove from heat and beat together the eggs and the lemon juice, then stir into soup and serve imediately with flat bread and a cruet of extra virgin olive oil for garnishing (adapted from; Mediterranean: The Beautiful Cookbook, Joyce Goldstein).

 Try these dishes for a weekend get together. Their homeyness and ther rustic charm will be perfect for casual entertaining with good friends and family; and try to imagine what Mediterranean food would be without the contribution of the chick pea. 

           

    

Summer Means Chilled Andalusian Soups

Peace, Shalom, Salaam my friends,

            Ah, Al Andalus! The medieval kingdom of southern Spain, which was rulled by the Moors from North Africa; and for a period of around 500 years was the cultural capital of the Islamic Empire. In Al Andalus Muslims, Jews and Christians lived together and each enhanced the cultural advancement of the other. The strides made in the dissemination and development of philosophy, science, agriculture(including the art of creating pleasure gardens),and the idea of religious tolerance reached a pinacle in Al Andalus.

              The circumstances I have described above were instrumental in the development of one of the worlds most sumptuous and luxurious cuisines. Although the dishes of Al Andalus are rich, they are generally refreshing and healthful because of their great use of the indigenous olive oil, garlic, legumes, nuts(almonds and pine nuts primarily), herbs, and a wide variety of fresh vegetables that chacterize the region.

              Summer is the perfect time here in the United States, especially here in South Texas where I am, to indulge in Andalusian delicacies. If you have never tried the velvety , creamy, highly flavourful and refreshing chilled soups of Southern Spain, specifically Cordoba, Grenada, and Malaga, you have not truly known the joy of Summer dining. The first recipe I wish to share with you is, along with Valencian Paella, a national dish of Spain. I'm talking about Gazpacho de Cordbes, actually I'm going to share with you the classic artisenal version of the recipe, and a less labor intensive version that I use on a regular basis during the summer. I am also going to share with you an equaly delicious and luxurious, if less well known, dish called Ajo Blanco,or White Garlic Soup.

                   The origins of the bread garlic and olive oil based soups of Al Andalus are ancient, probably present in Hispano-Roman Iberia before the arrival of the Moors. Tomatoes which figure proninantly in the preparation of Gazpacho de Cordbes, of course, did not arrive untill after Columbus returned from the Americas, and therefore are a 15th century development, for which the mediterranean peoples must be exceedingly grateful being that the tomatoe has become synonomus with mediterranean cuisine, but, as usual, I digress.
          So, Gazpacho de Cordobes,this is definitly my go to recipe for Summer entertaining. This classic version is worth prparing for very special occasions, which is why I must present it here, but for more casual entertaining I rely on a less time consuming version, alright, let's get started.
                                            Classic Gazpacho de Cordobes

                                       3&1/2 lbs. of ripe tomatoes
                                       1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
                                        2 galic cloves, chopped
                                        3 slices stale bread, crusts removed
                                         4t. Sherry Vinaigar
                                         4 T. Olive Oil
                                          2/3 cup tomatoe juice
                                          Iced water as needed
                                          salt and blk ppr. to taste
Skin and seed the tomatoes, then cut in to eigths. Place in a large mortor, along with the bread, vinaigar, garlic, salt and olive oil and pound to a paste with the pestal. This takes 15 minutes or so, to get the cositency nice and creamy smooth.  At this point add the bell pepper and continue to pound untill the pepper is completly incorporated and of the same consitecy as the rest of the ingredients. Pour this mixture into a large Glass or earthenware serving bowl. Stir in the tomatoe juice, Ice water, and blk ppr. till tou have a cosistecy similar to a bechamel, or tomatoe sauce for pasta. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour to 18 hours before serving
                                               Chef Britt's Everyday Gazpacho
                                            1 lge can V-8 juice
                                             1 lge. can Tomatoe juice
                                              3 slices french style bread, crusts removed
                                               2 cloves garlic
                                                Sherry Vinaigar to taste
                                                Creole Seasoning to taste
                                                 1/2Chopped bell peppper, seeded
                                                  1/2 chopped, peeled and seeded cucumber
Place the bread garlic, and the oliveoil into the food processor, and pulse in short bursts till pureed. Add the juices, the bell pepper and the cucumber and repeat pulsing process till thouroghly incorporated with the bread and juice mixture. At this point pour into a lge. glass or earthenware serving bowl and stir in vinaigar and creole sesoning( I use Tony Chatchery) to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or till ready to serve( given that will be within 24 houurs).
                        For both recipes: To serve; ahead of time prepare croutons from the same bread used in the soup, Boil 2 eggs, peel and chop them, chop 2 lge tomatoes, 1 onion, 1 bell pepper plus the other half from the recipe, and a cucumber as well as the other half from recipe.
 Keep all of these separate, in little bowls and alow guests to sprinkle on top of their gazpacho as they desire.
                                                          (note:When you remove the soup from refrigeration you may need to add a little more water too reconstitute, because th bread will continue to absorb liquid)

                                              Ajo Blanco
                                       White Garlic Soup
               This soup is just summer in a bowl!
                                       4oz. stale white bread,crusts removed
                                        1 cup blanched almonds
                                         2 garlic cloves sliced
                                         5T. Olive Oil
                                         1&1/2 t Sherry Vinaigar

                                          salt and blk. ppr. to taste

Break bread into a bowl and pour 2/3 cup water over, leave for 5 minue drain and squeeze dry.Put the almonds and garlic into a food processor or blender and process untill very finely ground. Add the soaked bread and process again till well combined. Continue to process, gradually adding oil till the mixture forms a smooth paste, Add the vinaigar, then 2&1/2 cups of cold water and process to fully incorporate.Transfer to a serving bowl and season well. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Remove from fidge and reconstitute with water if needed, ladle into bowls and garnish wit slivered almonds, grape halves and snipped chives( The Complete Spanish Cookbook, Pepitas Arias).

          I hope you give these recipes atry during this lazy season and let me know if you didn't think that they were the ultimate Summer dishes. I know.

                                           

In Review: The Books of Claudia Roden

Peace, Shalom, Salaam my friends,

             Claudia Roden was born in Cairo,Egypt in the 1930s to a wealthy and important Jewish family. She had a happy and comfortable life there, but while she was studying art in the U.K., the Suez Canal Crisis of the 50s forced her family to leave  their beloved Cairo: and take up residence with her in London. Ms. Roden never returned to life in Egypt, and she missed the culture and the food of her homeland terribly.

      She married in 1959 and raised a family in her adopted London, but the marriage ended in 1979, and she found herself in need of an occupation. Ms. Roden had been collecting recipes from older family members, and other sephardic home cooks for years, and had taught herself to cook. She began to teach middleastern cooking in her london home, and has been a part of the professional food world ever since(Jewish Women's Archive, article by Joan Nathan).

            Claudia Roden writes from the soul, her memories of life in the Sephardic world of yesteryear inform and color her  descriptions of life in theJewish Quarters and Mellahs of North Arifca,and the Levant.  An inate comprehension of the food ways of the Oriental Sephardim, as well as those, of the Muslim Arabs who were her neighbors,make her recipes exquisite story telling in and of themselves.

          Roden has written around seven cookbooks, but I just want to discuss, here, the two that I own. The first one I will talk about is Arabesque: A taste of Morocco, Turkey, and Lebanon , Alfred A. Knoph; New York. The cuisine of each of the perspective countries comprises a section, and each section is sub-titled Introduction, Starters, and Deserts. In the introductory sections Roden provides an overview of that country's cuisine, as well as the cultural ideosyncracies which give it its unique character.In her introduction to Morocco, Roden tells of The Dadas and their secrets, she writes,"Men are excluded from all kitchens.The great cooks-family cooks, professional cooks, those who cook for weddings and parties, the gaurdians of the great cullinary traditions-are the dadas. They are all women and most of them are black. Who they are is a taboo subject; the hidden face of Morocco"(16). The recipes in Arabesque, as in all of Roden's cookbooks, are thouroughly authentic, yet painstakingly tested, and perfectly modified for preparation in 21st century kitchens. The recipes will be equally appealing, and satisfying, to the world traveler and the non jetset foodie alike. 

               The second book I wish to discuss with you is my "food bible", it is entitled, The Book of Jewish Food: An OdysseyFrom Samarkand To New York; Alfred A, Knopf, New York. My copy of this volume has been so utilised, and perused, and studied that the binding fell away completly, and the pages had separated into three chunks; so now it is all held together by yards of Scotch Tape, but I digress. Roden's Book of Jewish Food is the best Jewish cookbook I have ever read. Roden's passion for the subject and her meticulous research and testing provides the reader with the most workable and appealing recipes a home or professional cook could ever ask for, her extensive travels and expertise, especially regarding sephardic cooking, bring the culinary history and folklore of the Jewish people to life, on the page, as never before. In The Book of Jewish Food, Roden adresses Jewish cooking in two halves. The first half of the book covers Askenazic cooking and the sedond half covers Sephardic and Mizrahi cooking. It's almost like two cookbooks in one. Both sections are thourough and will satisfy the desires of Europhiles, as well as, Mediterraneophiles. The Sephardic section is in my opinion the hands down authority on sephardic cooking and its cultural significance.
        I f you don't have these two volumes in your kitchen collection, your cooking library is incomplete.

Let's talk Falafel

Peace, Shalom, Salaam my friends,

    So, I decided that I want to make some Falafel; and that got me thinking. Falafel is the quintessential Levantine comfort food, and is loved  and bickered over ,by all in the region. The Lebanese, Israelis,Palestinians, Syrians and the Egyptians all claim its origin. The best bet is that Falafel originated in Egypt. There are even phaeronic tomb scenes that appear to depict its preparation. The remains of chick peas and favas have been found among the contents of royal Egyptian tombs. There are those who say that the recipe for Falafel can be found in the Hebrew Bible. Certainly all the ingredients for the dish are mentioned in the Hebrew scriptures.It would make sense that if it originated in Egypt, then it would have become known to all the inhabitants of the ancient Levant, including all the various Canonites.
            The Moors would have surely brought the dish to Iberia, and there are some rather similar dishes prepared in Sicily with rissoto( the Moors held Sicily under its rule, for a time, and many sicillian dishes show their influence). The Greeks of course have known falafel for centuries. Romanians, Albanians, and Armenians all have versions of Falafel, so it's safe to say that Falafel qualifies as comfort food of the Eastern European Mediterranean coast. All and all it's a very popular and well loved dish.
                 This is my favorite version, it's a Lebanese/Yeminite hybrid which is quite popular in Israel.
In Egypt and Morocco, Syria, and Lebanon both Favas and chick peas are used in the fitters, but because of a high incidence of Favism( A severe allergy to fava beans) among the Arab Jews that settled in Israel, the Israeli versions do not include Favas. This recipe uses pita style bread as a binder and I find that it creates the loveliest texture  for Falafel: quite crisp and crunchy on the outside, and light and soft, with a crumb a little like bread on the inside.
                                                Falafel
                                      1/2 cup fine burghul
                                       1&1/2cups coarsely crumbled Pita or other Arab flat bread
                                        2 cups canned chick peas, rinsed
                                        1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
                                         2 t. finely chopped fresh garlic( about 1 clove)
                                         2 T. chopped cilantro
                                          1t. crushed red pepper
                                          1t. ground cumin
                                           1 t. salt
                                            Blk. ppr.
                                            Canola oil for frying
Soak the bread and the burghul wheat separately in cold water to cover. In about 30 minutes the wheat will have completly absorbed the water, but you will need to drain and squeeze the excess out of the bread. Mean while, place all the rest of the ingedients into a processor bowl with the chopping blade in place. Pulse till you have a puree. Add the burghul wheat to the processor and pulse till you have a homogenous, stiff dough. Add to the bowl with the soaked bread and blend thoroughly by hand. The dough should be very similar to cornbread dressing before it's cooked (stiff, but a very malleable texture). Cover with film and chill for about an hour in the fridge. Using you hands take walnut size peices of dough and roll into balls between your palms. Flatten slightly and set aside to dry a little as you pour and heat the oil. Pour about 1/2 inch of oil in to heavy skillet, and bring up to a temperature that will sizzle imediately when you drop in a cube of bread. Fry the fritters in single layers, turning once, after you see the edges and sides turn golden. It will take about 1& 1/2 minutes per-side. Remove to paper towels to drain. Continue in this way untill all the batter is cooked.

                               To serve you can wrap in flat bread with tahina, tomatoes, onion and hot sauce( Yeminite Hilbeh, or Harissa), yoghurt, and Israeli pickles. I like to make french fried potatoes and season them with a combination of Greek seasoning and Lebanese seasoning. You can find these seasonings, as well as, Harissa  in middleastern food stores.  I hope you give this version of Falafel a try and let me know what you think.
                                        

The Food Ways of Abraham's City of Ur

Most scholars agree , based on dates found in the Hebrew scriptures, Abraham would have been born during the second century b.c.e. The Ur that Abraham would have known was a prominent city of the Sumero-Akkadian Empire. The lexicon of dishes and foodstuffs common to this period is varied, extensive, and not unfamilliar; it includes items such as beer, soups, flat unleavened breads, roasted meats, grain poridges, and lots of pulses. The ingredients known to have been used include barley, goat, mutton, many vegetables in the onion family, honey, dates, mellons, and cucumbers.
     The everyday diet of the people of Abraham's Ur would have been based on barley breads and poridges, along with onions, and barley beer. For all special occasions a prised animal, such as a lamb, suckling pig, or kid would have been slaughtered and slow roasted; but meat was not unheard of at less celebratory times. Beef was often stewed once the animal was no longer useful as a beast of burden and mutton was braised once it was passed providing milk.

   Today I would like to share some recipes that surely have their origin in the time of Abraham and that are today known to people of all three of the great Abrahamic traditions.
       The first is a soup; made from lintils, Shorbet Ads, which are one of the oldest known cultivated legumes; and are muched loved by all mediterranean peoples. This recipe makes use of many of the food stuffs known to the Sumero-Akkadians.
                                                  Shorbet Ads
       A large onion, chopped
       1&1/4 cups split red lintils
        7&1/2 cups meat stock
       Salt and pepper to taste
       1t. cumin
        Juice of 1 lemon
      Extra virgin olive oil as a flourish
Put the stock, lintils and onions in to a small soup pot; add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and maintain for about 30 minutes, or till you see that the lintils have become soft and actually start to break down. At this point if soup is too heavy, dilute with a little more stock before seasoning with lemon juice and the cumin. Bring to the table in an earthenware bowl, with a cruet of olive oil that each diner can use to garnish the soup to taste.
         The next recipe I'd like to share with you is a version of the ubiquitous Tzatziki. This version is simpler and never uses sourcream. It must be made from very thick near eastern style yoghurt, which is ultra creamy and absolutley unctious. I really like this Persian version much better than its Greek and Turkish cousins , which are more commonly encountered.
                                                          Mastokhiar
                                              Yoghurt and Cucumber Salad
                               1 cucumber peelled, seeded and sliced into half moons(sprinkle with some salt and let drain in a collander ).
                                2cups middle eastern style yoghurt, such as, Karhoun Farms or Byblos brands
                                 4 cloves garlic crushed by the tines of a fork into kosher, or other course salt, to taste
                                  2T. crushed dried mint
                                  1/4 t. white pepper

Put all ingredients in a mixing bowl and gently fold together Once the cucumber is coated by the yoghurt, garlic,and mint leave to stand covered in the fridge at leat 30 minutes before serving, so the flavours can marry.
                    This next dish is very homey, but special, even, somewhat extravegant for everyday. It is a comfort food that is nice enough for company. What makes it extravegant? It's the shoulder of lamb .
                                                    Lahma Bi Khal
                                   Lamb Stew with Vinegar and Eggplants
                        1 pound baby onions or shallots
                        2 pounds boned shoulder of lamb
                        Extra Virgin Olive Oil
                        8 cloves of garlic
                        Salt and pepper to taste
                        A pinch of grount cinnamon
                        1/2t. ground allspice
                         Honey to taste
                        3 medium eggplants
                        4 T. wine vinegar
                         1 T. crushed, dried mint
Steam the baby onions for about 5 minutes in a basket steamer placed in a covered sauce pan with about a half inch of boiling water. The onion's skins should slide right off once they are cool enough to handle.Cut the meat in to about 8 pieces, brown in a t. of oil till it releases quite a bit of fat. Lift it out and set a side. Fry the onions and garlic in this fat untill golden. Remove and set aside.Drain the fat from the pan and return the meat. Cover with water and remove any scum that forms on top. Add the garlic and onions, the spices. honey and simmer for1&1/2 hours untill the meat is tender, if necessary, add water so the meat stays well covered. Cut the eggplants into 1/2 inch  rounds and grill them in a grill pan. They need to be marked and just beginning to soften. Add the vinegar and the mint to the meat and simmer covered for 10 minutes. Remove cover and add eggplants and simmer for 30 minutes more. Serve this stew over a bed of boiled and salted barley or burgul wheat.

                I hope you try these dishes, and when you do, remember that these were the foods known to our Great Forefather, weather you know him as Abraham, or Ibrahim, and think how much we all have in common.
              
 

Salutations

Hello, I am Chef Britt and this is my debut blog for Olives and Pomegranates. It is my belief that Muslims, Jews, and Christians can come together through our shared Abrahamic heritage; and there is no better place to start than with food. I have a small catering busisnes that is called Caravan Boheme, and I specialize in Mediterranean Cuisine, especially Sephardic Jewish Cooking. The roots of the Children of Abraham are in the Near East, and it is for that reason that I choose to focus here on the cuisines of that region. The cullinary traditions of the Christians of Lebanon and Syria, Israel's Jews and the Muslims of every country in the region create a gatronomic tapestry that is rich, varied and sumptious.
     Join me as I traverse the land of Noah, Abraham, Jacob and Ishmael exploring, along the way, the shared food ways, which, sprang from the bounty of the shores of the mediterranean and the pastures and fields of Mesopotamia where our forefathers tread.
     I will share recipes and their origins here, as well as, review cookbooks, restaurants and festivals pertaining to the subject of Mediterranean Cuisine and its meaning and value to we who call ourselves the Children of Abraham