Tag: Comfort Food

Posted in Daily, Food, Stories Around the World

Of Pasta, Origin and Style

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“Life is a combination of magic and pasta.” Federico Fellini

Typically made from an unleavened dough of durum wheat flour (semolina) mixed with water or eggs, formed into various shapes or as sheets, then cooked by boiling or baking, pasta has been there since the ancient years. Although etymology speaking, the first English attestation of the word “pasta” (1874) comes from Italian pasta, which was from the Latin pasta, the latter being the  Latinization of the Greek παστά (pasta) meant as “barley porridge”.

“You don’t need a machine to make pasta: a rolling pin and a fast hand can create a smooth, if thick, sheet.” Yotam Ottolenghi

Broadly divided as two categories of fresh (pasta fresca, prepared traditionally by hand or at home) and dried (pasta secca, commercial preparation). One of the advantages of pasta is it’s versatility from being the main course to a side dish, as salad or as a filler for sandwiches or as an accompaniment to main course or as light lunches. Classically there are three main kinds of prepared dishes. One type is the pasta asciutta (or pastasciutta) wherein the cooked pasta is plated and served with a complementary side sauce or condiment. Another is the pasta in brodo, in which the pasta is part of a soup-type dish. The third category is the pasta al forno where the pasta is incorporated into a dish that is subsequently baked in the oven.

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Tracing the origin of pasta, the entire roots don’t lead back to Italy alone. The writings of Horace (1st century AD) mention lagana (singular: laganum) made of fine sheets of fried dough used in the daily menu. Athenaeus of Naucratis (2nd century AD) provides a recipe attributed to Chrysippus of Tyana(1st century AD) wherein sheets of dough made of wheat flour and the juice of crushed lettuce, then flavoured with spices and deep-fried in oil. However the method of cooking these sheets of dough does not correspond to the modern pasta, although the basic ingredients and perhaps the shape were similar. Food historians have noted several milestones, similar to pasta. Like the itrion (mentioned by Greek physician Galen, 2nd century AD) as homogeneous compounds made of flour and water, later modified as a boiled dough known as itirum common to Palestinian lands (300 to 500 AD) and recorded so in the Talmud. The Arab physician and lexicographer Isho bar Ali (9th century AD) defines itriyya, the Arabic cognate, as string-like shapes made of semolina and dried before cooking. A form of itriyya is laganum (Latin) which refers as a thin sheet of dough, a precursor of the modern Italian lasagna.

“You can buy a good pasta but when you cook it yourself it has another feeling.” Agnes Varda

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The North African areas had couscous (steamed balls of crushed durum wheat semolina or of pearl millet and sorghum), more like droplets of dough which is less malleable than pasta. Rustichello da Pisa writes in his Travels that Marco Polo described a food similar to “lagana”. With traces of pasta being found in Ancient Greece and later Arabian cuisine records of similar dishes, pasta has come a long way before being ingrained into the Italian cuisine and culture. The first concrete information concerning pasta products in Italy dates from the 13th or 14th century. And as far as shapes of pasta and their sauces are concerned, there is a whole mine of information out there. From long to short, minute pasta for soups (pastina) or pasta all’uovo (egg pasta), there are many varieties of the basic pasta. For those of us, who need them gluten free, alternatives include rice flour, brown rice, shirataki noodles, chickpea, quinoa, corn, millet, buckwheat and amaranth to mention a few with certain varieties of gluten free being multigrain (mix of all above).

Although pasta dishes are generally simple, individual dishes vary in preparation with the flavors of local cuisine being incorporated when possible. With the mood for autumn setting in and ingredients varying to availability and choice, spicing up a basic pasta dish to the more elaborate style can set the creative cooking into full swing with an undeniable delectable pleasure for the palate and the taste buds. A bit of pasta can add plenty of spice, the way one wants it so.

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Posted in Daily, Food

Of Colours and Flavours, Simple and Sweet

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One of the necessities of having a good meal family, besides sitting down together and enjoying home cooking is to close the meal with the “sweet finish”. Preparing the big family luncheon, even though it may be a pot luck dinner at times; getting the final finish right is what makes the meal complete. With a big joint family, dessert includes something sweet for the children, sweet and healthy for the adults, balanced dessert for the diabetics, health conscious and the ultimate dish for the professed dessertarian.

“Dessert is probably the most important stage of the meal, since it will be the last thing your guests remember before they pass out all over the table.” William Powell

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Originating from the French word “desservir” ( means to clear the table), dessert as a term was in known use in the 1660s. Although this term may have been in use from the 14th century, the present meaning may have arose around the beginning of the 20th century as the setting a variety of dishes on the table at the same time (service à la françaisee) was replaced with the serving of a meal in courses (service à la russe). As described in A History of Dessert (2013), Krodnl states that dessert was served after the table had been cleared of other dishes. While sweet were a part of the Mesopotamian era, Persian Empire, the Greeks, ancient India and other civilizations; dried fruits and honey were perhaps the first sweeteners used. With the spread of sugar and trade, the modern dessert dishes slowly began taking shape.

“I am starting to think that maybe memories are like this dessert. I eat it, and it becomes a part of me, whether I remember it later or not.” Erica Bauermeister

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Contrary to expectations, desserts doesn’t necessary have to be of very high standards or made of expensive ingredients. Neither does it always need to indulged in with the sense of guilt and foreboding. Desserts can be had not just to statisfy the sweet cravings or close a meal, but also to enjoy the right mix of sugar, nutrients and taste at the end of the meal. From cheese board, parfait of berries, nuts and yogurt, cinnamon on ice cream and biscuits or bananas slices and covered in dark chocolate and crushed nuts to the elaborate fairy cakes or mousse; desserts can be had elaborate or whipped out of thin air with basic ingredients, creativity and an artistic eye. At times, desserts need to sticky sweet and loaded with calories for that little bit of sugar high or as basic as fruits with a sprinkling of the sweet stuff. Either way, there is always plenty of variety to choose from.

“There is no better way to bring people together than with desserts.” Gail Simmons

With the colours of autumn slowly setting in, what better way to ring in October than to get the sweet tooth going in a healthy manner. With the National Dessert Month setting in and the fall harvest closing in, it would be easy to stock on the fruit preserves, enlist creative ideas and set a traditional family dessert trend.

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Posted in Daily, Food, Uncategorized

Of the “Mocha”….

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With the heavy downpour being tempered down, the cold winds still bring forth the occasional morning chill. Little wonder then, as the rainy blues slowly creep in, with piles of unfinished work piling about; the morning combination of coffee and choclate keeps the day and the evening going fine.

“Suave molecules of Mocha stir up your blood, without causing excess heat; the organ of thought receives from it a feeling of sympathy; work becomes easier and you will sit down without distress to your principal repast which will restore your body and afford you a calm, delicious night.” Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

Though the caffè mocha or mocaccino ( or mochaccino, mochachino) is in fact a chocolate-flavored variant of a caffè latte; it can also mean a simple mix of hot choclate and coffee. Essentially caffè mocha is based on espresso and hot milk but with added chocolate flavoring and sweetener, typically in the form of cocoa powder and sugar. Many varieties, at times signature style of certain cafes’, use chocolate syrup, may contain dark or milk chocolate, with distinctive milk froth on top or with whipped cream, cinnamon or cocoa powder. For the more artistic coffee connoisseurs, marshmallows plain or coloured, nutmeg powder, bits of sprinkles with cream and the like may be added on top.

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Interestingly, the word “mocha” didn’t have anything to do with chocolate. Originating in the 1770s’, the word “mocha” referred to a variety of coffee beans, named after the the port of Mocha (Al Mokha) in Yemeni (or Yemen), where the beans were shipped from. As their popularity increased in Europe, these beans became a part of the coffee culture. Today, these beans are commonly referred as Arabica beans, with “mocha” being the mix of coffee and chocolate.

“Coffee and chocolate—the inventor of mocha should be sainted.” Cherise Sinclair

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Over the years, mocha variants like white caffè mocha (made with white chocolate), as well as more exotic sounding names like black and white mocha, marble mocha, tan mocha, tuxedo mocha or zebra; all varying as per as the amount of choclate (dark or milk) and coffee mixed in. Variant as an espresso shot (double) with either a combination of steamed milk and cocoa powder or chocolate milk is known as mochaccino. Another variant on the caffè mocha is to use a coffee base instead of espresso with the combination be coffee, steamed milk and the added chocolate ( akin to sip of coffee with a shot of hot choclate).

No matter the way it is made, cafe mocha is essentially a drink that can be made in the kitchens of all coffee lovers. For keen experimenters, nothing would be better than the National Mocha Day (September 29th) to indulge in the crazy but delightful combinations and enjoy the flavours of the two C’s, chocolate and coffee.

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Posted in Daily, Food, Stories Around the World

Of Chocolate

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“Can I offer you a slice of this amazing caramelized white chocolate apricot brioche made by my favorite granddaughter?” “You may indeed.”
When you slice the rich, buttery bread topped with crunchy bits of pearl sugar, you get a swirl of white chocolate, which now also has hints of caramel flavor from having been roasted, and chunks of apricot. ” ? Stacey Ballis ( Author of Wedding Girl)

One of the drawbacks of reading books revolving or having a bit of the food factor, is the sudden trigger for that particular dish or meal. Using this as a justifiable excuse to dig into my toddler’s stash of white chocolate, would satisfy the sudden craving for the chocolate, creamy and white.

Interestingly white chocolate isn’t exactly chocolate. Made from cocoa butter, milk solids, sugar, lecithin and flavorings (most commonly, vanilla); it doesn’t include chocolate liquor. The latter beside s giving the bitter flavour and dark colour to chocolate, by the FDA Guidelines state that chocolate liquor has to be present in a product to be known as “chocolate”. Though today as per the US Guidelines (2004), white chocolate (by weight) should have at least 20% cocoa butter, 14% total milk solids, 3.5% milk fat with maximum of 55% sugar or other sweeteners. On a plus point, white choclate has very minimum caffeine as compared to the regular chocolate.

 

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On tracing to the exact origin of chocolate being white, no definite person or country can be given credit. While the Swiss company Nestlé takes almost sole claim to being the initial source of marketable white chocolate (1930s, Milkybar) in Europe; rumours exist of a New Hampshire man producing white chocolate shortly after World War I. Other records state of Kuno Baedeker, who had developed white chocolate (1945) and is widely considered the first creator of the same in North America. Though as records mostly show that Nestlé was the heart of creation and development of the modern white chocolate.

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All said and done, one can melt it, chip it in, drink it or just have it like that. Like the regular choclate, white choclate has become a very prominent add on in the cookie dough, cake mix, quick desserts, melted with hot choclate and a regular combination with ice cream. Which is why, a bar of white chocolate has it’s own role of cheering up the depressing bits of life, no matter how old one grows.

“I like caramel flavors; some people prefer a lighter taste, like rose, at least to start with. The chocolate-flavored ones are lovely, of course…” I am rambling; it is like choosing a favorite child, practically impossible. “What’s in this one then?” She points at my newest creation, a pale, creamy white with soft flecks of yellow, like glints of gold in white marble.
“Reve d’un Ange. It means ‘dream of an angel.'” She tilts her head, interested, and I shrug. “Hopelessly romantic name, I know. Couldn’t help myself.” “What’s in it?” she asked, lowering her voice.
“It’s my white chocolate macaron. Ganache, that’s a kind of chocolate cream, sandwiched in the middle. I’ve added a little lemon rind and cinnamon.”
-Hannah Tunnicliffe ( author of The Color of Tea)

 

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Posted in Daily, Food

Add the “Cheese”

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Being the lone one in the house, as a result of over time and off hours being allotted accordingly, enough and more time was spent on the ads section and advertisements were marked. Imagine when the leaflet advertising the discounted cheeseburger rates for the whole week ( in lieu of the national cheeseburger day, Sept 18th) were seen. As the hunger cravings rose to a peak by noon, the big lunch was foregone with the craving for cheeseburger. With a sparsely stocked larder and takeaway not an option in the downpour (besides being miles away from the town roads), creative cooking was the only option. Considering the leftovers and the supplies in the fridge, it was time to make something light. What happens when one places two mince meat patties with sliced tomatoes, crisp onion rings with a nice helping of cheese between two bread slices (out of buns). Voila, the homemade version of cheese burger is ready.

“Man who invented the hamburger was smart; man who invented the cheeseburger was a genius.” Matthew McConaughey

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Essentially, a cheeseburger is a hamburger topped with cheese. Although the slice of cheese is added to the cooking hamburger patty shortly before serving, which allows the cheese to melt; variations exist depending on choice of having it melted solid or double extra. As for the cheese, from processed to melt-able cheese, options range from cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella, blue Cheese or pepper jack being the popular ones.

With the rise of cattle ranching, fast food chains, commercialization of food industry and rise of fast food; hamburgers had risen in popularity. The late 1920s saw the adding of cheese to hamburgers. Though several competing claims exist as to who created the first cheeseburger. Records repute that Lionel Sternberger (1926) had introduced the cheeseburger at the age of 16 when he was working as a fry cook at his father’s sandwich shop (Pasadena, California) “The Rite Spot” and “experimentally dropped a slab of American cheese on a sizzling hamburger.” Another similar mention of a cheeseburger smothered with chili for 25 cents was listed on the menu of O’ Dell’s restaurant (Los Angeles, 1928). However the trademark for the name “cheeseburger” was awarded to Louis Ballast of the Humpty Dumpty Drive-In in Denver, Colorado.

“You dont have to eat a whole cheeseburger, just take a piece of the cheeseburger.” Guy Fieri

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Variations like steamed cheeseburger, soy cheese and vegan versions have been seen across the globe, with the ingredients adapting to the local cuisine and customs. All said and done, the cheese part has stayed on. There’s something fun about indulging in the occasional cheese burger ( homemade, fast food franchise made or deli made) once in a while. No matter how old or busy one is, the delights of the cheeseburger do stay strong.

“I take pleasure in the little things. Double cheeseburgers, those are good, the sky ten minutes before it rains,the moment your laugh turns into a cackle. And I sit here, and smoke my Camel straights, and I ride my own melt.” Ethan Hawke

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Of Apples, Pastry and Sugar

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“It looked like the world was covered in a cobbler crust of brown sugar and cinnamon.” Sarah Addison Allen, First Frost

Peel the apples, uncore the slices and lay them on pastry crusts. The hole from the core may be filled with cinnamon, butter and sugar and sometimes dried fruit such as raisins, sultanas, or currants. Wrap the pastry crust around the apples and seal the seams to form them as dumplings. Place the dumplings on the pan, pour the spiced sauce over it and bake it in the oven. Voila, baked dumplings.
Lack of time or power outage for the electricity run oven.
Boil the dumplings and serve with brown sugar, cinnamon, berry preserve, maple syrup, honey, cottage cheese, chocolate syrup or any toppings of choice. That’s boiled dumplings for dessert.

Source:https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/apple-dumplings/6907c45f-62d0-4bc7-a958-25d8c6013f2e
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These pastry-wrapped apple were among the earliest fruit puddings, being a popular add on at major social gatherings and had at all social levels. Served as breakfast, main side dish or dessert, there were popular and could be had cold, hot or just as it was. Although the boiled versions were the initial recipes, it was the baked ones that were more popular across the menus of established restaurants.

“A man cannot have a pure mind who refuses apple dumplings.” Charles Lamb

While the Austrians have their apfelnockerln (“large, soft” apple dumplings), Czech cuisine have their fruit dumplings, including apple known as ovocné knedlíky and are eaten with quark or tvaroh cheese, often served as a complete meal. The German Apfelklöße (1801) are elaborate “small pudding of apples,” cored and filled with jam or marmalade, sometimes raisins or nuts, wrapped in pastry, boiled, and topped with a sweetened sauce containing raisins, sugar, cinnamon, and wine. While in the United Kingdom, these apple dumplings were referred to as form of suet puddings with the prepared dumplings tied in cloth and boiled. On the other side of the western sphere, apple dumplings were considered as cultural staples (United States).

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Seasonal fruits were used similarly to make fruit dumplings. Like the Austrian and Hungarian Knödel ( dumplings stuffed with plums), Crotian Knedle sa šljivama (dessert dish of plum dumpling with a potato dough), Austrian Marillenknödel (apricot dumplings) and the traditional Czech recipes of dumpling filled with plums, apricots, strawberries or blueberries. A similar dish is baked apples (minus the pastry shell). Unpeeled apples are cored (some preparations remove only the top part of the core leaving a half-inch at the bottom) and stuffed with fillings such as butter, brown sugar, currants, raisins, nuts, oatmeal, spices and other ingredients.

Made any way, boiled or baked, pastry covered or not, these perfect pocket sized simple desserts are perfect add-ons for simple, elaborate or too tired to cook days. With imagination running riot, what better way is there to make perfect use of the cold weather, indulge the sugar cravings with apples and sweet and make way for this traditional recipe not just simple and wholesome but a treat for the artistic eye and creative cooking.

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Posted in Daily, Food

Ice, Cream and Coffee

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An impromptu get-together of classmates and families over the weekend, makes for a memorable time. With potluck lunch being the norm, cooking was never a hassle. Though the matter of settling the desserts takes up more time. Considering the higher proportion of sweet tooth among the adults and children alike, there was a huge batch of ice-cream, not just any but homemade coffee ice-cream to follow.

“There were some problems only coffee and ice cream could fix.” Amal El-Mohtar

There are few recipes and tricks that are handed down from one generation to the next. Among them desserts, especially those which can be made with regular ingredients; coffee ice cream along with the regular tarts, puddings, gulab jamuns and the like which require basic ingredients or minimum preparatory time are saved for the “dessert quandary“.

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Interestingly, early records show that coffee ice cream (1869) was first used in the making of parfait. Few cookbooks (1919) had the recipe of an Egg Coffee consisting of cream, crushed ice and coffee syrup. By late 1900s, coffee ice-cream slowly rose to fame having it’s own secure place on the menu in the ice cream parlours.

While vanilla still is the most popular ice cream, with a regular supply often stocked up in the freezer; coffee ice cream makes way for a delicious change. With many recipes found online, subtle changes like adding beaten egg yolks to the cooling coffee/milk/cream mix and using dark-roast beans makes for the changing flavours each time coffee ice-cream is made at home. Though the longer the ice cream is frozen, the better it is; morning preparations are ready by noon with a minimum freeze time of four hours. The next time an impromptu meet is there, sprucing up the regular ice cream can make for more deliciously happy and fun memories.

“Personally, I like to mix and match–I prefer to get a couple of milk shakes, a banana split … a sundae or two. Then I top it off with a mocha chip in a cone. I don’t know why. I guess that’s like the dinner mint at the end of a meal to me. Know what I mean?” J.R. Ward, The Beast

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