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		<title>Hindbeh Bil-Zeyt or Italian Dandelion in Olive Oil</title>
		<link>https://www.anissas.com/hindbeh-bil-zeyt-or-italian-dandelion-in-olive-oil/</link>
					<comments>https://www.anissas.com/hindbeh-bil-zeyt-or-italian-dandelion-in-olive-oil/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[anissa]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 31 Jul 2016 20:02:40 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cicoria]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmers market]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hindbeh]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mercato dei contadini]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seasonal produce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sicily]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trapani]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.anissas.com/?p=11670</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[I have recently moved to Sicily in search of sunshine and a place that reminds me of home (Lebanon &#38; Syria) but where I do not have to worry about ISIS! I am being facetious of course but Italy seems a safer bet than the Middle East these days and the great thing about Sicily,... <a class="view-article" href="https://www.anissas.com/hindbeh-bil-zeyt-or-italian-dandelion-in-olive-oil/">View Article</a>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC_3821hinbeh-finished-trapani-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC_3821hinbeh-finished-trapani-copy.jpg" alt="DSC_3821hinbeh-finished-trapani copy" /></a>I have recently moved to Sicily in search of sunshine and a place that reminds me of home (Lebanon &amp; Syria) but where I do not have to worry about ISIS! I am being facetious of course but Italy seems a safer bet than the Middle East these days and the great thing about Sicily, apart from the fact that it is very beautiful with lovely people and lovely food, is that the produce is just amazing, and pretty much the same as what I was brought up on, seasonal and supremely flavourful. So, I am now ensconced in Trapani which I like to compare to Beirut but cleaner and better organised, until that is my house is built, and not far from where I live is the mercato dei contadini, ie. farmers market that happens every Saturday; and this last Saturday one of the farmers had the most amazing cicoria or hindbeh that took me straight back to my mother and Jamil, my wonderful driver in Beirut who sadly is no longer with us, who used to bring my mother the most amazing bunches of freshly picked hindbeh which she would then cook in olive oil. And even though my fractured toes are still not completely recovered, I bought some  to make myself some hindbeh following my mother&#8217;s recipe.</p>
<p><span id="more-11670"></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC_3768hindbeh-bunches-trapani-copy.jpg"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="650" height="434" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-11671" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC_3768hindbeh-bunches-trapani-copy.jpg" alt="DSC_3768hindbeh-bunches-trapani copy" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I was a little too ambitious and bought too much but how could I resist such amazingly fresh produce. So, I trimmed the bottoms and chopped the cicoria in 5 cm pieces. It looks like a lot but once boiled, it reduces quite a bit although not as much as spinach.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC_3776hindbeh-chopped-trapani-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" width="650" height="434" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-11672" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC_3776hindbeh-chopped-trapani-copy.jpg" alt="DSC_3776hindbeh-chopped-trapani copy" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Here is the chopped hindbeh ready to be washed. It wasn&#8217;t particularly dirty and one bath was enough.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC_3786hindbeh-cooked-trapani-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" width="650" height="434" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-11673" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC_3786hindbeh-cooked-trapani-copy.jpg" alt="DSC_3786hindbeh-cooked-trapani copy" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">And here it is cooked. It is important to dunk the cooked and drained hindbeh in iced or cold water so that it stops cooking and keeps its deep green colour. My mother told me to keep the stalks because they are the best part but I think I could have trimmed a little more than I did, if only for a better presentation.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC_3795onions-sliced-trapani-copy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="650" height="434" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-11675" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC_3795onions-sliced-trapani-copy.jpg" alt="DSC_3795onions-sliced-trapani copy" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">While the hindbeh was cooking, I got working on the onions. Normally I would use yellow onions but these red onions looked so beautiful at the market that I decided to buy them. They looked beautiful whole and they look beautiful sliced.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC_3804hindbeh-cooked-squeezed-2-trapani-copy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="650" height="434" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-11676" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC_3804hindbeh-cooked-squeezed-2-trapani-copy.jpg" alt="DSC_3804hindbeh-cooked &amp; squeezed 2-trapani copy" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Here is the cooked hindbeh squeezed dry of most of the cooking liquid. After you do this you need to loosen the leaves so that they mix well with the fried onion and olive oil.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC_3811onions-frying-trapani-copy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="650" height="434" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-11677" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSC_3811onions-frying-trapani-copy.jpg" alt="DSC_3811onions-frying-trapani copy" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">And here are the onions colouring slowly. It is important you fry them at a medium low heat so that they cook through and colour at the same time. The danger comes at the end, when they start to turn brown. You need to judge the colour right and remove them when they turn golden brown and before they become burned brown! Once the onions have coloured  and crisped up, remove three quarters into a strainer or onto several layers of kitchen paper. Then add the hindbeh to the pan and saute it with the remaining onions and olive oil. And there you have it, a perfect summer dish to have as part of a mezze spread, or simply to serve for a simple lunch like I did. I skipped the rose because I was working but it would be a perfect accompaniment otherwise. And you need to of course serve pita bread with it, which sadly I can&#8217;t find here. I guess I have to make my own. Anyhow, here is the recipe in case you find some cicoria at the farmers market!</p>
<p><b>Italian Dandelion in Olive Oil</b></p>
<p><b>Hindbeh bil-Zeyt</b></p>
<p>Serves 4</p>
<p>2 pounds 2 ounces/1 kg Italian dandelion (known as cicoria)</p>
<p>1/2 cup/125 ml extra virgin olive oil</p>
<p>4 medium onion (about 14 oz/400 g), cut in half and thinly sliced in wedges</p>
<p>sea salt</p>
<p>lemon wedges for garnish</p>
<p>Wash and drain the Italian dandelion. Trim the bottoms of the stalks and cut into pieces, about 2 1/2 inches/6 cm long. Fill a large pan with water and place over medium-high heat. Bring to the boil. Add salt to taste then add the dandelion – I like to add enough salt so that I don’t need to salt the dandelion after. Bring back to the boil and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the dandelion and dunk in iced water.</p>
<p>Put the olive oil and onion in a large frying pan and place over medium heat. Fry, stirring occasionally, until the onion turn a rich golden brown, without letting them burn. Remove three quarters of the onion with a slotted spoon and put to drain in a strainer or onto several layers of kitchen paper and leave the rest in the pan.</p>
<p>Squeeze the cooked dandelion dry. Loosen the leaves and add them to the fried onion in the pan. Sauté over medium heat for a couple of minutes, stirring regularly until the dandelion is well blended with the oil and onion slices. Transfer to a serving platter and let cool before serving at room temperature, garnished with the crispy onions and lemon wedges.</p>
<p>©Anissa Helou, recipe from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lebanese-Cuisine-Authentic-Recipes-Elegant/dp/0312187351">Lebanese Cuisine</a></p>
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			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Ramadan in Indonesia</title>
		<link>https://www.anissas.com/ramadan-in-indonesia/</link>
					<comments>https://www.anissas.com/ramadan-in-indonesia/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[anissa]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 Jul 2016 09:23:53 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[chillies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[indonesia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[indonesian food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ramadan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[banda aceh]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[christian batak food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[culinary travels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[goat curry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gulai]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[indonesian crackers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[medan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[melinjo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[padang]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rendang]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.anissas.com/?p=11536</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Ramadan is the most important time of the year in the Islamic calendar, a time when people fast from sunrise to sunset, not even letting a drop of water into their mouth. The dates vary each year, going backwards by about ten days because Muslims follow the lunar calendar. The first day of the fast... <a class="view-article" href="https://www.anissas.com/ramadan-in-indonesia/">View Article</a>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/goat-curry-cooking-in-lem-bakrie-restaurant-banda-aceh-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" alt="goat curry cooking in lem bakrie restaurant-banda aceh copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/goat-curry-cooking-in-lem-bakrie-restaurant-banda-aceh-copy.jpg" /></a>Ramadan is the most important time of the year in the Islamic calendar, a time when people fast from sunrise to sunset, not even letting a drop of water into their mouth. The dates vary each year, going backwards by about ten days because Muslims follow the lunar calendar. The first day of the fast is announced when the new moon is sighted and the last day when the moon has reached its full cycle after which, there is a period of three days when the whole Muslim world celebrates Eid el-Futr (the feast of breaking the fast). When I planned my trip to Indonesia for the beginning of June, I didn&#8217;t quite think of Ramadan but as it happened, the latter half of my stay coincided with the first week of Ramadan, which was both good and not so. Not so good because life slows down during the day, with many eateries closed but good because once the fast is broken at sunset, everything springs back into life, with restaurants putting on special Ramadan menus for those wanting or needing to break their fast (buka puasa as iftar is known out there) outside their home while street vendors wheel out their carts &#8212; some with Ramadan specialities which you don&#8217;t see the rest of the year.<span id="more-11536"></span> <img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" alt="buka puasa at lem bakrie restaurant-banda aceh copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/buka-puasa-at-lem-bakrie-restaurant-banda-aceh-copy.jpg" />My first Ramadan meal was at Lem Bakrie restaurant in Banda Aceh where everything is cooked over woodfire. In fact, many home cooks, caterers and eateries in Indonesia cook over woodfire. There was no need to order. They have a fun system during Ramadan where they serve all they have to offer but only charge you for what you eat. You can even taste the sauce of any dish on the table without paying for it as long as you don&#8217;t touch the meat or vegetables. Rice was part of the cover price and was served on the plate &#8212; rice is an absolute staple in Indonesia and they can&#8217;t imagine a meal without it unless it is noodles &#8212; they will give you more if you need it, but will charge for the extra. Lucky I had Mita and Fathur with me. They were my delightful guides in Banda Aceh and they immediately explained the system to me, otherwise I would have tried a little of everything and ended up paying for it all even if I had taken only one bite. The main dish that evening was goat and breadfruit curry (as seen in the top picture) but we also had fried chicken, beef tendon curry or gulai as it is known in Indonesia, dried seasoned tuna, vegetables cooked with dried fermented coconut, shrimp sambal and so on. We had also brought food we had bought from street vendors such as the biryani on the top right hand of the picture and the noodles to the bottom left of the picture, both served on banana leaf laid on paper and a mixture of sliced <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centella_asiatica">daun pegangang</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etlingera_elatior">torch ginger flower</a>, more or less in the middle of the picture, again on banana leaf laid on paper. <a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/mitas-mother-in-the-kitchen-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" alt="mita's mother in the kitchen copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/mitas-mother-in-the-kitchen-copy.jpg" /></a> Mita also invited me over to her parents&#8217; house where both her mother and father cater parties for up to 2000 people, and sometimes more. They cook all the food on woodfire in the kitchen pictured above in which Mita&#8217;s lovely mother is sorting the assortment of fruit, vegetable and herbs we bought in the market (picture below) for her to make a typical soup that she very kindly served me for lunch even though everyone was fasting.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/mix-of-fruit-veg-herbs-to-make-soup-banda-aceh-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" alt="mix of fruit, veg &amp; herbs to make soup-banda aceh copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/mix-of-fruit-veg-herbs-to-make-soup-banda-aceh-copy.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/my-lunch-at-mitas-parents-banda-aceh-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" alt="my lunch at mita's parents-banda aceh copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/my-lunch-at-mitas-parents-banda-aceh-copy.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Before the soup, Mita and her mother made me onde onde or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klepon">klepon</a>. In Indonesia, people always break their fast with something soft and sweet to ease their stomach back into taking in food. It can be sweet things like onde onde or sweet drinks sold in plastic bags with soft noodles or jelly like cubes inside them.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/mitas-mother-making-onde-onde-banda-aceh-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" alt="mita's mother making onde onde-banda aceh copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/mitas-mother-making-onde-onde-banda-aceh-copy.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Mita&#8217;s mother making the dough for onde onde with the green juice of pandan leaves</em></p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/mita-her-mother-making-onde-onde-copy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="650" height="459" class="size-full wp-image-11606 aligncenter" alt="mita &amp; her mother making onde onde copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/mita-her-mother-making-onde-onde-copy.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Mita and her mother filling the onde onde dough with palm sugar and rolling each into a ball which Mita boiled and sprinkled with shredded coconut for me to taste. Absolutely delicious!</em></p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/mitas-mothers-onde-onde-banda-aceh-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" alt="mita's mother's onde onde-banda aceh copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/mitas-mothers-onde-onde-banda-aceh-copy.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Mita&#8217;s mother onde onde with the pandan leaves.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/ramadan-drinks-for-buka-puasa-banda-aceh-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" alt="ramadan drinks for buka puasa-banda aceh copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/ramadan-drinks-for-buka-puasa-banda-aceh-copy.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">The sweet Ramadan drinks with soft noodles inside them.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/crab-noodles-banda-aceh-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" alt="crab noodles-banda aceh copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/crab-noodles-banda-aceh-copy.jpg" /></a>I couldn&#8217;t leave Banda Aceh without going into one of their famous coffee houses. Coffee is really big in Indonesia &#8212; they are the fourth largest producers in the world &#8212; and people like to gather in places in coffee houses where they often also serve food, usually from nearby stalls. In the case of this coffee place, the noodle stand was just outside. You stop there and buy your noodles with whatever accompaniment they have and they send it to your table. I chose crab although I was too tired by the end of the evening, and too full to eat it which was a shame. I just tasted the noodles which were delicious. <a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/buka-puasa-padang-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" alt="buka puasa-padang copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/buka-puasa-padang-copy.jpg" /></a>From Banda Aceh, I went to Padang. The journey wasn&#8217;t so straightforward even if Padang was not too far. I had to fly all the way back to Jakarta, to fly back down to Padang. And Garuda, which is normally a great airline changed my flight to a later one making me wait an extra two hours at Jakarta airport. Oh well! Thanks to my wonderful friend <a href="http://www.williamwongsoseries.com/about">William Wongso</a> who helped me with my trip and introduced me to lovely guides everywhere, I had sweet Dian look after me in Padang and we broke the fast together (well, I had eaten during the day but he hadn&#8217;t) in a lovely restaurant in Padang where again we feasted on a variety of dishes including Ayam pop (fried chicken) with <a href="https://www.indoindians.com/sambal-lado-recipe/">sambal lado</a>, gulai tunjang (cow foot curry), cassava leaves, tripe curry and of course rice. I also tasted Dian&#8217;s quail rendang (the messy plate bottom right as I started eating before snapping!). <a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/bukittinggi-copy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="650" height="812" class="size-full wp-image-11586 aligncenter" alt="bukittinggi copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/bukittinggi-copy.jpg" /></a>The next day we drove up to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bukittinggi">Bukittinggi</a>, a lovely town up in the hills where there is a street food market that is absolutely buzzing during Ramadan. They are famous for nasi kapau, or rice served with a variety of different dishes on the same plate, and most of the stalls had particularly interesting coconut milk and egg sausages (usus isi telur) that don&#8217;t look so appetising but are actually quite good. <a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/egg-sausage-bukittinggi-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" alt="egg sausage-bukittinggi copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/egg-sausage-bukittinggi-copy.jpg" /></a>The atmosphere in that market is just fabulous, both for the spectacle of the food and for the people. The vendors are almost all great characters like the lady in the picture below whose stall is all about chips which are also a big thing in Indonesia. Most of the meals are served with one kind of chip or another. Some are made with nut-like fruit others are potato chips mixed with a rather spicy sambal seasoning that makes them totally irresistible. At Mita&#8217;s house, her sister in law was frying industrial quantities, all over a wood fire, and her seasoning was just fabulous. I had to convince Mita to give me only a little so that I didn&#8217;t get fat eating a huge bag! The lady below had both types, plain and seasoned. And she had different kinds such as those made with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnetum_gnemon">melinjo</a>. <a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/chips-seller-bukittinggi-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" alt="chips seller-bukittinggi copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/chips-seller-bukittinggi-copy.jpg" /></a>I also loved the lady below who had a beautiful stall with all kinds of appetising dishes. If we hadn&#8217;t been going to another <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iftar">buka puasa</a> dinner, I would have stayed there all afternoon and evening tasting everything. <a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/splendid-vendor-bukittinggi-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" alt="splendid vendor-bukittinggi copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/splendid-vendor-bukittinggi-copy.jpg" /></a>In particular, I would have loved to taste the grilled fish in the picture below that were being fanned furiously by two men. It is interesting how in Indonesia many people buy ready-made food for breaking the fast, and they don&#8217;t see any shame in it, nor do they worry about the quality which is understandable as most of these stalls have food that is either cooked on the spot in the case of fried or grilled, or cooked by the owner of the stall in their home the way they would cook for their family. The best kind of street food! <a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/grilled-fish-stall-outside-padang-copy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="650" height="488" class="size-full wp-image-11599 aligncenter" alt="grilled fish stall-outside padang copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/grilled-fish-stall-outside-padang-copy.jpg" /></a>I did taste the sate though and found out that not all sates are served with peanut sauce. Some are served with a soya sauce while others are served with a kind of flour thickened sauce that I didn&#8217;t actually like much.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/sate-matang-banda-aceh-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" alt="sate matang-banda aceh copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/sate-matang-banda-aceh-copy.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Offal is also big in Indonesia and you see tripe everywhere, as well as chicken feet and sheep&#8217;s and goat&#8217;s heads. Also beef tendons and feet. I suspect that like us in Lebanon, they have a no waste philosophy and use everything on an animal or on a vegetable, down to the last scrap.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/tripe-tendons-bukittingi-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" alt="tripe &amp; tendons-bukittingi copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/tripe-tendons-bukittingi-copy.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Beautiful tripe curry in Bukittinggi.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" alt="buka puasa at restaurant-outside padang  copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/buka-puasa-at-restaurant-outside-padang-copy.jpg" />On the way back to Padang, we stopped at a very large restaurant at the very moment when the sunset was announced by the local Imam. The place was absolutely jam-packed with families, military groups, friends, all breaking their fast. I had eaten a little and more importantly I had had water but poor Dian and the driver had not eaten or drunk anything all day and I hated the idea that they might have to wait until a table became free. Fortunately the owner or manager freed the service table for us and they were able to eat  straight away. Their buka puasa selection included the duck egg and coconut sausage, tripe, beans, beef tendons, a delicious and intriguing dish of tiny dried fish in a green chilli sauce amongst many other dishes and rice of course. <a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/chicken-display-banda-aceh-copy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="650" height="812" class="size-full wp-image-11588 aligncenter" alt="chicken display-banda aceh copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/chicken-display-banda-aceh-copy.jpg" /></a>The only food you will see during the day during Ramadan is that sold in markets unless you are in a Chinese quarter where many people are Christian and there you can eat both on the street and in restaurants. Fortunately this was the case in Medan where I had been before Banda Aceh, together with William, and we were able to eat during the day. Lovely Indra was our guide there, together with the Tahari family: Gio, Jamaluddin and Didi their son. We had two wonderful days of food frenzy tasting everything from beignets to laksa to fish head curry to noodles to rice parcels to intestines sate to martabak to amazing spring rolls. I am only listing a fraction of what we feasted on among much merriment.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/aki-ambon-medan-indonesia-copy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="650" height="812" class="size-full wp-image-11648 aligncenter" alt="aki ambon-medan-indonesia copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/aki-ambon-medan-indonesia-copy.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bika_Ambon">Bika Ambon</a> cakes cooling upside down in their moulds.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/best-breakfast-ever-medan-indonesia-copy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="650" height="812" class="size-full wp-image-11649 aligncenter" alt="best breakfast ever-medan-indonesia copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/best-breakfast-ever-medan-indonesia-copy.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">One of my favourite breakfasts in Medan. Some things we had bought from street stalls while others like the sate we ordered in the restaurant. I certainly miss these amazingly extravagant savoury breakfasts both in Trapani and London!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/sticky-rice-parcel-with-sugar-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" alt="sticky rice parcel with sugar copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/sticky-rice-parcel-with-sugar-copy.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">That was the rice parcel you see in the middle of the picture above which William taught me to eat with a little coarse sugar.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/breakfast-medan-indonesia.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="650" height="812" class="size-full wp-image-11651 aligncenter" alt="breakfast-medan-indonesia" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/breakfast-medan-indonesia.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Another breakfast, this time a little more restrained but equally hearty.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/close-up-of-rice-parcel-at-fish-head-curry-lunch-medan-indonesia-copy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="650" height="812" class="size-full wp-image-11653 aligncenter" alt="close up of rice parcel at fish head curry lunch-medan-indonesia copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/close-up-of-rice-parcel-at-fish-head-curry-lunch-medan-indonesia-copy.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">I think I will start an Indonesian street food stall in London. First the food is excellent, and second their wrapping with the banana leaf first then the paper to make a rather beautiful and ecological parcel is the best I have seen until now. Beyond the rice parcel is a fish head curry.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/durian-medan-indonesia-copy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="650" height="812" class="size-full wp-image-11654 aligncenter" alt="durian-medan-indonesia copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/durian-medan-indonesia-copy.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Almost every night we went to a Durian stall because we hadn&#8217;t eaten enough and we needed to finish off our meals with some durian! It wasn&#8217;t the most famous stall where there is a crush all the time, but one owned by a rather wonderful lady where you can send back the durian if it is not to your taste and have them crack open another one!</p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/mutton-curry-soup-medan-indonesia.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="650" height="650" class="size-full wp-image-11656 aligncenter" alt="mutton curry soup-medan-indonesia" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/mutton-curry-soup-medan-indonesia.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">I think this was our last supper in Medan, mutton curry soup.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/noodle-soup-medan-indonesia-copy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="650" height="812" class="size-full wp-image-11657 aligncenter" alt="noodle soup-medan-indonesia copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/noodle-soup-medan-indonesia-copy.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Another noodle breakfast, this time with soup and you add as much of the broth as you want to your noodles. Indra liked his rather dry while William liked it a bit more soupy. In this case, I followed Indra&#8217;s example.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/noodles-at-old-chinese-lady-medan-indonesia-copy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="650" height="780" class="size-full wp-image-11658 aligncenter" alt="noodles at old chinese lady-medan-indonesia copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/noodles-at-old-chinese-lady-medan-indonesia-copy.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">The old lady who served us these noodles was very old and her stall had been there for a hundred years!</p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/noodles-medan-indonesia-copy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="650" height="650" class="size-full wp-image-11659 aligncenter" alt="noodles-medan-indonesia copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/noodles-medan-indonesia-copy.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">More noodles although I don&#8217;t remember where these were!</p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/the-end-of-our-batak-lunch-medan-indonesia-copy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="650" height="812" class="size-full wp-image-11660 aligncenter" alt="the end of our batak lunch-medan-indonesia copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/the-end-of-our-batak-lunch-medan-indonesia-copy.jpg" /></a></p>
<p>We had had two or more breakfasts before we polished off this amazing Christian <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batak_cuisine">Batak</a> lunch! The amazing variety of dishes at Indonesian meals wherever I went was quite unexpected, not that I knew much about Indonesian food. Still, it is such a fun way to eat, and the surprising thing is that I went back after two weeks of non-stop eating having not gained a single kilogram. It must be the fact that they don&#8217;t eat bread and don&#8217;t use much fat.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/laksa-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" alt="laksa copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/laksa-copy.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Laksa with the torch ginger flower floating in it for flavour.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/laksa-noodles-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" alt="laksa noodles copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/laksa-noodles-copy.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">The noodles used in our laksa.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/chicken-display-banda-aceh-copy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="650" height="812" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-11588" alt="chicken display-banda aceh copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/chicken-display-banda-aceh-copy.jpg" /></a></p>
<p>And to produce all these wonderful dishes, you need amazing ingredients which are sold in particularly wonderful Indonesian markets. Luckily they were open during the day in Ramadan. The markets change quite noticeably from one place to the next, not only for the seasonal produce &#8212; seasonality and buying local are really big in Indonesia &#8212; but also for the way they display chickens for instance. In Ambon, they line them up with their legs sticking up whereas in Padang they splay them like the the one in the picture above. There they also often sell them already skinned, or live to be killed in front of you. I particularly loved the cages they transport them in as in the picture below!</p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/chicken-cage-medan-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" alt="chicken cage-medan copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/chicken-cage-medan-copy.jpg" /></a>Indonesia is also the country of chillies. From what I saw, it seems to be used everywhere although in some places more than in others, such as in Padang where the markets had whole sections with just chillies piled up in crates or stuffed in large bags, as well as beautifully displayed chilli pastes like the one below. Those particular red chillies look as if they would be very hot but they are not.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/chillies-for-sale-banda-aceh-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" alt="chillies for sale-banda aceh copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/chillies-for-sale-banda-aceh-copy.jpg" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/chilli-pastes-copy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="650" height="488" class="size-full wp-image-11589 aligncenter" alt="chilli pastes copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/chilli-pastes-copy.jpg" /></a>And of course there is plenty of fish given that Indonesia is a collection of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indonesian_islands_by_area">islands</a> and one way of preserving it is by drying it. I saw large selections of dried fish in all the markets I went to. The display below was in a market in Banda Aceh. <a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/dried-fish-stall-banda-aceh-copy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="650" height="812" class="size-full wp-image-11595 aligncenter" alt="dried fish stall-banda aceh copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/dried-fish-stall-banda-aceh-copy.jpg" /></a>Thanks to William making me a hamper of Indonesian ingredients, and Gio buying me some, I brought back lots of ingredients but the one thing I would have wanted to bring back was a stone mortar and pestle. A typical Indonesian technique is to grind everything in a large shallow mortar with either a stone or wooden pestle using a pressing motion rather than a pounding one. Absolutely mesmerising to watch but unfortunately the stone mortar was too heavy for me to carry together with all the ingredients so it will have to wait until the next time I visit which I hope will be soon as I absolutely adored the country, the people and of course the food!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/rujak-acenese-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" alt="rujak acenese copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/rujak-acenese-copy.jpg" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/essential-ingredients-4-sambal-banda-aceh-copy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="650" height="867" class="size-full wp-image-11597 aligncenter" alt="essential ingredients 4 sambal-banda aceh copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/essential-ingredients-4-sambal-banda-aceh-copy.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/rice-fields-outside-padang-copy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="650" height="488" class="size-full wp-image-11617 aligncenter" alt="rice fields-outside padang copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/rice-fields-outside-padang-copy.jpg" /></a> <a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/rujak-acenese-copy.jpg"><br />
</a></p>
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		<title>My Belly Dancer for June: Samia Gamal</title>
		<link>https://www.anissas.com/my-belly-dancer-for-june-samia-gamal/</link>
					<comments>https://www.anissas.com/my-belly-dancer-for-june-samia-gamal/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[anissa]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2015 06:33:11 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[belly dance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[belly dancer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[belly dancing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[golden age of egyptian cinema]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[golden era egyptian cinema]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[raqsat al-weda']]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[samia gamal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tahiya carioca]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.anissas.com/?p=11526</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1ET18RxWl0[/youtube] It&#8217;s been a while since I gave you my belly dancer of the month. Too much traveling and too many different things to work on but my life has been a little more relaxed recently and here is my choice for this month, a resplendant Samia Gamal who with Tahiya Carioca, is my other... <a class="view-article" href="https://www.anissas.com/my-belly-dancer-for-june-samia-gamal/">View Article</a>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1ET18RxWl0[/youtube]</p>
<p>It&#8217;s been a while since I gave you my belly dancer of the month. Too much traveling and too many different things to work on but my life has been a little more relaxed recently and here is my choice for this month, a resplendant <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samia_Gamal">Samia Gamal</a> who with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taheyya_Kariokka">Tahiya Carioca</a>, is my other favourite belly dancer. And like Tahiya, she avoids being vulgar despite the suggestiveness of her movements. Every time I watch her I wonder how her jaws don&#8217;t ache with that wide fixed smile she has throughout her dances. She is very young in this clip taken from a 1954 film called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ai4_utVslPM">Raqsat al-Weda&#8217;</a>. The choreography and set are delightful, her body and movements absolutely gorgeous and the characters watching her very amusing despite some tragic expressions! I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!</p>
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		<title>Orange Blossom Jam</title>
		<link>https://www.anissas.com/orange-blossom-jam-2/</link>
					<comments>https://www.anissas.com/orange-blossom-jam-2/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[anissa]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 16 May 2015 15:03:47 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[bosco falconeria]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chefs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foraging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[great cooks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ingredients]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jam]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lebanese cuisine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lebanese food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[national cuisines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seasonal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sicily]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[amy dencler]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[boscofalconeria]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[orange blossom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[orange blossom harvest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[orange blossom season]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[preparing orange blossom for jam]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.anissas.com/?p=11497</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[I am coming to the end of my Sicilian stay, and this year I managed to be there for orange blossom season even if I arrived at the tail end of the season. I had Amy come back to visit, and one of the first things we did was to go down to the citrus grove to... <a class="view-article" href="https://www.anissas.com/orange-blossom-jam-2/">View Article</a>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/orange-blossom-jam-finished-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" alt="orange blossom jam-finished copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/orange-blossom-jam-finished-copy.jpg" /></a>I am coming to the end of my Sicilian stay, and this year I managed to be there for orange blossom season even if I arrived at the tail end of the season. I had <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/news/slideshow/Scenes-from-the-first-night-at-Chez-Panisse-65265/photo-4838364.php">Amy</a> come back to visit, and one of the first things we did was to go down to the <a href="http://www.boscofalconeria.it/en/index.html">citrus grove</a> to pick enough blossom to make our jam. Most of the blossom had gone but there were still enough for us to pick to make our jam. And the fact that the blossom was nearing the end of its life made it easier to pick. All we had to do was to shake the branches for the petals to fall off the buds and into our basket. Well, not all the petals but at least half. Here below are pics of Amy reaching high up in the tree to get some really good blossom to add to those that fell off easily.</p>
<p><span id="more-11497"></span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/amy-picking-orange-blossom-half-length-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" alt="amy picking orange blossom half length copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/amy-picking-orange-blossom-half-length-copy.jpg" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/amy-picking-orange-blossom-copy-2.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" alt="amy picking orange blossom copy 2" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/amy-picking-orange-blossom-copy-2.jpg" /></a>Both she and I had to be careful not to get stung by the buzzing bees that were circling the blossom looking for the last of the pollen.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/orange-blossom-on-tree-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" alt="orange blossom on tree copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/orange-blossom-on-tree-copy.jpg" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/orange-blossom-plus-bee-2-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" alt="orange blossom plus bee 2 copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/orange-blossom-plus-bee-2-copy.jpg" /></a>This year we did our jam in instalments. The task is arduous , or to be more accurate time consuming and picking the blossom off the tree is the easy part. Once we had enough blossom, we had to painstakingly pick the petals off the buds being careful not to get any of the pollen bits in with the petals. We picked the blossom on different days and prepared the jam with the blossom we picked on the day. But we made the syrup in one go, preparing enough for the recipe that you will eventually find in my forthcoming book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Middle-East-Classic-Recipes/dp/1452114390/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1432232370&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=sweet+middle+east">Sweet Middle East</a> (also available for pre-order <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sweet-middle-east-anissa-helou/1121208817?ean=9781452114392">here</a> and <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781452114392">here</a>), to be published in the US in November. And below, you see our first meager harvest in <a href="http://epicurean-traveler.com/interview-with-author-mary-taylor-simeti-an-expert-in-sicilian-medieval-and-culinary-history/">Mary</a>&#8216;s large wicker basket which we were not allowed to fill anyway as each blossom means a fruit and the more we picked the less fruit on the tree! Then, Amy and I sat at the kitchen table, and carefully picked the petals off the buds one by one. And because the blossoms were at their end, this task took less than if we had picked them at their freshest. Most of the petals fell off as soon as we touched them. This was the good part.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/orange-blossom-in-basket-copy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-11502 aligncenter" alt="orange blossom in basket copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/orange-blossom-in-basket-copy.jpg" width="650" height="609" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/amy-picking-the-petals-off-the-blossom-1-copy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="650" height="674" class="size-full wp-image-11501 aligncenter" alt="amy picking the petals off the blossom (1) copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/amy-picking-the-petals-off-the-blossom-1-copy.jpg" /></a>You can see the less good part in the picture below. The blossom is not at its purest nor freshest but this didn&#8217;t affect the final result as the fragrance was intact and still very strong, and even if the blossom wasn&#8217;t all pure white, once it was boiled, the slight wilting or discoloring did not make any difference.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/orange-blossom-petals-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" alt="orange blossom-petals copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/orange-blossom-petals-copy.jpg" /></a>The process of making the jam is even longer than the preparation but it is all worth it as the jam is not only very beautiful as you can see from the top picture but it is also incredibly delicious, with a delicate fragrant taste that makes it quite unique. We served it for dessert on whipped yoghurt at the end of our roast baby lamb lunch which we had outside in the most glorious sunshine!</p>
<p><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" alt="amy and mary copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/amy-and-mary-copy.jpg" />And we had it for breakfast, on yoghurt spread on toasted <a href="http://agro.biodiver.se/2014/02/let-there-always-be-pane-nero-di-castelvetrano/">tumminia</a> bread, as you can see in the picture below. We also ate it with sheep&#8217;s milk ricotta. Amy took some with her to California and I am taking the rest to London to have friends taste it. The good news is that if you want to make your own, my book will be out well in time for the next harvest. As for me, I will try to convince Amy to come back to Sicily next spring, all the way from California, so that we can make a fresh lot!</p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/orange-blossom-jam-on-yoghurt-copy.jpg"><img decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-11513 aligncenter" alt="orange blossom jam on yoghurt copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/orange-blossom-jam-on-yoghurt-copy.jpg" /></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>Sicilian Pasta with Green Cauliflower Sauce</title>
		<link>https://www.anissas.com/sicilian-pasta-with-green-cauliflower-sauce/</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[anissa]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 22 Mar 2015 15:56:26 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[pasta]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seasonal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sicilian food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[boscofalcoberia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[breadcrumbs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[doha]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[green cauliflower]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iranian saffron]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mary taylor simeti]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mollica]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[qatar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[saffron]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the most expensive spice in the world]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[Cauliflower is a very fashionable vegetable nowadays. You will see it on restaurant menus from San Francisco to New York to London, prepared in myriad ways from sliced thick and served as steak, to roasted, to grated and used instead of flour as a base for gluten-free pizza, and so on. But using it to... <a class="view-article" href="https://www.anissas.com/sicilian-pasta-with-green-cauliflower-sauce/">View Article</a>]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter" alt="the cavolfiore verde" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/the-cavolfiore-verde.jpg" width="650" height="434" />Cauliflower is a very fashionable vegetable nowadays. You will see it on restaurant menus from San Francisco to New York to London, prepared in myriad ways from sliced thick and served as steak, to roasted, to grated and used instead of flour as a base for gluten-free pizza, and so on. But using it to make a sauce for pasta has not yet, as far as I know, been adopted by chefs even though it is a typical Sicilian way of using green cauliflower when in season. Some of you will already know that I am well on my way to becoming Sicilian, at least in as far as having a home there, and as a result, I am spending a fair amount of time on the island, staying on a beautiful <a href="http://www.boscofalconeria.it/">organic farm</a> belonging to my friend, <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2006/jan/15/travel/tr-spano15">Mary Taylor Simeti</a>, who is also my guru for all things Sicilian &#8212; Mary is the author of the ultimate <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pomp-And-Sustenance-Centuries-Sicilian/dp/0880016108">book</a> on Sicilian food. So when I saw green cauliflower at the greengrocer, I decided to buy one before the season ends. Easter is the cut off time for cauliflower. Initially, I was going to make the pasta sauce myself. I had learned it from Mary but as she is just up the lane from my casetta, I thought why not have the master (or should I say mistress!) make it. And so it was. I carried my cauliflower to Mary&#8217;s house with my camera to snap her make the sauce while her gorgeous grandchildren sat mesmerized watching cartoons on the TV.</p>
<p><span id="more-11457"></span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/kai-emil-watching-tv-copy.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="650" height="650" class="size-full wp-image-11479 aligncenter" alt="kai &amp; emil watching tv copy" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/kai-emil-watching-tv-copy.jpg" /></a>First Mary divided the cauliflower into florets ,peeling the bottom stalks so that they would mash easily. Then she chopped a medium onion before she set about preparing the rest of the ingredients. She got a good handful of local pine nuts.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter" alt="getting the pine nuts from the jar" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/getting-the-pine-nuts-from-the-jar.jpg" width="650" height="434" />Then she put very small local raisins (also a handful) to soak adding saffron to the water. The raisins were also local but not the saffron which I had brought Mary, tied in an extravagant bunch, from Doha, Qatar.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" alt="adding the saffron to the raisins soaking water" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/adding-the-saffron-to-the-raisins-soaking-water.jpg" width="650" height="434" /></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">She then put the cauliflower florets to boil and let them boil until they were very soft.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" alt="boiling the cavolfiore" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/boiling-the-cavolfiore.jpg" width="650" height="535" /></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">She put the chopped onion and a little olive oil in a pan and set the pan over a medium heat, and added the pine nuts halfway through. Once the nuts were lightly coloured she added the anchovies and set the pan over the boiling cauliflower so that the anchovies could melt without burning. She scooped the cauliflower out of the water (which she was going to use to boil the pasta; Sicilans are very careful not to waste any water.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/adding-the-anchovies.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="650" height="480" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-11458" alt="adding the anchovies" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/adding-the-anchovies.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">And mashed the cauliflower before adding the raisins and their saffron flavoured soaking water</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-11459 aligncenter" alt="adding the boiled cavolfiore to the onions" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/adding-the-boiled-cavolfiore-to-the-onions.jpg" width="650" height="434" /></p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter" alt="adding the raisins to the cavolfiore" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/adding-the-raisins-to-the-cavolfiore.jpg" width="650" height="434" />She then boiled the pasta (one 500 g pack) in the same water she used to boil the cauliflower and once the pasta was done, she added it to the cauliflower.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-11461 aligncenter" alt="adding the pasta to the cavolfiore 2" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/adding-the-pasta-to-the-cavolfiore-2.jpg" width="650" height="434" />And mixed it well with the sauce.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter" alt="adding the pasta to the cauliflower 1" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/adding-the-pasta-to-the-cauliflower-1.jpg" width="650" height="434" />Et voila, a very unusual pasta with a green cauliflower sauce. The final touch was adding toasted breadcrumbs to the pasta. Sicilians love breadcrumbs or mollica as they call it and they add it to almost everything</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter" alt="pasta con cavolfiore-on the plate" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/pasta-con-cavolfiore-on-the-plate.jpg" width="650" height="573" />While we were eating our pasta, I was eyeing the bunch of herbs Mary had put in a glass to grow roots for her to eventually plant in her garden wondering when the time will come for me to ask her for some  cuttings to plant in my garden!</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-11468" alt="glass with herbs cuttings" src="https://www.anissas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/glass-with-herbs-cuttings.jpg" width="650" height="472" /></p>
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