Wonders of the World

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Om Ali (Egyptian Bread Pudding) Mar 21, 2017

Show notes

Om Ali (Egyptian Bread Pudding)

I don't do a lot of desserts on this podcast, mainly because, well, I don't know why. I just don't. Maybe it's the hassle of baking, maybe it's that I prefer savory dishes, maybe it's that desserts aren't THAT different from place to place? Maybe it's something deep in my psyche.

Well, I'm bucking the trend today! Om Ali (sometimes spelled Umm Ali) is an Egyptian bread pudding. The name means "Ali's Mom" and refers to the wife of an Egyptian sultan back in the middle ages. The story is that after the sultan died, Om Ali got into a fight with another of his wives, had her killed, and then gave this succulent dessert to the people of Egypt to celebrate. A weird story, if you ask me. She doesn't have a name? Just "Ali's Mom"?

Anyway, the story is awkward, but the dessert is delicious. In its most basic form, it's layered phyllo dough, crisped in an oven, and then soaked in sweetened milk to make a bread pudding, and then studded with nuts, raisins and such.

That can be delicious, but it's also possible to make it particularly awesome by adding a couple of small steps.

I'm basing this recipe on the recipe here: http://cleobuttera.com/middle-eastern/best-ever-om-ali-egyptian-bread-pudding/ — When Tasbih claimed that this was "best ever", I took her at her word.

I've changed hers up a little bit, mainly because a) I like the warmth that a little cinnamon, cardamom and vanilla provide and b) I don't have access to country-style clotted cream, so I thickened up the milk sauce with some extra cream.

There are plenty of other recipes that say those two changes are OK, so I'm comfortable with not being yelled at.

Anyway, try this. It's so freaking delicious. So so so good.

INGREDIENTS

1 package (17.5 oz / 500 g) of frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
1 cup / 240 ml sugar, divided in two
1 tsp cinnamon, divided in two
1/2 tsp cardamom, divided in two
4 cups / 1 liter whole milk
1/2 cup / 120 ml whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup golden raisins (aka sultanas) (optional)
1/2 cup shelled pistachios (optional)

STEPS

Preheat an oven to 200 C / 400 F. Unfold the puff pastry sheets onto a floured surface. Take 1/4 cup of the sugar, and sprinkle it onto the pastry sheets. Do the same with 1/2 tsp of the cinnamon and 1/4 tsp of the cardamom. Use a rolling pin to push the sugar and spices into the dough.
Fold the bottom sixth of the pastry up. Do the same with the top sixth. Then fold the top and bottom again so that they meet in the middle. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Fold the top onto the bottom one last time. You should have six layers.
Refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes to firm up.
Cut the dough into 3/8 inch / 1 cm pieces. Put them onto a baking sheet with plenty of space between. Cook for 6-8 minutes per side - Don't forget to flip! - then set aside. These lovely cookies are called Lunettes or Palmiers. You can actually enjoy them as is, if you like, but only a couple of more steps will take you to Om Ali brilliance.
Crumble up 3/4 of the lunettes and put them in a 9'x11' glass baking dish. Layer on the raisins and the pistachios if you're using them.
In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 cardomom. Add the milk and bring to a rolling simmer. Take it off the heat and add vanilla and cream.
Pour the milk mixture over the cookies. Let it sit for 10 minutes. While that's doing, preheat the broiler.
Put the rest of the cookies, crumbled up, on top of the soaked mixture. Put it under the broiler for about 10 minutes to ensure a crispy golden brown top.
Enjoy!

Thanks to Tasbih at cleobuttera.com for the brilliant idea of pre-cooking the puff pastry!

012 - The Temples of Karnak and Luxor and Pharaoh Hatshepsut Mar 21, 2017

Show notes

We go to Luxor Egypt, ancient capital of the New Kingdom, to visit the great temples of Karnak and Luxor. We discuss Hatshepsut: a fascinating woman who became king. We also talk temple-side fries! Special thanks to Dominic Perry and Lantern Jack.

Dakos (Cretan bread salad) Mar 07, 2017

Show notes

Most food on Santorini requires the local volcanic soil or crystal blue waters to make it special. While we could make tomatokeftedes, the deep-fried fritters fueled by the phenomenal local tomatoes, so perfect in the volcanic soil, you can't get Santorini tomatoes where you are, so it would be a pale imitation at best.

Therefore, we're going with something simple, that you can make with ingredients from your local supermarket. Dakos is translated as "bread salad" but I prefer to think of it as a cheesy Greek bruschetta.

Officially, these are made with barley rusks, which are twice-cooked bread rounds that are approximately as hard as rock. By letting them soak up the tomato juice and olive oil of the marinade, you make the rusks edible. So that's one way of going, but my version is a pansy American attempt, mainly because I can't get barley rusks anywhere and I live in a major metropolitan area in the 21st century: I'm guessing if I can't get 'em, you can't get 'em either.

So yes, this is absolutely not actual dakos. But you know what? It's amazing. My new favorite thing. It made me love feta for the first time in my life. Eat. It.

INGREDIENTS

4 slices of good, rustic country crusty bread
4 ripe tomatoes - use heirloom if you can
4 tbsp feta cheese - if you can do 2 tbsp feta, 2 tsp mzithra, even better
4 tsp olive oil
2 tsp oregano (Greek or Turkish, not Mexican - there is a difference)
salt and pepper to taste

STEPS

Chop the tomatoes. Some recipes call for grating them, but I find that unless you have perfect summer tomatoes, grating loses too much texture and leads to an unsavory mushiness. Put the tomatoes in a large bowl.
Mix with cheese, olive oil and oregano. Let sit for five minutes for flavors to meld.
Toast the bread to a golden brown.
While still hot - which is not at all canon, but I love what the warmth of the bread does to the tomatoes and cheese - top the slices with the mixture.
Let sit on the bread for a few minutes so the juices soak in. Salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!

NB: The picture does NOT match the recipe. The picture is of ACTUAL dakos, courtesy of wikipedia user Frente. I only remember to take a picture of what I'm cooking something like 20% of the time, which leaves me frantically scrambling and searching the internet like a college freshman. Anyway, you'll note the barley rusk on this picture. Frente also used olives, which you are welcome and encouraged to do - I am weird (as noted in Episode 3: The Statue of Zeus): I don't like olives though I love olive oil. But do as you will.

011 - Santorini and the Minoans Mar 07, 2017

Show notes

We go to the Greek island of Santorini to learn about the eruption that devastated the Minoan civilization of nearby Crete. Plus minotaurs, donkeys, Atlantis and Cretan cuisine! Thanks to Margo Anton and Seth Ruderman for their help.

Welsh Rarebit Feb 21, 2017

Show notes

You would think that something as simple as melted cheese on toast would be fairly straightforward, but there are billions of recipes out there for welsh rarebit. Well, maybe not billions, but quite a lot. Fortunately, Felicity Cloake of the Guardian has gone through virtually all of them (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/oct/27/how-to-cook-perfect-welsh-rarebit) and has found the perfect cheese and toast combo. Read her whole article - it's fantastic. I've made it to serve four, and have switched the cheese to Cheddar, since getting Lancashire cheese can be dicey. I also found a little extra Worcestershire and cayenne pepper added oomph.

But seriously. Eat this. Cymru am byth!!!

INGREDIENTS

2 tsp English mustard powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
6 tbsp stout (3/8 cup)
4 tbsp butter
Worcestershire sauce, to taste but at least 2 tsp
12 oz cheddar cheese, grated
4 egg yolks
4 slices bread

STEPS

Mix the mustard powder with a little stout in the bottom of a small pan to make a paste, then stir in the rest of the stout and add the butter and about 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce – you can always add more later if you like. Heat gently until the butter has melted.
Tip in the cheese and stir to melt, but do not let the mixture boil. Once smooth, taste for seasoning, then take off the heat and allow to cool until just slightly warm, being careful it doesn't solidify.
Set your oven to broil, and toast the bread on both sides. Beat the yolks into the warm cheese until smooth, and then spoon on to the toast and broil until bubbling and golden. Serve immediately.

NB: Eat this all at once - the sauce does not reheat well. Mine broke almost immediately when I tried to reheat it for Mrs. Wonders of the World.

(https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/oct/27/how-to-cook-perfect-welsh-rarebit)

Scone Feb 21, 2017

Show notes

The most important piece of afternoon tea is the tea itself, but that is outside the scope of this episode. So instead, let's focus on the scone, the perfect little pastry at the center of the meal.

This recipe is adapted from Mark Bittman in the New York Times (https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013297-classic-scones). These are English scones, so why am I using an American recipe? I don't know - I guess because this was the one which seemed simplest, with ingredients which can be obtained anywhere.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups cake flour, more as needed
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg
½ to ¾ cup heavy cream, more for brushing

STEPS

Heat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 C). Put the flour, salt, baking powder and 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Using a food processor helps to incorporate the butter thoroughly; you could mix it by hand, but you'll need to work your fingers in there to make sure the butter gets blended.
Add the egg and just enough cream to form a slightly sticky dough. If it's too sticky, add a little flour, but very little; it should still stick a little to your hands.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead once or twice, then press it into a 3/4-inch-thick circle and cut into 2-inch rounds with a biscuit cutter or glass. Put the rounds on an non-greased baking sheet. Gently reshape the leftover dough and cut again. Brush the top of each scone with a bit of cream and sprinkle with a little of the remaining sugar.
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the scones are a beautiful golden brown.
Serve immediately, preferably with clotted cream (lightly salted, high fat butter will do if you don't have the clotted cream). Be sure to let the butter soften. Then top with preserves: strawberry are traditional, but I had a vanilla chai jam that was outstanding, so do what feels good.

(https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013297-classic-scones)

Picture courtesy of Ibán Yarza via Wikimedia commons

010 - Stonehenge and Neolithic Britain Feb 20, 2017

Show notes

We go to Southwest England to see Stonehenge. We talk about the Neolithic revolution, Wales, Arthur and the Holy Grail, Bath, the Cotswolds, and clotted cream and scones. It's a lot! Thanks to Alexa Echlov and Rooksie Noorai for their help.

009a - Life in a Northern Territory Feb 16, 2017

Show notes

Bonus episode - An audio transcript of an interview of Ian, friend of the show and resident of the Northern Territory, in which he describes the heat, the snakes, the beer, and life in the far reaches of Australia's north. Read by Drew.

Pie Floater Feb 07, 2017

Show notes

Since I'm not allowed to cook kangaroo steaks, here's a recipe for a completely different Australian masterpiece: the pie floater, South Australia's gift to the culinary world. Imagine if you will: flaky pie crust, filled with seasoned ground meat and vegetables like leeks, carrots, and celery. So sort of like a beef or lamb pot pie. This is then floated in a bowl of bright green pea soup and served with a dollop of tomato sauce on top. Yep. I don't understand it either.

But let's try! This is, without question, the best recipe I've found. Mainly because it's the only one that makes each part of the floater individually; many say "Pick up a meat pie at the butcher's" - a silly thing to say when you live in the 99% of countries who don't have meat pie-selling butchers. It also doesn't require mediocre tomato sauce, because why? I'm translating this from the original Australian English.

INGREDIENTS

Part I:

1 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 lb ground beef
1⁄4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups beer (good beer - not Fosters)
1 1⁄2 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons Vegemite (use Marmite if Vegemite not available)
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Part II:

1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1⁄2 yellow onion, extra, finely chopped
1/4 lb potato, peeled, finely chopped
2 cups frozen peas
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
3 cups chicken stock

Part III:

4 sheets frozen butter puff pastry, just thawed
1 tablespoon creme fraiche

STEPS

Part I:

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onion. Cook for 5 minutes. Increase heat to high. Add ground beef. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the ground beef starts to brown. Add tomato paste and flour. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add beer and stir. Add stock and Vegemite. Simmer for 30 minutes until thickened. Add parsley. Set aside to cool.

Part II:

While the ground meat mixture is simmering, heat remaining oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add extra onion. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add potato, peas, mint and stock. Simmer for 20 minutes or until potato is soft. Cool slightly. Blend with a hand blender.

Part III:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Preheat oven tray on lowest shelf. Use a pizza cutter to cut a disc from the corner of 4 pastry sheets. Ease remaining pastry into four 4-inch (10cm) diameter round springform pans. Divide ground beef mixture among pans. Top each with a pastry disc. Press to seal edges. Trim excess. Cut 2 slits on each pie top. Place on tray. Bake for 15 minutes. Transfer tray to top shelf. Cook for 15 minutes until golden. Return soup to medium-high heat. Add creme fraiche. Simmer until warmed though. Divide soup among 4 bowls. Top with pies.

Adapted from: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/pie-floaters/19fe25ad-7203-40ce-a4a7-e2f1821e791a

009 - Uluru and Aboriginal Australians Feb 07, 2017

Show notes

We go to the Northern Territory of Australia to see Uluru, aka Ayers Rock, the world's largest monolith. We'll talk about Aboriginal Australians, snack on bush tucker, and somehow do an entire episode without mentioning AC/DC.

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