Dinner 19.03.2011 Caramlized onion and smoked garlic tart,

“Whilst the cats away, the mice make garlic tart” says Charlie.

And he’s right. As the Eurostar pulls out of Dover, bound for ropey Continental breakfasts, beer and German sausage, I reach for the bulb of smoked garlic that has been sitting (much lusted after, oft spoken of) in my pantry, waiting for its debut.

I based my tart on a mish-mash of recipes, with influences of Ottolenghi’s caramelised garlic tart (puff pastry, caramelised garlic, double cream…) and a traditional French Pissaladiere (plenty of rosemary, caramelised onion, enough garlic to kill a mosquito from a thousand feet). ‘Fusion Food’ you might say- A hybrid of French and Middle Eastern, classic and contemporary.

Twenty minutes in, and the pastry was beginning to turn golden. The roasting garlic was smelling both sweet and sharp and the onions were caramelising. I realised I was onto something special. The puff pastry meant the tart was a little swollen, bumpy and misshapen, but as most people know, I like my food (animals, men…) ugly.

The smoked garlic was definitely the star of this dish- I was worried it might have lost its smoked taste during the cooking process, but subtley it survived. The tart was accompanied with a leafy salad, something a little special, I added marinated golden beetroot, roasted hazelnuts, feta and red onions, not to mention plenty of fresh herbs and winter spinach from my garden.

xxx

Eastern Meditteranean Supper

My current obsession (I think it would be fair to call it such) is with Eastern Mediteranean cuisine. It's a passion that been building over time and seems perfectly natural - I've always loved street food and prefer to eat mezze style over a more British set plates and courses. I love flatbreads and hummus, vegetable based dishes and healthy, natural food.

Discovering Ottolenghi, and owning his cook books was a definite milestone in my culinary explorations. This awakening led me to the Bierut Street food of Yalla Yalla, and meanderings onto Edgware Road.

A few nights ago, I held a Lebanese supper, with recipes taken from a Ottolenghi and Silvena Rowe..

Radish and broad bean salad, with preserved lemon- A light, sharp salad with a bit of bite.

Grilled Aubergine, with saffron yoghurt, pine nuts and pomegranate seeds- A Lou Loves Food favourite, and a favourite of all who try it.

Pastry boreks with feta and spinach

Burnt aubergine, with tahini and pomegranate molasses and seeds

Pistachio Revani, with a pomegranate seed syrup

xxx

How to: Make home made falafel and hummus

.

I love Middle Eastern food- it's a real influence on the way I cook. Its light, fresh tapas style is especially perfect for the summer.
Any of you who follow my blog will know that I regularly turn to Ottolenghi for ideas when cooking, but if you want to start with the basics, you can't go wrong with falafel and hummus.
I made it a little more interesting by substituting the chickpeas that you traditionally use in falafel for sweet potato... It results in a beautiful coloured ball, and is a little sweeter.

This makes for a really lovely lunch or light supper. Serve it with warm pitta bread (gorgeous) or in wraps with the lettuce and hummus for something simple you can eat on the go.

Sweet Potato Falafel


Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C and roast two large sweet potatoes whole until just tender - This will take about 45 to an hour. Turn off the oven, leave the potatoes to cool, then peel. (Not wanting to waste anything, I save the skin and chew on them later. Remember- this is where all the goodness lives!)

Put the sweet potatoes into a large bowl with a teaspoon and a half of cumin and ground coriander, two cloves of crushed garlic, a good splash of lemon juice and a small cup of gram/chickpea flour. Add this a little at a time as you stir it all together- you don't want too much. The first time I tried this it was a little heavy and dry. You want the mix to be sticky, but not too sloppy. But remember that when you chill it, it will set a bit more!

When it is fairly smooth season well and stick in the fridge to firm up for an hour, or the freezer for 20-30 minutes. When you take it out, your mix should be sticky rather than really wet. You can add a tablespoon or so more of chickpea flour if necessary at this stage if you think it still needs it.


Reheat the oven to 180C. (My directions are for a fan assisted oven.) Scoop up handfuls of the mix roll into falafel shaped balls- about an inch in diameter, and put them on an oiled tray. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and bake in the oven for around 15 minutes, until the bases are golden brown.


Hummus

This is an insanely quick and easy recipe! (Let's be honest- if it wasn't I probably wouldn't be doing it...) Just drain a tin of chickpeas and rinse, reserve a handful of whole chick peas for serving. Combine the chickpeas with four tablespoons of lemon juice, two cloves of crushed garlic, a tsp of cumin, salt, and 100ml tahini, with a few tablespoons of water in a food processor, and blend to a purée. Add more lemon juice, garlic, cumin or salt to taste.

Spoon out into a bowl- ideally something Middle Eastern, blue in tone and beautiful! Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and scatter with the reserved chickpeas. Finally, sprinkle on a bit of paprika. Serve with pitta bread.

xxx

Cafe Libanais- Not just a pretty face..?

Cafe Libanais

I'd been meaning to check out Cafe Libanais for a while. Located in the Middle Eastern-dense area of Marylebone, it is brighter and more contemporary than the generally traditional shisha bars and kebab restaurants of the area.

I first started to drop in on Cafe Libanais as a cheap source of orange blossom and rose water- paying about £1.50 for a glass bottle of each. Being an artist and easily swayed by the aesthetic, I was instantly drawn to its bright, graphic decor; the chequered tables, red plastic furniture and cardboard giant grinning pop-art faces. I loved the interior correlating to the website design and the stacks of dusted Turkish Delight and sticky baklava behind the glass counters- I was flustered by the little individual cubes of nougat piled high at 30p a pop by the till. I was won over, instant sold to the shiny well marketed design.


So I made a date to pop in to try it out properly. I admit I felt twinges of guilt en route as I scurried past Conaught street and the surrounding area, passing numerous outlets of the sprawling Maroush Empire, Al Waha, with its glowing reputation and loyal following and the humble locals like Fatoush.

Every time I go, I am excited by the decor- the casual, contemporary and ultimately art-y glamour of the place. I have heard tales of their rose water macaroons and mint teas, lemonade made with pomegranate and orange blossom- rumours of a menu that is modern, creative, bite sized and fun. The day I wriggle onto one of the little plastic chairs and study the beautifully bright menu is a hot one, and light and sweet is exactly what I'm looking for.

There is mild disappointment when the waiter informed me they didn't have the flat bread I had ordered (moments earlier we had joked; what kind of a Middle Eastern restaurant would run out of flat bread..? Oh.) I'm pretty sure that we were also served lemonade, instead of lemonade with orange blossom and pomegranate. It was sweet and sharp and good- but the orange blossom would have made it all the better.
Having to rearrange our order after the flat bread problem, we went for a classic mix- hummus and pitta bread, and falafel, served with salad, jalapenos and tortilla.


The food arrived- the lemonade in appealingly chunky glasses, the falafel in a brown terracotta plate, all looking abundant and edible. The pitta was soft and thick and warm, the hummus generous. I couldn't claim it was hands down the-best-hummus I'd tasted (I have a penchant for the ones flavoured with roasted pepper or cumin, or topped with pine nuts) but it was enjoyable, glossy with olive oil and garnished with chickpeas and flat leafed herbs.
The falafel was also good. Large, crispy shelled and soft inside, served with a tatziki. Not at all greasy, not quite moist, but not too dry.

We finished it off with an espresso to go, carried away in a teeny card espresso cup and a beautifully designed (I wouldn't expect anything less) paper bag of orange blossom water.
Looking back, the food was certainlygood enough, an enjoyable but slightly expensive lunch time stop. I can't help but feel I was mostly paying for the experience though- the decor and the ambiance, and the cute little touches; rose water sweets on funky menus and individually wrapped nougat.

This is not the place to go for an authentic Middle Eastern experience- if you are looking for that, then look for the swarthy men huddled round shisha pipes outside dark mosaic-ed bars on Conought Street. Literally follow your nose. You will find cheaper, and you will find tastier.

But you won't find Arabic-chic meets pop-art graphics and textile bags or tin gifts. You probably won't find decor that will give you a headache and beautifully considered menus. This isn't the place to reminisce over your summer spent in Beirut- but it is the place to catch up with friends, over a few cubes of nougat (The cafes more affordable offering, at least...) and a mint tea.

Cafe Libanais- 80% pretty face... And unashamedly so.

Cafe Libanais, 65 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 1PZ
www.lecompoir.co.uk

Cheap Eats: Al Aya

.

Al Aya

Dropping in to this little Lebanese restaurant in South Wimbledon, I found Al Aya to be a friendly local restaurant with good mint tea (integral to, and often a sign of, any good Middle Eastern eatery...) and reasonably priced dishes of homemade and traditional mezze.




The price didn't compromise the relaxed atmosphere or the quality of the food. The baked aubergine was particularly good- it wasn't too much of a pulp and all the individual flavours and textures came through. The falafel, which is the usual suspect for being particularly hit or miss also didn't disappoint. The large portions tasted hand-made and were deep fried with sesame seeds so that it was soft inside (without being flaky or dry) and crispy shelled.

The staff were gorgeous- when we enquired about mint tea we were recommended as to how we should take it; just mint, lemon and water. Without the tea and sugar it wasn't as sweet and synthetic as mint tea so often is. When we bought some baklava to take away, she rooted about to pick us out the largest pieces from the tray... Serious brownie points scored!

Al Aya, 195-197 Merton Rd, Wimbledon, London, SW19 1EE, 020 8417 0606

x