Crumpets or pikelets?

This is like a whistle stop tour of the UK. Most of us know what a crumpet looks like – where I come from a crumpet is called a pikelet – all these regional differences, still it keeps us entertained. A crumpet was posh – a pikelet definitely wasn't! The obvious difference is that a pikelet is thinner than a crumpet.

Speaking of regional differences, it reminds me, over the years I've got some very strange looks from friends when referring to such items as, for example, “oven bottoms” - having reassured them that I was not being rude, I then had to explain what an “oven bottom” was – if you're north of Watford – especially north west of, then you'll know that the name came about because bakers made use of every single inch of their ovens and no dough was ever wasted. They formed the dough into regular shapes and placed on the bottom of the oven – it didn't rise because it couldn't and so was flat top and bottom – hence “the oven bottom”.

Anyway back to the crumpet and the pikelet.

During a recent trip to Bicester Shopping Outlet, the morning snack was taken in the Farmshop Restaurant and Cafe. I'm not the easiest to please with mid morning snacks but was suitably impressed with what I chose, here it is :

It was as good as it looks. If I had one weeny criticism it was that it was a mite heavy and needless to say I had help to finish them – well everyone has to taste. In case it's difficult to see, the crumpets are toasted, covered in cream cheese and then drizzled with honey.

Enter the pikelet. You'll see that it is thinner than your average crumpet and just right for the likes of me. Toast your pikelet and spread with cream cheese - here's my extra twist – drizzle with maple syrup. The strange thing is that I don't have a sweet tooth but the balance of the pikelet, cream cheese and just a hint of natural sweetness is wonderful.

Christmas breakfast anyone?

Christmas late night snack anyone?

Christmas “I'm sick of food and fancy something really quick and easy” anyone?

My mezze …

contribution that is

As you've come to expect with me, what follows is my take on a Lebanese mezze dish which formed the appetiser for my class :

Halloumi and pomegranate salad

Serves 6 as an appetiser

50g walnuts, toasted and chopped

250g Halloumi – sliced

salt and black pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

cherry tomatoes, halved

Warm the oil in a frying pan. Season and fry the sliced halloumi for 1-2 minutes each side – set aside and keep warm, add the tomatoes and repeat. Serve in small bowls, sprinkle with walnuts and drizzle with dressing.

Pomegranate Dressing

2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

juice of two limes

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

Generous pinch of nigella seeds

1-2 tsps sumac

Mix all the ingredients together. Drizzle over the halloumi and tomatoes.

Serve with warmed mini pitta breads or

rustic bread of your choice

By the way – if you have bottled lime juice in your pantry 2 tbsp of juice = 1 lime.

Mmmm – Mezze

… or meze or kemia

Lebanon, Turkey and Morocco respectively. The spirit of mezze is that of a sociable, sharing experience.

There's something really decadent about picking and choosing from small bowls or plates, using your fingers and delicious bread.

Everything changes when you're sat round a table, you are much more likely to try dishes you've not tasted before or even to re-visit a dish you've previously disliked. It's like the salad bar principle, because you can serve yourself and there's no pressure - if a dish looks colourful and therefore tempting you give it a go and who knows – you might like it!

I think the other crucial ingredient is good bread – not just for dipping but to use almost like a piece of cutlery picking up small pieces of food. Once again there are loads to choose from and if you don't want to go to the bother of making your own you can buy great varieties, pitta I suppose being the most widely available. If you are lucky enough to live in an area that has an artisan bakery you're sure to find a rustic bread that will fit the bill for your mezze. One to put on your list is “pide” - a Turkish bread that uses semolina and it is absolutely delicious.

There are so many mezze dishes to choose from – some you can make ahead so the flavours can infuse – a bonus when catering for the guests. There are the popular dishes that we're all familiar with, hummus made with chickpeas, tarama (which is known as taramasalata in Greece) made with smoked cod's roe and baba ganoush (ghanouj) made with aubergine.

If you think about it you can transfer the same principle of sharing plates, appetisers, call them what you will, all over the world – Tapas in Spain, Cicchetti in Italy to name but two.

Whatever Country takes your fancy the end result is the same – who doesn't like tearing and sharing bread and dipping in.

As usual, this is just the tip of the iceberg!

P.s. If you can't find pide then Italian focaccia is a good alternative.

Talking of Tagines

… which I know we weren't, but in a roundabout sorta way we were - the tagine is a cooking pot used for slow cooking meat and vegetables.

The North African tagine is smaller and shallower than the Middle Eastern which is larger and deeper.

This slow cooking method is similar to stewing except that we would generally stew meat and vegetables in liquid – i.e. water or stock. The tagine is so shaped – it has a distinctive tall, conical shaped lid, so that the water formed from the ingredients turns into vapour, running down the sides of the conical lid inside, to the edges of the base ingredients. The meat and/or vegetables brown which you would not get with the stewing method where the ingredients are submerged in water.

The tagine was generally made out of clay or earthenware and sat cooking gently over a fire with the heat dispersing evenly all around the tagine – the end result is a naturally reduced sauce.

These cooking vessels were used for centuries before such luxuries as ovens. Which begs the question – when you consider how small a tagine is – what happens when there's a party – good question – answer – cook the food in giant pots, made out of copper, aluminium or stainless steel and you can buy or rent – known as “qdra”.

With “street” and “souk” food the stews are cooked in saucepans as they are in the poorer areas and more remote countryside too - known as “marqa”.

The word nowadays, though completely incorrect, has come to mean the contents of the pot, i.e. a stew in its various forms, for example - “M'quali” are cooked in oil and containing saffron and ginger and the sauce is yellow. “M'hammer” are cooked in olive oil or butter and spiced with cumin and paprika and the sauce is red.

So, in restaurants the “tagines” or “stews” are made in the larger pots and then transferred to the smaller tagines to serve at table.

If you are a lover of the sweet and savoury combination of flavours then this is the cuisine for you since the “stew” is very often enhanced with either apricots, dates, prunes and/or honey – I could go on!

The ultimate lunch box:

… tiffin

I mentioned in “Tiffin time” that tiffin is also a midday meal and in particular a portable lunch.

These boxes are usually round and have three/four separate compartments with a lid and clips to secure, to prevent spillage of the contents and a handle.

In Mumbai, India (and in other areas there too) a dabbawala (literal translation “one who carries a box”) is a person who is an integral part of a delivery system of food to workers – collecting from the workers' homes in the morning in time to deliver at the place of work by lunchtime and then return the lunch box to the home for use the next day. The boxes are taken by bike and then on to trains, picked up from their destination and taken to the appropriate place of work.

Each box has a code – for collection from home – outward railway station – station destination and then a distinguishing mark for the receiving dabbawala at the place of work enabling delivery, i.e. to the appropriate building and floor.

Lots of office workers prefer to eat food from home. There are obviously restaurants and also street food stalls, but clearly the tiffin box has remained popular - this service first appeared in the 1890ies and has grown and grown – research says that between 175,000 and 200,000 tiffin boxes are moved every day.

Thought you might like to see what they look like :

                                      

Fast food – there's fast and then there's fast!