The phrase "It tastes like it was made with love" may have some truth in it. Middle Easterners call this nafas - a kind of energy transmitted through ones' cooking and baking through the vibes the home chef gives out. it definitely affects the taste and flavor of whatever dish is being made.
Reem Kassis, a Palestinian cookbook author who also writes about history and politics explored this in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Nafas is an energy that some people possess that make their meals not only good but exceptional. This is seen in other cultures too.(and I've witnessed it first hand with my Mom's amazing cooking). In Korea it's known as sonmat or hand taste. Across India it's both known as haatachi chav - hand's taste in Marathi while in Hindi nafas is called maza haath mein hota hai or the taste that comes from the hand. Some like Palestinian Labiba Halloun is known for it as people ask for months in advance for her kubbeh niyah , a tartare of bulgur and ground lamb for wedding feasts/ Yet there could be something scientific in it as well. Rob Dunn a professor at North Carolina State University studies the biology underlying differences between sour dough starters. He claims that the microbes in our hands and in our environments lead to variations in our dishes. He has experimented with exact same doughs but kneaded by a variety of people. The common taste is there but each varies slightly. Researchers in his lab also discovered that sourdough breads tasted weird when they were made strictly in a lab environment while those made at home has a "home flavor".
Ms Kassis also includes her grandmother recipes for carrots maqliba a kind of rice cake and another Middle Eastern dish narjissiya with asparagus and Halloumi and sumac. The first is rib eye steak cut into cubes and sauteed with onions. Carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks are then added as is basmati rice spiced with ,pepper, cinnamon, turmeric and cumin. This layered cake is cooked for ten minutes more with a plate on top to keep in the steam. The whole mound is then inverted on the plate and decorated with fried or toasted slivered almonds. The narjissiya has the best of Islamic cooking, starting with sunnyside up eggs and halloumi, a Middle Eastern cheese made from a combination of goats and sheep's milk.Asparagus is also added. The cheese is first cooked until browned in olive oil, then set aside while the eggs and spears are sauteed together with garlic. Pita croutons which are easily made by baking them in a 350 F degree oven for ten to fifteen minutes, and sumac oil - just a mix of olive oil and this - are placed on top of the cheese, eggs and asparagus, along with plain yogurt. You could probably sub in the sumac oil with za'atar to really make it flavorful.
Nafas , which could translate to the love of cooking and the love of the ones you're feeding - is not only prevalent in Middle Eastern cooking but around the world. Love can come through what you're cooking. A good home chef always shows it.
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