A startling confession

Prior to today, I have ever eaten a fresh fig. There I've said it. While I've certainly eaten the dried version - in the form of mo far kor, a Chinese snack that is essentially strips of dried fig coated with sugar - I've never touched a fresh one before. The reason for my going out to the supermarket today then and buying two packs of fresh figs is none other than Sugar High Friday #35, hosted by Ivonne, the theme of which is the beautiful fig.

Having never had a fig before, I wasn't quite sure what I was going to make with them. Thankfully the 3 or 4 cookbooks that I leafed through served up no less than 20 odd recipes involving figs. Many of them sounded delicious including fig clafouti, fig and raspberry pie, fig and almond galette, but I settled on a humble pound cake made with fresh figs. Reason being that as I was still new to figs, I wanted something simple that would showcase its flavour.


Given it was my first time handling figs, I was quite surprised to discover that they were extremely soft and delicate. For some reason, perhaps its dark skin, I had assumed they would be hard and that only the inside would be edible. As I was chopping up the figs to make the pound cake filling, I couldn't help but pop a piece into my mouth. It was soft, juicy and incredibly sweet. One piece turned into two which turned into three and it took much willpower to refrain from eating the rest of the chopped figs, else there would have been none left for the cake.

I popped the cake into the oven an hour before dinner and throughout our meal, I could only think of one thing - freshly baked pound cake for dessert. You're probably thinking that pound cake is not really an after-dinner type of dessert and I guess that's true. Its generally more of a tea time or even breakfast cake. Still, I think that it can be dressed up with a scoop of vanilla or coconut ice cream and hold its own at the dinner table. I, however, opted to eat it plain.

It was absolutely delish. The pound cake was moist, crumbly and buttery and the figs provided additional sweetness and texture. I couldn't help it, I had to have seconds and as suggested by the book, I'm looking forward to trying it with some jam tomorrow for breakfast.


Fresh Fig Pound Cake
From The Essential Baker

1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (for buttering pan)
2 tsp all-purpose flour
1/2 pound fresh figs (3 to 4 large), rinsed and dried
2 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
8 oz unsalted butter, softened
1 cup superfine sugar
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
3 tbsp milk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325F.

Use your fingertips or a paper towel to butter the inside of a loaf pan. Dust the inside of the pan with the all-purpose flour. Shake and tilt the pan to coat then turn the pan over the sink and tap out the excess flour.

Cut off the stems of the figs, then cut them in half vertically. Cut each half verticially in half again, then cut each quarter into small pieces, placing them into a small bowl.

Sift together the cake flour and baking powder. Add the salt and toss to blend well. Take 2 tablespoons of this mixture and toss with the fig pieces to coat them completely.

Place the butter in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Use the flat beater attachment to beat the butter on medium speed until it is fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar, and cream together well. Stop occasionally and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Adjust the mixer speed to medium-low. One at a time, add the eggs to the butter mixture, mixing well after each addition. The eggs will sit on top of the butter mixture, so stop after each addition and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to help mix evenly.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the milk and vanilla. Add to the butter mixture and blend well. Turn the mixture speed to low and add the dry ingredients in 3 stages, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add the fig pieces and mix to distribute evenly.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and 10 to 15 minutes, until the cake is light golden and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a rack for 20 minutes. Use a flexible-blade spatula or thin-bladed sharp knife to run around the outer edges to loosen the cake from the pan. Invert the pan over the cooling rack or a serving plate and gently pull the pan away from the cake.

Makes one 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch loaf cake

Better late than never

All through summer, M and I have been watching, with some envy, our downstairs neighbours having barbecue parties. You see, our apartment in London has no access to the garden even though it looks out onto it. The garden belongs solely to the tenants of the basement flat, which is fair I suppose - if you have to live in the basement, it makes sense that you're compensated with a nice garden you can use. Still, there have been times where I've wished that I could also fire up a grill and put on some juicy steaks or hamburgers.

This week for dinner then I finally decided to make use of my grill pan, which I have to admit hasn't really seen that much action this summer. Given that's its now September and summer is over, its a little on the late side, but hey, better late than never. My meat of choice was chicken which I skewered with zucchini and red peppers. I served these skewers with a hoisin barbecue sauce which I found on this site.

I have to say that even though a grill pan is not exactly the real thing, it still produced a nice smoky flavour with the requisite grill markings on the food. So until M and I get a flat with a garden, I'm guessing the grill pan is going to get a lot more use!

Hoisin Barbecue Sauce
From Food and Wine

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
3 tablespoons sake or dry sherry
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan and cook the garlic over moderately low heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sake, ketchup and rice vinegar and simmer over moderately low heat, stirring, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil. Let cool and serve.

The hoisin barbecue sauce can be refrigerated for 2 days.

Bucking the trend

Several nights ago, I decided to buck the trend of serving a simple midweek dinner and surprise M with something more special since he's been working so hard lately. Since M is a big fan of fish, I thought I'd make him some salmon. Given that time is still a constraint on weeknights, I found this recipe which features a Parmesan crusted salmon that is not difficult to make but which is paired with multiple elements that help make for a restaurant-style presentation. In fact, all the elements of this dish - basil pesto, mashed potatoes, sauteed asparagus and Parmesan crisps - can be whipped up in a jiffy.

I have to say it was really fun decorating each plate. What really completed the look though, was definitely the Parmesan crisps. Although incredibly simple to make, that crisp, delicate wafer standing proudly in each plate transformed an ordinary home-cooked meal into something a little more special.

When I served M the dish that night, he was surprised alright. Mission accomplished :)

Parmesan Crusted Salmon
From this site

2 salmon fillets, skinless
1/4 cup Parmesan, finely grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Basil pesto
Parmesan crisps
Sauteed asparagus
Mashed potatoes

Lightly season the salmon with salt and pepper. Generously coat one side of the salmon with the finely grated Parmesan. In a non-stick saute pan, add approximately 3 tablespoons vegetable oil and place over high heat. When the oil is hot, carefully place the salmon in the pan cheese side down. Turn temperature down to medium heat and allow the salmon to cook about 4 minutes before flipping over. The idea is to form a nice, crispy, lightly brown crust. Turn salmon and allow to cook another 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside in a warm place until plating.

To plate, place a small mound of mash potatoes in the center of the plate. Place the asparagus on top of the mashed potatoes at an angle. Then put the salmon nicely on the plate, overlapping the asparagus. Drizzle the plate with the basil pesto and garnish the plate with the Parmesan crisp by securing it in the bed of mashed potatoes.

Serves 2

Reminiscing about a trip to Morocco

I made a trip to Morocco two years ago during spring break when I was in business school. I know, Morocco is not your typical spring break locale but honestly, since I was no longer in college but in grad school, I really didn’t need to be doing the whole Cancun / Miami beach party scene. There were about 14 of us on this trip which lasted 8 or 9 days and took us through Casablanca, Rabat, Ouzarzate and Marrakesh. It was my first time in Morocco and I found myself mesmerized by what I saw. In particular, I remember vividly a camel ride through the Sahara dessert to watch the sunrise, the souks that were filled with all kinds of vendors hawking their wares and the food.

While many of my friends quickly got bored with the never-ending supply of tagine, I found that I could eat it day in and day out, each variation more delicious than the next. Thus, when Arabesque by Claudia Roden was released, I knew I had to get myself a copy and try to recreate the flavours of Morocco at home.

One of my favourite recipes from this book is the couscous with lamb, onion and raisins which combines a meltingly tender lamb stew with a caramelized onion and raisin compote of sorts. Although this dish takes a fairly long time to make, due mostly to the need to simmer the lamb till it falls apart when you touch it, the actual preparation involved is fairly easy. The presentation of this dish also looks quite impressive (I'm afraid my photography skills don't do it justice) so it’s a great dish to make whenever you’re entertaining and that’s exactly what I did when M and I had guests over this past weekend.

The first time I made this I accidentally put in an extra teaspoon of cinnamon in the lamb. I was worried that this would make the cinnamon taste overpowering but having since compared this with a version made with the amount of cinnamon called for in the recipe, I would actually recommend adding a little more cinnamon if you like the taste.

Couscous with lamb, onions and raisins
From Arabesque

1 kg lamb, boned shoulder or leg
1.25 kg onions
salt and black pepper
1/2 - 1 tsp ground ginger
2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 cloves
1/2 tsp saffron threads or powder
40g butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp clear honey
150g raisins, soaked in water for 20 minutes
200g blanched almonds

Prepare the meat broth in a large pan. Put in the meat, with about 250g of the onions, chopped, and cover with 1.75 litres of water. Bring to the boil and remove the scum. Add salt and pepper, ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and the cloves. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. At this point, add the saffron and more water if necessary, and simmer for another 30 minutes or until the meat is so tender you can pull it apart with your fingers.

At the same time, prepare the honeyed onion tfaya. Cut the remaining onions in half and slice them. Put them into a pan with 250ml water. Put the lid on and cook over a low heat for about 30 minutes until the onions are very soft. Remove the lid and cook further until the liquid has evaporated. Add the butter and oil and cook until the onions are golden. Stir in the honey and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, the drained raisins and a pinch of salt. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes or until the onions caramelize and become brown.

Separately, prepare the couscous according to your favourite recipe.

Fry the almonds in a drop of oil until golden, turning them over, then drain on kitchen paper and coarsely chop about half of them.

To serve, place the couscous in a baking dish or large round platter. Moisten the couscous with a ladle of broth and mix in the chopped almonds. Shape the couscous into a mound, and make a wide shallow hollow in the centre. Put the meat into the hollow, cover with the onion and raisin tfaya, and sprinkle with the remaining whole fried almonds. Serve the broth separately.

Serves 4-6

A much needed midweek pick-me-up

As you’ve probably heard by now, there’s been a tube strike in London (which as of the current time has been suspended). Its inconceivable to me that such a thing could happen. That all but 3 tube lines could shut down and essentially leave millions of people stranded trying to find a way home. Luckily for me, the Piccadilly line which takes me to and from work was still operating. Still, since the lines that were still operating had to handle the overflow from the shut lines, going home on Monday evening was less than a pleasant experience. Thus, on Tuesday, to avoid being packed like sardines on a train for about 15-20 minutes, I decided to hike it to work.

I’ve actually started experimenting with walking to work about three weeks ago and I must say I really like it. Its relatively quiet and peaceful at 8 in the morning and my walk takes me through the length of Hyde Park. You can still hear the birds chirping at that time (before they get drowned out by the sounds of traffic) and it feels good to get your body going after a night of sleep.

Yesterday, after walking both to and from work – which takes a good hour each way – I was pretty beat by the time I reached home. Thus, I decided it was time for a midweek pick-me-up. So I flipped through my cookbooks and found a recipe for a cookie that was simple to make yet sounded incredibly decadent – Deluxe Double-Chocolate Cookies from Tartine, a cookbook that I’ve been dying to sample a recipe from.

As I expected, the cookies were quick to make. However, the 7-8 minutes that it took to bake felt interminably long as once the cookies were put in the oven, they started to puff up beautifully and I just couldn’t wait to taste them. And the smell – just a deep, rich chocolate-ty smell that started to permeate the kitchen after just a minute or two in the oven.

When the first batch of cookies first came out from the oven, they were very soft and fragile, but they did get slightly firmer as they cooled. As an experiment, I baked the next batch of cookies about a minute longer and found that the cookies were slightly firmer, though still crumbly inside, which I preferred.

The cookies are great on their own and tied with a ribbon, they make cute little gifts.

Deluxe Double-Chocolate Cookie
From Tartine


225g bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

155g all-purpose flour

50g cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

115g unsalted butter, at room temperature

225g sugar

2 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup whole milk

Preheat the oven to 175C. Butter a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.

Melt chocolate in a bowl over a bain-marie, stirring occasionally, just until the chocolate melts and is smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Stir together the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder in a bowl. Set aside. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy. Slowly add the sugar and mix until the mixture is completely smooth and soft. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until incorporated before adding the next egg. Beat in the salt and vanilla, and then add the melted chocolate and beat until incorporated. Add the milk and beat until combined. Finally, add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until incorporated.

Drop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Bake the cookies until they are just barely firm on top when lightly touched but are still very soft underneath, about 7 minutes. They will get firmer as they cool. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool. They will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.

Makes about 36 cookies