Menu for a spice merchant Vendeva spezie per dar gusto alla sua vita solitaria, che il destino aveva voluto fosse priva di sapore e assente di colore. Era solo al mondo e vestiva sempre di sfarzosa seta nera, un gran contrasto con quel negozio smelling of pepper, ginger, cinnamon and shone the light of the cans of pink salt , the curry tinged with orange, saffron and blue poppy seeds, a rainbow aromatic gray in his life.
But all the colors and tastes seem to fade in its pots. Once entered into his house, everything seemed to be losing the taste and also large amounts seemed never enough.
The spice merchant that day did the rounds of his large house, large paintings on the walls and ancient tapestries hung senseless on the floor, Persian carpets and valuable inert waiting his feet crushed. He ran his hands over his inlaid furniture, richly decorated with gold leaf and marble; si sentiva potente, forte, pieno di quella gagliardia che da la posessione, il danaro, l'abbondanza e la ricchezza. Pensava che fosse la cosa più importante della vita, e che tutto si potesse comprare e vendere.
Ma la sua cucina, continuava ad essere insipida, sciapa e sbiadita. E non capiva perchè.
Sono uno dei più grandi mercanti di spezie al mondo, pensava, so la storia e la provenienza di ognuna di loro, conosco gli usi medicinale e culinario di ogni tipo, di ogni flacone, essenza, frutto e miscela esistente e non capisco, non riesco a comprendere perchè se uso le migliori, se ne uso in grandi quantità...il mio cibo non sa di nulla.
Amina veniva spesso al negozio, comprava pochi grammi di pepe o di zenzero, sorrideva con i suoi occhi color del miele e con quel poco che aveva a disposizione, profumava la casa e tutto il quartiere con qualsiasi cosa avesse fatto quel giorno: pan di cannella, pollo al curry, torta di mele e zenzero...
-Amina come fai, con tre grammi di pepe, a profumare il cibo in quella maniera?- le chiese un giorno.
E lei, che lo amava in silenzio da anni, ma che sapeva che essendo povera, lui non l'avrebbe mai accettata, alzò le spalle sorridendo. -Non lo so, forse è l'ingrediente segreto- rispose sbattendo le ciglia.
L'espressione del mercante divenne seria. -non è possibile- pensò, vendo tutte le spezie, erbe, e aromi del mondo, vendo frutta secca, miscele aromatiche e le conosco tutte...ingrediente secret? Amina kidding me-he thought, looking at her with questioning eyes.
-Look, come and dine with me and I shall tell you the secret. The Merchant
wavered, would have been ashamed of being seen entering a house poor, but the curiosity of an ingredient that he had in store, the biting pride. I thought, and accepted the invitation, bad mood as always.
-Amina, take what you need from the store tonight and I will come.
And she took the spices, herbs and dried fruits which he needed, sparingly, a few ounces, so few that the merchant was astonished by the flavor of the dinner, tasty, colorful and unique.
Incredulous and satisfied, the merchant still could not believe I ate so well with what little flavor, when he used the best and in large quantities without success.
-What 's this famous secret ingredient?
Amina stood up, took his hands, looked at him with her eyes and colored sweet as honey and whispered softly, slowly, slowly, one word in his ear.
And the life of the merchant changed. In that house so poor, almost no furniture, carpets and bare walls of braided cords, finally learned that in life, as in the kitchen, what matters is not the wealth and abundance, but ...
... Love.
For you, the menu of Amina:
fragrant rice pilaf Serves 4 50g butter
6 cardamom pods 1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves 300 g basmati rice 500 ml chicken stock 1 onion, finely chopped 50 grams of almonds in fillets 50 g coarsely chopped unsalted pistachios 125 grams of dried figs 50 grams of dried apricots salt and pepper and coriander finely chopped parsley
Far cliffs half the butter in a saucepan with a lid, add the seeds contained in pods of cardamom and cinnamon stick and fry for about thirty seconds before you put the rice and bay leaves and stir until rice is completely soaked in butter flavored. Add broth, cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat. Must cook a minimum for about 15 minutes and then let stand without opening for 5 minutes more.
In a skillet, melt the remaining butter and when it begins to foam, toss in the almonds and pistachios and brown moving them until they begin to turn brown. Add the figs and apricots, removable 3, 4 minutes, add the cooked rice, which have risen from the cinnamon stick and bay leaves, salt and pepper. Sevire immediately, sprinkled with coriander and parsley.
Beef Balti Ingredients for 4:
1 tablespoon olive oil 1 kg shoulder Beef cut into cubes 2 cm 1 clove garlic, minced 1 onion, cut roughly 2 cm fresh ginger grated 2-3 teaspoons balti curry (medium spicy) 400 gr of peeled tomatoes diced 200 ml of water, finely chopped coriander 1 tomato, seeded, cut into julienne Warm half the oil in a pan and let brown in most sometimes all the meat on all sides and keep warm.
you heat the remaining oil in same pan fry the garlic and let us, la cipolla e lo zenzero. Quando la cipolla sarà diventatata trasparente, rimettere la carne nella padella, con i pomodori , il curry e l'acqua. Portare a ebolizione, coprire e lasciar cuocere a fuoco molto basso circa un'ora o dipendendo dalla qualità e durezza della carne. Girare ogni tanto durante la cottura. e aggiungere dell'acqua in caso fosse necessario. Spolverare di coriandolo e di pezzi di pomodoro in julienne.
Mousse di cioccolato al pepe nero Ingredienti per 6 porzioni
3 tuorli d'uovo 7 albumi 200 gr di cioccolato fondente 85% 75 gr di butter two pinches of black pepper, ground fine 70 grams of sugar
Far Cliffs chocolate in a double boiler, add the butter into small pieces and mix. Add the egg yolks and pepper and beat until smooth and creamy preparation. Separately, beat the egg whites until stiff with sugar. Gently incorporate the mixture of chocolate, with the help of a spatula, wrap in movements from the bottom up. Pour into individual ramekins or dessert cups and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
And with this menu for a spice merchant, I participate in the contest:
