Comments on: Land of the Pure http://www.saltshaker.net/20070326/land-of-the-pure Casting a little flavor (and a few aspersions) on the world of food, drink, and life Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:14:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: dan http://www.saltshaker.net/20070326/land-of-the-pure/comment-page-1#comment-177176 dan Sun, 11 Jan 2009 02:34:03 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20070326/land-of-the-pure#comment-177176 I'll have to keep my eyes out for a source here for the blend - maybe one of the Armenian or Syrian markets carries it, I don't think we have a Persian market of any sort. Sounds absolutely delicious the way you made it - will have to give it a try! I’ll have to keep my eyes out for a source here for the blend – maybe one of the Armenian or Syrian markets carries it, I don’t think we have a Persian market of any sort. Sounds absolutely delicious the way you made it – will have to give it a try!

]]> By: thepoliticalcat http://www.saltshaker.net/20070326/land-of-the-pure/comment-page-1#comment-177169 thepoliticalcat Sat, 10 Jan 2009 23:06:56 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20070326/land-of-the-pure#comment-177169 Oh, silly me, I emailed you with my comments. In the event, here's the gist of them, I have no idea whether your email addie was a noreplyto, in which case it'll bounce all OVER the innertubes before coming to rest. Very well, then. I managed to find a spice blend called 7-spice-blend Lebanese style (the recipe I have calls for the Persian style, but that I could not find for love or money) at Zamouri's spices, easily found with teh Googles, and not terribly expensive, although it does contain hard-to-find ingredients like the sour cherry pits called mahlab which are supposed to be very fragrant. My recipe calls for 1 tsp of the mix. I used 3 tsp. I also used a 3" stick of true cinnamon and 2 Tbsp ground rose petals, and the result was a simply delicious blend of flavours. I used bone-in lamb shoulder chops (being tough, they stood up well to the long cooking) and 10 dried Tientsin chillies. Oh, and Basmati rice. Excellent, excellent. The Basmati rice needs to be washed, drained, and dried before cooking, and added about 10 minutes or so before the dish is done. I browned the lamb bones thoroughly before adding to the dish and removed them before adding rice. Oh, silly me, I emailed you with my comments. In the event, here’s the gist of them, I have no idea whether your email addie was a noreplyto, in which case it’ll bounce all OVER the innertubes before coming to rest.

Very well, then. I managed to find a spice blend called 7-spice-blend Lebanese style (the recipe I have calls for the Persian style, but that I could not find for love or money) at Zamouri’s spices, easily found with teh Googles, and not terribly expensive, although it does contain hard-to-find ingredients like the sour cherry pits called mahlab which are supposed to be very fragrant. My recipe calls for 1 tsp of the mix. I used 3 tsp. I also used a 3″ stick of true cinnamon and 2 Tbsp ground rose petals, and the result was a simply delicious blend of flavours. I used bone-in lamb shoulder chops (being tough, they stood up well to the long cooking) and 10 dried Tientsin chillies. Oh, and Basmati rice. Excellent, excellent.

The Basmati rice needs to be washed, drained, and dried before cooking, and added about 10 minutes or so before the dish is done. I browned the lamb bones thoroughly before adding to the dish and removed them before adding rice.

]]> By: dan http://www.saltshaker.net/20070326/land-of-the-pure/comment-page-1#comment-176249 dan Sat, 20 Dec 2008 10:49:02 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20070326/land-of-the-pure#comment-176249 No, thank you for the excellent addition of informaiton on the dish! Yes, the dish was <em>Cabsat al-Lahm</em>, though I don't recall at the moment where I got the recipe, nor do I seem to have it sitting about. Keep in mind that given the limits on what's available here in Argentina I often have to leave out or substitute various ingredients, plus, as noted, between the first and second day (and often even on the first day if a recipe looks complicated and I try it out beforehand) I often change things - the food we serve is meant to be "inspired by" traditional flavors, not necessarily to reproduce classic dishes. Please do report back on your dinner - would love to hear how it turns out! No, thank you for the excellent addition of informaiton on the dish! Yes, the dish was Cabsat al-Lahm, though I don’t recall at the moment where I got the recipe, nor do I seem to have it sitting about. Keep in mind that given the limits on what’s available here in Argentina I often have to leave out or substitute various ingredients, plus, as noted, between the first and second day (and often even on the first day if a recipe looks complicated and I try it out beforehand) I often change things – the food we serve is meant to be “inspired by” traditional flavors, not necessarily to reproduce classic dishes.

Please do report back on your dinner – would love to hear how it turns out!

]]> By: thepoliticalcat http://www.saltshaker.net/20070326/land-of-the-pure/comment-page-1#comment-176238 thepoliticalcat Sat, 20 Dec 2008 04:51:48 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20070326/land-of-the-pure#comment-176238 That Pakistani dish you prepared -- it's Cabsat al-Lahm, isn't it? I suspect the recipes available for that dish have been handed down from mother to son, i.e., Mummyji is omitting all the things that would actually make the bloody thing as tasty as the selfsame dish as it comes from her hallowed hands. That way, Sonnyji will always have to come back to Mummy's for a tasty version, you know? I made this once and was distinctly unimpressed but resolved to make it again, and as luck would have it, tomorrow is the day. I'm glad I read your post first. My understanding is, this is a dish of Arabic origin, made for Eid al Fitr (which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan) or perhaps Eid al Adha (The Festival of the Slaughter, it's called, and not lightly). In the event, lambs or goats have their throats cut in the approved halal or kosher manner and are then cut up and distributed to the poor and hungry and, of course, the slaughterer's female relatives who retort with this dish. I'm convinced that the Mummyjis and Auntyjis who actually created this recipe use something like <i>ras el hanout</i> or <i>baharat</i>, an elegant and sophisticated mix of herbs and spices that include such ingredients as rosebuds, lavender, grains of paradise, and the cantharides fly. I shall attempt the dish therefore tomorrow evening, minus, of course, the wretched beetle, which, I understand, is quite illegal here, and just as well, as I don't care for insectile ingredients in my fine dining. I believe most of the Arabian and Iranian recipes I have used call for the <i>zest only</i> of the dried limes or lemons, and that's just as well, since that's where the flavour resides, and the other bits is where the bitter resides. Thanks for an excellent dissection of this dish. Perhaps I'll report back. That Pakistani dish you prepared — it’s Cabsat al-Lahm, isn’t it? I suspect the recipes available for that dish have been handed down from mother to son, i.e., Mummyji is omitting all the things that would actually make the bloody thing as tasty as the selfsame dish as it comes from her hallowed hands. That way, Sonnyji will always have to come back to Mummy’s for a tasty version, you know? I made this once and was distinctly unimpressed but resolved to make it again, and as luck would have it, tomorrow is the day. I’m glad I read your post first. My understanding is, this is a dish of Arabic origin, made for Eid al Fitr (which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan) or perhaps Eid al Adha (The Festival of the Slaughter, it’s called, and not lightly). In the event, lambs or goats have their throats cut in the approved halal or kosher manner and are then cut up and distributed to the poor and hungry and, of course, the slaughterer’s female relatives who retort with this dish. I’m convinced that the Mummyjis and Auntyjis who actually created this recipe use something like ras el hanout or baharat, an elegant and sophisticated mix of herbs and spices that include such ingredients as rosebuds, lavender, grains of paradise, and the cantharides fly. I shall attempt the dish therefore tomorrow evening, minus, of course, the wretched beetle, which, I understand, is quite illegal here, and just as well, as I don’t care for insectile ingredients in my fine dining. I believe most of the Arabian and Iranian recipes I have used call for the zest only of the dried limes or lemons, and that’s just as well, since that’s where the flavour resides, and the other bits is where the bitter resides. Thanks for an excellent dissection of this dish. Perhaps I’ll report back.

]]> By: SaltShaker » Blog Archive » Continental Drift http://www.saltshaker.net/20070326/land-of-the-pure/comment-page-1#comment-173761 SaltShaker » Blog Archive » Continental Drift Fri, 31 Oct 2008 02:16:25 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20070326/land-of-the-pure#comment-173761 [...] there, we headed to Asia, in particular Pakistan, and shahi chicken, which is a dish that ended with almost everyone who attended the trio of dinners asking for the [...] [...] there, we headed to Asia, in particular Pakistan, and shahi chicken, which is a dish that ended with almost everyone who attended the trio of dinners asking for the [...]

]]> By: dan http://www.saltshaker.net/20070326/land-of-the-pure/comment-page-1#comment-21337 dan Tue, 27 Mar 2007 21:48:21 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20070326/land-of-the-pure#comment-21337 Indeed if it was the previous posting, that was a trio of mini restaurant reviews (referring to the review size, not the restaurant size). I don't know which of the three photos you were referring to, but none of them contained tripe, nor any other innards. Just for you. Indeed if it was the previous posting, that was a trio of mini restaurant reviews (referring to the review size, not the restaurant size). I don’t know which of the three photos you were referring to, but none of them contained tripe, nor any other innards. Just for you.

]]> By: ksternberg http://www.saltshaker.net/20070326/land-of-the-pure/comment-page-1#comment-21275 ksternberg Tue, 27 Mar 2007 17:51:11 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20070326/land-of-the-pure#comment-21275 Oops. I got that wrong. Looks like the food pictured was served at a restaurant you visited. Oops. I got that wrong. Looks like the food pictured was served at a restaurant you visited.

]]> By: ksternberg http://www.saltshaker.net/20070326/land-of-the-pure/comment-page-1#comment-21212 ksternberg Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:06:30 +0000 http://www.saltshaker.net/20070326/land-of-the-pure#comment-21212 What's that lovely looking dish included in your previous post? Whatever it is, I want it (no tripe in it, right?). What’s that lovely looking dish included in your previous post? Whatever it is, I want it (no tripe in it, right?).

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