The Method in a Nutshell
In the spirit of efficiency of all those chefs, curious foodies, gourmets & gourmands who have searched bookshelves for a reference guide that streamlines the art of flavour combination, or are in pursuit of creating that perfect bite, I am presenting a reference guide that will outline ingredients & flavours that naturally complement each other.
Broken down by ingredient, there will be a chart outlining all categories of foods that enhance the natural flavours of the ingredient in focus. Creating a unique recipe will be as simple as selecting your focus ingredient of choice, then scrolling down the chart and selecting, one of many of the complementary herb, spice, vegetable, cheese, liquor, condiment, sauce, of your choice, referencing the basic cooking techniques included in the book, combined with your own cooking skills, & personal palate.
This culinary reference guide will enhance your skills in recipe development as well as supplement your favourite cookbooks & recipes as well as serve to be a unique source of flavour combination reference guide which will provide cooks, of any skill level, with all the information necessary to translate their palate into dishes that are as creative as their imagination.
As I said, this has been and will continue to be quite a laborious process for me to research, test, experiment, compile and post, yet the best part of it all is that this project combines all the things that I love…research, development, food testing, eating, wine pairing, writing, marketing and designing.
Bottom line, this system works. I’ve been using it for over 6 years now and on a daily basis. It works like a charm and I’m excited to be sharing this easy to use creative culinary tool with my fellow foodies, passionate cooks, talented chefs and curious culinarians!
Complementary Ingredient Pairing Guide
I developed this system of complementary ingredient pairing back in 2000 and I’ve been using it ever since. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t using the flavor combination system and I certainly don’t remember what reference I used before this. It’s like the cell phone, the internet, laptops, blackberries – what DID we do before we had these conveniences that make our life so much more streamlined and connected to the pulse of the moment?
I remember my “ta da!” moment as if it was just yesterday. It was a snowy, slushy winter in Toronto and I was in the Oakville library, spread out on one of those large, round tables in the back, right next to the windows overlooking lakeshore and also situated right next to the heaters. Market research of all available food reference books in the library was what was left from mass research project, and the numerous trips and hours I invested at Chapters, Indigo, and all local bookstores within commuting distance of Oakville.
I felt an idea brewing but just couldn’t place it and didn’t know how to bring it to surface– you know the feeling. At that point in my life and career, and long before our culinary blogs even existed, I had been actively researching, reading, experimenting, testing and journaling my culinary adventures. I have more notebooks, file folders and CD’s jam packed with ideas, thoughts, and solutions than I can count. My journals expand over almost two decades of flavor combination and recipes to test, including all my culinary discoveries made through years of travels and excursion across North America, and various part of Europe.
I remember, as I worked, I felt shivers in my bones looking out at the snow as little beads of sweat began to build on the back of my neck from the intensity and approximity of the heaters that I just couldn’t shift away from. As much as I tried to survive this hot-cold experience, I just couldn’t concentrate. So I packed up all my work and headed to my car feeling like I was just about to get a phone call – I had this premonition. I drove in silence, listening to the silent sounds of the snow fall and that of passerby car tires slushing through the wet snow. Upon arriving home, I headed straight upstairs to my office, to check my emails and that split second when my mind was completely diverted, there came the concept, clear as day.
Of course it was clear, it had to be clear, because I had been utilizing the system, unofficially, for years. All those years, the entire process was conducted purely in my mind, but there and then, I become alertly aware of that system, recognize it and knew that I had to document it.
The system is quite simple actually. Like most techniques that work at their best and serve their purpose at their ultimate capacity, they’re easy to utilize and apply. I also realized, immediately that it would be quite laborious for me to compile, but once done, it would save my time in tenfold and thousandfold!
In Pursuit of the Perfect Bite: The Gourmand’s Guide to Complementary Ingredient Pairing is a transitional “How-to” reference guide to food.
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Serves as a comprehensive reference guide for cooks of diverse culinary skill levels to help pair complementary flavors & ingredients
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Provides means of efficiency to streamline the process of cooking
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Functions as an artist’s tool kit to fuel the creative spirit of the cook’s palate & imagination
Culinary reference books fill the shelves of bookstores and libraries. Most cookbooks in the market today address the general category of cooking by featuring pages full of recipes, while other books target niche audiences with focus on regional specific cuisine. Several focus on the techniques, and the science of cooking. Only 4 books have touched on the complementary ingredient pairing technique while particularly targeting the more advanced cook:
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Culinary Artistry by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1996
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The Elements of Taste by Gray Kunz & Peter Kaminsky, Little, Brown, 2001
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Exploring taste + flavour by Tom Kime, Kyle Cathie Limited, 2005
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Flavors by Paul Gayler, Kyle Cathie Limited, 2002
However, there is no other reference material in the market today that specifically pulls together the tools to serve as the cook’s one source reference guide to streamline the process of pairing complementary flavors & ingredients while targeting cooks with various culinary skills and those chefs and gourmets who are eternally In Pursuit of the Perfect Bite.
You know that saying about writing the best book are the ones that we write for ourselves? This is exactly the case here.
Through this venue, I am sharing years of flavor combination experiences of enjoying ethnic cuisines and new ingredients and flavors I experiment daily and weekly.
I began my journaling at the age of 13 and a big part of it incorporated family bonding over food. So, in essence, you can say that I’ve been journaling about food, on food, and for food for almost 3 decades. So you could imagine the thoughts that went through my mind when I had an open door to blog. The thought of “where do I begin?” has had me paralyzed for quite some time now and frankly, I still don’t know the answer. In all parts of my life, I am a type-A organizer including endless to-do lists, scheduling chores, multi-tasking projects, running my own business, prospecting new business, trying to find quality time with my best friend/husband and managing all that life delivers to us on a daily basis. For the life of me, I just couldn’t apply the same system to my blogging. When I figure it out, I’ll let you know, in the meantime, I thought doing SOMETHING is better than doing NOTHING.
All I can hear in my head right now are the wise words of Martin Luther King Jr. “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” So, I’m taking this first step and hope that you join me on this culinary journey of sharing, discovering, and adventure with a mission to streamline our cooking experiments and help transform our passions into palatable experiences with one less bead of sweat.
Chorek: The Armenian Brioche
The texture, flavor and experience of choreg is a cross between brioche, Easter bread and challah. It’s great as is with a cup of your favorite java/tea or you can add layers of flavors by incorporating some dried fruits like currants, raisins, figs, oranges, cranberries or chocolate chips. The recipe may seem laborious, but I assure you that the results are well worth it.
Sponge
2-1/2 tsp active dry yeast
¼ cup warm
¼ cup unbleached a/p flour
Dough
About ¼ cup milk
2-1/2 cups unbleached a/p flour
1-1/2 tsp mahleb* pulverized
2 eggs, lightly beaten, at room temp
1 egg yolk
½ cup caster sugar Plus 1-1/2 tbsp
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Glaze
1 egg yolk
½ tbsp cream or milk
Topping
Sesame seeds, almond slivers or chopped hazelnuts
Sponge
- Dissolve the yeast with the warmed milk (plus 2 tbsp worth lukewarm water) and let it stand until it becomes frothy, about 10 minutes (I skipped adding the sugar here)
- Then, add in the ¼ cup flour, stir to mix, cover with cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes until bubbles form all over
Dough
- Add the remainder of the ingredients to the sponge, milk, flour, pulverized mahleb, 2 eggs, 1 egg yolk, sugar and melted butter
- Mix the ingredients together with fingers until the dough comes together. Transfer to work surface and knead for about 15-20 minutes or until the dough becomes smooth and springy. Place it in greased bowl cover loosely with cloth and allow to double in volume for 3 hours.
- Punch down the dough, shape into a log. Divide log into 20 small, palm size pieces and roll each piece into a tight ball. Cover with cloth and allow to rest for 20 minutes
- Roll each ball into ropes, cover with cloth and allow to rest for 20 minutes
- Shape each rope into wheels, cover with cloth and allow to rest for 1-1/2-2 hours or until wheels have doubled in bulk
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Make glaze (yolk + cream/milk). Brush each wheels with glaze twice, resting a few minutes in between. After the second glaze, sprinkle each wheel liberally with sesame seeds and transfer to baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake on middle rack for 15-20 minutes or until top of choregs turn golden in colour
Yields 20 palm size wheels
* Mahlab can be found at Middle Eastern specialty food stores.
Armenian Tel Paneer or String Cheese with Mahleb and Nigella Seeds
Tel paneer (Armenian for string cheese) has always been a staple item in my house as no other cheese replaces the taste, texture and flavor of this authentic string cheese. My mother used to make batches of tel paneer every couple of months and freeze them to make sure we always had some on hand. I would help mom make the cheese and nibbled all the way through the process. Mom’s recipe always included both nigella seeds* & mahleb*. The nigella seeds add a bite of peppery flavor to the cheese and the mahleb adds depth & density. I encourage you to try the recipe with the both as the combination is what gives the tel paneer its unique flavor.
The original technique which mom applied involved baking & curing the cheese. She would cut the curd in 3″x 3″ blocks, place them on a sheet pan and bake them until they started to melt. She would, then, remove the melted curds from the oven and while still hot and pliable yet cool to the touch, she would work her magic to form the braids. Then, each braid of cheese would be generously coated with a sea salt, mahleb & nigella seeds, covered and cured for up to 3 days. She would then wash off the salt and store them in the fridge. To freeze them, she would tightly wrap each braid of cheese in plastic.
Tel paneer is also available at most Middle Eastern specialty food stores but I find them to be very briny and salty. Trying to wash off some of the saltiness only leads to a mushy cheese texture, so I’d much rather make my own. It takes a bit of time but totally worth the effort.
Tel paneer is great with pita, berberi, lavash or brioche accompanied with Damask Rose jam, melons, grapes, cucumber, tomatoes, mint, and makes a fabulous grilled cheese sandwich seasoned with dry mint, Aleppo pepper*, drizzled with evoo.
Here’s the original recipe – tried and true - hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Note: If you’re not up to the challenge of braiding the cheese, you can forego the braid and shape the melted cheese into balls like bocconcini.
Armenian Tel Paneer or String Cheese with Mahleb and Nigella Seeds
1lb mozzarella curd
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp mahleb (a little goes a long way)
1 tbsp nigella seeds (some use caraway seeds)
On very low heat, in a non-stick, Teflon-coated deep sauce pan, place cheese, salt, mahleb & nigella seeds. Melt the cheese, stirring often to remove any lumps. You want to achieve a smooth texture throughout when cheese is thoroughly melted.
Place colander in sink and drain the cheese in the colander. Temperature is critical here. You want to work with the cheese when it’s still soft and pliable yet it needs to be cool to the touch (it helps if you have heat resistance fingers!). Once cheese becomes cool to the touch, you have 3 minutes to work.
Divide cheese in workable portions and make a ball of each portion and set aside. Poke a hole in the middle of each one resembling a doughnut and stretch the cheese as far as your arms length making a large loop. Double the strand of cheese, making two strands of cheese of even length. Repeat, stretching and looping; the more you stretch the stringier the cheese becomes. Repeat stretching several times. Twists ends in opposite directions and intertwine rope into a braid. Place one end through the loop of the other to lock it. Finish the remaining cheese.
Cool cheese braids for 1 hour in the refrigerator then wrap tightly in plastic and freeze. Keeps well in freezer for more then 2 months.To serve, open braid, cut one loop and pull cheese apart into thin strands.
* Ingredients can be found at Middle Eastern specialty food stores.
Damask Rose Petal Jam
The sweet strong fragrance of the Damask Rose petals is highly intoxicating not to mention delicious. Native to the Orient, each bloom of the Rosa Damascena bears more then 30 aromatic petals as its loose upright shrubs stand nearly 5-feet high showcasing stems that are wild and thorny with downy grey green leaves.
The petals of the Damask Rose are great for potpourri and very effective used for aromatherapy.
Growing up, though, all I knew about this rose was its full flavor in the form of a preserve spread on crispy pita and accompanied by Tel Paneer (authentic string cheese – recipe to be posted soon) cucumbers and fresh mint. This jam is also delightful spread on a slice of pound cake, a scone, or sourdough toast with mascarpone cheese or fresh ricotta.
| 8 to 10 oz. | rose petals, white parts removed, thinly sliced |
| 6 1/4 cups | granulated sugar |
| 3 3/4 | cups water |
| 4 tablespoons | lemon juice |
Gently rinse the petals in a colander. Then slice petals and place them with the water in a sauce pan and boil until the petals turn a pale pink – almost white in color. Add the sugar and give it a soft stir and continue to boil uncovered until liquid becomes syrupy. Add the lemon juice and bring liquid to boil again removing any foam that form on top. Turn heat off and cool jam thoroughly. Place jam in jars with tight lids and enjoy. Yields 2-1/2 cups and keep well in refrigerator for a few months.
Food = Love & Art = Food
Food and life: Is there a difference? How else to live life but to explore it to the fullest? How else to explore anything but with an open mind, an open heart filled generously with creativity & passion. How else to allow oneself reach the peak of creativity & experience the height of passion but to give oneself completely and utterly to instincts and inner guttural connections. Now isn’t that ultimately love? Embracing & trusting the moment regardless of the degree of vulnerability; regardless of the fear of not seeming perfect; regardless of any restrictions or boundaries?
When I think of food, I think of creation. When I think of creation, I think of layers of flavours. When I think of layering the flavours, I think of sensations on the palate. When I think of sensations on the palate, I think of tastes so harmonious that it touches your soul. When I think of my soul, I think of life, love, & the freedom of expression. When I think of liberal expression, I think of art. Discreetly, I have always paralleled food with sex and joked about the differences. They are both about emotions, sensations, connections and physical fulfillment, right? I was more so convinced of my so called theory when I began my career as a food writer. Talking and writing about food, bonded me with those whom I had the discussion with. My sanity was somewhat validated when I read Mark Kurlansky’s caption on food, and delighted to see that my imagination had performed its task well.
“Food, like sex, is a writer’s great opportunity. It offers material that is both universal and intensely personal – something that illuminates the nature of humankind but also offers insights into unique and intimate foibles of an individual.”