Hummus

Well, today I made hummus, and usually I just eat it...but as per custom, I styled it for this picture. Well, at least I tried. I'm not too good at hummus styling. It's like an art form; in my opinion...and it's not as easy as it seems. First of all, the hummus is rather soft and a bit too light to mold. Secondly, you need a garnish. Spices, herbs, whole chickpeas, even nuts can be used. There are so many options and so many types of styles you can create. I chose to do a more simple style with a pool of oil and minimal garnishing. Basically what I did was; shape the hummus in a somewhat stylish manner, making sure to leave a dent, filled it with olive oil, then garnished it with paprika and dried parsley. In a few months, inshallah, I will get an experienced 'hummus styler' to make some designs and I'll make a video and post it. I'll call it 'Hummus Styling 101'.

2 cups chick peas/garbanzo beans/channa
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp tahini paste
3 tbsp water
1 tsp garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1 tsp parsley
3 tbsp olive oil

• In a food processor, puree chick peas, tahini, water and lime juice.
• Place into a bowl, and add the salt and about half of the parsley.
• Mix thoroughly.
• At this point, you may style the hummus as desired. The remaining parsley may be used for garnishing. You can make a dent and fill it with as much oil as you'd like. I used about 4 tbsp (in addition to the 3 tbsp I already mixed in prior to styling).

Serves 6-8

Serve with bread; preferably Khubz (known as Pita in the west).

© NomadicGourmet.com

San Antonio

Currently, I'm in San Antonio, Texas, USA. I don't like it much, but I do like the downtown. They have this man-made river that goes throughout, called the River Walk. It's very beautiful. There is a mall; the River Center Mall which has lots of glass to see the beautiful 'river'. Although not necessary, as the mall itself is very lovely. Here are some pictures that I took about 6 months ago.

© NomadicGourmet.com

Mamoul

Today and tomorrow I'm fasting for Ashura; a holiday that commemorates when Moses fasted to express gratitude to God for liberating the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. For my iftar (the food that breaks the fast) I will be having mamoul and a glass of water. After that, I'll be having a meal... I'm not too sure what that will be though.....hmmm...

From what I know, there are two types of Mamoul. One type with a white exterior, and the other with a brown exterior. These are the former.

Filling
1 1/4 cup dates, pitted and chopped
1/2 tsp Cinnamon, ground
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup sugar

Dough
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp rose water

• Preheat oven to 325°F/160°C.
• In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for the dough and knead until a firm but soft dough is formed. (The dough will seem dry and crumbly at first but just keep kneading; it will meld together. You can add an extra tbsp of milk to the dough if desired.)
• When the dough is ready, divide into balls approximately 1 inch in diameter; about 26-28. Set aside.
• Combine all filling ingredients in a pot and heat on medium setting for about 3 minutes, or until the dates are soft. Remove from heat and place into a bowl.
• Working with one ball of dough at a time, flatten into a 2-inch circle. Holding the dough on the palm of one hand, place about 1 tsp of the filling in the center. Fold and pinch edges of dough up and over the filling to seal.
• Place mamouls on a baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Slightly flatten with fingers, and make indents with a fork.
• Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes. Do not allow mamouls to take color, as it will cause them to become hard.

Makes 26-28



© NomadicGourmet.com

Grenada?

Grenada- the Island of Spice...This post is my response to the lack of knowledge about the beautiful tri-island nation. Yes- tri-island! (Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique)

People often ask me, 'what is Grenada?'. Not where is, it but what is it! :) My usual response is something to the effect of, 'its an island in the Caribbean', or 'its near Jamaica and Trinidad'. It seems like everyone has knowledge of those two nations- especially Jamaica. But few have even so much as heard of Grenada.

Well, I am very proud of my little-known nation and I am happy to call myself a daughter of the Spice isle, although I must say I'm not too thrilled about how this came to be, as I'm not a native of Grenada. The natives pretty much died out some centuries ago. I, like most Grenadians, am a descendant of slaves from West Africa, and indentured servants from Northern India. (Most Grenadians are of either African or Indian descent, with the latter being the minority. Some families are mixed like mine).

Some little known facts about Grenada:

• More spices grow per square mile in Grenada than in the rest of the world.


• Grenada supplies 1/3 of the world's nutmeg.


• It has one of the largest stadiums in the world.


• Grenada's Caranage is considered to be amongst the most beautiful ports in the entire world.


• Grenada was invaded by the USA in 1983.


• Grenada is home to the Mona Monkey.


• Malcolm X (El Hajj Malik El Shabazz) is of Grenadian descent.

There's a lot to say about Grenada, this is just a brief introduction... :)

Content © Kimberly Joseph 2009
Photos courtesy http://www.grenadaexplorer.com/

FAQ

I often get asked these questions...



1. I've never heard of Grenada. Where is it?

Grenada is a Caribbean nation located between Trinidad & Tobago, and St. Vincent & the Grenadines.



2. What inspired you to create a food blog?

Well, I love food and culture, and I felt like there was a serious lack of ethnic food blogs--especially on Caribbean food--and Grenadian in particular; so I decided to create my own.



3. Did you create those recipes?

Yes, I did. They are all mine. :)



4. What part of Grenada are you from?

Well, actually I my parents moved to New York City about 2 years before my birth, so I was born in the USA. My dad's family is from Sab/Bamboo/Mirabeau and my mom's family is from Mt. Rose and Tivoli. When I was 14, we moved to Grenada, so I did get to live there for a few years. We lived in Hope City, St. Andrew's. So, in actuality I'm a Grenadian-American, but I consider myself to be a Grenadian.



5. Who taught you how to cook?

I learned to cook from my mother, grandmother, and from stories of how my great-grandmothers, great-grand aunts, etc cooked. Well, I don't consider myself to be an amazing cook, not even by a long shot, but I do believe I am very knowledgeable about food, and I seek to continue learning all that I can about the fine art of cooking. I have a serious passion for food. This has been so for many years now. Whenever I go to a library or bookstore; I head straight for the cookbook section. No hesitation. My knowledge for anything related to food is insatiable. For me, food is an integral part, and perhaps the most defining mark of any culture; the ingredients used, the method of preparation- it all tells so much about the culture and history of it's respective people. I'm far more interested in learning about food then I am in tasting it.

6. What happened to 'Spice isle Food for Thought'?

Well, I never really liked that name, and I decided that doing this blog would be much more fun for me, and more my style. Also, my interest in food is not limited to Grenadian cuisine, and I've travelled quite a bit. I've also lived in different countries, making me something like a nomad. So, I'm a nomadic gourmet. Also, with this blog I can post pictures of my travels without it seeming irrelavant. :)


© Kimberly Joseph 2009