There I was at the market, shopping for Easter breakfast, when what should I happen to come upon but a small pile of fresh ostrich eggs. Now, I’m not the type of guy who always orders the weirdest thing on the menu, but I simply couldn’t resist it. We were planning on bacon and eggs […]
READ ONWhat a great idea this is! (Thanks, reader Kurt). Crackers are another one of those things that are so easy and delicious, you’ll wonder why it’s never occurred to you to make them for yourself. And of course there’s quite a bit of history attached to them. Should be a fun week!
READ ONHad a few good questions come in over the long weekend about clarified butter. Reader Ken asked if the “proteins” I mentioned in the baklava post are the same thing as “milk solids” and if so, what sorts of proteins they are. These are the sorts of questions I live for. “Milk solids” are indeed […]
READ ONReader Brent writes: Can you address sticking filo? Every time I work with it, the sheets stick together and rip, and what I end up with is an approximation of what I can buy. Is the trick in the filo defrosting? I usually do so in the refrigerator, but maybe I should actually bring it […]
READ ONMy style of baklava is nut-heavy, as you can see. I like it that way, though it does produce a baklava that isn’t easy to eat according to formal Turkish baklava etiquette. If you’re a stickler for formality, cut down the nuts. The result will be pieces of baklava that are easier to spear with […]
READ ONReader Nancy reminds me that there is such as thing as fresh filo dough. If you live in a larger metropolitan area, you can sometimes find it in Greek or Middle Eastern markets. So have a look-see if you’re so inclined.
READ ONFor those of you who are inclined to doubt the ritual/political significance of pastry in general and baklava in particular, I offer for your consideration the Baklava Procession. The Baklava Procession — and this is no joke — was an elaborate military ceremony in which the Ottoman Sultan’s private guardsmen, known as janissaries, would parade […]
READ ONHumor writer Polly Frost undertakes an in-depth study of carbohydrates and submits this highly revealing report. Thanks for all your hard work, Polly.
READ ONBaklava is the only pastry I know that has its own formalized etiquette, which turkishculture.org describes in this way: For the initiated, eating baklava has its own rules. Separating the top and lower layers, or cutting through the lozenge shaped pieces with a knife or fork is frowned upon. Instead you should first leisurely survey […]
READ ONIt’s interesting that with so many peoples around the Central Asian region claiming baklava as their own, that almost all of them use the same word to describe it. So where does that word come from? Most linguists believe it’s Mongolian, which adds weight to the Turkish origin argument, since before they settled in Anatolia, […]
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