Roasted Cauliflower with Chickpeas in 5 Steps

This blogpost is the fifth installment of the Chef Table's series.

To read about Chef Massimo Bottura's episode click on Butter Chicken's recipe.

To read about Chef Barber's episode click on Som Tum's recipe.

To read about Chef Francis Mallmann's episode click on T-Bone Steaks' recipe.
To read about Chef Niki Nakayama's episode click on Shahi Tukray's recipe.

Episode 5: Ben Shewry - Attica in Melbourne, Australia

Ranked 32nd in the World's 50 Best Restaurants Awards, 2015

Chef Ben Shewry's dishes are inspired by his upbringing in New Zealand, and features ingredients native to his adopted country, Australia. Just like Chef Bottura, Chef Shewry also talks about turning to his memory palette to create dishes that are redolent of his childhood.

He also discusses the elusive work-life balance. He said that since his father was his great hero, he would like to have a similar influence on his children's life. His restaurant kept him away from his children, and he feels that he missed out on the early years of their lives. He mentions that even when he was present at home, his thoughts were encroached by the all consuming restaurant business. He points out that child rearing requires investment. Children need support. You do not appreciate your own childhood and parents until you have your own children.

His restaurant which is located in a remote area in Melbourne has been able to draw not only locals, but also food critics from all over the world. When he took over the restaurant it was on the brink of bankruptcy. But in spite of the initial hurdles, he was able to find his own unique creative voice. This shows that when you are dedicated on doing something unique people will notice.

So without further adieu, here I present to you a delicious recipe, which is not only nutritious but also very quick and easy to prepare. It's a good way to eat vegetables. Both cauliflower and chickpeas are rich in vitamins, folate, and fiber.  This dish makes for healthy lunch, or delicious appetizer. 

Banana Oatmeal Raisin Cookies in 4 Steps

In Grade 10 English class, we read John Wyndham's apocalyptic science fiction novel The Chrysalids. Wyndham wrote the book during the Cold War, only a few years after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As a young adult oblivious to the political relevance of the novel, the book for me was a coming of age story. In Wyndham's dystopian society, the young children David Strorm and Sophie Wender were required to conceal their true selves, and were instead forced to not deviate from the theological standards set by their puritan society.

In Grade 11 English class, we read J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. My friends and I instantly identified with the teenage angst and alienation the protagonist Holden Caulfield expressed in the book. He became our hero. He lamented that adults were phony, who failed to understand the true essence of a young adult. Salinger by creating Holden Caulfield, was able to describe the contradiction the young adults experience not only in how the parents are treating them, but also in their own personalities.

In my adolescence, being a hyphenated first generation Pakistani-Canadian, I also struggled with forming my own individual identity. Instead of seeing the hyphen as a bridge between my ancestry and my culture, I saw it as a division, barrier, and dichotomy. I felt my one identity was in contradiction with the other. I couldn't be both; to be one, I had to give up another. To celebrate one, I had to conceal another.

During my annual trips to Pakistan, on the rides from the Karachi Airport to my grandparents' house, I remember staring out of the car window, observing the people on the streets, and struggling to identify with them. Even though, I was more genetically similar to the people of Pakistan, my language, my culture, my identity belonged in Canada.

Almost 15 years after reading The Chrysalids and The Catcher in the Rye, and identifying with David Strorm and Holden Caulfield, I strongly feel the connection I have with Pakistan. The hyphen is now a bridge between my two cohesive identities. After my grandparents's passing I have not travelled to Pakistan in 6 years, but I am more aware of its presence in my life than ever before. Pakistan for me would always represent the love my grandparents had for me, and the reverence I have for them, and the country they sacrificed so much for. Their stories are part of what I teach my daughter, and what I cook at home.

My Dada (grandfather) who lived to be 91 years old, without any chronic ailments, enjoyed having oatmeal for breakfast. These breakfast cookies are a concoction of everything nutritious he included in his diet, with the exception of chia seeds :). I have inherited my love for healthy breakfast from him. These cookies are simple to make, and require just one mixing bowl, a good ol' spatula and a pastry blender. They are not only ideal for breakfast, but you can snack on them throughout the day without any guilt. They are packed with nutritious bananas, oats, raisins, nuts, and chia seeds. Give them a try and let me know how you like them.

Banana Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Nutritious Breakfast cookies, containing bananas, oats, raisins, coconut, walnuts, almonds, tahini, and chia seeds. All the goodness without the bad calories. Full recipe: http://www.cultivateflavors.blogspot.com/2016/01/banana-oatmeal-raisin-cookies-in-4-steps.html
Posted by Cultivate Flavors on Monday, January 18, 2016

Egg Fried Rice in 7 Steps

A plate of food for me is more than about sustenance. It embodies the cook's identity, personality, locality, culture, heritage, and lifestyle. It represents the care the cook put into preparing the dish. 

I recently watched a TED Talk called, "Don't Ask Where I'm From, Ask Where I'm a Local" by Taiye Selasi. Selasi observed that asking someone where they are from is usually a divisive indication, with that question we are trying to identify the 'otherness' of an individual, as opposed to establishing a commonality. Conversely, it can be argued that asking someone about their origin simply represents an innocuous curiosity about the individual's background and childhood. 

But, this question is often posed to ethnic minorities. As an individual with ethnically ambiguous looks, I have been frequently at the receiving end of this question. Although, the said query pays homage to my ancestral background, it does not completely encapsulate who I am as an individual. This question makes us different from others, and on some level indicates that we are not truly from the land we live in. Instead, we have this mythical land to return to. 

Both set of my grandparents were born in British India, but they had nothing in common with other citizens of the Great British Empire. They belonged to the Muslim faith, so in circa 1947, they became part of a new nation called Pakistan. After her exodus from India, my grandmother who was used to cooking Bihari food, started incorporating local flavors of her new land into her cooking. 

My upbringing in multicultural Toronto represents what I cook at home. My travel experiences, and the ubiquity of the ethnic food aisle have made it easier for me to prepare food from places, where I am not technically from, but in some ways a part of, because of the culture I grew up in. 

So without further adieu, I present to you the recipe of Egg Fried Rice, inspired by Thai flavors. You might wonder why I am using three different types of sauces, soy, fish and oyster, when all three of them are ultimately salty in flavor. The answer, my dear reader, is that fish sauce and oyster sauce render a rich umami flavor, and add a level of complexity, to this very simple and quick rice dish. 

Egg Fried Rice
Egg Fried Rice - influenced by Thai flavors.
Posted by Cultivate Flavors on Friday, October 23, 2015

Nazkhatun Eggplant Dip in 7 Steps

Malcolm Gladwell, a fellow University of Toronto alum, in his essay, "The Ketchup Conundrum", mentions that the reason Heinz ketchup has had such an unprecedented global appeal is because it perfectly balances the "five known fundamental tastes in the human palate: salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and umami." 

If you look at the ingredient list for Heinz ketchup, you will find that it has tomato concentrate, which has the umami flavor, also present in mother's milk. The second ingredient is vinegar, which provides sourness, another of the fundamental tastes. The next set of ingredients are high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup, which satisfy our primal desire for sweet food. I have already discussed the addictive properties of high fructose corn syrup in my meatloaf recipe blogpost. The last set of ingredients, present in Heinz ketchup, salt, spice, onion powder, and natural flavoring, gratify the salty and bitter taste receptors. Ketchup, unlike any other condiment available in the supermarket, satisfies all five primal sensory taste buds, all at once, "in one long crescendo". 

It is no wonder that children love ketchup because it tastes familiar. It has the umami flavor, and a balance of sweetness, saltiness, bitterness and acidity. Gladwell also mentions that small children "tend to be neophobic: once they hit two or three, they shrink from new tastes". It is imperative to introduce young children to a variety of flavors and cuisines, at a young age, instead of limiting their palate to simple foods, like cheese pizza, plain white bread, and/or bland pasta.

Growing up, my husband had a very limited palate. His diet consisted of mainly meat, processed food, and sodas. Fruits, vegetables, and lentils were completely foreign to him. So when we had our daughter, we made sure that we expose her to all food groups, and we do not dumb down flavors for her. 

Although my husband's palate has evolved overtime, he still does not like eating vegetables or eating fresh fruits. So when I made Nazkhatun, a Persian eggplant dip, my husband not only ate it, but loved the vegetable dish. So without further adieu, let me share the recipe with you. The recipe consists of eggplants and tomatoes, which have the umami flavor. The pomegranate molasses, used here and in most Persian dishes, provides the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. The angelica powder, another Persian cuisine staple, has slightly bitter undertones. So here is a recipe, which much like ketchup, satisfies all five fundamental taste buds.

Fattoush Quinoa Salad in 3 Steps

Here is my take on one of my favorite Middle Eastern salads, called Fattoush. Fattoush traditionally has lettuce and pita bread, but I have replaced the two with quinoa. I have never been a fan of lettuce, it's a long story, people :). 

It takes 15 minutes to prepare this salad, so you can make it on a weeknight, and save some for lunch next day. 

Pomegranate Quinoa Salad in 6 Steps

A is for App	N is for Nuts or Nut butter
B is for Babyccino & Balsamic Vinegar	O is for Organic
C is for Chia Seeds, Carrot & Cardamom	P is for Pomegranate & Pistachio
D is for Dairy-free	Q is for Quinoa
E is for Edamame & Ergobaby	R is for Rainbow Sushi Roll
F is for Free-Range Eggs & Farro	S is for Swaddling
G is for Gluten-Free	T is for Trader Joe's
H is for Hummus & Honey	U is for Umbrella Stroller
I is for Ikea	V is for Vaccination
J is for Jute bag	W is for Whole Foods
K is for Kale	X is for Xanthan Gum-Free
L is for Linguistic Stimulation & Lemon	Y is for Yogurt (probiotic)
M is for Maple Syrup & Mint	Z is for Zombie-Mommy

You know it's time for a pre-fall salad, when kids start heading back to school, Trader Joe's starts handing out the above photographed back to school inspired ABC stickers, the pomegranate tree starts giving fruit, and yours truly shares this delicious quinoa salad recipe with you. The preparation time is only 30 minutes; and you are rewarded with a healthy salad, and the opportunity to teach your child a new series of ABC associations, which clearly evaded our generation.

Red Lentil Soup or Daal in 11 Steps

One of the fondest memories I have from our trip to Turkey is being welcomed with a warm bowl of red lentil soup as soon as we would sit down to eat in a restaurant, in Istanbul. It was such an unexpected delicious surprise. Sipping warm soup, while deciding which gastronomic Turkish delight (no pun intended) to eat.  Here is my twist on a Daal recipe with a few remnants of Turkish influence.

Portobello Mushroom Burgers in 6 Steps

As a former vegetarian, I have a strong fondness for mushrooms. They are extremely delicious, and have a beautiful texture. Portobello mushrooms are considered the steaks of the vegetarian world. These burgers are a good alternative to beef or chicken burgers. They are very easy and quick to cook at home. 

Black Lentil Soup in 12 Steps

I like to cook a lot of lentils at home. They are nutritious, high in fiber and protein. Plus, tasting a bowl of beautifully cooked lentils is like receiving a warm hug. Haha, look at me, I just brought proverbial cheesiness to the lentils.

Black lentils require a slightly longer cooking time, compared to the red lentils. But, you can speed up the cooking process by soaking the lentils overnight. You can also choose to cook the lentils in the slow cooker or pressure cooker. I prepared this recipe on the stove, in a regular pot. Another little pointer, when I  am making lentil soups, I usually use a wooden spoon which has a hole in the middle. I believe, the hole helps in whipping the soup, while you are stirring it, allowing for creamier texture.

Stir-Fried Ramen Noodles in 8 Steps

Ramen noodles have a bad-rep, thanks to the mass-produced, readily-available, MSG-laden, carcinogen containing, microwavable instant noodles. But, in addition, to being a major source of sustenance for students living in dorm rooms, ramen noodles are usually served in healthy delicious soups, in Japan. When we went to Japan last year we saw them everywhere. Since we keep halal, we were lucky enough to find a vegetarian ramen restaurant, called T's TanTan, inside the labyrinth that is the Tokyo Station. Ramen noodles have a beautiful texture. Here is a recipe of ramen noodles with stir-fried vegetables. Give this quick recipe a try, and you will never go back to eating instant noodles. 

Roasted Chicken in 7 Steps

I have a confession to make (*Insert drumroll please*), I do not like chicken. I know...I know, I just lost any foodie creditability I had. But, my husband and toddler love this beloved protein. So, I am always striving to introduce flavor to this otherwise boring/rather ubiquitous bird. In this recipe, I achieve that with the use of sumac, among other things. As I have mentioned here, sumac is a Middle Eastern spice, which I feel should be a staple in your pantry. It introduces a very subtle lemony-floral flavor to any dish, especially chicken. You can roast the chicken in the oven or on the grill. The result will always be a delicious juicy piece of meat.