I peel and shred a seedless cucumber in a big bowl, dump in a big container of plain yogurt (I use nonfat and it’s still great), a drizzle of honey, a nice dose of salt, some pepper, dried mint and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Rice Flour Cookies (Nan-e Berenji)
Rice Flour Cookies (Nan-e Berenji)
Persian Cooking: A Table of Exotic Delights – Nesta Ramazani
2 cups butter, (or 1 cup butter and 1 cup margarine)
¾ cup confectioner’s sugar
2 eggs, separated
4 cups very fine rice flour
2 tablespoons rose water, (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
several tablespoons poppy seeds
Beat the butter well. Add the confectioners sugar gradually, beating it in thoroughly. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating continuously. Stir in the flour until well blended. Add the rose water. Beat the egg whites until stiff, and fold them into the dough. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 24 hours.
Roll the dough out between waxed paper to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Use a round cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Score the tops with the tines of a fork or imprint them with a pattern. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake on a greased cookie sheet in a 325°F. oven for 15 to 20 minutes. These cookies crumble very easily. They should remain white in color.
Some Persian women will make their own rice flour at home by soaking fine quality rice in cold water for 1 to 2 days, changing the water several times, and then draining the rice, pounding it to a pulp, pressing it through a sieve, drying it, and then pressing it through a finer sieve.
MacGourmet Rating: 5 Stars
Gambas Al Ajillo (Spanish Garlic Shrimp)
About.com – Lisa & Tony Sierra
One of the most common “tapas” of Spain, this dish is quick, easy and FULL of garlic flavor. Your guests will be asking for the recipe after the first bite and only you will know how simple it was to prepare.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 lb. shrimp, 25 count to a pound
4 large cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon sweet Spanish paprika
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2-3 ounces of cognac (you may substitute dry sherry instead)
¼ cup virgin olive oil
3 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 lemon for juice
1 Baguette
Directions:
The shrimp can be peeled first, before cooking them if you prefer. In addition, if you like larger shrimp, you may purchase shrimp with fewer count to a pound. However, 25 to a pound are about the right size for this tapa.
In a sauté pan or heavy frying pan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for about one minute or until they begin to brown. Be careful not to burn the garlic!
Raise the heat to high and add the shrimp, lemon juice, sherry or cognac and paprika. Stir well, then sauté, stirring briskly until the shrimp turn pink and curl – about 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and transfer shrimp with oil and sauce to a warm plate or serve right from the pan. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle with parsley.
Serve with fresh bread.
Serves 4 for appetizers. If preparing for a main course, double the recipe!