Dyna's Egyptian Cooking
Exploring Egyptian and Mediterranean home cooking
Friday 24 June 2016
Wednesday 28 January 2015
Saturday 3 January 2015
الحلقة الرابعة من برنامج #TheTaste Episode three
Ok, so I made it through episode three but the YouTube version was uploaded with an error and I am missing!! Thankfully all is well episode four which I have linked here. For the non Arabic speakers I appear at the following times 10:20, 13:01, 13:46 and 22:50.
Thursday 25 December 2014
The Taste Middle East on Al Nahar
So excited, finally The Taste is going to air, tonight at 10pm on Al Nahar in Egypt.
You can see me fleetingly at 33 seconds in this promo!
Here is some further info on the show:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/678881
You can see me fleetingly at 33 seconds in this promo!
Here is some further info on the show:
http://www.arabnews.com/news/678881
Sunday 21 December 2014
Product of Excellence from EGYPT
Karkadè
“Rosa Sinensis, Red
tea, Hibiscus tea”
I was asked to write a little article on a product of excellence from Egypt for the Live Inspire project by the Intesa Sanpaolo Group. On their page is information on the Milano
2015 EXPO, as well as recipes from different countries and inspiring stories
about sustainability and nutrition. It also has a competition with a trip to Italy for one lucky person. Just
click on the link below to take you there:
The product I was drawn to is also one of my particular favourites since I particularly source this from Egypt over being grown from any other Country. Karkadé is my product of excellence
from Egypt. It is a tea known for its
remarkable ruby red colour and subtle floral flavour. Karkadé has been produced in Egypt for
centuries and is made from the dried calyces which form around the seed-pods of
the Hibiscus sabdariffa flower.
Since ancient
Egyptian times this tea has been enjoyed hot in winter and as a refreshingly
cool drink in summer. Karkadé is grown in the optimum conditions and climate of Egypt giving the tea
a rich dark, almost purple-black colour overflowing with health benefits and
having a wonderfully floral aroma and flavour.
Hibiscus tea
is often blended with other tea types due to the lovely red colour it produces
however, lighter red coloured Hibiscus teas on the market are more acidic and
leave a bitter aftertaste as well as being lower in antioxidant levels so the
darker tea is best.
For
centuries, and to this day, Karkadé is drunk in Egypt for its medicinal benefits due to its high vitamin C
content, high antioxidant properties and scientific studies have confirmed it
reduces blood pressure in people with type 2 diabetes or mild hypertension.
The drink is
made in much the same way as a cup of tea. In a tea pot take a full handful of
the tea and add a litre of cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for three
minutes. Strain off what is now a bright red liquid. Add cold water to cover
the tea and boil again to extract all you can. Add a teaspoon of sugar for each
glass (or to taste), stir and serve hot.
Alternatively,
in a jug pour boiling water. Add tea and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves.
Leave until the water becomes dark red. Strain the tea and cool in the
refrigerator until serving. Tea made this way is believed have the most
beneficial effect on blood pressure.
Red tea كركديه Karkadé, Photography by Dy na Eldaief (dynaeldaief.com)
Red tea كركديه
Karkadé, Photography by Dy na Eldaief (dynaeldaief.com)
Tuesday 9 December 2014
Promo The Taste Soon On AL Nahar 44
Wow, This makes things real. The cooking show I was part of and filmed in Egypt is very near to being aired on Egyptian TV. So good seeing my new friends and remembering the experiences.
Stay tuned...
Monday 1 December 2014
Basbousa with almonds بسبوسة باللوز Basbousa bil loz
Live
Inspire is a new project by the Intesa Sanpaolo Group. On their page is information on the Milano
2015 EXPO, as well as recipes from different countries and inspiring stories
about sustainability and nutrition. They are also running a competition to find the
best recipe that represents EGYPT so get online and vote.
Just click on the link Live Inspire competition. Then click on the far left tab, select the flag of Egypt and click on the picture that you think best represents the recipe for the country.
Thanks to Alexbank of Egypt those that vote will go in the running to win a trip to Milan during the Milano EXPO 2015. How awesome would that be? Vote and good luck winning a trip to Italy!
Just click on the link Live Inspire competition. Then click on the far left tab, select the flag of Egypt and click on the picture that you think best represents the recipe for the country.
Thanks to Alexbank of Egypt those that vote will go in the running to win a trip to Milan during the Milano EXPO 2015. How awesome would that be? Vote and good luck winning a trip to Italy!
I thought in light of the Live
inspire competition I would post my favourite dessert that I think best
represents Egypt. Basbousa is a very old
Arabic dessert and there are many ways of making it, but the traditional
Basbousa is made pretty much like this.
Nothing fancy, just the cake, syrup and almonds on top -and how many
times have we heard “Simple is best” when it comes to cooking. Well, this is certainly the case for
Basbousa. While there are plenty of
versions, this one is a favourite of mine.
Basbousa is like a syrup drenched
cake that is made with Semolina (coarse particles of wheat left after the wheat has been ground to flour and
removed). Traditionally Basbousa is
served with tea and coffee and is yet another sweet that relies on cooled sugar
syrup poured over something hot to soften and sweeten it. The temperature differences between the syrup
and the Basbousa cake results in greater absorption so don’t be tempted to let
both components cool down and then serve it.
This is a very easy sweet to prepare and always enjoyable to eat. It is served often in homes but is also readily found in hotel banquets, celebrations, restaurants or cake shops. The beauty with this dish is that it is almost preserved with sugar and even though it contains milk my mum stored any left over Basbousa in the cooled oven and not in the fridge. It was quite happy there for several days.
Basbousa cake
2 cups semolina (1 cup coarse and 1
cup fine)
1 cup sugar
250 g unsalted butter, melted.
1 cup / 250 ml milk
1 cup self-raising flour
15 whole raw almonds, skin removed
and halved
Syrup :
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
half a lemon juiced
A few drops of vanilla extract
Prepare the syrup
first. Combine the sugar, water and
lemon juice in a small saucepan, bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer
for 10 minutes or until it is thick enough to coat a spoon. Leave to cool. Once cooled, add a few drops of vanilla
essence or 2-3 teaspoons rose water or orange blossom water and stir. Set
aside.
Preheat oven to moderate
180°C (350°F/Gas mark 4). Lightly
grease a 30 x 25 cm cake tin with melted butter.
Place semolina and sugar
in a large bowl and combine. Add melted
butter, milk and flour, mixing well after each addition. Transfer to prepared tin.
Cut into squares and place
the almond halves in the centre of each square.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove Basbousa from the
oven and carefully pour the cold syrup evenly over the hot Basbousa. Leave to
cool to room temperature and serve.
Note :
To peel almonds, cover
almonds with a little water in a microwave safe bowl, microwave on high for 1
minute 20 seconds. While hot pop them
out of their skins and cut or separate the halves.
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