Sephardi Jewish Cuisine - Blancmange, Halva, Samosa, Cuisine of the Sephardic Jews, Salep, Sofrito, Bsisa, Sabich, Skhug, Matbucha (Paperback)

Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Blancmange, Halva, Samosa, Cuisine of the Sephardic Jews, Salep, Sofrito, Bsisa, Sabich, Skhug, Matbucha, Pescado Frito, Fazuelos. Excerpt: The catalan menjar blanc, a variant of blancmange that is made without gelatine . A blancmange that has been unmolded after it has set. Blancmange (pronounced /bl m n / or /bl m nd /, also known as shape ) is a sweet dessert commonly made with milk or cream and sugar thickened with gelatin, cornstarch or Irish moss, and often flavored with almonds . It is usually set in a mould and served cold. Although traditionally white, blancmanges are frequently given a pink color as well. Some similar desserts are Bavarian cream, vanilla pudding (in US usage), panna cotta, and haupia . The historical blancmange originated some time in the Middle Ages and usually consisted of capon or chicken, milk or almond milk, rice and sugar and was considered to be an ideal food for the sick. Tavuk g s, a Turkish dish still in use today, is still made with shredded chicken, as was the medieval European dish. History The true origin of the blancmange is obscure, but it is believed that it was a result of the Arab introduction of rice and almonds in early medieval Europe. However, there is no evidence of the existence of any similar Arab dishes from that period; though the Arabic mahallab yah is similar, its origins are uncertain. Several other names for related or similar dishes existed in Europe, such as the 13th century Danish hwit moos ("white mush"), the Anglo-Norman blanc desirree ("white Syrian dish") and Dutch calijs (from Latin colare, "to strain"). The oldest recipe found so far is from a copy of a Danish translation of German original by Henrik Harpestr]ng (dead 1244), which must date back to the early 13th century at the latest. The German origin...