Beachy Snacks

April 6, 2010 by Wesam Masoud 1 Comment

Originally submitted to Campus July 2009 – not sure if it was published or not

We all get the beach munchies. Has something to do with the iodine in the sea water that makes us peckish while we tan (or, in my case, burn). So I’ve been tasked with providing you with recipes for foods to eat, as opposed to the regular Soda and Chips combination of your less imaginative friends.

The trick here is to choose seasonal ingredients, prepared very quickly and ones that will keep well in the sun for hours. In addition, the emphasis was on snacks, so it can’t be heavy or cloying; ideally it should replenish your nutrients lost while sweating your socks off, as well as being refreshing. The food also can’t be messy or fussy; so to that end, I’ve come up with 3 little plates that can be eaten only with a fork. Or chopsticks, if you’re Asian. Either way, I’m assuming you’re gonna be with three other friends. So scale up or down as you see fit.

Recipes follow after the jump:

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On Homecooking

March 24, 2010 by Wesam Masoud 6 Comments

My mother makes the best comfort food. I’ve got 4 brothers spread out over the planet, so it’s getting increasingly rare for us to all get together and have a “family meal”. But when it does happen; my Mom swings into action, drawing upon 35 years of experience as a mother to bring out a whole assortment of dishes to create our perfect family meal. The smorgasbord of meat, vegetable and starches she puts together takes a full day to make; but is devoured in less than an hour. Koshary, Chicken Pane, Lasagna, Stuffed Potatoes, Okra Stew (Bamia), Macaroni with Béchamel Casserole, Smoked Kofta in Red sauce with White Rice, Gratinated Potato Casserole, Goulash (minced beef and vegetables layered under filo pastry), Molokheyya with Red Sauce and a huge bowl of Garden Salad. Neither the table nor our stomachs have room for dessert.

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On Egyptian flavors, and Caramelised Onions

March 22, 2010 by Wesam Masoud 2 Comments

<Originally Published in G-Mag>

Everyone is aware of the four basic taste families – Sweet, Salty, Sour and Bitter. There also happens to be a fifth, called “Umami”. This is a Japanese term which describes the “meatiness” that you taste when eating a steak or grilled mushrooms. A great tasting dish typically has at least 3 of these different taste profiles.

Egyptian food hasn’t got the most glamorous reputation, but the flavor profiles can be astounding; let’s take a look at two of them:

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Tart Au Citron

February 27, 2010 by Wesam Masoud 3 Comments

I love me a good Lemon Tart – the tangier the better. The last time I had one was in Paris, and it was good – but I’ve been thinking about trying my own hand at making a Tart-Au-Citron. I was already prepping my test kitchen for a batch of Modified Nanaimo Bars, and halfway through I decided to ignore the canadian refrigerator treat for a French Classic.

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Potato Rosti and the Perfect Poached Egg.

February 18, 2010 by Wesam Masoud 1 Comment

About a week ago, I went all out and decided to make my own beef stock. A proper dark, rich brown beef stock, mind you – a liquid head and shoulders above and beyond what you usually get at your supermarket. Right now, the only advantage stock cubes have over a stock made from scratch is convenience. Boil water, add stock cube. Flavor-wise, though, a stock cube lacks the depth of flavor that can really take your meal to the next level and turn it into something special. Also, stock cubes tend to be quite salty, and it’s easy to over-salt a sauce made with this stock; especially if it’s a reduction. With my homemade stock, I can control the saltiness. I didn’t add a single dash of salt during the entire process, and it really paid off.

As an aside; food writing, I find, tends to be a mishmash of commonly used quips and quotes; much like cooking, I suppose. What separates a great food writer from a good one is the ability to take the formulaic and reimagine it. If you recognize phrases from a cooking show or a food article, I apologize; but instead of picking apart the writing, I suggest you focus on the whole article; like a great stock, it should be more than the sum of its parts.

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Homemade Beef Stock, Confit of Cepes, and a 3 Course Meal.

February 16, 2010 by Wesam Masoud Leave a Comment

A couple of nights ago, I felt the need to make something special. A trip to my butcher, Al-Samrah [56 Mohammed Hassanein Heikal Street, Tel# 02-26719577] always makes me smile, since the gentlemen there are always patient with my micromanagement, and are familiar with the names of the different cuts of beef according to US, British and French conventions in English. I walked out with 2Kg of brisket, some shin bones for roasting and two 250gm Contre-Filet steaks, cut deliciously thick at 1 inch each. I asked the butcher to separate out the brisket into chunks, reserving the meaty chunks for a mince, and leaving enough chunks with the bone and fat attached to add to the shinbones for the Beef Stock I was already making in my mind.

As ever, new ideas and meals started coming to me while making the beef stock; at home, I had some fresh button mushrooms, strawberries, dark chocolate, Frozen Jumbo shrimp, and an Avocado. Right off the bat, I remembered a recipe I saw in Gordon Ramsay’s “A Chef for all seasons”; but more on that later.

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Om Ali Vs Bread & Butter Pudding

January 29, 2010 by Wesam Masoud 2 Comments

<Originally Published in Campus Magazine, September 2009>

On the left - Om Ali! On the right - Bread and Butter Pudding!

Ramadan – or as I like to call it: “Radamaddacanman” – is on its way (don’t worry, it takes some time to pronounce correctly). We all know that Ramadan is more about feasting than fasting; and no feast is complete without a rich dessert that sticks to your thighs.

Om Ali is synonymous with richness and a staple of many a Ramadan Fitar table – even though it is readily available at other times of the year. It’s simplest incarnation is toasted Filo pastry pieces, buttered and covered in a spiced milk mixture and baked in a ramekin. Typical toppings include raisins, walnuts and coconut, and some recipes call for cloves or cinnamon in the milk mixture.

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Got Soul?

January 11, 2010 by Wesam Masoud 11 Comments

<Originally Published in CAMPUS Magazine>

I’ve been asked to write about what makes Egyptian food special; to observe and report on what gives our food it’s “Edge”. For a person more interested in the classical school of French Cuisine, this was a bit of a curve-ball. Do I look at the techniques or the ingredients? Should I focus on the tastes and textures and presentation? Or should I look at food history and come up with some bizarre and probably far-fetched theory about why Egyptians eat what they eat? No, the real question is this: Why would I choose to walk into a restaurant serving Egyptian fare as opposed to a French Bistro? After much artery clogging soul searching, I’ve come to a realization:

Egyptian food has no “Edge” – but it’s got soul. Lots of it.

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Supremo French Toast

December 22, 2009 by Wesam Masoud 4 Comments

Lasted all of 3 minutes.

One of my all-time favorites is French Toast. Perfumed with cinnamon and maple syrup, I can’d enough superlatives to describe exactly how I feel about it. The mouth-feel as it slides down my throat, and the distinct clear flavors it has – Sugary egginess giving way to maple syrup and all the while, cinnamon watches from the sidelines, clapping loudly.

And you thought this site wasn’t about food porn. Give me a heaping plate of french toast, put on the porn groove music, and let the cameras roll.

French toast is also known by the Brits as Eggy Bread. So what. I like French Toast better. Essentially, we place the bread in an eggy batter, then griddle it until golden brown. It’s a great way to salvage stale bread, too; so if you’re not in the mood for Bread and Butter Pudding, then go ahead and rustle up a short stack.

But you’re not here for a regular boring recipe, are you? I wouldn’t have it any other way. Let’s look at the flavor profile of French Toast. There is the light perfume of cinnamon, contributing color and smell. Maple syrup is one of the most dominant flavors. That’s it, really. Not many people can taste the egginess, because most recipes seek to suppress it, and don’t allow it to come out in a pleasant way. An undercooked French toast can taste like a cinnamon omelet with little or no seasoning.

How did I change it up? I treated the egg mixture like a custard; adding powdered sugar and whipping cream to give it body. At the very end, I smear some creamy peanut butter on the french toast after it’s been flipped once. Not a lot, but enough to provide a grounded peanut flavor to the levity of the cinnamon and maple. And finally, I’ve added some fruit that would compliment everything already on the plate: Bananas and Apples. layer the sliced apple over the peanut butter side, and serve the apple alongside the toast on the plate. Drizzle lightly with Maple Syrup – you should treat it like a sauce, so don’t drown your plate in its sticky glory.

In the version I made this morning (pictured) I didn’t have any bananas and used an apple compote I make for apple turnovers and pies etc. I’ll include the recipe in a later post. If you can’t be bothered to make the apple compote, then fresh apple slices will do. Serve with a hearty mug of coffee or a glass of cool milk.

Enjoy the recipe after the jump.

Cooking Time 20 Minutes

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The Dude’s Shrimp Cocktail

December 3, 2009 by Wesam Masoud 1 Comment

Rye Bread Wedge? Interesting...

<First Published in CAMPUS Magazine, June 2009>

I don’t know about you, but I love a good shrimp cocktail. It could just be Jumbo Prawns in a cocktail sauce, or an elaborate affair with avocado and a whole assortment of other ingredients. Either way, it’s one of those things that brings a super-sized smile to my face. A great shrimp cocktail is a refined indulgence, best eaten when you want to be cool – both gustatorily and mentally.

A recipe I use incorporates many different elements, and is meant to be layered. I’ve eschewed the use of jumbo shrimp in favor of those beautiful little shrimps.  Since I live in Cairo, getting fresh seafood is not really an option, so I go for the frozen prepackaged (and cleaned) shrimp found at your local Hypermarket. The quantities can be scaled to your taste, the recipe serves one.

The recipe follows after the jump:

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