The word Valentine conjures up images of chocolates, flowers, candlelit dinners and a deluge of red as though the love mountain of Eros erupted to scatter crimson hearts for him to pierce his arrows through.

Well… at least that’s how people in my country respond to the occasion. The confectioneries here take center stage during the month of February. The florists bring out their prized blooms. The restos whip up unforgettable meals. Heck, even houses of ill repute come alive with amazing ‘afternoon delight’ deals (think extended lunch break with bubbly, strawberries and your choice of skin flick)!

Now if open displays of affection come naturally to you, there really is no need to ‘celebrate’ St. Valentine’s Day. Like I come from a family of born huggers and kissers. PDA’s are as commonplace as eating to nourish yourself. But we decided to hop on the bandwagon anyway and come together for special dinner. Ok, it may not really be about making known how much we care about each other. More like unabashedly showing off our love… for food!

Pork liver crostini, grilled rib eye steak, short ribs in black pepper sauce, grilled salmon with lemon and dill, arugula and mixed greens with honey-kalamansi dressing. Sounds like a substantial meal already. Na-uh! There’s still dessert… which I am in charge of.

In honor of the love god himself whose name happens to be an anagram of the most popular flower during Valentine’s, I dove into my Middle Eastern and Indian pantries to put together a rosewater kulfi. Cool and luxurious, heady with the scent of roses, it’s the perfect last course to arrest that ravenous appetite. If my peeps find it cloyingly sweet, I’ve prepared a bottle of good crisp French rosé to refresh the palate with.

Hey Eros! We invite you to join us tonight. There aren’t any hearts for you to aim your arrows at but you are more than welcome to take a stab at the rib eye on the grill. Literally.

Rosewater Kulfi

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

Method:

Beat the cream until thick peaks form. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.

Blend together the two milks and the rosewater. Stir in the food dye and mix well until uniform in color. Add a bit more if you like it a darker pink. Fold in the cream then pour into individual molds.

Freeze for 4 hours or more. To serve, turn the frozen mold onto a dessert plate. Loosen the kulfi out of the mold by placing over it a hot towel.

*Note: This is a shortcut version of a traditional kulfi, where the milk and sugar are boiled together and reduced until thickened. I used condensed milk to slash down prep time. Since rosewater is actually a clear liquid, I decided to tint the cream with a bit of food dye.

Like I mentioned in a previous post, I was going to make mint granita.  Problem was, I couldn’t find mint in the supermarkets.  So I cheated.

Got some Moroccan Mint Tea in the cupboard and I was dying to use the orange blossom water I purchased in Dubai so I figured, “Heck!  Why not?’

All I need now is a gorgeous sunset, a great rooftop dinner setup and a hearty lamb tagine to wolf down… so I can cleanse my palate!

xxx

Karima

Moroccan Mint Tea Granita

Makes about 8 servings

Ingredients:

Method:

Pour water and sugar in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool.

Brew the tea bags in 3 cups of boiling water. I used green tea in this recipe but you may substitute with regular mint-infused black tea. Do not leave bags for more than 5 minutes otherwise the tea will become bitter. Mix in the sugar syrup and blend well. Let cool to room temperature then stir in orange blossom water.

Pour into a metal baking pan (the wider and shallower, the better) and stick into the freezer for about an hour. Stir with a fork, scraping the crystals that have formed along the edges of the pan. Return to the freezer and repeat process twice more. Keep in the deep freeze until ready to serve.

Right. We’ve officially entered monsoon season. Three-week intervals of torrential rains. The sun doesn’t have a chance to glare anymore. And when the skies aren’t weeping, the overcast gives rise to torturous humidity. Today, it’s 91%. Approaching Dante’s inferno.

So what do you do? Take cold showers, eat chilled salads, drink lots of water and let shards of cool granita melt away the mugginess.

A Sicillian invention, granita is perfect for those clammy, oppressive afternoons. Especially right after the rains when the soil begins to breathe and releases its sticky, earthy sudor into the air.

Similar to sorbet and a cinch to prepare, it usually takes on the flavor of fruit. Although in caffeine-soaked Italy, coffee proves to be popular as well. So just your preferred liquid, some sugar syrup if needed, a freezer and a fork, you’re already fully equipped to create some jewel-toned ice crystals.

You can make different-flavored batches, freeze them in ice cube trays then pop into ziplocked freezer bags for storing. When you get one of those unannounced visits from friends or family, pulse a few in a food processor and spoon into martini glasses. Voila! A quick and elegant dessert.

Or, you can serve them (especially citrus-perfumed ones) as palate-cleansers in between courses. You will not lack in compliments after guests have had spoonfuls of this refreshing entremet.

So next time the hydrometer hits the roof, I know exactly what to reach for. I’m planning to make three batches this week that will include one coffee and one mint. Did one today using peaches…that will for sure take Dante to Paradiso.

xxx

Karima

Peach Granita

Makes about 8 servings

Ingredients:

Method:

This is the base of all granita flavors I make. Replace the fruit with 3 cups unsweetened liquid and you’re good to go.

Pour water and sugar in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool.

Puree peaches and measure three cups. You may use peach juice as a substitute, which will make the granita more icy than using fruit puree. Mix in the sugar syrup and blend well. If you want to brighten the flavor, blend in a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice.

Pour into a metal baking pan (the wider and shallower, the better) and stick into the freezer for about an hour. Stir with a fork, scraping the crystals that have formed along the edges of the pan. Return to the freezer and repeat process twice more. Keep in the deep freeze until ready to serve.

If you come from a tropical country, you probably like mangoes.  Unless you have a severe allergy to it…

Unripe and still green, it teams up well with chopped tomatoes and onions to make a refreshing accompaniment to grilled pork chops.  It even makes a great pickle when marinated in a solution of beer, salt, shallots and sugar.

Ripe and fully perfumed, it serves as the star to many many desserts like the ever popular Mango Float, a Tiramisu-like layered dessert of graham crackers, cream and slices of succulent mango.

This is our take on the Mango-Sago dessert which, in its simplest form, is a chilled sago pudding served with mango slices, coconut milk and syrup.  Our version features a rich homemade vanilla ice cream, loaded with chunks of ripe mango, swirled with mango syrup and topped with sago ‘caviar.’  Here’s hoping no one has allergies to any of that!

xx

Karima

Mango-Sago Semifreddo

Makes about 1 liter

Ingredients:

Method:

Cut 1 mango into small cubes. Set aside until ready to use.

Puree remaining mango and place on low heat. Add 1/4 cup sugar. Whisk until sugar is completely dissolved. Strain syrup into a bowl and set aside to cool at room temperature before transferring to the fridge to chill completely.

Blend half of the cream and vanilla in a bowl. Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar until light and foamy. Place over a pot of simmering water and whisk until sugar has dissolve. Slowly add in the vanilla cream mixture and continue whisking until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and set aside custard to cool.

Meanwhile, in yet another bowl, whip remaining cream till soft peaks form. Add remaining sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks. Fold into the cooled custard and add in the mango cubes. Transfer half of the mixture to a loaf pan and drizzle with a third of the mango syrup. Repeat layers, cover loaf pan and freeze thoroughly.

To serve, turn out loaf of semifreddo onto a chilled board and slice into desired serving portions. Place a slice (or two!) on a plate, drizzle with more syrup and top with sago ‘caviar.’