Recipes from Episode 9: "If Your Food Could Talk"

In today’s episode, we turned the mic on you, our listeners. We heard stories from as far away as Turkey, Italy, and Tokyo, and as close and near as multi-generations of cooking, laughing, and sharing on family kitchen counters. It was wonderful hearing of all your stories. Food really is a passport to the world - one bite and you can be transported to another culture or to a memory. 

We selected four recipes to share with each of you from this episode. The first is my grandmother’s hot cereal recipe called "Baleela" - which my mom tells me she made every morning for her 11 children for decades. It’s kind of like oatmeal or cream of wheat, but thicker, chewier, heartier. It’s simple to make and very versatile. I like to jazz it up with toppings, such as pomegranate seeds. One bite of this cereal whisks me away to my grandmother’s apartment in Cairo. 

The second recipe hails from Diane Kochilas, host of the public television show My Greek Table with Diane Kochilas. She shares how to make Greens Pie, or "Choropita" in Greek, that she learned on the gorgeous island of Ikaria. Diane also notes that she felt like was born somehow innately (genetically, perhaps) drawn to the Greek way of living and foraging for dinner. Her serene lifestyle and hearty, savory pie is something that stands through time. 

The third recipe is from Tanner in Los Angeles. His grandmother used to make Mexican Wedding Cakes - which he presumed was an age-old family recipe. Imagine his surprise when he found the Land O'Lakes cutout in her recipes book! For what it’s worth, I’ve since made these cookies with my children and they were a HUGE hit. Soft, chewy, buttery and chocolatey. How can you go wrong? 

The final recipe tugs at my heartstrings. Roberta shares a cheesy, decadent squash au gratin that her now-departed big sister snatched from the Spanish tapas restaurant where she worked. Roberta - your sister sounds awesome! I very much appreciate you sharing this recipe with all of us at If This Food Could Talk. 

If you end up making any of these recipes, please reach out to me via social media (@ifthisfoodcouldtalk) and let me know how they turned out! We love hearing from you! 

T’slem Edeik, friends. Bless your hands - 

Claudia

Teta’s Whole Wheat Berry  Hot Cereal (or “Baleela” in Egypt)

1 cup whole wheat berries, rinsed

3 cups whole milk (may substitute coconut milk or cream if vegan)

½ cup of sugar

Dash of salt

Cinnamon, nutmeg, coconut flakes, raisins, pomegranate seeds for toppings

1. Rinse the whole wheat berries and soak overnight, covering the berries with lukewarm water. Note: while soaking overnight is not necessary, it halves the cooking time on a busy morning.
2. The next morning, strain the overnight water. Bonus: straining the soaked water reduces some of the starchiness of the wheat berries. 
3. In a large pot, add the milk, wheat berries, sugar and stir over medium heat, until nearly bringing to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. 
4. Ladle in individual bowls and serve with your favorite toppings. I love cinnamon and pomegranate seeds on mine! 

Longevity Greens Pie

From My Greek Table host Chef Diane Kochilas, her favorite Greens Pie - that will sweep you away to the Greek isle of Ikaria. Packed with powerful greens, onions, carrots, and fresh herbs - you’ll soon understand why it’s one of Diane’s favorites. 

Mexican Wedding Cakes

These cookies are a chocolate version of a traditional Mexican wedding cake. 

¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar

¾ cup butter, softened

3 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup chopped nuts

½ teaspoon salt

Powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350 F. In a large mixing bowl, combine brown sugar and butter. Beat at medium speed, until creamy (about 1-2 minutes). Add melted chocolate and vanilla. Continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed (about 1-2 more minutes). Reduce speed to low, add all remaining ingredients, except for powdered sugar. Continue beating for another 1-2 minutes. 

Shape rounded teaspoons of dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes or until set. Let stand for 5 minutes; carefully remove from cookie sheet. Cool another 5 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar while still warm and again while cool. 

YIELD: about 5 dozen cookies

Spanish-style Kabocha Squash Au Gratin

2 pounds peeled and seeded Kobucha squash

2 pounds shaved Mahon cheese, divided

1 cup heavy cream

¼ teaspoon freshly shaved nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

½ Tablespoon cornstarch

½ tablespoon chopped rosemary

Butter for the pan

1. Thinly slice the squash ⅛ inch thick and place in a bowl
2. Whisk together cream, nutmeg, salt, pepper, cornstarch and rosemary in a large bowl. Add the squash and coat well. Let the squash and cream mixture sit for 1 hour or up to overnight. 
3. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350 F
4. Butter a 9x9 inch baking dish
5. Layer half of the squash mixture, squeezing out the cream as you go. Be careful not to leave too much cream in the pan, as it will make the dish soggy
6. Add half of the Mahon cheese
7. Repeat with the remaining half of the squash mixture and top with the remaining half of the Mahon cheese
8. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 80-90 minutes. Allow to cool before serving. 

Enjoy friends!