PLAYING THE GAME/ PASSION OF FOOD (PART TWO)

FOODS OF PASSION

FILLED ARTICHOKES

Artichokes are a traditional sensual food recipes travel from Italy to France then the rest of the world.  Serve with small bowls of seasoned melted butter to dip the artichoke in then suck the butter off.

2 artichokes

Olive oil

STUFFING

1 oz plump raisins

1 oz breadcrumbs

½ oz fine parmesan cheese

I tablespoon of chopped parsley

1 clove garlic chopped

Melted butter

Salt and pepper

In a bowl, mix all stuffing ingredients

Mix to a paste

Lightly trim artichokes push finger into the center to make whole.

Fill each with half stuffing

Place in small pan with a little water and drizzle with oil.

Cover pan and place in a warm oven ensuring to check once and a while to make sure it does dry out

Cook until a skewer or fork will slide easily into the base.

TURKISH LAMB

This aromatic and fiery dish takes you to the Kasbah.  Create the atmosphere and set the room up with large pillows around a low table with scented candle and hookah.

3 tablespoons oil

1 onion chopped

Pinch of ginger, curry powder, nutmeg, and saffron.

12 oz lamb shoulder cubed

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

2 tablespoon of soft runny honey

5 fresh figs sliced

1 tablespoon of flaked almonds

Salt and pepper

Heat oil in a heavy based pan adds onion and gently cooks.

Add spices and cook gently for 30 seconds stirring continuously.

Add lamb making sure to coat each piece with mixture.

Cook until lamb is browned

Cover and simmer until lamb is tender (30minutes)

Mix cinnamon with honey and stir into meat cook for 5 minutes add figs cook for 3 minutes.  While cooking toss almonds in a dry pan until they become golden brown.

Serve lamb sprinkled with almonds and bittersweet salad and warmed pita bread.

THE IMAM FAINTED

This lovely dish was named after a priest after taking a vowel of celibacy and ate the sacred aubergine (eggplant) prepared in a special ancient way in the house of a beautiful sensual women and then apparently as the story is told but the aborigine tells a different story.

1 aubergine thinly sliced salted and dried between two pieces of absorbent paper

3 tablespoons of olive oil

4 peeled tomatoes

1 clove of garlic 1 tablespoon pine nuts 1 tablespoon of breadcrumbs

2 table spoon of fresh majoram

Salt and pepper

Fry half the aubergine until soft and golden brown them mash them to a pulp with a fork.  Mix pulp with mushroom, tomatoes, garlic pine nuts and breadcrumbs.

Season and then spread a thick layer over half of remaining aubergine then tops it with over half.  Place them on a tray and put in an oven 400 %F for 30 minutes or until golden brown and soft.  Serve with a sprinkle of marjoram.