Feta Crostini in the Persian Manner

Feta Crostini

I remember seeing a fabulous recipe in one of my cookery books – it was a puff pastry roll stuffed with mashed potato and gorgonzola. I know, ‘carb on carb’ sounds strange (and naughty), right? Well, it’s just the sort of thing I love. I wanted to prepare this at home as a first course. It would be lovely with a Chablis. Of course, when the time came to prepare it, I could not find the book – was the recipe from my beloved, yellow-paged, slightly tattered New York Times cookery book? I had picked it up near our library at home in DC for $2. Alas, I simply could not find this recipe; I doubt it was from this book.

And that’s how these crostini were born. I had some gorgeous vermillion-hued saffron-specked honey which I had made earlier that morning, as well as walnut paste (I love to mix a teaspoon of it into my strained yoghurt with a slow drizzle of maple syrup in the mornings). I sliced pieces of whole wheat baguette, brushed them with olive oil and under the broiler they went for 30 seconds. After the crostini became golden around the edges, I took them out and slathered on some soft and creamy Persian feta, added the walnut paste and scattered a few pistachio slivers over it. Then, finally, I dotted it with saffron-honey. The musky aroma of the saffron and the sweetness of the honey paired so beautifully well with the feta.

What did you create this weekend?

 

Kuku Sibzamini – Saffron Potato Fritters in the Persian Manner

Kuku Sibzamini

This recipe first appeared in BBC Good Food Magazine, India, March 2013, for a ‘Persian Delights’ feature I was commissioned for.

It has to be fried. And preferably spicy. And you have to wash it down with steaming cups of tea.Read More

My Guest Post for ‘Indian Simmer’- Chicken Kebab Sliders in the Pakistani Manner

chicken sliders

This week I had the honour of guest blogging for someone who has become a close friend of mine through the blogging world- Prerna of Indian Simmer. Prerna is a phenomenal cook and food writer from India who takes beautiful and poetic photos of food; some of the best in the food photography – let alone food blogging – world. You can see these photos for yourself in her post on nankhatai; eggless spiced biscuits or the one on jalebis; sweet, crackly fritters which are washed down with a cup of hot, milky tea.

Prerna is currently working on her first cookery book, the arrival of which we are all eagerly anticipating.

My post on Chicken Kebab Sliders in the Pakistani Manner is here on her lovely blog.