Only in Afghanistan - RIP 17 February 2008

E
Parsnip, cumin, fresh coriander and sweet corn rosti served with a red onion, paprika and mint jam and crème fraiche

Chef Notes

I remember having rosti at home and tried to twist it with the parsnip – didn’t have quite the same texture as I remember probably due to me undercooking the parsnip – damn health considerations! The onion jam and the crème fraiche matched well with the cumin but presentation was a bit average – reminiscent of pepper sauce served with dirty schnitzel.

S
Slow baked leeks in triple citrus rind (orange, lime and lemon), nutmeg and and sage and served with roasted almond and nigella salt.

Chef Notes

Flavours were great but the texture of the leek wasn’t as hoped –a little tough and may have needed a bit more moisture or longer cooking time. But the almond and nigella seed salt was a good mix – I think this is the end of standard salt. Dish might have worked better with zucchini or something which absorbed the flavour a little better.

M
Afghani kofta balls: millet flavoured with dates, lime zest, fresh turmeric, fennel seeds and dried chilli and coated in a crust of crushed walnuts and coriander seeds then served on tomato and cucumber checkers with a coriander, chilli and lime salsa.

Chef Notes

My favourite – I had previously used these flavours with rice and they went even better with millet which is a lot more moist. The walnut crust had a Middle Eastern flavour and was perfect crunchy exterior for soft millet. Maybe some goats cheese with the millet would have given it a melting aspect. Happy with the presentation but I don’t think the coriander salsa was right – more Asian than Afghani.

D
Baked pears stuffed with a pistachio, date and rose petal paste and served with cardamom and rose water yogurt then garnished with honey frozen rose petals.

Chef Notes

Pears were a little overcooked and a touch dry – maybe poaching them first or else more liquid. But the pistachio and date paste was good consistency – chewy with a roasted crunch, not sure what the rose water added… The cardamom flavour was surprising – haven’t tasted it outside of blended dishes so nice to isolate it – maybe needed to use thicker yogurt or even mascarpone next time.

Only in Afghanistan - the Osama Diet

E
Parsnip, cumin, fresh coriander and sweet corn rosti served with a red onion, paprika and mint jam and crème fraiche

S
Leeks slow baked in triple citrus rind (orange, lime and lemon), nutmeg and sage and served with roasted almond and nigella salt.

M
Afghani kofta balls: millet flavoured with dates, lime zest, fresh turmeric, fennel seeds and dried chilli coated in a crust of crushed walnuts and coriander seeds then served on tomato and cucumber checkers with a coriander, chilli and lime salsa.

D
Baked pears stuffed with a pistachio, date and rose petal paste served with cardamom and rose water yogurt and garnished with honey frozen rose petals.

So you've tried every other diet and need some inspiration? Introducing the Osama Diet... Want to experience the flavours of Afghanistan without ending up in Guantanamo? Email me globalgobbler@gmail.com with your name, age, favourite food and why I should cook for you and you may score an invite to a meal inspired by a country which sits proudly at the top of the Department of Foreign Affairs 'do not travel' list.

Global Gobbler guest #4 - Jordan

Name: Jordan

Age: 27

Occupation: Budding Kofi Annan – in the early stages of becoming a property magnate

Favourite food: Squid and harissa

Why he deserves the Global Gobbler experience: With a background in hospitality and an inherent understanding of flavour composition garnered from a lifetime of consumption of different cuisines on several continents, I felt that I was a perfect candidate for one of Joel’s intriguing meals.

The Verdict

Whether or not there is the absolute comprehension of disparate flavours that talented chefs sometimes display, experimentation with food must always be applauded, especially when the intention behind the experiment is to offer an enthusiastic health-oriented alternative, that is based on ingredients not commonly found in the Australian pantry. In the search for a new experience or the opportunity to impart some hard-won insight, perhaps there would be a mutual benefit discovered over a glass of wine and some nouveau cuisine.

To begin, Joel served a fresh salad of nectarine, wakame and radish with honeyed ginger and sesame oil, tamari coated seeds, and raisins. The dish had a lot of potential, particularly the pairing of the nectarine and wakame, but may have been better served by the use of daikon rather than radish. It should be noted, however, that daikon had sadly been unavailable at the markets that day. I found the seeds and raisins to be an interesting component, and certainly very tasty, but I am not sure that they added anything to the salad itself, which was complicated enough. Better, I think, to use them as a pre-appetiser. In all, however, with a bit of fine-tuning, this could have been an excellent dish.

Next we had a personal favourite of mine, soba noodles, of which I have many fond memories, invariably alongside warm sake and cold nights in Tokyo. Flavoured with miso and coconut oil, the noodles had a pleasant oiliness and were very more-ish, but were a touch overdone. Typically soba should be quite firm to the bite. With three side dishes, the dish was intricate and interesting. The first, sesame and soy marinated white cabbage was just right; the second, pickled ginger, always welcome; and the third, soy and wasabi flavoured granny smith apple puree, extremely adventurous and well worth the effort. It could only have been improved with the use of firmer apples, more experimentation and perhaps a touch of mirin. Again, all that was needed here was a little bit of refinement, and more confidence with cooking times.

The third course was nori hand rolls filled with avocado and hatcho miso paste, pureed pumpkin, red capsicum and cucumber. Probably too complicated, but valiant. The dish would have been better had the nori been toasted, and the pumpkin not pureed. The high water content of pumpkin almost guarantees excessive absorption by the seaweed. The avocado was excellent and I would have preferred a simpler mix of ingredients with that as a base.

For dessert Joel served up a cherry and mint jelly with fresh smashed cherries and a coconut milk granita. Points have to be given for a first experimentation with agar-agar, but unfortunately this did not turn out well. Coconut milk is such a strong flavour that care has to be taken with its use and I am not sure of the wisdom of using it as a sole ingredient. I also find cherries to be invariably better when fresh and unadulterated.

On the whole, this was a worthwhile exercise that certainly allowed me to experience flavour and ingredient combinations that I have never contemplated before. My only words of advice would be to caution against unnecessary complication. Japanese food, as in Japanese culture, is a celebration of the appearance of simple perfection. For those, such a myself, without the ability or inclination to aspire to such a lofty ideal, it is better to stick to simple ingredients prepared simply. However, without experimentation, the world would be much duller place . . . .

Japan on a Plate - RIP 19 January 2008

E
Salad of yellow and white nectarine, wakame and red radish flavoured with honeyed ginger and sesame oil, ringed with tamari roasted seeds (pepita and sunflower) and raisins.

Chef Notes
This turned out well and had the sharp radish flavour, sweet nectarine and salty wakame. Was maybe a little wet. I think the seeds gave the salad a much needed crunch to the texture and that familiar salty soy flavour. As noted in the review – where was the daikon!?


S
Soba noodles flavoured with kome miso, shallots and coconut oil served with (1) sesame and soy marinated white cabbage, (2 ) pickled ginger and a (3) soy and wasabi granny smith pulp.

Chef Notes
I still haven’t mastered soba noodles – I though the coconut oil and miso would prevent the ‘glug’ factor but not to be. Maybe if I had let the noodles cool then used poured the coconut oil/miso over the top like a sauce it might have been more successful – still, the flavour was interesting enough to try again. The cabbage good – the finer the better while the apple and wasabi pulp was tangy – needed more wasabi or a different apple variety to really take off.

M
Nori rolls filled with an avocado and hatcho miso paste, black sesame seeds, rice wine vinegar flavoured roasted pumpkin, red capsicum and cucumber and served with soy and wasabi.

Chef Notes
A bit of a let down from how I imagined this dish would turn out. The pumpkin was too moist and didn’t take on the rice vinegar flavour of traditional sushi rice that I anticipated. Possibly needed a grain to give it some structure – maybe shitake flavoured barley?

D
Cherry and mint agar agar jelly served fresh sliced cherries, coconut milk granita and fresh mint.

Chef Notes
The jelly/slice/brick was a bit tragic. My first foray into jelly was an interesting one which yielded a flavourful slice – similar consistency to quince paste and without the transparent characteristics of jelly. Nearing the end of cherry season you could was evident in the flavour of the cherries. And the coconut milk – I forget that not everyone is as satisfied with the flavour of coconut as me! Will definitely by giving the agar-agar a second go and hopefully the result is a dessert which doesn’t require a knife to eat it.