Baverois

Bavarois is the French name for Bavarian cream, it is a delicate cream dessert with a crème Anglaise base made from milk, cream and eggs. It is lightened with whipped cream when on the edge of setting up, before being molded, for a true Bavarian cream is usually filled into a fluted mold, chilled until firm, then turned out onto a serving plate. By coating a chilled mold first with a fruit gelatin, a glazed effect is produced.

This is a classic Bavarian vanilla-flavoured egg custard dessert mixed with cream and egg whites that's set with gelatine or agar.

Bavarois recipe:
5 eggs, separated100g caster sugar500ml milk1 vanilla pod, split lengthways25g gelaine crystals200ml double cream

Bavarois Preparation:
Method:
Add the milk and vanilla pod to a pan and slowly bring to a bowl. Meanwhile, cream together the egg yolks and sugar and beat until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is light and creamy in colour. When the milk has boiled, take off the heat then, whisking continually, slowly add half the milk to the egg mixture.
Pour the resultant mixture into the pan with the remaining milk and whisk to combine. Return to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking continually, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Add the gelatine to a bowl and pour 80ml boiling water over the top. Stir until the gelatine has dissolved then pour this into the egg and milk mixture. Whisk to combine then immediately place the pan in a bowl of iced water and allow to cool to room temperature (when the mixture begins to set).
As the mixture is cooling, whip the egg whites in a clean bowl to the soft peak stage and whip the cream to the same consistency. When the custard mixture has cooled gently fold in the whipped cream and the whipped egg whites.
Pour into moulds and cool until set then unmould by plunging the mould into hot water and turning onto a plate. Serve with a fruit coulis. Alternatively, you can use the mixture as a cake filling.

What does a Bedouin Eat?

A Bedouin is an Arabic nomad, who wanders around the desert and lives in tents.Tea and coffee are the traditional drinks. The tea will inevitably be very sweet and often flavoured with mint or sage or some other locally grown desert herb and served in small glasses. You will also be offered a single mouthful of the original Bedouin coffee which is served in tiny cups and is quite bitter. Coffee is an important symbol of hospitality.

Mansaf: explosion – is the national Bedouin dish served on special occasions, when there are guests or when there is a party or a wedding. It is stewed lamb with a sauce made from dried yoghurt, served on a bed of rice and bread, specially prepared over an open fire, and sprinkled with pine nuts. It is served on a large flat dish and eaten communally by hand.

Zaarp: Bedouin oven – a whole goat is cooked in the heat of a fire built in a small underground stone oven. An oven is built from stones leaving the top open. A big fire is built in this oven and when the fire has burnt down the goat is placed on the ashes. The opening is sealed with more stones and the whole is sealed and covered with a thick layer of mud. It takes 2 hours to cook. Zaarp is served as a picnic – a very nice picnic!

Dimsum Lounge

Many years ago I went visiting to a chinese restaurant in downtown beijing. Here in this restaurant where no one else was from the outside world I asked to be shown the menu. Once, they served the menu, I pointed to the words "Dimsum" to the waiter. He bowed his head and dissappeared.

What he brought in was a collection of dumplings made of rice and steamed in a steamer. As I took a bite of it, I realized it contained meat, vegetables and sweet bean paste. A dimsum is a steamed dumpling of rice filled with meat, vegetables or sweet bean paste. It is steamed in a steamer.