Many of us have a special recipe for food our grandmothers used to make, that our mum or dad have passed on to us to keep the tradition alive.
One of the reasons we love bringing out these recipes is because of the care with which the food was made for us, and the care we can show by making it for others.
Natalie Oldfield, who's written four best selling international cookbooks, is inspired by the belief that food made with love is the best food of all. That belief sparked her to create Love & Food at Gran's Table - a collection of 120 recipes from grandmothers all around New Zealand and the globe.
“Two very special grans bookend this project: Dulcie May and Nana Rita, two of the biggest inspirations in my life,” she says in the book. “Their homes were special places and it was around their tables, laden with beautiful food and all the trimmings - lacy tablecloths, fine china teapots, cakes, sandwiches, and flowers from the garden - that lasting memories were created. They were at once places to gather, places to laugh, and places where we came together as family, friends and neighbours alike.”
Natalie is a former Master Chef guest judge and a competition judge at food events nationally. She's also been a guest chef on TVNZ's Good Morning show and contributed to The Great New Zealand Cookbook.
Below are two recipes from the book that make a great combo - tabbouleh and wholemeal rolls.
TABBOULEH
The more parsley in this dish the better (use curly parsley if you can't find Italian). Mint is optional but adds great taste. Traditionally, Lebanese tabbouleh has more tomato and parsley and less wheat than those you see commercially made.
INGREDIENTS
¼ cups burghul wheat
juice of 2 lemons (add more to taste)
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
⅓ teaspoon ground pepper
¼ cup oil (olive, grapeseed or sunflower)
6 large tomatoes, diced
3 spring onions, chopped
(or 1 small white onion)
3 bunches (or more) of Italian parsley
- to make 2 chopped cups
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
METHOD
Pour tap water over burghul wheat (just enough to cover the wheat) and wait until all water is absorbed.
In a large bowl, mix burghul wheat, lemon juice, seasoning, oil, tomato and spring onion. Combine thoroughly. Add chopped parsley and mint; mix gently to combine.
Can be served with fresh cos or iceberg lettuce leaves and pita bread.
Serves 4 - 6
WHOLEMEAL ROLLS
INGREDIENTS
For scalded mixture
2 teaspoons salt
85 g wholemeal flour
85 g rye flour
1 cup boiling water
For dough
¾ cup warm water (40 - 45°C)
2 teaspoons white vinegar
⅓ cup (115 g) light corn syrup
4¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground fennel seeds
455 g unbleached bread flour
(about 3½ cups)
115 g wholemeal flour (about 1 cup),
plus extra for dusting loaves
1 egg, lightly beaten, for an egg wash
METHOD
To make the scalded mixture, whisk together the salt and the two flours in a heat-safe bowl. Pour the boiling water over and mix until smooth. Cover and let stand for 1 hour.
To make the dough, combine the warm water, vinegar and corn syrup in the bowl of an upright mixer, until the corn syrup has dissolved. Add the yeast, stir to combine, and let stand until bubbly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the scalded mixture, then the honey, butter, cumin and fennel.
Reserving a few tablespoons of bread flour, add the remainder with wholemeal flour, and mix with the dough hook for about 2 minutes at medium speed, scraping the bowl down if necessary. Adjust the consistency using reserved bread flour as needed; dough should be just barely sticky, but should clear the sides of the bowl. Knead until smooth, about 2 - 4 minutes more. Turn dough out onto a floured surface, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.
Divide dough in half. Gently knead and roll each half into a round ball. Using the side of your hand (like a karate chop), press down into the centre of one ball. With a sawing back-and-forth motion, roll loaf under your hand until you have almost divided the two halves. You should end up with two smaller rounds, connected with a little strand of dough. Repeat with other round.
Pre-heat oven to 190°C. Brush loaves with egg wash and dust liberally with wholemeal flour. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Using a sharp serrated knife, decoratively slash each loaf on top. Cover loosely and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Bake for about 35 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove to a wire rack and let cool.
Makes 4 large rolls.