![Knowing How to Cook is Empowering]()
by Yvonne Maffei | Jul 12, 2019 | Thoughts on Food
This little dish of Pasta with Bechamel Sauce represents the exact reason why cooking for oneself is not only an act of self-care, but also an experience of empowerment. Why? Because it embodies the art of knowing how to survive and thrive on less- less money, less stuff (i.e. ingredients), fewer cooking tools & gadgets, and more time for the things you actually want to do.
Since I’ve been in Turkey, I’ve had to learn to manage high prices for things that are relatively cheap back in the US (in this case, Parmesan). I’ve also had to substitute for ingredients I simply can’t find very easily (also, Parmesan). I have to stretch fresh seasonal vegetables from one market day to the next or until they come up in my garden because they are way pricier and not nearly as good quality in the larger grocery stores. This is simply not the case in the U.S., as you can still find great looking and tasting organic food products in many reputable grocers nowadays- but that sometimes makes it more tempting to overstuff your fridge with fresh things that will quickly go to waste before you can use them up. Instead, knowing how to cook has saved me from spending money on eating out, eating food I don’t enjoy, or even snacking instead of having a proper meal; and instead using my self-taught cooking skills to be creative and a master of stretching the food budget while never sacrificing on taste. Now that is empowering.
So what happened here and why the big deal over Béchamel? Typically, any type of French sauce is considered difficult, but they’re really not once you’ve practiced them. Béchamel is the first types of French sauces one anyone would learn in culinary school because it uses basic ingredients we always have on hand (flour + butter) and the sauce is used as a base in soufflés and added to dishes to either stretch them and/or give them more flavor. In fact, once you master it you can basically get even more creative with the dishes you serve it on, too. It requires a little bit of juggling ingredients in that you have to get the roux (flour + butter) mixture just right and you have to whisk the butter in vigorously and quickly so that the flour doesn’t clump your sauce, but you get the hang of it once you practice- just like any other skill.
I was very limited on ingredients at home and was actually craving pasta Alfredo, but without the Parmesan that I didn’t have, I was able to make Béchamel, so that’s what I did- without a recipe, because it’s already in my head.
I’m not an Executive Chef at a fancy restaurant; I’m a home cook just like you, which means you can do this, too. Wouldn’t you feel like your very own Master Chef at home if you made something like this for yourself, without fuss? It’s doable, I promise you.
Both recipes and easy instructions for making Alfredo and Béchamel can be found in the My Halal Kitchen cookbook and only require a few essential base ingredients: flour, butter, milk, salt, black pepper. Red pepper flakes on top make it more Turkish, but you can leave those out and add some fresh herbs or nothing at all. It’s your dish, so you do you.
You can get the My Halal Kitchen cookbook here.
![French Onion Soup with a Halal Substitute for Red Wine]()
by Yvonne Maffei | Feb 20, 2014 | French, Halal Substitutes, Soups
, I’ve also always loved the very classic French Onion Soup, or “Soupe a l’Oignon”, as the French say it. My mom made it at home a couple times but we mostly enjoyed it at some of the restaurants where I grew up eating out with my parents.
When I began to eat a Halal diet I experimented with a variety of quality grape juices that would be a suitable alternative for the red wine used in the traditional recipe. What I have found so far is that a high quality grape juice not-from-concentrate that has a dark color and sweet taste works best for this dish—and there’s no need to miss the wine. The grape flavor is present, but none of the alcohol is.
There are people who will inevitably ask about the alcohol burn-off rate during cooking. What I have found is that most scientists will agree that alcohol never completely burns off during the cooking process, which is why I choose not to start with alcohol at all, especially since I wouldn’t buy it to begin with and keep it in my house for any particular reason. Therefore, it’s also a great recipe for people who are struggling with addiction and desire to keep away from alcohol in all forms.
One other note: many chefs disregard the idea of substituting wine with juice because they say it’ll make a dish too sweet. Their answer is often to just leave out the wine and/or add chicken broth or water. I believe all these suggestions overlook the idea of the flavor profile we’re after here- in this case, it’s the grape- completely halal in it’s original state, so that’s what I’m after here. Of course if you’d rather not use the juice, that’s fine, too. In my opinion, it’s a lot more fun to cook and taste in the end by doing it with my recipe tweaks here.
Here are some of the basic ingredients I used in the dish: yellow onions (of course) because they cook more softly than white or red onions, concord grape juice (make sure it is gelatin-free), and whole wheat flour.
If you only have all-purpose flour, just use that. You’ll also need butter, olive oil, salt and pepper.
And French bread and gruyére cheese for the top of the soup- that makes ALL the difference, so please don’t skip that step!
The onions need to be slowly cooked for at least 20 minutes. Some classic recipes go even longer than this, but for the amount of onions I’ve included here, that just isn’t necessary.
You have to keep an eye on them carefully so they don’t burn. Once you add the flour, you can add a little of the juice to give it some moisture and allow the smooth blending and incorporation to take place. Essentially, you are making a roux to create thickness in the soup.
Next, you’ll add the concord grape juice. Another note about the juice. Apple juice will not be a good substitute for the grape juice here, and I don’t like it with white grape juice but that is closer than apple.
It looks quite deep in color, but the final result will not be so bright, so don’t worry. Besides, it’s only 1/2 cup of juice.
Next is the beef broth or water if you don’t have that. Lamb broth is too strong for this soup and chicken is too light and changes the flavor, in my opinion, which is why I prefer the alternatives. Beef broth is nice and rich and adds just the right depth of flavor in combination with the other ingredients.
You’ll let that cook for about 15-20 minutes. In the last few minutes, cut your bread fairly thick (1 inch is good) and put the bread under the broiler or in a toaster oven with a couple tablespoons of grated gruyére cheese on top. I don’t like my cheese cooked so much to the point of almost burning it, but if you like it that way, just keep an eye on the toasted bread and cheese and bake/broil it a little longer than I did.
Ladle the soup into bowls and place two pieces of bread into each bowl. Guests can ladle the soup over the bread or eat separately, but most people like to submerge the bread deep into the soup and break up the bread with a spoon, eating it all together.
Oh, yum, yum, yum. I may just have to make this again really soon before spring is here again and I have no excuse to warm up to a nice bowl of piping hot onion soup like this.
Enjoy- Bismillah and Bon Appetit!
For more information about halal substitutes in cooking, see my chart here.
wordpress-523174-1665548.cloudwaysapps.com/substitutes-for-alcohol-in-cookingFor more information about halal cheese, see my post here.
To get a copy of the My Halal Kitchen cookbook where you’ll find this recipe and a list of halal food resources, click on the banner below or go to Book Depository where you can also get the book shipped for free globally.
[yumprint-recipe id=’8′]
![French Beans with Garlic, Cumin and Toasted Sesame]()
by Yvonne Maffei | Oct 14, 2011 | Asian, French, Gluten-Free, Recipes, Side Dishes, Summer, Vegetarian
French green beans are one of my favorite side dishes. They’re light, go well with most foods and make me feel content that I’m getting a healthy vegetable on my plate. I usually make them Italian style with garlic, tomatoes and olive oil, but this time I opted to satisfy my craving for something Asian.
I had some lovely fresh garlic, sesame seeds that were already toasted, ground cumin, and plenty of good toasted sesame oil. Other than the beans, this is all you really need to make the dish. I think a bit of fresh ginger would be nice, too.
It’s a super-quick side dish to any meal and perfect for late weeknights when you’re in the mood to smell wonderful scents coming from you kitchen. It’s good relaxation cooking.
Here’s what you’ll need to get there:
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