The Marshmallows Need Work, but the Kunefe Was Delicious

Recently, I challenged myself make to three new recipes (new to me).
Bread - done, done, and done.
Made three loaves. I am the new superhero of the family.

Marshmallows were next. Not quite what we had hoped for.

They're a bit....odd. Bland, springy, flat. Maybe too much gelatin?

So I did what any sensible person would do.

 Covered them in chocolate.

I'll try making marshmallows again some time, with a different recipe.

Souffle is up next.

But meanwhile, my cooking group got together this weekend and the theme was eastern Mediterranean, meaning Turkish. Our hostess had spent some time there and is enamored of the food, the spices and unusual flavors. The recipes were all from Ana Sortun's book Spice.

The use of spices is central to the full, rich flavors of this type of cooking. Za'atar, sumac, cardamom and oregano are featured prominently. Eggplant, yogurt, cheeses and nuts are also essential.
I was assigned dessert.

So apparently I can't do something as simple as marshmallows, but I can make an esoteric eastern Mediterranean dessert that I don't know how to pronounce.

Can you say kunefe? (There's supposed to be an umlaut above the u).

When given the recipe, I admit I was less than thrilled. 

I'm much more of a chocolate cake kind of girl, but as I've said before, this cooking group gives me a  chance to spread my culinary wings.

I accepted the challenge and went in search of whole green cardamom pods, buffalo mozzarella and kadafi.

(By the way, when I googled kadafi, I'm sure you can guess what came up. Hint: terrorist.)

Throughout the entire cooking process, I remained skeptical of the outcome.

 The ingredients were strange. The dessert wasn't pretty. I wasn't excited to serve or eat it.

A dollop of mascarpone and a sprinkling of chopped pistachios made it presentable.

Well, knock me over with a peacock feather.

The surprisingly delicious kunefe was the highlight of the evening. 

If you're interested in making this unusual, but easy, dessert, you can click here. Or you can look for Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean. It's a beautiful book and a wonderful introduction into old world cuisine.

I'll be in the kitchen re-working those marshmallows.

A Celebration and What's for Dinner Tonight

In two weeks, it will be the blog-iversary of Mignardise.
What? You never heard that word before?

It means I'll have been writing this lovely little blog for a whole year.
What should we do to celebrate?
I have a few ideas...

Subscribe and/or become a follower!
My goal is to have at least 100 subscribers by October 14. Help me, if you haven't already. Put your email address in the little box to the right and you'll receive all Mignardise posts in your email. No obligation, no cost. And again, many thanks to you who have already made my day.

Make a comment and win!
I'll be having a giveaway of something special. I can't tell you what it is yet. But stay tuned. In order to be eligible, you'll have to leave a comment. You could practice by leaving one on this post.

New features!
Be on the lookout for a couple of new weekly features, including one you can participate in too.

Cake!
What's a blog-iversary without cake? Haven't decided on which one, but I promise to challenge myself in the baking department. This shouldn't be too hard.

While you wait for the big day, here's a recipe you've got to try. I've made it twice and both times I've been amazed at not only how easy it is, but how good. It's  been a big hit with the kids, but it's nice enough for company.

Chinese Glazed Pork Tenderloin
adapted from Cook's Country


Serves 4-6


2 pork tenderloins, 1 1/2 to 2 lbs. total

1 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder

salt and pepper

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup dry sherry

3 Tbsps. Hoisin sauce (find it in the Asian section)

2 Tbsp. light brown sugar

1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Pat pork tenderloins dry with paper towels. Season with five-spice powder, salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it just starts to smoke. Cook tenderloins until well-browned all over, 5-7 minutes.

Whisk together water, ketchup, sherry, hoisin, sugar and ginger in a medium bowl. When pork is browned, reduce heat to medium and add sauce mixture. Cover and cook, rolling tenderloins occasionally, until meat registers 145 degrees, about 10-12 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest 5 minutes.

Simmer sauce and any accumulated pork juices until thickened, about 3 minutes. Slice pork and transfer to a serving platter. Pour sauce over pork and serve.