Ying and Yang

“Cause and effect, ying and yang, butterfly wings and ripples in the pond, no matter how you phrase it, everything we do has a result, what you do now matters, what you don’t do know matters.”

I feel a change in the air this season.

Well why not? 

In a year that has been filled with strange changes;  good and bad, sad and happy. Relationships have come and gone , countries leaders have come and gone, disasters and their after effects have come and stayed with those involved.

What a year, and this is only June ….Half way!!!!!

In the  Middle East summer is baring down upon us fast. Some are already contemplating their departures for cooler shores from now till Ramadan and even beyond.  For those uncertain and not from our shores, summer here is very, very hot.

And so we enter summer.

What to call it?

I mean it has to have a name these days. Starting earlier in the year, around Valentines day everything became labeled for us. What began in late 2010 as the Autumn of Uprisings, soon became the  Winter of Discontent which lead to the Spring of Rage, which then lead to the Summer of ?

Well lets hope anyway it is the Summer of Peace and Contentment and nothing more. Life is tough enough without the added stresses placed upon us all this year.

And so I come back to the changes that are in the air.

A friend from Abu Dhabi asked me to come up with some HALWA flavored desserts and cakes. Halwa is not something I have had a lot of time for. Its not my kind of dessert. Well there you go, I was wrong again !!

Just looking at the stuff in its plastic containers and poking it, does not actually account for having tried it.

I have seen it made at where we work. It always mystified me. Few ingredients, strange colors and a finished product which , well, did not inspire me in the slightest.

And then I was given a challenge. Create from it. And so I did. And I have to say, it’s a pretty good source of inspiration once you get your head around what it actually is. To the un-initiated let me say HALWA is pretty close to Turkish Delight, less perfumed without rose water and less gelatinous, and considering it is heavily peppered with nuts, it is a very texturous product. Adding great substance to several of the desserts I made from it.

The Gateau Voyage Version with Halwa Centre

It makes a sensational mousse, if you follow a few tricks of the trade, and does not require gelatine to set. A plus for this region. Halwa is perfect by itself and suits fresh fruits due to its sweetness. (the tartness of berries and fresh peaches perfect for accompanying it) and truly comes into it's own when baked into a subtle moist coconut cake.

A sweet coconut cake hiding a sweet sticky surprise in its centre!!!

Take a look at some of the things created with this tasty, delicacy of the Moen Orient.

Sometimes its great to be thrown a challenge.

To create with an ingredient you could never have imagined working with and successfully creating something which inspires you.
Some days we seem to be nothing more than guinea pigs on a treadmill going no-where, other days, well they are filled with HALWA, and this guinea pig is thankful for that. 

Sensational Red Halwa Cakes

Ispahan Halwa Vert with Mahalabiyeh

Ispahan Red halwa with fresh peaches

Halwa Mousse Cake with Creme Brulee Centre

Red Halwa Mousse Cake, Inside