SC - Kataif

[Robin Carroll-Mann]

And it came to pass on 9 Sep 99,, that david friedman wrote:


<color><param>0000,0000,0000</param>> At 9:06 AM -0500 9/9/99, Decker, Ter=
ry D. wrote:

> >I have a reference from the 1920s to 10th Century kataif as a confectio=
n

> >of banana, almonds and honey doused with nut oil.  The work is a histor=
y

> >of the banana and displays solid historical references in most regards.=
 

> >The comment about kataif appears to be explanatory fill in a reference =
to

> >Masudi, the poet and historian.

> >

> >Modern kataif (also known as ataif and gatayef) is a coarse, shortened

> >dough stuffed with nuts or cheese then baked and served with syrup.


> The Making of Qat=E2if

> Put a potful of water on the fire until it boils, and throw in coarsely

> ground semolina, and cook it on the fire until it becomes pudding

> ('as=EEda). Then take it out of the pot and put it in a dish; boil honey=
 and

> pour it on top, with pepper, and present it, God willing.

> 

> [This is an aberrant recipe. Qataif are basically crepes, very thin brea=
ds

> or things made from them.] [the note is by Charles Perry, the translator=
]

[snip]

</color>> David/Cariadoc

<color><param>0000,0000,0000</param>> http://www.best.com/~ddfr/


Very interesting... I think this may shed some light on the name and 
origin of one of the Spanish recipes I have been translating.


</color>TORONJAS DE XATIVA QUE SON ALMOJAVANAS

"Grapefruits" of Xativa Which are Cheesecakes


Source: De Nola, _Libro de Guisados_, 1529

Translation: Brighid ni Chiarain (Robin Carroll-Mann)


You must take new cheese and curd cheese, and pound them in a 
mortar together with eggs.  Then take dough and knead those cheeses 
with the curd cheese, together with the dough, and when everything is 
incorporated and kneaded take a very clean casserole, and cast into it a 
good quantity of sweet pork fat or fine sweet oil, and when the pork 
grease or oil boils, make some balls from said dough, like toy balls or 
round oranges, and cast them into the casserole in such a manner that 
the ball goes floating in the casserole, and you can also make fritters of=
 
the dough, or whatever shapes and ostentations you wish, and when 
they are the color of gold, take them out, and cast in as many others; 
and when everything is fried, put it on plates, and cast honey upon it, 
and upon them honey, ground sugar and cinnamon.  However note one 
thing: that you must put a bit of leaven in the cheeses and in the eggs, 
and in the other put flour, and when you make the balls, grease your 
hands with a little fine oil: and then they go to the casserole, and when 
it is inside, if the dough crackles it is a signal that it is very soft; a=
nd 
you must cast in more flour until it is harder; and when the fritter is 
made and fried, cast your honey on it and sugar and cinnamon on top 
as is said above.



It sounds to me as though "Xativa" is a variant/descendant of Qataif.  
(For those who do not know Spanish: the word would be roughly 
pronounded "ha-tee-va", with the initial consonant being rather like a 
gutteral 'h'.)  Perhaps the recipe is called "Grapefruits of Xativa" becau=
se 
the round balls are not the usual shape in which this sweet cheese-
dough is cooked.


Brighid



Lady Brighid ni Chiarain
Settmour Swamp, East (NJ)
mka Robin Carroll-Mann
harper at idt.net
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