[Sca-cooks] Ka'ak recipes

[David Friedman]

Now I'm feeling really stupid.

Not only is there a recipe (spelled Ka'k rather than ka'ak) in the 
Anonymous Andalusian, I've made it and it's in the _Miscellany_.

It is not, however, at all close to the other two, and so not what 
I'm looking for. It's basically a ring shaped bread with a marzipan 
filling.

I'm currently making another try at the Wusla version. With fresh 
almond oil. And a little salt.


>I'm no expert and I do not have any recipe to share but from what you have
>said I'm guessing the "blah" is because there isn't any salt.  Our mundane
>palate is used to salt (too much at times) and without it stuff tastes
>blah.  I'm not sure the case was the same in the 13th century.
>
>good luck.
>
>On Mon, Aug 24, 2009 at 11:46 PM, David Friedman 
><ddfr at daviddfriedman.com>wrote:
>
>>  Ka'ak are a middle eastern cookie/cracker, usually but not always ring
>>  shaped; a number of different versions are still made. I've now tried two
>>  period recipes, one from al-Warraq and one that Charles Perry sent me from
>>  Wusla (13th c.).
>>
>>  The al-Warraq one makes a square biscuit, rather bland but not bad. There's
>>  only one problem. It's flavored with saffron, which I don't like, it has
>>  quantities, and following the quantities makes something I have no desire to
>>  eat. It turned out better the first time I made it, when we happened to be
>>  out of saffron.
>>
>>  The Wusla version makes something rather like a pie crust cookie--almond
>>  oil (a lot of it) and semolina and not much else (some milk and sourdough).
>>  Part of the reason it turned out badly was probably the age of the almond
>>  oil I happened to have, but my guess is that using fresh almond oil would
>>  only change it from bad tasting to blah. I'll try the experiment, but am not
>>  very optimistic
>>
>>  Does anyone have any other period ka-ak recipes I could try?
>>
>>  On the other hand, I made the broth of chickpeas from al-Warraq for dinner
>>  tonight and it was pretty good. Also very easy.
>>  --
>>  David/Cariadoc
>>  www.daviddfriedman.com
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-- 
David Friedman
www.daviddfriedman.com
daviddfriedman.blogspot.com/