mesotablar | The DIY Aro: Food (Reply)

This is my entry for May carnival of Aros carnivalofaros.wordpress.com/2020/05/15/may-2020-call-for-submissions-diy/. I just wish it was more aro themed or even the colours of the aro flag, but I suck at food colouring.

The DIY Aro: Food

Making food is probably my main expression of love. If I am cooking for someone I love I put in a lot of time and energy and imagination. My mother thinks I am a wonderful cook, because I love her I put the effort in. My friends are always asking me to bring food to parties because I will make something elaborate or decadent, because I love them.

Being on the morning tea roster at work? I bring store bought cake. I do not partake.

Suggestions that I become a chef? Awkward laughter and a determined no.

If have to fend for myself as I am the only one in the home? I eat canned beans from the saucepan while sitting on the couch. Rinse and repeat. Because most of the time I don’t love myself.

However I am not scared to go to a restaurant and eat alone. I went backpacking in the UK and my self-esteem was at an all-time high so I ate out a lot, I treated myself to good food at a new restaurant on a ‘table for one’ almost every day. I mentioned that in conversation when I got back and most people said they would be too scared to be on a ‘table for one’ in a restaurant. Sure the conversation sucks but it’s not scary. One time the waiter was a sort of mean about it so I just put my shopping on the other seat in a sort of person shape and had a hilarious conversation with the lump. So maybe I am the scary one?

Anyway, I am here to share something with you. A recipe. There are many levels of care you can bring to this recipe depending on whether you are cooking for people you love or people you tolerate or people you despise but have to keep the veneer of an appropriate professional standard. I tend to have most of these ingredients constantly lying around the house so this is a recipe I make for myself when I'm alone and out of cans of beans.

Recipe: Moroccan (Inspired) Figs

Ingredients

Dried Figs – estimate about 2-5 per person you will be feeding

Orange Juice – Fresh squeezed or from a bottle. 1 cup per 15 figs. If desperate use mandarins or satsumas or those shrunken things at the back of the fridge that may have once been oranges. If the oranges are fresh and look nice feel free to add some peel strips to the mix too, they will candy.

Honey/Sugar – Ultimately you will be making a syrup so you do need some, how much depends on how sweet you want it to be and if you have to cover up bitter citrus or tart pomegranate juice. 2 tablespoons is a good start point to learn from.

Pomegranate Juice/Pomegranate Molasses – actually an optional ingredient: ¼ cup. I use fresh because I have access to a tree that produces lots of small fruit that are only good for juicing. If you have the fruit save a few arils for later decoration, it looks great with no extra effort. But bottled juice or molasses work just as well.

Rose Water/Orange Blossom Water – at least 1 teaspoon in syrup and 1 optional teaspoon to serve. Rose or orange is just a personal choice, or whatever you have in the cupboard that you think will go well. A friends thinks Almond essence or coconut essence works just as well, but don’t pour extra of these on the finished figs at the end.

Cinnamon stick – or cassia (also known as cinnamon bark) if you want it a bit spicier. If using powder ½ teaspoon per cup of orange juice.

Cloves – about 3-6 depending on how much you like cloves. Or ¼ teaspoon of powder. Please don’t use clove oil though. Whole spice or powder only!

Mint leaves – totally optional. Just to garnish.

Method

Pour boiling water over the figs, let them sit in it for 5 minutes or so as you get everything else ready.

Put orange juice, honey/sugar, scented water or essence and spices in a saucepan on low-medium heat. If using orange peel cut as much white pith off as possible before adding. If you are using pomegranate add now, if not using pomegranate maybe think of adding ¼ teaspoon of turmeric just to make the syrup an unearthly orange colour.

Occasionally stir while heating so the honey/sugar dissolves. Drain figs from water and add to saucepan, you can totally do this before the honey/sugar is dissolved. Bring to a simmer or boil, whatever you are comfortable with and allow to cook and reduce. You should watch it, but I’m lazy and tend to do other things and check on it every 5 minutes or so.

Cook until the figs look puffed up and the syrup has reduced and maybe it is foaming up (this might not happen for you). Generally it takes about 15 minutes for a 15 fig/1 cup orange juice mix.

For your safety take it off the heat and wait for the syrup to stop bubbling before you serve. Pull out figs with slotted spoon or tongs and put on a pretty plate. Pretty plates and platters are the lazy caterer’s friend. Throw on extra arils, mint and scented water you had reserved. Pour extra syrup into a jug for fancy serving, or if you don’t like the people so much put the extra syrup in your fridge to use in cocktails after work, it goes particularly well with bourbon.

Serve still warm or at room temperature.

The whole cooking process will make your kitchen smell nice. If you want jealous neighbours leave the kitchen door/windows open. People will also think you went to a lot of effort just because it smells nice.