taftoon (iRanian) BRead
IngredIentS
25g fresh yeast or 1tbsp dried
275ml warm water
330g wholemeal flour
25g plain flour (all purpose)
Method
1. in a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast into
Sarah Joseph talks about gastronomic
half the water. Leave this to stand (5
minutes for fresh yeast and 15 for dried delights cooked by a trio.
yeast).
2. put both the flours into a mixing bowl Food was never dainty. there were legendary – Victoria
and make a well in the centre. pour were no intricate canapés. the sponges, scones, pastries, home-
in the yeast mixture and remaining three matriarchs of the fam- made bread with homemade
water. ily: nana, aunt and Mummy, marmalade – all laid out to be
3. Mix everything and make it into all cooked food as if feeding devoured by a hungry pack
dough, turn it on to a floured work an army. Large numbers of of children after school. aunt
surface and knead it well. children brought home even gloria’s kitchen was one where
4. Return it to the bowl, cover it with a larger numbers of friends, every saucepan, every roast-
cloth and leave it in a warm place for yet somehow the food would ing dish and every spoon were
1 to 1 ½ hours or until it has doubled stretch. the dish made for eight used; and these utensils would
in size. would easily feed the 16 that produce the most amazing
5. preheat the oven to 400‚°f (200‚°C) gas were to eat that night. and if it dishes – lasagnes, pots of meat-
mark 6. was a dish that somehow could balls and fritattas. Mum, ex-
6. Knead the dough again, divide it into not be made to grow – chops hausted after work, would cook
10 equal pieces and form them into for example - Mummy would giant sumptuous pots of every
balls. cut herself a “chop” from bread flavour – as she would experi-
7. Roll each ball into a flat round, 8 to 10 and toast it, so no one would ment with food from around
inches (20-25.5 cms) in diameter, prick guess that she herself did not the world, grinding her own
all over with a fork. have a chop that night; for to spices in an old coffee grinder.
8. Line a baking sheet with foil and put embarrass a guest who had ar- tomato sauce infused with bay
it into the very bottom of the oven to rived unannounced would have leaves can take me back to our
heat. betrayed all the love that the living room of thirty years ago.
9. Lay one of the dough rounds on the food provided. there were no “ready meals”.
foil and put it into the oven for 3 there were dishes from everything was cooked from
minutes or until it is cooked through around the world; english scratch, and with enormous
and bubbly. stews, roasts and hotpots for heapings of love thrown in.
10. Wrap the bread in a clean dry cloth sure; but there were curries food was never just about the
and add the others as they are done. and chillies and italian dishes satisfaction of hunger. it was
Serve warm. galore. nana’s afternoon teas community. it was family. l
Send us in your childhood food stories with a baby picture
to
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www.emel.com | emel magazine 49
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