Every year, following the release of my latest cookbook, I make a culinary pilgrimage to Philadelphia. I usually eat lunch at Di Pietro's - their coal burning ovens produce fantastic pizza and then head over to the Swiss Haus bakery for a delicious, old fashioned treat for dessert. Then I head over to the WHYY studios for an interview with my friend Chef Jim Coleman on is "A Chef's Table" program.
After the interview I usually go to see an exhibit, do a little shopping, dinner, and home. This trip I decided to check out the much anticipated Cleopatra "The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt" exhibit at the Franklin Institute. The gorgeously curated exhibit provides us with a wealth of information and interesting facts about the world's most famous woman, who, coincidentally, had a son named Philadelphus with Mark Anthony.
During her relationship with Mark Anthony, the two ate, drank, and celebrated life with such flagrant excess (even the Romans thought them to be flamboyant!) , that Cleopatra herself named them "the inimitable livers". Her palace tables were decked out in gold, silver, tortoise shell, and glassware. Pools were kept full of fresh lotus flowers ( a symbol of Southern Egypt) and fish. Dinners consisted of oysters, wild boar, roasted fish and seafood, peacocks, flamingo meat, and quails. Pastries were made with dates, figs, nuts, and berries and drenched in honey.
Enjoy this easy and delicious recipe from Nile Style: Egyptian Cuisine and Culture
Cleopatra’s Kisses
Cooblit Cleopatra
Makes 1 pound caramelized walnuts
It is said that Cleopatra used sugar extravagantly, even though it was extremely expensive in antiquity, because the Egyptians had just been introduced to the sugar cane crop via the Persians whose victory over the Egyptian armies led ended the Pharaonic era in 525 BC. Walnuts, which were another important agricultural crop for the Persians, are the other main ingredient in this recipe.
The original version of this recipe is said to have been deciphered from hieroglyphs, and it is believed that their high energetic value was used to restore the spirits both Caesar and Mark Anthony. It is important to note, however, that in Egyptian culture, walnuts are considered important in stimulating mental activity, and sugar at the time, was a status symbol. I believe that this recipe represented the sweetness of not only love, but intellect, strength, and power as well.
Ingredients:
½ cup ground blanched almonds
1 ½ cups sugar, divided
1 tablespoon orange blossom water (found in Middle Eastern and specialty markets)
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 pound walnut halves
Preparation:
Mix ground almonds with ½ cup sugar, orange blossom water, and orange juice in a medium bowl. Place a small amount of paste over the flat inside of a walnut half. Press the flat inside of a second walnut half on the top and press down lightly to seal. Place on a work surface covered with wax paper.
Melt the remaining 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan with 2 tablespoons water over low heat. Once it melts, increase the heat to medium high, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until it turns amber colored (approximately 10 minutes). Remove from heat and stir well as caramel continues to darken in color. Be very careful not to touch or splatter caramel at this point, as it can cause serious injury.
Using a spoon, carefully drizzle caramel over the stuffed almonds. Allow to cool. Walnuts can be stored in an air tight container for up to 1 week.
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