I would like some information about Persian
sour cherry preserves. I have a recipe that
calls for them (Sour Cherry Rice) and I'm having
a hard time finding them. I made the recipe
once before and used canned sour cherries and
added some sugar because I assumed that "sour
cherry preserves" would be sweet, as that's
what I think of when I think of preserves -
something sweet that you spread on toast like
jam. However, I'm beginning to wonder if maybe
they're not sweet at all, but more like a
pickle. I mean, technically, a "preserve" is
anything that's preserved which doesn't necessarily
have to mean preserved in sugar.

If I can't find the authentic Persian-style
cherry preserves then I'd like to try substituting
something as close as possible. Now the Sour
Cherry Rice I made before was very tasty but
I have no idea how close it was to the original.

We have a Middle-Eastern store in town that says
they do carry the Persian sour cherry preserves but
they are out of them. They were supposed to get
some in but when they got them it turned out that
they were Turkish and not Persian. I'm not sure
if the Turkish ones are identical or even close.
That's my second question. Would the Turkish
preserves be similar enough to work?

TIA,
Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

In article >,
Kate Connally > wrote:

> I would like some information about Persian
> sour cherry preserves. I have a recipe that
> calls for them (Sour Cherry Rice) and I'm having
> a hard time finding them. I made the recipe
> once before and used canned sour cherries and
> added some sugar because I assumed that "sour
> cherry preserves" would be sweet, as that's
> what I think of when I think of preserves -
> something sweet that you spread on toast like
> jam. However, I'm beginning to wonder if maybe
> they're not sweet at all, but more like a
> pickle. I mean, technically, a "preserve" is
> anything that's preserved which doesn't necessarily
> have to mean preserved in sugar.
>
> If I can't find the authentic Persian-style
> cherry preserves then I'd like to try substituting
> something as close as possible. Now the Sour
> Cherry Rice I made before was very tasty but
> I have no idea how close it was to the original.
>
> We have a Middle-Eastern store in town that says
> they do carry the Persian sour cherry preserves but
> they are out of them. They were supposed to get
> some in but when they got them it turned out that
> they were Turkish and not Persian. I'm not sure
> if the Turkish ones are identical or even close.
> That's my second question. Would the Turkish
> preserves be similar enough to work?
>
> TIA,
> Kate

Sour-cherry preserve:

3 pounds pitted sour cherries
5 cups sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Marinate the cherries overnight with the sugar, then simmer with the
lime juice for 35 minutes until you have a thick sirup. Add vanilla.
Sterilize jelly jars. Fill with hot preserve & seal.

If you use sour cherries in light syrup: drain them, then use 1/3 cup
sugar per pound of cherries. Cook for 35 minutes.

You can find the detailed recipe in New Food of Life by Najmeh
Batmangli, a great book for Persian cooking.

Mite
http://www.shopncook.com

Mite wrote:
>
> In article >,
> Kate Connally > wrote:
>
> > I would like some information about Persian
> > sour cherry preserves. I have a recipe that
> > calls for them (Sour Cherry Rice) and I'm having
> > a hard time finding them. I made the recipe
> > once before and used canned sour cherries and
> > added some sugar because I assumed that "sour
> > cherry preserves" would be sweet, as that's
> > what I think of when I think of preserves -
> > something sweet that you spread on toast like
> > jam. However, I'm beginning to wonder if maybe
> > they're not sweet at all, but more like a
> > pickle. I mean, technically, a "preserve" is
> > anything that's preserved which doesn't necessarily
> > have to mean preserved in sugar.
> >
> > If I can't find the authentic Persian-style
> > cherry preserves then I'd like to try substituting
> > something as close as possible. Now the Sour
> > Cherry Rice I made before was very tasty but
> > I have no idea how close it was to the original.
> >
> > We have a Middle-Eastern store in town that says
> > they do carry the Persian sour cherry preserves but
> > they are out of them. They were supposed to get
> > some in but when they got them it turned out that
> > they were Turkish and not Persian. I'm not sure
> > if the Turkish ones are identical or even close.
> > That's my second question. Would the Turkish
> > preserves be similar enough to work?
> >
> > TIA,
> > Kate
>
> Sour-cherry preserve:
>
> 3 pounds pitted sour cherries
> 5 cups sugar
> 1 tablespoon lime juice
> 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
>
> Marinate the cherries overnight with the sugar, then simmer with the
> lime juice for 35 minutes until you have a thick sirup. Add vanilla.
> Sterilize jelly jars. Fill with hot preserve & seal.
>
> If you use sour cherries in light syrup: drain them, then use 1/3 cup
> sugar per pound of cherries. Cook for 35 minutes.
>
> You can find the detailed recipe in New Food of Life by Najmeh
> Batmangli, a great book for Persian cooking.
>
> Mite
> http://www.shopncook.com

Thanks, Mite. From this it sounds like they are
pretty sweet. I'm not going to make my own but
at least I can figure on what to substitute if
that becomes necessary.
Kate
--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

Kate Connally > wrote:
: I would like some information about Persian
: sour cherry preserves. I have a recipe that
: calls for them (Sour Cherry Rice) and I'm having
: a hard time finding them.

<snip>

I ran a quick Google and Amazon has (Greek) sour cherry
preserves that are very inexpensive. No lime/lemon
in them though. You've piqued my interest -- would
you be willing to post that recipe? I suspect I might
have luck finding the preserves when I make my next
trek to the foodie wonderland that is Berkeley.

TammyM
Sacramento, CA

On Sat, 12 Feb 2005 15:37:48 +0000 (UTC), TammyM >
wrote:

>Kate Connally > wrote:
>: I would like some information about Persian
>: sour cherry preserves. I have a recipe that
>: calls for them (Sour Cherry Rice) and I'm having
>: a hard time finding them.
>
><snip>
>
>I ran a quick Google and Amazon has (Greek) sour cherry
>preserves that are very inexpensive. No lime/lemon
>in them though. You've piqued my interest -- would
>you be willing to post that recipe? I suspect I might
>have luck finding the preserves when I make my next
>trek to the foodie wonderland that is Berkeley.
>
>TammyM
>Sacramento, CA

This was posted by another person some time ago...

From the Los Angeles Times Magazine Style/Entertaining section 10-22-
2000

TENDER IS THE RICE:
With Sour Cherries and a Little Cussing, the Humble Grain Becomes an
Adventure in Eating
by Martin Booe

WHEN I WAS KID, I'D GET DOWN ON MY KNEES
at least once a week and beg my mother to make rice for dinner. This
wasn't because I loved rice all that much, but because I hated Mom's
mashed potatoes. I still do. I've never figured out how an otherwise
good cook could so thoroughly ruin something so simple, but they were
slimy and gray and I missed many an episode of "Batman" for my refusal
to eat them. (In my family, you didn't leave the dinner table until
you
cleaned your plate, no matter how long it took.)

So I begged for rice, especially since part of my mother's devious
plot
to force me to eat her mashed potatoes was to serve them on "Batman"
night. Traditionally prepared American rice may have been mushy and
flavorless, but it was relatively inoffensive.

Chinese food aside, it never occurred to me that rice could be much of
anything besides a benign repository for gravy until a number of years
back, when I became friends with the Partovi sisters, Elli and Zoreh,
who are Iranian. Their cooking has made me a partisan of Persian
cuisine, which bestows upon rice the status of a minor deity. It's
also
a symbol of hospitality. Before this, I never knew rice could be
fluffy
and tender, yet with the texture of the grain still intact. I just
assumed they knew about some secret variety I'd never heard of (turns
out it's basmati). So I started spying on them while they cooked it.
Persian rice, or "polo" as it's known in Farsi, is first soaked for
two
hours, then boiled for several minutes, drained and steamed for 30 to
40 minutes. There are endless variations: sweet-and-sour rice, rice
with dill and fava beans, sweet rice, rice with fresh herbs, rice with
beef. Saffron is usually lurking somewhere in the background. Each
contains a treasure trove of goodies that make it an adventure in
texture and flavor.

I told Elli I had read somewhere that reflected in most Persian
cuisine
is the Parthian belief in the struggle between light and darkness. She
started laughing and employed an unequivocal barnyard epithet. My own
experience is that it reflects the eternal battle between the Partovi
sisters. For sisters, they are actually very good friends, and when
they collaborate on a meal, there's always a good deal of cussing in
Farsi, which by my estimation is a pretty evolved language for
cussing.

Elli's specialty is sour cherry rice, otherwise known as Polo Albalo.
A
traditional Iranian festival dish, it's concocted mostly of basmati
rice, sour cherries and saffron with chopped chicken mixed in, but
Elli
prefers to serve the rice and chicken separately. At the bottom of the
pot lies tadiq, the crunchy layer of rice and pita bread browned in
butter. This is always the object of stiff competition as everyone
tries to get more than their share without seeming greedy.

Elli, I'm afraid, has become a victim of her own prowess in the
kitchen. Whenever there's a birthday or cause for celebration among
our
group of friends, somebody is bound to whine for sour cherry rice.
It's
a lot of work, but Elli likes to see people enjoying good food. And if
you don't eat at least enough for three people, she won't let you
watch
"Batman."

Sour Cherry Rice:
Serves 6

3 cups basmati rice

4 tablespoons salt

Large yellow onion, finely chopped

1/2 pound butter (2 sticks)

3/4 teaspoon saffron, crushed finely into powder with pestle

3 cups sour cherry (Morello) preserves

Slice of pita bread


Fill large pot with water. Add 2 tablespoons salt. Soak rice for two
hours. Drain. In large nonstick pot, add 9 cups water, 2 tablespoons
salt and pre-soaked rice. Bring to boil. Stir gently occasionally to
prevent rice from sticking. Cook until al dente. Drain. Rinse with
cold
water, then shake colander to remove excess water. Set aside.

In skillet, fry onion in 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter until
golden.
Lower flame. Add saffron to onions. Add sour cherries. Simmer for 15
minutes, being careful not to burn.

Cover bottom of nonstick pot with olive oil. Separate one piece of
pita
bread and place it on the bottom of pot. Spoon thick layer of rice
over
pita bread; spoon layer of sour cherry preserves over rice, then
alternate layers, forming a mound. Poke holes in rice mixture with
handle of spatula to allow steam to rise. Mix until rice takes on
color
of preserves.

Melt remaining 11/2 sticks of butter (6 ounces). Pour evenly over
rice.
If juice from cherries gathers around edges of pot, skim off excess so
tadiq at bottom won't be mushy. Cover with clean towel. Then put lid
on.

Place pot on medium heat. When you hear sizzling at the bottom (after
about 5 minutes), then bring down heat to low. Cook covered for 45
minutes to an hour.


(MY note: there is a concept of duality in Persian cooking though I
believe it is Zoroastrian in origin, not Parthian. More recipies:
http://www.iranian.com or http://persia.org)


Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.

Ginny Sher > wrote:
: From the Los Angeles Times Magazine Style/Entertaining section 10-22-
: 2000

: TENDER IS THE RICE:
: With Sour Cherries and a Little Cussing, the Humble Grain Becomes an
: Adventure in Eating
: by Martin Booe
<snip>

Thank you, Ginny, this really does sound wonderful. It's on the official
"to make soon" list.

TammyM
Sacramento, CA

TammyM wrote:
>
> Kate Connally > wrote:
> : I would like some information about Persian
> : sour cherry preserves. I have a recipe that
> : calls for them (Sour Cherry Rice) and I'm having
> : a hard time finding them.
>
> <snip>
>
> I ran a quick Google and Amazon has (Greek) sour cherry
> preserves that are very inexpensive. No lime/lemon
> in them though.

I don't think they're supposed to have it. I found a
recipe for making the preserves and it only calls for
the cherries, sugar, and vanilla. They should be morello
cherries.

> You've piqued my interest -- would
> you be willing to post that recipe? I suspect I might
> have luck finding the preserves when I make my next
> trek to the foodie wonderland that is Berkeley.

I finally found a Turkish brand that seems right. I got
them here in our "Strip District" at an Italian grocers
that has lots of other European and Middle Eastern stuff.

Here are 2 recipes for Sour Cherry Rice. The first one
I tried before but I faked it by using canned pie cherries
(in water, not goo) and adding sugar. It was very tasty.
This time I'm going to use the second recipe that goes with
the Fesenjan. Parvin is Martha Stewart's hairdresser. She
was on the show one day and made the Fesenjan and Sour Cherry
Rice. I'm making them both for my birthday dinner this
coming Sat. Can't wait. I'm making the Fesenjan with duck,
not chicken, as I prefer it with duck and I really love duck.
I'm also making a cucumber yogurt salad and stuff zucchini
(with feta cheese). I'm making a green lentil dip for
the appetizer and semolina cake, dried apricots poached in
a sugar syrup and stuffed with whipped cream and sprinkled
with chopped almonds and pistachios, and also some honey-
almond-pistachio candy. (I couldn't narrow down the deserts
to just one thing. There were so many good ones to try!)

I'm only going to make half the rice recipe. As it is it's
cost me $6 for 15 oz. of the cherry preserves and that's the
cheapest price I could find. There's only going to be 5 of
us for dinner so half should be plenty.

Kate

SOUR CHERRY RICE

3 cups basmati rice
4 tablespoons salt
1 lg. yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 pound butter
3/4 teaspoon saffron, crushed
3 cups sour cherry (Morello) preserves
1 slice of pita bread

Fill large pot with water. Add 2 tablespoons salt. Soak rice for two
hours. Drain. In large nonstick pot, add 9 cups water, 2 tablespoons
salt, and pre-soaked rice. Bring to boil. Stir gently occasionally to
prevent rice from sticking. Cook until al dente. Drain. Rinse with
cold water, then shake colander to remove excess water. Set aside. In
skillet, fry onion in 4 tablespoons butter until golden. Lower flame.
Add saffron to onions. Add sour cherries. Simmer for 15 minutes, being
careful not to burn. Cover bottom of nonstick pot with olive oil.
Separate one piece of pita bread and place it on the bottom of pot.
Spoon thick layer of rice over pita bread; spoon layer of sour cherry
preserves over rice, then alternate layers, forming a mound. Poke holes
in rice mixture with handle of spatula to allow steam to rise. Mix
until rice takes on color of preserves. Melt remaining 1½ sticks of
butter. Pour evenly over rice. If juice from cherries gathers around
edges of pot, skim off excess so tadiq at bottom won't be mushy. Cover
with clean towel. Then put lid on. Place pot on medium heat. When you
hear sizzling at the bottom (after about 5 minutes), then bring down
heat to low. Cook covered for 45 minutes to an hour. Serves 6.

(From the Los Angeles Times Magazine Style/Entertaining section
10-22-2000 TENDER IS THE RICE: With Sour Cherries and a
Little Cussing, the Humble Grain Becomes an Adventure in
Eating by Martin Booe

When I was kid, I'd get down on my knees at least once a week and beg my
mother to make rice for dinner. This wasn't because I loved rice all
that much, but because I hated Mom's mashed potatoes. I still do. I've
never figured out how an otherwise good cook could so thoroughly ruin
something so simple, but they were slimy and gray and I missed many an
episode of "Batman" for my refusal to eat them. (In my family, you
didn't leave the dinner table until you cleaned your plate, no matter
how long it took.)

So I begged for rice, especially since part of my mother's devious plot
to force me to eat her mashed potatoes was to serve them on "Batman"
night. Traditionally prepared American rice may have been mushy and
flavorless, but it was relatively inoffensive.

Chinese food aside, it never occurred to me that rice could be much of
anything besides a benign repository for gravy until a number of years
back, when I became friends with the Partovi sisters, Elli and Zoreh,
who are Iranian. Their cooking has made me a partisan of Persian
cuisine, which bestows upon rice the status of a minor deity. It's also
a symbol of hospitality. Before this, I never knew rice could be fluffy
and tender, yet with the texture of the grain still intact. I just
assumed they knew about some secret variety I'd never heard of (turns
out it's basmati). So I started spying on them while they cooked it.
Persian rice, or "polo" as it's known in Farsi, is first soaked for two
hours, then boiled for several minutes, drained, and steamed for 30-40
minutes. There are endless variations: sweet-and-sour rice, rice with
dill and fava beans, sweet rice, rice with fresh herbs, rice with beef.
Saffron is usually lurking somewhere in the background. Each contains a
treasure trove of goodies that make it an adventure in texture and
flavor.

I told Elli I had read somewhere that reflected in most Persian cuisine
is the Parthian belief in the struggle between light and darkness. She
started laughing and employed an unequivocal barnyard epithet. My own
experience is that it reflects the eternal battle between the Partovi
sisters. For sisters, they are actually very good friends, and when
they collaborate on a meal, there's always a good deal of cussing in
Farsi, which by my estimation is a pretty evolved language for cussing.

Elli's specialty is sour cherry rice, otherwise known as Polo Albalo. A
traditional Iranian festival dish, it's concocted mostly of basmati
rice, sour cherries, and saffron with chopped chicken mixed in, but Elli
prefers to serve the rice and chicken separately. At the bottom of the
pot lies tadiq, the crunchy layer of rice and pita bread browned in
butter. This is always the object of stiff competition as everyone tries
to get more than their share without seeming greedy.

Elli, I'm afraid, has become a victim of her own prowess in the
kitchen. Whenever there's a birthday or cause for celebration among our
group of friends, somebody is bound to whine for sour cherry rice. It's
a lot of work, but Elli likes to see people enjoying good food. And if
you don't eat at least enough for three people, she won't let you watch
"Batman".)


PARVIN'S POMEGRANATE CHICKEN STEW AND SOUR CHERRY RICE

6 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups finely ground walnuts
2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cups water
1-2 teaspoons saffron water
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 cup pomegranate paste
1 whole 4-pound chicken
1 teaspoon ground paprika
Sour Cherry Rice
yogurt

In a large stockpot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add 1
onion and the garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown,
10-15 minutes. Add walnuts, and cook, stirring constantly, for 3-4
minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon
turmeric, the cinnamon, 1 cup water, and the saffron water. Stir in
orange juice and pomegranate paste. Bring to a boil, reduce to a
simmer, and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 35 minutes. In
another large stockpot, heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil over
medium-high heat. Add remaining onion and cook, stirring frequently,
until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add chicken and cook, turning
occasionally, until brown all over, about 10 minutes. Add the paprika,
remaining teaspoon turmeric, remaining teaspoon salt, pepper, and
remaining ¼ cup water. Cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add chicken,
pan juices, and onions to pomegranate mixture. Cover, and cook for 45
minutes. Serve with sour cherry rice and yogurt. Serves 4-6.

Sour Cherry Rice:
4 cups basmati rice
1 teaspoon coarse salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon plain yogurt
2 teaspoons saffron water
32 ounces whole sour cherry preserves, drained and liquid reserved
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Place rice in a medium bowl, and add enough water to cover. Pour off
water, and repeat process 2-3 more times. Add enough cold water to
cover. Add salt, and let stand for 10-15 minutes. Drain. Bring a
large pot of water to a boil. Add rice, and cook until almost tender, 5
minutes. Drain. Meanwhile, in a medium nonstick stockpot, combine 2
tablespoons water, butter, yogurt, and 1 teaspoon saffron water. Add
rice, layering with the cherries, and cherry liquid. Sprinkle with
remaining saffron water and the oil. Cover top of stockpot with a thick
kitchen towel, and place lid on top. Cook over medium heat for 5
minutes. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 30 minutes more. Invert rice
onto a large platter. Serve immediately.

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?