Medieval Cuisine of Cyprus

Today I had the chance to attend a lecture entitled "Cyprus: A Culinary Crossroad" by William Woys Weaver

I learned many things, including the fact that the Medieval court was made up of French speaking crusaders whose rule ended ended in1489. Then, it passes into Venetian control until1570 -they were there for the local plants which produced substances that were used in the glass making that Venice was known for.

Then Ottomans took over in the 16th century.
Aramaic speaking Northern Syrians went to Cyprus and left a strong influence on the island. Cyprus'
5 Geographic areas produce their own regional cuisine.

From 700-900 ruled simultaneously by Caliph of Baghdad and Byzantines.
Cyprus was end of silk road, and for this reason its culinary ingredients hailed from around the globe. Rock sugar from Syria, pepper and red anice from India, and beans from Egypt were just a few. Hindu traders brought spices and rice in medieval times.

But that doesn't mean that Cypriots didn't have their own local specialities to enjoy. Home to 16 varieties of grapes, they were making wine in bronze age! Cyprus was the source of sacred wines for Egyptian temples and Jewish temples in Jerusalem.

Cypriot sugar was believed to be the highest grade available in the Mediterranean. One tablespoon in 1411 would be $5.65 - which makes it comparable to edible gold leaf today!

B & B Empire: Brooklyn Day 2

Today was another fun and delicious day of cooking and baking. Our activities centered around the bialy. We started out by making dough from scratch, then shaped them, and tried out a variety of delicious (albeit non-traditional) fillings - sweet and savory!

Then Fatima, Steve and I tested some delicious new soups made from scratch with housemade stock.

We also developed some fabulous flatbreads which will be great for lunch, snacks and dinner. It is so great to see things made the old fashioned way!

In the afternoon, two new members with lots of experience and a passion for fresh, homemade food, bagels, and coffee joined us for training. Excitement continues to grow as he head to our re-launch date, with customers knocking on the door every few minutes and increased demand in wholesale orders!

This afternoon, Diana Ash, a Hospitality Management student from Maryland came to Brooklyn to join us for the weekend. Diana just started interning with me. Soon she'll be blogging about her experiences as a student and our work together.Tomorrow we've got a culinary field trip planned as well as lots of work in the kitchen. I'm going to turn in early! Soon it will be time to make the bagels!

B & B Empire...Brooklyn Day 1

Today was my first full day working with the staff at B&B Empire in Brooklyn. The cafe is closed for renovations, and the windows are covered. People continuously stop by and ask whether or not we're going out of business. "We're just improving...we'll reopen in few weeks!" I respond.  


This morning I spent time with Paul, B& B's head baker, as he taught me about how traditional Montreal bagels are made...with only a few of the best ingredients including King Arthur flour, fresh yeast, eggs, butter (not enough to worry about), and salt. 

Mixing the yeast and water

They get shaped by hand and are left to rise.

Bagels resting

Wood ready to go into the oven

Then, they get dipped into a boiling honey bath just before getting put into the 750 degree wood burning oven.

Honey Bath

The finished product - slightly sweet and crunchy exterior with a rich, soft interior

My goal for B & B is to enable them to capitalize on their strengths: the delicious bagels and bialys,  the gorgeous and massive wood-burning imported from Montreal, the handmade foods, a passionate and talented barista, and the fabulous location. It won't be long before the same love and passion for quality that make B&B's bagels and coffee distinctive is evident in the cafe's entire menu, interior, and service.