Orange: Squeeze your orange and have it too...

My very first memory of the orange was the hand-squeezed orange juice that my mom would make for me esp. when I was sick to get all the vitamin C. I liked to peel the skin of the orange half-moons, scoop out the seeds and savor the delicate core. Yeah, I composted all the fiber...

A decade later...
Orange became synonymous to Orange Cola - my favorite beverage in my teens when a local Indian company introduced an orange flavored beverage called 'Gold Spot'. Of course it had nothing to do with real oranges which I admittedly understand a decade later.


Two Decades later...
When I came to the US, orange juice became the usual suspect at my breakfast table usually sporting a Tropicana or Sunny D label. Although I became used to the taste - I often missed the hand-squeezed variety.
It felt like a lot of effort to self-squeeze. I would sometimes go to Jamba Juice and ask for freshly-squeezed explicitly explaining the meaning of "freshly-squeezed". (Thank you Jamba Juice to be patient with me)

So when I traveled to Europe, I was elated to see a machine that would squeeze the oranges with the press of a button. I spotted this first at the Paris airport cafe when I requested a bottle of orange juice. However, I was overjoyed to experience this myself in Zurich at the local grocery chain called co-op. In fact I would go there just to push the tab to fill up my own fresh-squeezed orange juice. My husband thought I was crazy until he drank the first cup. I would select the size of the bottle that I wanted to fill and then push the tab with the bottle placed carefully under the tap. The pre-loaded oranges would get halved and fall from the rotating assembly line inside the machine. Each half would then get squeezed and the remaining shell would get collected in another container at the foot of the machine. (See attached video)
I filled one-liter in less than 30 seconds!! My mom would complain that she had to squeeze the oranges for everyone else - This way mom, you could squeeze your oranges and have it too!

One of the nicest things for not having your husband around is that I get to explore things that are on my list like the local grocery stores. This video is from a local 7-11 kind of store in Brussels where I spotted this today and I couldn't wait to share it with you...

Do you have a story to tell about oranges or fruit-juices? Would love to hear about your experiences?

 

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Brussel Sprouts with Fig, Walnuts & Mint

This goes to all the protesters of Brussel Sprouts - Wait to be converted!

Brussel Sprouts are one of the vegetables of the "cruciferous" family and are recommended to be consumed on a daily basis like broccoli & cabbage to get the great health benefits associated with it. But I have never found a flavorful way to cook brussel sprouts because of the somewhat bitter taste.
More on Cruciferous Vegetables


The first time I had these were at iLiLi lebanese restaurant in New York. It was almost an year later that I found myself staring at the menu again at iLiLi when the brussel sprouts on the menu sprung at me and my palate instantly tingled at the memory of the distinct flavors and textures in the dish. The sweetness of the fig puree and the tartness of the mint yogurt marry well into the brussel sprouts that are slightly charred from the outside yet green & tender from the inside. The crushed walnuts provide the crunch and grapes the moisture and freshness.

I found the recipe at the restaurant's blog (one of the two recipes that is published) and tried to re-create it. I am attaching a pic of how mine turned out to be. Although the recipe asks to blend the fig jam, I wouldn't recommend it since it loses the texture - Just boil it with water in a 1:1 proportion.

I complemented this with pita bread and pan-toasted green chillies since I feel the spice goes well with the sweet & tart. Let me know how yours turned out?

Here is the recipe from iLiLi  - Thank You Chef Phillipe!
I have included the recipe from the blog for those of you reading on portable devices. You can also go on their website listed below the recipe where this is included.

"

ilili Brussels Sprouts

Serves 4 

1.25lb Brussels Sprouts

16 Tb Mint Yogurt

4 Tb Fig puree

4 Tb Toasted Walnut, crumbled

8 Tb Sliced Seedless Green Grapes

8 leaves Fresh Mint, chopped finely

Sherry Vinegar – to taste

1/2 tsp salt

Fig puree

1 cup Water

1 cup Fig jam

Bring to boil then puree in blender.

Mint Yogurt

1 qt Yogurt

4 Tb Mint, minced

1 Tb Salt

Deep fry the Brussels sprouts or sear the cut side in a pan until well browned almost burnt, or you can toss with oil and roast in the oven at 500f until crispy.

Make sure the outer husk is removed from the sprout otherwise it will burn and fall off becoming an unappetizing and frustrating thing to pick out of the batch. The Brussels sprout should still be green with a browned outer leaves when cooked.  It should not be completely browned otherwise it will be bitter and overly laden with fry oil.  The sprouts should then be salted and tossed with the sherry vinegar. 

The two sauces should go on next in lattices and then it should be garnished with the walnuts and the grapes and before it leaves the window fresh mint. Be sure not to over sauce. You can always add more if you need it.

You’ll know you’ve perfected the seasoning when you get the perfect bite - a balance between bitter, salty, sweet, and sour and the umami. " [Ref]

[Ref] Phillipe Massoud. ililirestaurantnyc [Internet]. [New York]: [2010 November] - [cited 2011 February 2]. Available from: http://ililirestaurantnyc.squarespace.com/recipes/2010/11/23/brussels-sprouts-recipe.html

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