If alcohol is not your thing (nor do you wish to eat pork)

Hi,

There are people who avoid alcohol, whether it is religion, personal choice or it just didn't work in their favor.

Yesterday, I hosted a program on Halal food. Yvonne Maffei has written a cookbook My Halal Kitchen, which may interest those avoiding alcohol or pork products. While most us associate Halal cooking with Middle Eastern cuisine. Yvonne made thoughtful substitutions to broaden the range to Asian, French, Italian, Mexican and beyond.

Typically, we serve food samples from the book. I sought out recipes, which might be a pleasant surprise to people who don't eat pork or use alcohol.

Yvonne offers a method for making your own non-alcohol based extracts from the usual vanilla or almond to those you don't usually consider like coconut. A batch of coconut balls (using coconut extract from Whole Foods because homemade extracts take a month) were terrific. They were not gelatin based, either, because some gelatin have a pork base.

There was a mulled cider, which suggested wine with the introduction of grape juice, which was flavorful and could fool someone expecting wine.

Penne without the vodka, which uses some juice as well. It was not fruity tasting despite some of the underlying ingredient contributions.

For those who may want to enjoy Mexican carnitas, though no wish to consume pork. We served a carnitas made from lamb shoulder, which was simmered in lime and orange juices. People kept coming back for more, which is always a good sign. My Dad claims it reminds him of his mother's cooking, who was German and likely never cooked with citrus juices, coriander, chili and cumin.

I never considered soy sauce as alcohol based, though apparently there is due to fermentation. Yvonne has a homemade soy sauce, which tasting panel thought was the real product. Instead it was something she developed on her own, because she loves Chinese food.

While this book may be put aside, because you're not Muslim and don't follow a Halal lifestyle. Yet it offers ideas for those who are Kosher or simply don't wish for alcohol in their lives.

From the reactions yesterday from the four recipes prepared, this book is a keeper.

Regards,
Cathy2