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Award-winning patissier, author and executive chef Aaron Maree plans to take Middle Eastern cuisine to even greater heights with his latest mouth-watering recipes for desserts from the desert.
His latest book entitled Arabian Dreams: Innovative New Age Middle Eastern Desserts for the Next Generation will be officially launched today.
The 128-page publication boasting a foreword from Michelin star celebrity chef Gary Rhodes is being unveiled at the Australian Association Business Women's Breakfast at Chocolove on Budaiya Highway.
Calling it a labour of love and team effort, Aaron, 41, who is a culinary consultant now based in Bahrain and has written 14 other titles, said his latest offering has been written from a chef's point of view.
With each page dedicated to a single dish, the glossy, culinary masterpiece contains pictures of the finished products, statements from the author about his creations, the method he used and the ingredients.
Aaron said: 'Outside of the region many people don't seem to know what Arabic or Middle East means. Everybody seems to be scared of these words these days.
'There are several local delicacies such as assalia, lugaimot, mahalabiyeh that have never been tasted in the West.
'Through fine food and this book I hope to show a different angle to what people around the world are shown on television. I want to break down barriers.
'Six-years ago I had also asked: 'Is it safe?' Nobody could really tell me. But, we all know that it is an amazing place to live and there is a rich culture, history and tradition here.
'I like to say that the kitchen is like the UN (United Nations). It is neutral territory. All politics should be kept away from here. There are amazing products from Iran, Bahrain and everywhere else. The Middle East should be loved and not be scared of.
'There is a lot of opportunity here. We are still going through a development boom. It has slowed down a little bit but it is still a young country.'
Aaron continued: 'You can have buildings, hotels and rooms but you cannot drive tourism alone with concrete. If we get the food right we can fill the hotels.
'In Bahrain we have some amazing restaurants but we don't yet have any Michelin star chefs coming here.
'If we develop the food and get it on a level playing field for everybody, this could be the cultural capital of the Middle East. What Bahrain needs is a School of Pastry!'
As his parents were only able to afford one child's education in university, Aaron, who grew up in Tasmania, had to choose his career path at an early age.
At 13, inspired by a photograph of well known French chef Yves Thuries and his culinary creations, he started out as a kitchen apprentice. A year on he began specialising as a pastry chef and at 15 won his first medal in Salon Culinaires, a popular Australian culinary challenge.
At the age of 17 he came second at Patissier '87 and at 18, as a fourth-year apprentice pastry chef, he won the prestigious title in the following year, beating Australia's 15 top pastry chefs for the accolade. At 20 Aaron published his first book entitled 100 Fabulous Cakes and Tortes.
In his 30-year career that has included television shows and demonstrations, he has worked on cruise ships that took him to 75 countries, lived and worked in the UK, Singapore and Canada, where he also owned a shop, worked as Cadbury's chocolate chef for Australia and New Zealand and was also corporate chef for Movenpick between Toronto and Amsterdam.
Aaron, who lives in Manama, said that his inspiration for the latest book came from training a team and exposing the glamorous side of his job. Encouraging everyone who wants to make delectable food to dream a little, he said: 'This was a way of training the team I was working with and telling them that there is more to just creating pastries.
'It has been a journey for me and the team and it will be for everybody who attempts these recipes.
'So we planned out the most popular 50 dishes we do. A lot of these recipes have been with me for 30 years and have been tweaked into a Middle Eastern style.
'As we made them we took pictures and compiled the best. We wrote the recipes and came up with a name 'Arabian dreams' because it was our team's dream to do a book on Arabic desserts.
'What we have tried to do is not only explain that Arabic food is changing but that Arabic desserts are amazing. I am also trying to make people take pastry making a little bit more seriously.
'Some are traditional dishes like the Bahraini custard made in crme caramel style. We turned something that is traditional into something that is a little bit French.
'The idea is texture, flavour and layers, to give you the absolute sensory experience. It is just not all cream and mousse. We are trying to create something from classical recipes into something that can draw a crowd.'
A word of caution for budding p‰tissier's is to follow the directions a 100 per cent and not succumb to exchanging ingredients. He also urges every beginner to start with the simplest dish. He said: 'To create properly, use accuracy, weigh and measure instead of using 'guesstimates'. Once you get the cooking part right it is an amazing experience that feels like nothing else.
'Everything is really achievable and is explained to a minute level. There are no tricks. I don't want people to look at a book and say I can't do it.'
Not ready to rest on his laurels Aaron has already planned three more books - Salad Daze, a book on salads; a 21st anniversary edition of his first book 100 Fabulous Cakes and Tortes where he revisits the published recipes as an experienced chef and Swavoury, that has recipes that combines sweet and savoury flavours.
Arabian Dreams: Innovative New Age Middle Eastern Desserts for the Next Generation is now available at Jashanmal Book Store priced BD17. The author invites comments and suggestions from readers to email him at arabiandreams2010@hotmail.com.
Mahalabiyeh (Mahalabia)
Ingredients
750ml water
225g milk powder
125g granulated sugar
pinch mastic
20g rosewater
50g corn flour (corn starch)
150g water
Method:
Place the first amount of water into a medium-sized saucepan. Add the milk powder, sugar and rosewater. Bring this to the boil.
In a small bowl mix together the corn flour (corn starch) and the second amount of water. Whisk lightly so there are no lumps.
When the first mixture boils steadily whisk rapidly and pour in the corn flour mix at the same time. Whisk to ensure both mixtures combine evenly and smoothly.
Allow the mix to return to the boil and boil for 1-2 minutes.
Remove from the heat. Add the pinch of mastic or, if unavailable, leave plain.
Place a piece of plastic wrap on the very surface of the mahalabiyeh to prevent skinning and leave to cool for 10-15 minutes (this avoids the inevitable breaking of fine glasses).
When the mahalabiyeh has cooled, remove the plastic wrap from the surface and whisk the mixture to a pouring consistency. Pour into glasses.
Grind and sieve pistachio nuts over the surface of the mahalabiyeh and allow to cool in the refrigerator until cold. Serve chilled.
(Makes 6 glasses, of approximately 150 ml capacity)
