Sweet. Sour. Salty. Bitter. Umami. These are the building blocks of some of the best moments of our lives and represent the primary types of taste upon which our sense of taste is built.
Can you remember the meals you have enjoyed most? Think about your favourite dish, and taste not just its flavours, but the emotions and memories it brings up. Think about the tastes you had to acquire because someone took the time to tame your palate – maybe it was olives, and maybe you made peace with them one evening on an island in Greece. Maybe it’s the pungent, gooey cheese you only learned to appreciate at that exquisite French restaurant one winter night.
Taste is one of the strongest senses we have, and has the power to elicit emotion and memories. Today we offer your taste buds an exploration of the Far East, the lands our furniture comes from, the lands where date trees and seafood abound.
Consider this our Easter offering to you – a little souvenir of sunny places where the Easter tradition was born.
PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED DATES
Ingredients
Shaved prosciutto
Aged cheddar
Fresh soft dates
Materials
Skewers / tooth picks
Preparation
Pit dates
Cut cheese into small rectangular blocks
Stuff dates with cheddar
Wrap the cheddar stuffed date with prosciutto
Use a tooth pick to hold prosciutto in place
Place on a baking tray
Bake for 10-15 mins or until cheese starts to melt and the prosciutto starts to brown
Remove from oven and place on the serving tray of your choice
Serve while warm and enjoy!
Serving tray and cutting board
THAI CRACKERS
Ingredients
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp chilli flakes (or crushed chillies)
1/8 cup minced cilantro
1 1/2 diced green onion (keep a few pieces aside for final presentation)
2 cups minced crab
3 tbsp mayonaise (more can be added for a creamier mix)
Sesame snaps (or cracker of your choice) we find that the sweet sesame snap works well for this recipe
Preparation
In a medium sized bowl mix together all ingredients (excluding crackers and the few green onion pieces set aside for presentation)
Refrigerate the mixture for a minimum of 3h for the best flavour
Scoop a bite sized portion (a generous table spoon) onto the cracker
Top with a couple pieces of the diced green onion for an extra punch of colour
Place on your serving tray and let your guests enjoy.
