Pomegranate Soup came recommended to me by an online book group and I am glad that this suggestion was sent my way because I doubt I would have found this one on my own. FYI: you can always send me post suggestions either in the comments, my email or our social media sites!

For anyone else that hasn’t had the treat of discovering this novel yet it is about the small, sheltered village of Ballinacroagh. To the three Aminpour sisters, this small Irish village looks like a much-needed safe haven. Marjan Aminpour fled Iran with her younger sisters, Bahar and Layla, and she hopes that now they might finally find a home. The sisters get to work and soon the scent of cardamom, cinnamon, and saffron float through the streets announcing the opening of the Babylon Café, and enrages the town’s top public figure Thomas McGuire. After trying to buy the empty shop for years and failing, Thomas is angry to find it occupied–and by foreigners, no less.

But soon the food charms the people in the village and Marjan is thrilled with the demand for her exotic Persian dishes–and with the transformation in her sisters. Young Layla finds first love, and even skittish Bahar seems to be less nervous. The sisters find supporters against the less welcoming villagers stuck in their ways. However,  the past threatens the Amnipours once more, and the lives they left behind in revolution-era Iran haunts them as they try to navigate their new home.

Novels that present food as magic have a special place in my heart. I use my kitchen as a refuge, a place to create, a place to experiment, to be myself and I adore when this idea is translated into any kind of fiction. This book does just that. As the townsfolk start to try the food at The Babylon Café  they are transformed into better versions of themselves. The idea of food as magic also applies here as the sisters are able to cast off their past by cooking certain dishes and embrace their future. This novel contains recipes within the text which I loved and couldn’t wait to try.

I chose elephant ears for this post rather than the book’s namesake for a couple of reasons. The ears sounded exotic, delicious and outside of my comfort zone; I mean seriously, rose water infused pastries!

I feel that the elephant ears are featured in the novel as a representation of the gossip that travels around the small town. The ears are introduced in the chapter that opens with Layla and her school mates gossiping about the boys in school. The chapter then transitions into the buzz about the Babylon Café and how the local pastor has spread the word about the wonderful food there.  The chapter also includes Dervla and how she has been spying on the café and it’s patrons at the request of Thomas McGuire. Mehran has clearly integrated the ears into this part of the story as a signifier of the way that news travels around the village. Using the elephant ears pastries as representation for the towns gossip network is a clever way to introduce that idea into the novel via food.

I have never cooked any kind of food like this before but I didn’t have to do much research. The recipes for this and many of the dishes featured in the novel are inside the novel. However, I did have to research where to buy the rosewater which I procured from an international market nearby but you may have to order it from the internet. I highly suggest you do the extra effort this takes to make these pastries because they would not be the same without this flavor. Once I started this recipe and opened the rosewater I could not believe how fragrant and sweet smelling it was. This stuff is powerful! the fragrance and taste definitely comes through in the process and the final product but not in a bad way; it made the pastries seem that much more delicate and special.

I also feel like it’s important to note that I did not use all the flour called for in this recipe. I suggest adding one cup to begin and then half cups until the dough is formed. I ended up using only about 2.5 cups before a good solid dough was formed. I should also point out that the dough was kind of tough to work with. I broke it up into small chunks and rolled them out one at a time to get the proper consistency. It was much more manageable this way especially if you have limited counter space.

It took me a while to figure out the proper shaping technique, once I got in the groove with them though they looked great. My first few were a bit ugly but they tasted just fine with tea.

After frying and dusting with cinnamon/ sugar these treats were amazing. They are delicate in texture and in taste. I really enjoyed them with afternoon tea and morning coffee.  The elephant ears are infused with complex flavor while remaining plain on the outside; that is what kitchen magic is all about!

Elephant  Ears from Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran

1 egg

1/2 cup Milk

1/4 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of rose water

1/2 teaspoon of cardamom

3 3/4 cups of flour

vegetable oil for frying

Garnish:

1 cup confectioners sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Beat eggs in a bowl. Add milk, sugar, rosewater, and cardamom. Slowly mix in flour, kneading into a dough. Roll out on a clean surface with a floured pin until it is paper thin. Using the rim of a wide mouth glass or cup, trace and cut out a circle. Pinch the center of the circle with your thumb and forefinger to form a bow. Set aside. Repeat until all circles (approximately 15) are done. Heat oil in a deep pan. Fry each ear for one minute. Lay pastries on paper towels to cool. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon mixture.