In my 20s I lived with a boyfriend who resembled my brother.
We moved from the center of Tel Aviv, and rented a house in the Florentine neighborhood. The neighborhood was very poor, laundry hanging on every porch, drug addicts on street benches, upholstery, beads and toy stores, market stalls full of olives, cheeses and chunks of halva.
At the end of the day, piles of dirt gathered on the sidewalks, the sounds of loud voices shouting between neighbors, and shadows of unknown people.
One day a miracle happened in the neighborhood; a restaurant opened right in front of our house. The illuminated sign at the entrance shined under the name "Istanbul".
We had to check it out.
Many evenings I would quietly enter the restaurant to buy myself a: "Quince delight, to go, please". I went up to our 4th floor apartment, made myself a cup of Earl Grey tea, and savored every bite, hoping it would never end.
The boyfriend and I ended our time together in that Florentine house. Ever since then, I have always been searching for the same fruity taste of the Quince Delight, and this is it!
We moved from the center of Tel Aviv, and rented a house in the Florentine neighborhood. The neighborhood was very poor, laundry hanging on every porch, drug addicts on street benches, upholstery, beads and toy stores, market stalls full of olives, cheeses and chunks of halva.
At the end of the day, piles of dirt gathered on the sidewalks, the sounds of loud voices shouting between neighbors, and shadows of unknown people.
One day a miracle happened in the neighborhood; a restaurant opened right in front of our house. The illuminated sign at the entrance shined under the name "Istanbul".
We had to check it out.
Many evenings I would quietly enter the restaurant to buy myself a: "Quince delight, to go, please". I went up to our 4th floor apartment, made myself a cup of Earl Grey tea, and savored every bite, hoping it would never end.
The boyfriend and I ended our time together in that Florentine house. Ever since then, I have always been searching for the same fruity taste of the Quince Delight, and this is it!
WHAT YOU NEED
-2 large quinces (or 3 medium)
-3 small quince seeds
-1¼ cup brown sugar
-¼ cup rose water
-1 stick vanilla bean
-¼ cup dried hibiscus flower
-2 cups water
-Juice from 1 lemon
For serving:
-½ cup of raw pistachio to roast
-1 pack of whipped cream
HOW TO MAKE
- Peel the quince, take the seeds out and keep them aside, clean with a knife all the hard parts inside the quince.
- Cut them the way you like (small squares/arches/big pieces).
- In a wide heavy pot, place the cut quince, spread sugar, rose water, hibiscus, vanilla and 2 cups of water. Add 3 seeds of the quince, which contain pectin and turn it to gel. Bring to a boil.
- Add the lemon juice from 1 lemon, mix everything together well.
- Lower the heat and cover the pot. Continue cooking for 1.5 hour.
- Uncover and continue cooking for 10-12 minutes on high heat.
- Remove from the heat and let it cool. Remove the quince seeds because they are bitter.
- After it cools down the sauce will be thicker. You can also eat the hibiscus flowers.
Keep refrigerated. It's best served cold.
Surviving suggestion:
- Whip the heavy cream without sugar.
- Roast the pistachios on a dry pan and let it cool down. It will be crunchy when it's cold.
- In a serving bowl, add the whipped cream, quince and roasted pistachios.
