Bake For Syria

Reviewed By Despina Mina

Without stating the obvious, I think it’s safe to say that 2020 has left us feeling bruised and delicate. So now more than ever, it feels important to spread some love and kindness to one another. To start the new year right I wanted to focus on the incredible work being done by the charity, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, also known as UNICEF. In particular, a small group of people who’ve put their clever heads together to raise money for the children of war-torn Syria, using food as the catalyst.

In this edition of CIBARE, I’ve been looking at their second cook book, #BakeForSyria, but before I get to that, here’s a little explanation of how it all began… Journalist and founder of ‘Suitcase’ Magazine, Serena Guen, had worked on UNICEF’s NextGen project and wanted to do more to help - NextGen is a global initiative bringing together diverse groups of young professionals, committed to helping transform the lives of vulnerable children. The project showed her how environmental devastation following years of civil war had re-shaped Syria: mass deforestation, soil erosion and water pollution have left families starving and facing death. UNICEF have been working tirelessly to help the children of Syria, providing them with daily essentials including access to clean water, nutritious meals, shelter, medication and education.

So, Serena pulled in her pal, the highly prolific food editor and travel writer known as ‘Clerkenwell Boy’, and restaurant PR guru Gemma Bell to help set up fundraising dinners cooked by London’s top chefs. Diners were encouraged to take snaps of their mouth-watering Syrian inspired meals and post them to social media with the hashtag #CookForSyria. This trending

hashtag encouraged likeminded people to host more fundraising dinners and supper clubs, celebrating the rich flavours of Syria - and so the first book #CookForSyria was born.

Following the success of this, baker and cafe owner, Lily Vanilli, took on the challenge of curating the second book #BakeForSyria. It’s crammed with delicious bakes and dessert recipes donated by an all-star team of chefs including Jamie Oliver, Yotam Ottolenghi and Nigel Slater. Equally holding their own are personal recipes from Syrianborn refugees Imad Alarnab, Ammar Awtani and Mohammed Harrah, who are carving their own paths here in the UK.

Being so spoilt for choice, I broke this down to three dishes. Something recognisable with a Middle Eastern twist - Tahini Brownies by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh. Something more traditional - Atayef (pancakes) with Ricotta, Dates & Cardamom Honey by 2012 Bake Off winner John Whaite and finally something that I felt combined the two - Honey Loaf with Rose Dukkah and Tahini Cream by Alex Hely-Hutchinson, the founder of the café 26 Grains.

Now unless you’re allergic to chocolate who doesn’t love a brownie, they’re the ultimate crowd pleaser. Ottolenghi and Goh’s version includes chunks of halva thrown into the mix (a super sweet Arabic confection made from sugar/honey and sesame seed paste), with a drizzle of tahini over the top. Whilst some prefer a lighter cakey texture, I like my brownies to be so dense and fudgy that you need a pint of tea to wash them down, and these ones hit the spot. They were super indulgent as all self-respecting brownies should be, but I’m not entirely sure if the halva and tahini added an extra punch to an already big hitter.

Next up are the Atayefs. Rather than cook them on both sides like a traditional pancake, these are cooked on one side only, so that when you add your filling the ’raw’ edges of the uncooked side stick together. What John doesn’t tell you is that when you pour a tablespoon of batter into the frying pan, you don’t naturally get a perfect circle, and rather naively it took me three attempts to realise this. FYI, to get them perfectly round, I placed a metal 3.5” pastry cutter into the centre of the frying pan and poured in the batter. Atayefs are traditionally made for special occasions and I can see why - they take time and patience to make but are well worth the effort. The payoff is a perfectly cushioned parcel, filled with a soft and delicately sweet combination of ricotta and Medjool dates. The sprinkling of crushed pistachios helps to give them that needed layer of texture and for anyone wanting a little more sweetness, drizzle some of the cardamom honey over the top.

Now, if I’m honest, I wasn’t expecting Alex Hely-Hutchinson’s Honey Loaf to be my absolute favourite thing I’ve baked in the last 12 months, but there you go - it was. The ground almonds give it a tight dense texture, similar to using polenta, and yields a beautifully moist cake. With every bite, and believe me there were plenty, I could taste the fresh orange juice, rose water and honey. But to make this next level, Alex adds the dukkah, a mix of cumin, coriander,

fennel seeds and crushed peppercorn. Call it the crowning glory if you will, but imagine a cake that’s steeped in a sweet aromatic syrup and then topping it with something completely savoury. These two opposing flavours work so well together and we absolutely loved it.

The bottom line is, my friends, do something good today and give what you can to the people who need it. It doesn’t have to a big gesture; the small ones are just as meaningful. For me, #BakeForSyria was a win-win situation, I get a warm feeling inside both for helping UNICEF keep the good fight going and because I’m full of cake.