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GLOBE-TROTTER: Barry Vera

ARMCHAIR travellers who love their food could be opened up to a whole new world, thanks to TV chef Barry Vera.

The English-born chef fronts his own TV series Feast, where he takes the viewer on a culinary journey, collecting recipes as he travels. And now you can try them at home with his new book, Feast Bazaar, which takes a trip through India, Morocco and Syria.

The book begins in Kerala ('The Spice Bowl of India'), moves on to Marrakech and finally, to Old Damascus.

While Barry trained in France and now calls Australia home, he admits to being seduced by curry while in India and by fresh sardines in Morocco, but had his taste buds blown away by Damascus - said to be the oldest inhabited city in the world.

"My eyes were opened to a thrilling variety of new flavours, tastes and textures," he says.

"The people of Syria welcomed us with open arms. The food was everything it should be and deserves its high reputation. The variety of flavours and textures is so intriguing, leaving me with wonderful memories.

"In Syria, the dining experience is all about sharing," he explains. "Different dishes are placed in the middle of the table and everyone helps themselves - a truly great way to eat."

He adds: "The world is an amazing place. When you travel, experience everything you possibly can. I'm sharing some of the recipes that inspired me on my journey. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do."

While looking promising as a travel writer, Barry also has impeccable credentials as a chef. Before settling in Australia in 2001 he worked for several high profile restaurants and chefs, including Marco Pierre White.

Australian Vogue Entertaining And Travel has named him an icon of Australian food' and his first restaurant, Vera Restaurant Cafe & Bar, in Melbourne, opened to rave reviews in 2006.

So why not take your own trip to Syria, courtesy of Barry and a few dishes he bought back from his travels? We've selected Hummus with Fried Lamb and Sumac, and a delicious almond pudding called Muhallabia.

Hummus with fried lamb and sumac (Serves six) "Hummus is always popular, and in Syria they serve it with fried lamb rolled in sumac as an entree," says Barry.

For the hummus: 500g tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained 4 tablespoons tahini 3 1/2tbsp lemon juice 6 garlic cloves, crushed 125ml extra virgin olive oil 4 x 100g lamb fillets 20g sumac 60ml olive oil n Sumac is the powder ground from the berries of the sumac tree. It is a deep red-purple in colour and imparts a wonderful salty and fruity flavour. Sumac should be purchased from reputable dealers, to ensure you are using true culinary sumac, as some trees in the same botanical family can cause allergic reactions.

To make the hummus, blend the chickpeas in a food processor until smooth. Mix in the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and extra virgin olive oil. Season well with salt and stir to combine.

To prepare the lamb, roll the lamb fillets well in the sumac, making sure they are coated all over. Season well with salt.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook for two and a half minutes on each side to seal. The lamb will still be quite pink, if you prefer it well cooked, then cook for a further minute on each side. Remove from the heat, cover, and rest in a warm place for five minutes, before cutting into thin slices.

To serve, spoon the hummus onto a large platter. Arrange the lamb slices over the top. Season with a little sumac and salt and serve with bread.

Muhallabia - almond pudding (Serves six) "This was a popular dessert at Becash, an ice cream parlour in Damascus. The place was full from morning to night, and after tasting this wonderful delight I could truly understand why," says Barry.

45g rice flour 750ml full-cream (whole) milk 125g caster (superfine) sugar 80g ground almonds 1tbsp rosewater pistachio nuts, to garnish pomegranate seeds, to garnish Mix the rice flour with 60ml of the milk and set aside.

Put the remaining milk in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to the boil. Add the rice flour and milk mixture, sugar and a pinch of salt and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring constantly, for five minutes, or until the mixture thickens slightly.

Stir in the ground almonds and rosewater, remove from the heat and allow to cool for about one hour. (The mixture will thicken further to a soft rice pudding consistency).

Pour the muhallabia into individual bowls and garnish with the pistachios and pomegranate seeds, to serve.

8:37am Monday 7th April 2008

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