Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter, was so lovely that even Hades, the god of the Underworld, noticed her and fell in love with her. Hades kidnapped Persephone and took her to the underworld where he made her his queen. As her mother Demeter, the goddess of harvest, grieved, the earth grew cold and winter came. When she discovered who had taken her, Demeter ran to Zeus, who agreed that mother and daughter should not be parted forever. However, before Persephone returned to the surface, she grew hungry and ate a few kernels from a delicious pomegranate fruit. Having tasted the fruit of the Underworld, she now had to remain there, though as a final comprimise, Zeus ruled that every year Persephone would spend one month in the underworld for each of the pomegranate seeds she had eaten.
As this long Winter lingers, Persephone is still in tears as she spends her last few weeks in the Underworld before a joyful reunion with her mother Demeter this Spring.
Persephone's Tears
Ingredients:
1/2 cup POM Wonderful pomegranate juice
1 teaspoon agar agar powder (or flakes ground into powder)
About 2 cups olive oil
Directions:
Pour olive oil into a bowl and place it in a freezer for about 10 minutes to chill it.
Meanwhile, mix 1/2 cup of pomegranate juice with 1 teaspoon of agar agar in an small pot and bring the mixture to boil. Simmer the pomegranate mixture for 5 minutes or until the agar is completely dissolved. Take the mixture off the heat and place in the refrigerator for just one or two minutes to cool. Whisk the pomegranate mixture, making sure it is smooth.
Using a syringe, carefully dispense the drops of the pomegranate mixture into the chilled olive oil. You'll have to work quickly to get all the drops in the oil before the POM mixture starts to gel.
After a few minutes, take them out, being careful not to break, gently rinse them in a bowl of water, and pat dry with a paper towel.
The pomegranate "tears" have a texture of caviar, with a thin "membrane" popping in your mouth and bursting with the delicious tart flavors of the liquid juice inside. They are wonderful on top of vanilla ice cream but could also be served with savory dishes.
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Food is my art medium and I love to express myself through creating artistic presentations and new and unique recipes. Combining simple ingredients in a complex way to make something new and exciting is a lot of fun. Persephone's Tears is a fun, unique, creative, and mysterious dish inspired by my love of history, culture, and literature. I would like to submit Persephone's Tears to Sophia's “You Are What You Cook” Challenge at Burp and Slurp.
Thank you to Pom Wonderful for the samples of their delicious and healthy pomegranate juice that inspired me to make this special creation.
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Giveaway Reminder: Today and tomorrow are the last days to enter the Fiber One Blueberry Muffins Giveaway, the winners will be announced Friday!5 Star Makeover Reminder: This month's 5 Star Makeover Challenge is to create a MOUSSE with a twist! Please check the original announcement for more details. If you recently made a mousse, you can just send me a link to your post and I will include it in the roundup.
