In the heart of my kitchen, memories intertwine with the process of making baklava. Each layered pastry tells a story of love and loss. As I prep the ghee and crushed pistachios, the aroma wraps around me, stirring emotions. Baklava Memoir is not just about cooking; it’s a tribute to what once was, capturing the essence of every bite. Through this, I honor Jakson’s memory and reignite my passion for cooking.
Jakson had promised to shoot a video of me making baklava. However, the shoot was delayed due to the unavailability of pastry sheets, and Jakson couldn’t keep his promise.
After Jakson’s passing, loved ones encouraged me to resume posting cooking videos to keep myself occupied. The thought of making the baklava memoir was painful. Cooking, once a meaningful activity, now seemed to have lost its purpose for me.
‘Ancy’s Kitchen Diary’ (formerly ‘Cooking Daily’) was created to share cooking videos of dishes I prepared for my family. Now, that purpose felt lost.
I managed to host a vegan dinner for two priests during Passion Week. Initially, it was painful. Then, Operation Sindhoor brought baklava, a renowned Ottoman dessert, into the national spotlight. A month ago, pastry sheets were available online, so I purchased them and stored them in the freezer.
Baklava, the layered pastry, is believed to have originated in Greece, Persia, and Turkey. It took me a month to mentally prepare myself to shoot the video. Pistachios were purchased a week ago, and the ghee was also prepared.
Jakson had a unique shooting style—panning his mobile, zooming in, capturing high and low angles, and eye-level shots, all while making it appear effortless. He then edited the footage into a visual masterpiece. Though he shot only a few videos, each was unique. It seems God needed him for grander projects in heaven.
Bakalava Recipe
Cut the pastry sheets to fit the size of the baking pan.
Each pastry sheet has 10 layers, so there were 20 sheets.
Crush the pistachios and set aside.
Grease the bottom of the baking pan with ghee and place two pastry sheets.
Brush the pastry sheets with ghee and place another sheet on top.
Apply ghee and sprinkle half of the crushed pistachios.
Repeat the layering of pastry sheets three times, then sprinkle the pistachios, reserving a tablespoon for decoration.
Continue layering the pastry sheets three more times.
Cut the layered sheets into squares, rectangles, or triangles.
Apply ghee on top.
Preheat the oven to 180°C and bake the baklava for 10 to 20 minutes, until the top turns golden brown.
Sugar Syrup and final Garnish
Meanwhile, Boil one cup of water in a pan, add one cup of sugar, and crushed cinnamon (optional).
Cook until the syrup becomes slightly sticky, then remove from heat.
Pour the warm sugar syrup over the baked baklava.
Decorate with the reserved pistachios.
Allow the baklava to rest for an hour or two before serving.
Last November he filmed a baklava shop in Delhi. Every time I see baklava, I will remember Jakson.