love [in] a different kefte, 2008

love |in| a different kefte

love [in] a different kefte, 2008

A culinary artwork specifically created for the Love Difference Pastries, by the MouSou* team (Maria Nymfiadi and Lea Petrou)

Love [in] a different kefte pastry deals with a relational dosage of proximity, using the kilometric distance between the capitals of the Mediterranean countries. The dosage of each ingredient derives from the kilometric distance each capital has from Athens. A mixture of dried nuts and dried fruits is selected to represent each one of the 19 countries around the Mediterranean Sea, according to each country’s cuisine. The longer distance each capital has from Athens, the more quantity of the specific ingredient is used in the recipe.

Love [in] a different kefte was initially presented at the Love Difference Pastries project, organized by the Love Difference, Cittadellarte – Fondazione Pistoletto, during a three day performance meeting at CAMeC Modern and Contemporary Art Center, La Spezia, Italy, between 22-24 February 2008. Love Difference Pastries ( LDP ) is a network of 16 confectioneries. The aim of the project is to become a cultural passport that opens doors to different Mediterranean cultures and then draws them closer together through the experience of taste.

Love [in] a different kefte was hosted and put on sale at Cake pastry shops from the 31 st of May until the 28 th of June 2008, produced by the two artists on a weekly basis and in a limited number. www.lovedifference.org

The posters and packaging for the exhibition at Love Difference Pastries and Cake pastry shops are designed by the MouSou team.

*Mou, Sou in Greek language are personal/possessive pronouns 1st and 2nd person singular,
translated to English Mou is me/my, Sou is you/your.

Love[in] a different kefte recipe
Grams	Distance from Athens	Ingredients
33 g	500 km to Tirana, Albania	Sultanas
41 ml	625 km to Podgorica, Montenegro	Freshly squeezed lemon juice
52 g	788 km to Sarajevo, Bosnia	Hazelnuts
54 g	824 km to Ankara, Turkey	Roasted chickpeas
57 ml	859 km to Valletta, Malta	Freshly squeezed orange juice
60 g	912 km to Nicosia, Cyprus	Walnuts
69 g	1040 km to Rome, Italy	Roasted pine nuts
71 g	1076 km to Zagreb, Croatia	10 dried apricots
75 g	1114 km to Tripoli, Libya	4 dried figs
76 ml	1130 km to Cairo, Egypt	Freshly squeezed pomegranate juice
77 g	1156 km to Beirut, Lebanon	Cashews
78 g	1172 km to Ljubljana, Slovenia	Poppy seeds
80 g	1202 km to Tunis, Tunisia	Blanched, roasted almonds
80 g	1215 km to Tel Aviv, Israel	13 dried prunes
82 g	1240 km to Damascus, Syria	Pistachio nuts
121 g	1820 km to Algiers, Algeria	15 dried dates
139 g	2097 km to Paris, France	Roasted pecans
158 g	2374 km to Madrid, Spain	Boiled chestnuts
184 g	2770 km to Rabat, Morocco	Peanuts
To coat: 800 g plain, cooking chocolate finely chopped
Food scale (precise for calculating grams), food processor, wooden spoon, metal bowl, non-stick baking sheet, 1 saucepan for the bain-marie, 1 heatproof bowl, fruit squeezer
makes: around 60 round bits, cooking time: approximately 60 min, settling time: 60 min
Procedure: Crumble all the nuts, cut the fruits in really small pieces. Use a food processor to blend the nut crumbles and fruits pieces. Add the juices in order to make a soft mixture. Work the mix into a metal bowl with a wooden spoon and finally roll the mixture into small balls with your hands. Put the chocolate into a dry, heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of steaming but not boiling water. When the chocolate is melt evenly, briefly dip each ball into the chocolate until coated. Place the balls on a non-stick baking sheet, let cool for a while then place them into the refrigerator to set until ready to serve.

Documentation of the meeting at CAMeC, La Spezia, foto by Enrico Amici.