Beetroot and maple syrup dip. I met Nick on an Easy- Jet plane and my life changed forever. Chapter I

A few days ago I bought 5 lovely organic beetroots in Salcedo market. I went back home and roasted them. Afterwards, while the beetroots were becoming sweet in the oven, I looked for a recipe to use them.

This is the way I cook usually. I don't stock up the fridge. I buy on a daily basis. Once I get a nice piece of fish, for example, the ideas of what to cook with it start to emerge in my head- the more recipes you read, the more ideas of possible meals you will have-. I also shop often because living in Manila and in a hot and humid climate the food doesn't last long, which is also a good thing though.

I found a roasted beetroot dip recipe of Yotam Ottolenghi in his fabulous cookbook Jerusalem. The title of his cookbook transported me in time 14 years ago when I met Nick on a flight to London. During our 2 hours conversation he told me he visited Jerusalem when he was 24. Back to reality, while I was peeling the beetroots and my hands were tinted by a strong pink colour, I thought then that my life changed forever thanks to that Easy Jet flight. 

This is how the story began…

It was 6am of 18 September of 2000 and my flight to London was delayed. I was visiting my beautiful sister who lived in London since 1998. Actually, she paid for this ticket as my birthday gift which was on the 15th. 

I wasn't willing to go so I said kindly no, twice, to her generous gift because I was scared of flying. I got better with my fear thanks to all the many, many flights I had to take since I met Nick, but the anxiety appears every time I fly though. The fear to fly is an unpleasant sensation that starts in your stomach- loss of appetite - goes through your hands- sweaty, cold and shaking- and ends in the mind- imaging catastrophic scenes. 

However, I still wonder... how could I feel love at first sight on the same plane that my mind imagined crashing in the Thames river of London? No idea, but I did.

As you might know, Easy Jet is a cheap airline where you pay for the food or bring your own one and has  free seating. I remember I was in the middle of  the corridor deciding which seat to choose. I turned my head to left and then to the right. I went straight to the seat close to Nick's -although there was still an empty seat in between us-. 

Nick was reading the centre wing newspaper El Mundo when the stewardess asked me to keep my big black cd "Soni walkman" in the cabinet above me. My English was very poor at that time so I didn't understand a word of what she said. Nick kindly translated for me. I gave him my sweetest smile and said thank you to him. 

As soon as we took off, I undid my sea belt and moved quickly from my seat to the seat next to Nick. As a good Spanish woman I went to the point and said " You have to talk to me because I do NOT like flying and I am nervous". He was surprised, terrified by this straight forward little Spanish woman. However, I found out later on that he was also excited I gave the first step. 

After that "aggressive" introduction of mine, the conversation went from one subject to another. We laughed a lot. I thought he was the funniest guy I had ever met. Everything was going great until he  offered me a vegemite sandwich- I thought it was like beef stock on bread-. "No, gracias, no me apetece". This Australian eats yucky stuff -I thought- I better show him the good Spanish jamon!.

I did feel butterflies in my stomach when I started to talk to that handsome Australian guy, despite the vegemite sandwich. Suddenly, his world experience was very different from mine and I think that was probably one of the main reasons I made the decision to follow him. I wanted to have that open mind that living in overseas, travelling around the world could give you. I was amazed by his background and also jealous of all the places he had been, including Jerusalem. 

I was just a 23 year old girl (I lied about my age, by the way, and said I was 25 because I knew he was older than me) who had a law degree, was doing some boring work experience in a law firm and had a complicated relation with a boy from the South of Spain -of course, I omitted this small detail-. 

After that meeting on the plane, he gave me his business card and said good bye, but I didn't give him my contact details. I started the story and it was up to me to continue or not.

Obviously, I did.

I didn't have za'atar spice but this dip was equally good. Aurelia tasted and she didn't like it. Nick was a bit surprised by the sweet flavour as well but had a few servings with some chopped carrots and pita bread. I thought it was interesting and an elegant dip to serve in a dinner party. It has a beautiful colour, strong pink.

1. 6 medium beets (1 1/2 pounds), trimmed
2. 2 small garlic cloves, minced
3. 1 small red chile, seeded and minced
4. 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
5. 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6. 1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
7. 1 teaspoon za'atar spice
8. Salt
9. 1/4 cup roasted skinned hazelnuts, chopped
10. 2 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled
11. 2 scallions, thinly sliced
12. Warm bread, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Put the beets in a small roasting pan and add 1/4 cup of water. Cover with foil and bake for about 1 hour, until tender. Let cool slightly.
2. Peel the beets, cut into wedges and transfer to a food processor. Add the garlic, chile and yogurt and pulse until blended. Add the olive oil, maple syrup, the spice and puree. Season with salt. Scrape into a wide, shallow bowl. Scatter the hazelnuts, goat cheese and scallions on top and serve with bread.