Peek Into My Pantry Again - Sumac and Za'Atar

   Sumac

There are many weird and wonderful vials and jars in my spice collection, garnered from my own travels and from travelling friends who know I love to cook and who bring me back little perfumey spice packets from various corners of the globe. It is also fun to go on food hunts here in Calgary, as those of you who read my blog know I am apt to do, and bring home unusual spices you haven't used before. Treat yourself to a trip to a Middle Eastern food store to explore some intriguing flavours that will add beautiful notes to your cooking.

Sumac is a burnished winey red spice with a pleasant citrusy zing. It is made from the coarsely ground dried berries of the sumac plant. Sumac is lively without being either bitter or hot and it works extremely well when married with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and thyme in a marinade for chicken or fish. Sumac is also wonderful sprinkled on salads or sliced white onions, adding a very pretty ruddy colour and astringent note. 

Bread With Za'Atar

I love making a herby paste with sumac and another sensual Middle Eastern blend called za'atar. Za'atar is composed of dried wild thyme and sesame seeds and can be found, along with sumac, at Somar Food Market in Calgary.  Mix one part sumac to three parts za'atar and drizzle in enough olive oil to make a loose paste. Add a clove or two of crushed fresh garlic. Spread this dismal looking mush on pita bread and toast the bread briefly in a 350 degree oven until warmed and golden on its edges. Taste and swoon.

Za'atar can charm in many ways. Here is another one, a lusty dip from Joan Nathan's book The Foods of Israel Today. Labneh is a thick, creamy, dense yogurt sold in Middle Eastern grocery stores. It is an excellent canvas for adding in colour and flavours, the stark whiteness begging to be filled. And what better way to saturate with colour than with the potent, bleeding reds of sun-dried tomatoes?

Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Labneh With Za'Atar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes:

1 cup sun-dried tomatoes; 2 cups plain labneh; 3 tsp. za'atar, divided; 2 cloves fresh garlic, mashed; juice of 1 lemon; salt and pepper to taste; 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil.

Place the sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let tomatoes sit for about 20 minutes or until softened, then drain and chop. Place the labneh, 2 tsp. of the za'atar, the mashed garlic, lemon juice and salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl. Mix well. just before serving, fold in the sun-dried tomatoes, reserving a few pretty pieces for garnish. Drizzle with olive oil, the remaining sun-dried tomatoes and remaining 1 tsp. za'atar. Serve with crackers, raw veggies or wedges of pita bread.

Looking for more uses for sumac and za'atar? I had a feeling this would happen. Here are some books to help you out.

  Artichoke to Za'Atar by Greg Malouf and Lucy Malouf

  Cooking With Herbs and Spices by Linda Tubby and Manisha Gambhir Harkins

  The Essential Mediterranean by Nancy Harmon Jenkins

Cookbooks I Really Use Again and Again and Again

I have a condition called Food On The Brain. I make grocery lists to help plan for meals I crave and will create. I go on food hunts all over the city searching out the choicest ingredients for my foodie projects. I devote time every day to cooking family meals. And, for rest and relaxation, I read cookbooks!  I work in a library and have access to thousands of cookbooks. I try to wade my way through most of the cookbooks in the library collection, even if only to glance at the Table of Contents and peek at the pictures.  But, when it comes to getting my hands dirty in the kitchen and actually using a cookbook, I find myself connecting with and relying on only a select few. Which few? Here is my list, along with the reasons each of these speaks to me.
    

The new Moosewood cookbook / by Katzen, Mollie, 1950- The new Moosewood is really the old Moosewood with a much needed improved index. This is the book I can thank for teaching me to make really delicious Hummous, Babaganouj and Guacamole while I was a poor student living in the McGill ghetto. I still use these excellent recipes today. With charming illustrations from the hippy days the book was first published, this is a classic must-have for both vegetarians and non. Great salads and soups too!

Baking illustrated : a best recipe classic / The editors from the reliable Cook's Illustrated magazine bring us this trustworthy publication with the most carefully tested recipes imaginable. Not as visually flashy or glossy as is currently the trend in cookbooks, but a staple in my kitchen because of the quality of the recipes. I think I have developed a chemical dependancy on the Caramel Sauce. You must experience the Chocolate Truffle Tart at least once in your life time. The Banana Bread is everything you want this homestyle classic to be: moist and dense, full of fresh banana flavour and liberally textured with little morsels of walnuts.  Lots of user-friendly savoury recipes too.

 Muffins A to Z / by Simmons, Marie. One summer I had a stint as a baker at Annie's Bakery and Cafe in Fish Creek Park and this is the book of recipes we used to make gigantic, glorious, fresh muffins every morning. The banana Knock-Out Muffins are possibly the most delicious muffins I have ever eaten. There is an excellent recipe for Pumpkin Praline Muffins that will also knock you out. Vagabond Muffins are perfect for those days you are on the go and need a portable and nutritious snack. If you love muffins, this is the Bible. From decadently rich to hearty and healthy, you will find plenty here to satisfy all your muffin cravings with. 

The best international recipe : a best recipe classic / Another fabulous cookbook from the editors of Cook's Illustrated magazine, featuring the great classic foods of the world. Awesome Chicken Enchiladas, Beef Goulash,Tabbouleh Salad, Samosas, Risotto, etc. The list goes on and you will never tire of the variety in this book. The many tantalizing flavours of world foods will find a happy home in your kitchen when you start cooking with this book.

The complete meat cookbook : a juicy and authoritative guide to selecting, seasoning, and cooking today's beef, pork, lamb, and veal / by Aidells, Bruce. I gave you a veggie-centered book, so this is for the meat-lovers. A very easy to use reference type cookbook with great ideas for meaty meals, plus wonderful sauces, condiments and side dishes to please everyone. Try some of the succulent spice rubs and the other flavour building tips. If you are tired of the same old meat and potatoes meals, this book will open your eyes to the surprising variety meat-based menus can contain.

  

Canadian living's desserts / by Baird, Elizabeth, 1939- Every Canadian household should own this book, with its well-tested recipes and its crowd-pleasing desserts. Everything you could possibly want in a dessert book is included, from cakes and cookies to pies and tarts, puddings, crumbles, crisps and souffles. Life is definitely sweeter when you use these recipes. I am a big fan of the comforting Cranberry Apple Crisp, which I will make later today, and the blissful Grand Marnier Nanaimo Bars, both very Canadian and very good.

Everyday Greens : home cooking from Greens, the celebrated vegetarian restaurant / by Somerville, Annie. This book details delicious ways to use vegetables, with stunning yet simple recipes for salads, soups, sandwiches, savoury snacks, pizza, curries, stews, casseroles, pasta, beans, grains, etc.! The Corn and Tomatillo Salsa and Moroccan Beet Salad both pack in big flavour and beautiful colour. Who knew eating your vegetables could be so much fun? Used along with the meat book and the dessert book, you have all your bases covered!

Making Your Own Crackers - Not As Crazy As You May Think

Homemade Crackers (photo courtesy of 101cookbooks.com)

If you take a little flour and a little water and blend them together until they form a smooth, doughy mass, you are halfway there to making your own crackers! But, these would be bland crackers, so you do need to add some flavour. Easily done: some salt, some cracked pepper, a bit of grated cheese, some chopped fresh rosemary and a small dribble of good, fruity olive oil.  Now you have the makings of really fabulous, crisp, savoury snacks. I predict that once you start making your own crackers you will not stop. In the time it takes you to find your shopping list and write "crackers", you will have these crunchy ones in the oven. Actually, the dough has to sit for 30 minutes, so I lie. But the sitting time doesn't count, so I tell the truth. These crackers are inspired by a recipe in Rose Levy Beranbaum's book The Bread Bible.

Rosemary Crackers

2+3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup whole wheat flour; 1 tsp. salt; 1 cup water at room temperature; 1/4 cup olive oil; 1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary.

Combine flours and salt in mixer bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in all but 1 tbsp. of the water, the oil and the rosemary. With a paddle attachment, mix on medium speed until the dough comes together and cleans the side of the bowl. If this doesn't happen, add extra water 1 tbsp. at a time until a ball of dough forms. If the dough is too sticky, add flour, 1 tbsp. at a time until the dough is properly formed.  Oil the dough lightly, cover it and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature before rolling.

To make the crackers, preheat the oven to 450 F. Roll dough thinly on a floured surface. Brush the tops of the crackers with a little bit of water and sprinkle on a good pinch of kosher salt, which is coarse and mellow. Cut crackers any way you like and bake for 8-10 minutes. The crackers should have raised bubbles that are lightly browned. Cool and eat or keep in a covered container.

Coarse salt adds texture and taste to the tops of crackers

Once you find a cracker recipe you like, the creative possibilities are limitless. You can replace some of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat or rye flour. You can add an assortment of seeds to the dough for texture, colour and flavour. I love using fennel, flax and poppy seeds. You can chop up some fresh sage and incorporate it into the dough. You can cut the crackers into long, thin strips, or cute little stars. You get the idea.

Another winner in my house are these Crisp Seeded Mega-Crackers from The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion. My family say these crackers are better than chips, with the same winning pairing of crispness and saltiness, but nutritionally positive and pretty, with the seeds speckling the dough in a random, rustic way. You can brush the rolled cracker dough with water and sprinkle on some extra salt, or not.

3 cups all-purposed unbleached flour; 1 tsp. salt; 1/2 tsp. kosher or coarse sea salt for the tops of the crackers (optional); 2/3 cup assorted small seeds of your choice (sesame, flax, poppy, fennel, anise are all great); 1 tsp. ground black pepper; 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil; 1 cup cool water.

Mix together dry ingredients, leaving out the optional kosher salt for the tops. Stir in olive oil then add water, and mix until dough starts to come together. Add single spoonfulls of water if mixture is too dry, or single spoonfuls of flour if mixture is too wet and gloppy. Once you have a smooth, sticky mass of dough, oil it lightly, cover it and let it rest for 30 minutes. Roll dough out thinly on a floured surface and brush the  tops with a bit of water. Sprinkle on a bit of kosher or coarse salt if you like. Cut crackers into any shape you like. Bake crackers at 450 F for about 10 minutes or until browned and crisp. Cool and store in airtight containers.

Once the aromas of home baking fill your kitchen, the idea of making your own crackers will not seem crazy at all.  To further explore the world of breads and savoury snacks, take a look at these books:

  Savory Baking From the Mediterranean by Anissa Helou

  Flatbreads and Flavors by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Daguid

Food of the Month - November - Pecans

  Pecans

I am easily seduced by simple foods made well with good ingredients. This means that I lean more towards casual homestyle cooking as opposed to trendy, eye-catching architectural food structures. I love hearty peasant food and old-fashioned, traditional recipes passed down from grandmothers. So, this month I am inspired by a really straight-forward autumn-coloured dish, Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping. Perhaps this is the kind of dish many of you make often, especially when temperatures drop and the need for comfort rises. My recipe, adapted from one I found on www.cooking.com, has a velvety, soft texture, reminiscent of chocolate mousse, actually, invitingly smooth and just sweet enough to please without being downright dessert-like. Topped with a crisp, nutty crust, this dish elevates the humble sweet potato into what feels like a sweet indulgence but contains only a tablespoon of butter (for the whole dish). The silkiness of orange-scented sweet potatoes is gloriously enhanced with the warm notes of cinnamon and fresh ginger, plus a couple of eggs for smooth lightness.

Sweet Potato Casserole

2+1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, about 3 medium, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks; 2 large eggs; 1 tablespoon honey; 1/2 cup orange juice; 2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest; 1 tsp. cinnamon; 1 tbsp. freshly grated ginger; 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract; 1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste; pepper to taste. Topping: 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour; 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar; 7 tsp. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed; 1 tbsp. melted butter; 1/2 tsp. cinnamon; 3/4 cup chopped pecans.

Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over medium heat until very tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain well and return to pan. Mash with a potato masher. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a medium sized casserole or 7"x11" baking pan . In a mixing bowl whisk eggs and honey until frothy. Stir in orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add the mashed sweet potato and whip until very well blended and light in texture. Spread this mixture into casserole or pan. For the topping, mix together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, butter and orange juice concentrate. Stir in pecans and mix until evenly distributed. With your fingers crumble this topping as evenly as you can over the sweet potato mixture. Bake at 350 F for 35 - 40 minutes, until heated through and the top is lightly browned.

Makes enough for about 8 servings.

I tend not to talk alot about nutrition because my guiding principle is that real, natural food is inherently healthy, so why analyze it? I will say, though, that nuts are one of nature's best foods, containing unsaturated fats (that's the "good" kind) that help reduce risks of heart disease. Nuts are also an excellent source of antioxidants that fight free radicals in the blood and protect against cancer and the effects of aging.

  Caramel

It is a stretch to call this a health food, but pecans with caramel are a memorable match that I gravitate to again and again. When I want some pecan pie decadance but don't feel like taking on the task of its creation, I make these sticky, gooey pecan squares which offer the same satisfying caramel-nut hit in a bar cookie format. This recipe comes from Williams-Sonoma's book Essentials of Baking:

Maple Pecan Squares

Crust: 1+1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar; 1/4 tsp. salt; 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces. Filling: 6 tbps. unsalted butter; 1/3 cup pure maple syrup; 2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar; 1/3 cup heavy cream (35%); 2 cups coarsely chopped pecans.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9" square baking pan. In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, brown sugar and salt and pulse to blend. Add butter and pulse until mixture forms large coarse crumbs the size of peas. Add a few drops of cold water and pulse just until the mixture clumps together. It should hold its shape when you pinch it with your fingers. Press this mixture firmly and evenly into bottom of pan. Bake until edges are lightly browned and the top feels firm, 12-17 minutes. For the filling, in a saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, maple syrup, brown sugar and cream and stir together until better melts and sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the pecans. Mix well. Pour hot filling over the partially baked crust, spreading it evenly. Bake 22-25 minutes. The filling will bubble vigourously, subside and then form smaller bubbles toward the end of baking. Cool completely before cutting into little squares.  

Go nuts for these books:

  Nuts : more than 75 delicious & healthy recipes / by Laskin, Avner. 

  Nuts : recipes from around the world that feature nature's perfect ingredient / by Griffith, Linda.