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Spice Hunting: Orange Blossom Water
It's fascinating to see which spices and seasonings one cuisine adopts from another—but I'm more interested in those they leave behind. The answer to why some ingredients don't make the cut are often riddles of history, economics, and the whims of traders, merchants, and tastemakers. Which is an elaborate way of saying that I don't know why Americans haven't glommed on to orange blossom water while rose water and rose petals line more shelves and pastry counters. I'm just glad it's here now.Spice Hunting: Sumac
It's surprising sumac hasn't joined other Middle Eastern ingredients on their inroads into American cooking. It's a versatile spice and if that weren't enough, a quick sprinkle will make any dish look downright pretty. Like lemon juice, it's used to add quick, fresh acidity to grilled meat, cooked vegetables, salads, dips, and grains.Spice Hunting: Mahlab
Here's another one of those spices that makes you wonder how people got the idea to eat it. Mahlab is a powder made from the seeds of the St. Lucy's cherry, found in different parts of the Mediterranean, that requires drying and cracking open rock-hard cherry pits. But if you've ever had a dessert made with whole roasted cherries, where the pit imparts an inimitable depth of flavor, it's easy to see why people go through the trouble.Spice Hunting: Za'atar
What exactly is za'atar? Besides a spice blend, a wild herb, a dip, a condiment, and a snacking equivalent of popcorn, it's an ancient cultural institution, a symbol of national identity, and a personal watermark.Braided Armenian String Cheese
Last month Erin conducted a string cheese poll asking Serious Eaters how they ate it: string-by-string or bite-by-bite. The results had more than 80% of you stringing it. But my method wasn't exactly either: it first involves unbraiding. I buy my string cheese in braids that float in brine at the Middle Eastern shops in Watertown, Massachusetts. And, I do string it before serving it to family and friends as a lovely pile of strings! With that, the seed was planted for a string cheese-inspired road trip.Serious Cheese: Cheese in the Middle East
"It's not surprising that we're witnessing a cheesemaking resurgence of sorts in that part of the world." Photograph from dearanxiety on Flickr Last week, there was an interesting story from the McClatchy newspapers about a group of Italian agronomists helping some Palestinian farmers set up an Italian sheep cheese operation in the West Bank. The dairy goes by the name of Golden Sheep, and produces a small variety of Italian cheeses like pecorino (a generic term for an aged sheep cheese), smoked ricotta, and scamorza (a close relative of mozzarella). The economy in the West Bank is, for obvious reasons, relatively stagnant, and the agronomists at Italy's Ucodep have launched this development project to help get some money flowing. The...Malfoof (Palestinian Stuffed Cabbage) from Mom at Chickpea in Chicago
Chickpea interior, photograph from dumin on Flickr If mom or grandma was really in the kitchen at every "mom and pop"-style ethnic spot, I feel sorry for a lot of this world's children. Which is to say, either the mom shackled to the back of that steamy Vulcan stove can’t cook or, more likely, most proprietors are lying and carrying on the celebrated tradition of mining customers yen for family-related nostalgia for their own personal gain. At Chickpea, a West Town Middle Eastern spot that opened last November, no one's lying, except maybe your stomach when it's full and tells you that you really shouldn't eat anymore. Co-owner Amni Suqi, mother of co-owner Jerry Suqi, sporting fresh cooking injuries like...How to Make Labneh Balls
As I tend to like fresh cheese in spherical form, I was instantly drawn to Marianna's homemade labneh, a creamy, fresh, Middle Eastern cheese made from strained yogurt and preserved in olive oil. Follow Marianna's directions to make it at home; it's part of a typical Middle Eastern breakfast! Previously Photo of the Day: Mshalalé Cheese Hard Labor: A Look At Cheesemaking...A Palestinian Christian Easter
Samir Nassar is Eastern Orthodox and his wife Georgette is Catholic, so they and their two sons usually celebrate Easter twice a year. This year both Easters fall on April 8, and so they invited Karola Saekel of the San Francisco Chronicle into their home to see "what a typical Palestinian Christian Easter meal looks and tastes like." The Nassars were both raised in large families and have relatives in the Bay Area, so they expect about 50 people to come and eat with them on Easter Sunday—all of whom will be getting leftovers. "'Hospitality and generosity are Palestinian hallmarks,' says Sam Nassar. 'If we have to feed three, we cook for 20.'"...Hot Topics: Technique of the Week | The Food Lab
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8 Delicious Chocolate Cakes and Pies for Valentine's Day
Some might say that chocolate on Valentine's Day is about as unoriginal as you can get. We all remember the first heart-shaped box of overly sweet chocolate bonbons from grade school Valentines. But chocolate gift-giving needn't be a cliché. This year, let's bake our sweethearts chocolate cakes and pies instead! Here are 8 delicious recipes perfect for celebrating your love (of chocolate.)
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