An Edible Mosaic. Faith Gorsky
a lovely flavor to breads, cakes, cookies, and pastries, and is found in Cake Spice Mix (page 29).
Sumac (Sumac): not to be confused with poison sumac, this spice is the dried berry of non-poisonous sumac bushes. Depending on the variety used, sumac’s color can range from brick red to purple to brown. It has a fruity, sour taste similar to lemon, and lends a bright flavor and lovely color to dishes like Roasted Chicken with Flatbread (page 97). It is also frequently used to flavor or garnish dips, such as Bell Pepper walnut Dip (page 72), and is found in thyme Spice Mix (page 29).
Tahini (Tahina): in Middle Eastern cooking, this refers to a beige-colored, thick and creamy paste of ground raw sesame seeds. Sesame seed paste, which is made from roasted sesame seeds, has a slightly different flavor but can be used as a substitute if tahini isn’t available. Tahini has a nutty, slightly bitter flavor and is used frequently in both savory and sweet dishes, such as hummus (page 79), Eggplant Dip (page 64), and Sesame Fudge (page 119). Tahini should be stored in the pantry until opened, but once opened, give it a stir (to equally distribute the oil) and keep it in the fridge for six months to a year.
Tamarind (Tamar Hindi): Literally meaning “indian date,” this fruit grows in curved brown pods on tamarind trees. These bushy trees are indigenous to tropical Africa but have also been cultivated in other tropical areas, including india. The pods’ hard exterior turns brittle when the fruit is ripe, and it protects the seeds and fibrous, edible reddish-brown pulp inside. The pulp is pressed into a moist paste, which is how tamarind is commonly found in grocery stores. Tamarind has a very refreshing sweet/tart taste and is used to flavor savory sauces and make tamarind Juice Drink (page 137).
Basic Recipes
Many recipes in this section are so basic that they cross cultural borders and can be used in different applications in any number of cuisines from around the world Creamy Garlic Mayonnaise, one of the variations of Creamy Garlic Sauce (Toumieh) (below), which is an integral addition to Spiced Shawarma Chicken Wraps (Shawarma Dajaj) (page 92), can be used as you would use any other mayonnaise. Apple Vinegar (Khul Toofah) (page 26) not only has a whole host of applications, but is probably one of the tastiest vinegars you'll ever experience (more like a cross between apple cider and vinegar than anything else… it’s so much sweeter than you'd expect). The Spice Mixes (Baharat) (page 29) are also an indispensible resource; I like to keep a jar of Seven Spice Mix (page 29) in my pantry at all times; for a quick way to add a huge flavor punch, nothing beats a sprinkle of this mix on red meat, poultry, or fish before cooking.
Creamy Garlic Sauce TOUMIEH
Toumieh, which is commonly referred to as “Toum,” is a very potent garlic sauce that is ubiquitous in Middle Eastern kitchens. Toum is a difficult sauce to make and master, since in its authentic state it is just an emulsification of garlic and lemon juice in oil, made with a mortar and pestle. If the sauce breaks and the oil separates there is no recovering it, but it is possible to save it with a thickener (although at this point the sauce is no longer pure Toumieh). This sauce can be used as the base for soups, sauces, salad dressings, or dips; or as its own condiment eaten with plain bread, in sandwiches, on rice, or with other finished dishes.
The variation I give for this recipe is basically just a garlic mayonnaise. The egg acts as a stabilizer, making this sauce much easier to master and faster to make than original toumieh. Incidentally, this is the sauce that you will commonly find used in restaurants in the Middle East, particularly in foods like Spiced Shawarma Chicken wraps. This sauce can be made using two egg whites or one whole egg; however, using a whole egg yields a much creamier, richer tasting sauce. If you’re feeling adventurous, feel free to make the sauce the old-fashioned way with a mortar and pestle, otherwise, a blender works fine.
Yields about 1 cup (225 g)
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
1 head garlic, (12-15 cloves) peeled
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (200 ml) oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Optional Thickeners
½ cup (110 g) Yogurt Cheese (Labneh) (page 73)
Or
½ cup (110 g) mayonnaise
1 Crush the garlic and salt in a mortar and pestle until it forms a smooth paste.
2 Add the oil, drop by drop, while mixing (after you’ve added 1 tablespoon of oil drop-by-drop, you can add the oil a little faster). Make sure the oil you add is fully incorporated before adding any more.
3 Once you’ve added ½ cup (125 ml) oil, alternate between adding the oil and lemon juice, and continue mixing until smooth and creamy.
4 At this point, if you want to thicken the garlic sauce, you can add the optional thickeners listed. If you choose to add a thickener, start by mixing in a little bit at a time and increase the amount until the sauce is as thick as you want it.
VARIATION
Garlic Mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic, crushed in a mortar and pestle with ½ teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites or
1 large egg 1 cup (250 ml) oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon cold water
1 Crush the garlic and salt in a mortar and pestle until it forms a smooth paste.
2 whisk together the garlic paste and egg until well blended.
3 Add the oil, drop-by-drop, while whisking (after you’ve added 1 tablespoon of oil drop-by-drop, you can add the oil a little faster). Make sure the oil you add is fully incorporated before adding any more.
4 Once you’ve added ½ cup (125 ml) oil, alternate between gradually adding the oil and lemon juice and continue mixing until fully incorporated.
5 Add the cold water and mix until smooth and creamy.
Clotted Cream ISHTA
Traditionally, ishta is the cream that is skimmed off the top of whole milk as it cooks down; the cream thickens considerably as it cools and should be stored in the fridge. The process of cooking the milk and skimming of the ishta as it forms takes quite a while, and while the end result is delicious, these days a healthier cream substitute (made of milk and cornstarch) is often used, this substitute is still called ishta though!
This ishta recipe can be used in Middle Eastern Pancakes (Qatayef) (page 124) or as an alternative filling instead of cheese for Sweet Cheese Pastry (page 122). If you want to serve ishta as it is, you can give it a stir before chilling so it has a clotted-cream look to it, or you can leave it be without stirring before chilling so it can be unmolded like an italian Panna Cotta. Either way is lovely, especially with a drizzle of Scented Sugar Syrup (page 28), Apple Vinegar (page 26), or honey, along with a sprinkle of chopped pistachios.
Serves 2 to 3
Preparation Time: 2 minutes
Cooking Time: 6 minutes, plus time for the cream to chill
2 cups (500 ml) milk, divided
6 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon rose water (optional)
½ teaspoon orange blossom water (optional)
1 whisk