Anyone who knows me knows that I love Middle Eastern and Indian food. Back in West Plains, there were no Middle Eastern or Indian restaurants (at least when I lived there), and finding anything other than the basic Middle Eastern spices could by difficult. I did a lot of online ordering of specialty ingredients, and going to a Middle Eastern restaurant or market in another city felt like such a special treat. A lot of things I would see in the markets or online, I had no concept of how to use some things, and I would avoid buying interesting ingredients because I didn’t want to waste them by not knowing what to do with them. I’ve been collecting Middle Eastern cookbooks to try to learn to cook the cuisine that I love, and I got one for Christmas last year called Flavors of the Sun: The Sahadi’s Guide to Understanding, Buying, and Using Middle Eastern Ingredients by Christine Sahadi Whelan.
This is more than a cookbook, it’s a guide book for using Middle Eastern ingredients in everyday ways, making the ingredients more approachable for those unused to cooking with them. I’ve made several recipes from this cookbook, and they’ve all turned out delicious; preserved lemon marinated chicken and brown butter halva cookies have been standouts so far. And nothing is more fun (and nerve wracking) than making a new recipe and bringing it to your friends to try. I did it with people back in West Plains (see my post about matcha brownies), and I’m doing it now with my new friends here in Ohio.
The recipe: white chocolate cranberry cookies with sumac glaze. The victims (or taste testers): my house church. This was a basic cookie recipe, without any special methods or resting times like some other cookies I’ve made in the past. The special ingredient was sumac, found in both the cookies and the glaze drizzled over the top. Sumac berries are dried and ground, resulting in the powder found in grocery stores. In the Middle East, it is a common seasoning, found on tables and used liberally like salt and pepper. It tastes tangy, but more savory than fruity. I’ve seen it used more in savory dishes, like hummus or Fattoush salad, so I was curious how it would taste in a cookie.
In this recipe, the cranberries brought a fruity flavor and slight chew, the white chocolate was sweet and creamy, and the sumac was subtle, slightly tart and helping to elevate the flavor of the cranberries. Visually, these turned out beautifully, with pink flecks of sumac in the glaze.
But what did the house church think of these? Everyone liked them, and someone even asked me for the recipe! So this is my ticket to allow me to bring more kitchen experiments to house church. Any house church people reading this, get ready for that! I really missed this hobby, and I’m glad to be able to get back to it.
Another thing I’ve been getting back into is biking to work. I used to do it in West Plains, but haven’t been since moving to Ohio in March. In Kansas City, my commute was twenty-five to thirty minutes in congested city traffic. Sometimes, it felt like I barely survived the commute in my car. There was no way I was riding my bike to work in those conditions. In my new apartment, I’m minutes from the bike trails, and one of the bike trails leads almost directly to where I work. It’s an easy five miles, with only a small portion on a main road. It’s so nice to start the day with a ride, to feel the breeze and smell the fresh air.
Getting back to these things that I love makes me feel more like myself. Maybe part of myself was suppressed as I moved across the country and tried to settle in to a new place. My worth isn’t based on the food I make, but I’m so happy people are liking my food, that they accept my weird dishes and are excited to try them. My worth isn’t based on what I take to get to work, but I feel so invigorated in riding to work, in having my bike in my office, anticipating the fresh air again at the end of the day. It’s fresh air to the soul to make food and have people to share it with.
Hope you all enjoyed! More to come!
~Muriel
Sources:
What is Sumac? Pamela Vachon. Institute of Culinary Education. March 3, 2023. https://www.ice.edu/blog/what-is-sumac
P.S. check out In All Uncertain Terms (my friend’s blog)! https://inalluncertainterms.com/
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