Here are 10 of the tastiest, most versatile ingredients from the eastern Mediterranean, plus easy ways to work them into your repertoire.
Yogurt
Yogurt
Think yogurt is just sweetened snack cups? The plain full-fat stuff has a beautiful tang and creaminess, and is a revelation as an ingredient
Get: At any grocery story
Try: Add a little salt and mint for a sauce for vegetables or grilled meat. Drain so it's thick and satiny, and you've got labneh. Mix with olive oil and garlic and toss with pasta, or serve with bread for dunking.
Labneh recipe: Line a strainer with cheesecloth and spoon in 32 oz. plain whole-milk Greek yogurt. Set over a deep bowl, cover, and chill 7 to 24 hours to drain. Makes 3 cups. Keeps, chilled, up to 1 week.
Aleppo pepper
Aleppo pepper
A fruity, mildly hot crushed chile with a hint of smokiness. Grown in Syria and Turkey, it's reminiscent of Mexican ancho chile (a good sub).
Get: At gourmet grocery stores
Try: Toss with seafood, ground meat, even fruit salad.
Baharat
Baharat
"Spices"
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Chocolate
Chocolate: Tastes like a peppermint patty.
It's fun to nibble and good for warm tea-or added to ice cream.
Curly
Curly: Has a pleasant fragrance.
The texture is a bit rough for eating, but it's a fun garnish for cold drinks and berried desserts.
Kentucky Colonel
Kentucky Colonel: Mild fruity-spearmint flavor.
The Kentucky Colonel is the traditional choice for mojitos and mint julep. It's also good added to lemonade or iced tea for a doubly cool and refreshing kick.
Egyptian
Egyptian: Strong spearmint and fruit fragrance
Egyptian is a good choice for savory dishes like tabbouleh or raita (Indian yogurt salad).
Habek
Habek: Musky and rather savory fragrance.
Habek is the ultimate companion to iced tea.
Moroccan
Moroccan: Contains elements of both10 Fast and Fresh Sandwich Recipes
By Sunset Magazine | Author Blog Posts – Fri, Feb 1, 2013 5:24 PM ESTSave time with these easy sandwich recipes, perfect for a delicious breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Read More »from 10 Fast and Fresh Sandwich Recipes
Almond Butter and Smashed Berry Sandwich
Ingredients
1/4 cup fresh or thawed frozen blackberries
1/4 cup fresh or thawed frozen blueberries
1 teaspoon honey
2 whole-wheat English muffins, split
2 tablespoons almond butter
Pinch of kosher salt
Preparation
Smash berries with honey in a small bowl, using a fork.
Toast muffins, then spread each half with almond butter. Sprinkle lightly with the salt.
Transfer berries to muffin bottoms, using a slotted spoon. Set muffin tops in place.
Bunk's Oregon Albacore Tuna Salad
Ingredients
2 cans (5 oz. each) local sustainable albacore tuna
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Preparation
Mix all ingredients together and serve on toasted whole-wheat bread.
Smoked Salmon Bagel
Ingredients
1 pumpernickel or plain bagel (6 oz.)
2 tablespoons chive cream cheese
1/3 cup thinlyHow to build your valentine vocabulary―and jump-start your evening
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Aromatic, flamboyant Albariño
Aphrodite had her tools―apples, pomegranates, and a mythical girdle that, legend has it, made her irresistible to men. We reject the girdle in favor of a glass of wine with seductive edibles. A half-dozen oysters, a few almonds, some spicy chiles, and a racy bottle of Western white.
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Get cozy with the West's new wave of flamboyantly aromatic, thoroughly romantic Latin grapes. Don't be surprised if you fall in love―especially when you pair them with these aphrodisiac foods.
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Almond cake and late-harvest wine
Almonds in ancient Arabian baking might have fueled The Thousand
and One Nights, but we'll settle for just one night and just one pastry: an Italian Almond Cake from Pacific Sourdough company on the Oregon coast ($25; almondcake.com)
Pair it with a wine that, as food editor Margo True says, "puts both arms around the cake"―Beringer's honeyed "Nightingale," a 2005Experience amazing coastline, wildlife, Aurora Borealis, Yosemite, and more.
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Sweet Potato Soup with Prosciutto Crisps
Served in demitasse cups, this sophisticated little soup makes an easy-to-handle big-party hors d'oeuvre. For a purely vegetarian soup, garnish with chopped chives.
Recipe: Sweet Potato Soup with Prosciutto Crisps
Marmalade- and Ginger-glazed Sweet Potatoes
This simple recipe highlights the sweet potato's bright flavor with hits of orange and ginger.
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This prize-winning recipe from a Sunset reader is one of our absolute favorites, creamy and moist, with just the right amount of sweetness, this dessert will wow your guests.
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Sweet-Potato Gnocchi with Mushrooms and Spinach
This spectacular main dish will impress discerning vegetarians and omnivores alike.
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Sweet Potato-Parsnip Latkes
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Creamy Pumpkin Seed and Green Chile Posole
A puréed salsa made with roasted pumpkin seeds helps give this posole a rich flavor and chowder-like texture.
Ingredients
1 large yellow onion, cut into wedges
3 large poblano chiles
1 serrano chile
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed
4 unpeeled garlic cloves
2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
About 1 cup salted, roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas), divided
2 cans (29 oz. each) white hominy, rinsed and drained
5 to 6 cups vegetable broth
About 5 tsp. dried Mexican oregano, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 large zucchini, cut into large dice
Accompaniments: corn tortillas, cilantro leaves, thinly sliced green onions, and crumbled cotija cheese
Preparation
Preheat broiler with oven rack 3 in. from heat. Set yellow onion, poblanos, serrano, tomatillos, and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil, turning, until vegetables areLet the light in but keep the heat out with these tips for energy-efficient windows
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Raspberry Lemon Pudding Cakes
Ingredients
2 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons melted butter
Finely shredded zest of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup low-fat (1%) milk
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 2/3 cups (12 oz.) raspberries, divided
Powdered sugar
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. Set 6 ramekins (2/3 cup size) in a 9- by 13-in. baking pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and granulated sugar until thick and creamy. Whisk in flour, butter, lemon zest and juice, and milk until blended.
In a deep bowl with a mixer on high speed, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until whites hold stiff, moist peaks when beater is lifted. Stir one-quarter of whites into yolk mixture until blended, then gently fold in remaining whites. Gently fold in half of raspberries.
Spoon batter into ramekins. Pour enough hot tap water into baking pan to come 1
