Discovering Spices/Zaatar Pizza

One of these days I'm going to set off with a backpack and a notebook and discover the world one spice at a time. I want to explore and learn more about different cultures based on the flavors that define them: moles in Mexico, curries in India, chilies in Thailand, the possibilities are endless. I do think that graduating before I run off would probably be the best idea, so right now I am working on bringing the flavors of the world to my kitchen. Sometimes this intimidates me, foreign spices are, well, foreign and I am not totally comfortable with their depths of flavor. Anyhow, since I don't want to be a total ignoramus when I do set off on my voyage, I just go with it and hope for the best. So far, things have turned out pretty tasty to say the least.

Za’atar is a mix of sumac, wild thyme, sesame seeds and salt. Its complex flavors are earthy and bright, and it can be used for infinite purposes: as a dry rub on meat, sprinkled on hummus, and almost anywhere else you want (after tasting it, you’ll want it everywhere).

Daring Cooks/Pho (Fuh?)

So apparently, the classic Vietnamese noodle dish Pho, is actually pronounced fuh? Yes, the question mark is part of the pronunciation. I am all about authenticity, but fuh?, seriously? I was home this weekend and I kept talking about the pho (fuh?) I had to make for this month's Daring Cooks challenge. Each time I said pho the Americanized way I would correct myself, try to say fuh? and then my sister and I would just erupt in laughter. Maturity central. I eventually had to resort to mispronouncing this dish because the absurdity was getting really out of hand. I am all about authentic flavors, but when it comes to pho, I think I am going to have to stick with the inauthentic pronunciation.

The October 2009 Daring Cooks’ challenge was brought to us by Jaden of the blog Steamy Kitchen. The recipes are from her new cookbook, The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook.

Golden Tickets/100-mile Brunch

*UPDATE* did a little write up about me, click on the picture to check it out!

I have never won a thing in my life. When I played softball in 8th grade, I managed to hit the ball once all season, and somehow the ball boomeranged back, hit me on the shoulder and I literally tagged myself out. This past week my luck turned, I was the winner of Edible Manhattan's raffle for two tickets to the NYC Wine and Food Festival's Great Performances Farm to Table Table 100-mile Brunch. Did you know that 100 years ago people used to eat more oyster meat than beef? Yesterday's brunch was filled with all kinds of fun facts like this, but the best part of all was the food. Every dish tasted fresh and flavorful, and everything from the bread to the vegetables to the cheeses came from within a 100-mile radius of New York.

My sister and I walked into to the sunny room at the top of the New York Fire museum and went straight for the Widow's Hole Oysters from the North Fork. They were briny and sweet, and washed down with the unusual Un-Bloody Mary (vodka flavored with tomato consommé rather than juice) they were the perfect first taste of the meal to come.

So Long Gourmet/Ten Minute Dinner

Gourmet magazine is folding. I know that this is no longer news, but it is still shocking to me. I have loved this magazine for as long as I can remember, when I was younger flipping through the pages and gazing at beautiful pictures fueled my love for cooking and food. Since then, it is has always the magazine I buy at airports, my stoic companion for fun, uncertain, and sad trips alike. I imagine that something new and "better" is already in the works, but for me Gourmet will remain the first and the best. Really, I am just grateful to the people who devoted their lives to this beautiful publication; their hard work and love for this magazine did not go unnoticed.

Last night for dinner I wanted to make Orecchiette with Pancetta and Broccoli, one of Gourmet’s “ten-minute mains.” Although it has often been regarded as the food magazines for connoisseurs, in the past ten years big efforts were made to make Gourmet more accessible to everyone.