As the long suffering reader of my other web logs know, I have an interest in world politics and human rights. Thus the grass roots demonstrations in Tunis and Egypt sparked me needing to re-contact people I had lost touch with. Not least with having moved house and having been seriously let down by the telephone company I was with, and had been left for twenty weeks with no telephone or Internet access.
However, I have been utilising my time to work on some of the spice blends that I am creating. Therefore, it was great to re connect to people who could give me an unbiased opinion on my efforts. As while I am trying to make authentic spice blends, it is only when I can test them on and with people for whom these are part of their culture can I really be sure I have got them right.
Among the many blends that I have been putting together is Zahtar, this is an aromatic blend from North Africa that is also found in places like Jordan and around the Mediterranean, mainly Turkey.
It is often used as a spice when making meatballs or cooked with vegetables. Also traditionally it can be blended into a paste with olive oil and spread over bread before baking it.
I was very pleased to find that my efforts were appreciated and people really liked the blend. With most saying it was as good as the blends that their mothers or wives made and genuinely invoked the tastes of home.
The paste I created I used to coat some Tilapia, a Fish, that was baked in the oven, making a fish that I personally find rather bland, come to life with flavour.
Further, this paste can be used to coat meat, other fish or vegetables before going on the barbecue or under the grill, or baked in the oven.
