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Last week's houseguest brought me a treasure trove of spices I've never tried before. Each container comes with a few recommendations of how to use them, but I thought I might ask all of you for suggestions too, in case any of you have favorite recipes which call for Aleppo pepper, sumac berries, mahlab, or epazote.

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There are 24 comments on this entry. (Reply.)

epazote works well in blackeyed peas cooked with dried shrimp.

Black eyed peas are wonderful, but I haven't found any over here yet. I'll keep looking, especially now that I've found a handful of sources for black beans.

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How do I love Aleppo pepper? Let me count the ways...
1. Toast a whole wheat bagel. Spread with ripe avocado and top with sliced tomato. Sprinkle with salt and AP.
2. Sprinkle AP on pizza.
3. Put it in egg, chicken, etc. salad.
4. Add to soups.
5. Include in spice rub for chicken or other meat to be grilled.
6. Scrambled eggs.
7. Green salad.
8. Pasta.

Haven't tried it on ice cream yet, but that day may be coming, as I love the flavor and gentle heat so much.

Sumac has a vaguely similar flavor without the heat.

If you want to try something really incredible, look into smoked Spanish paprika.

smoked paprika is teh evol. I use it all the time.

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How versatile! I've never tried it before, but gentle heat sounds ideal for me. I'm glad I asked what to do with it, since the jar only recommends using it with meats. I don't do much with avocados but have always liked their flavor - an open faced bagel sandwich with AP sounds like a good way to start branching out.

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epazote is used throughout the US southwest (which we oh-so-rudely landgrabbed from Mexico, so I don't know if it is an Old World or New World herb) to cook with all sorts of beans. it is actually supposed to help reduce, um, the effects of eating beans as well.

what is mahlab?

From foodreference.com:
"Mahlab is a spice made from dried, ground, sour black cherry pits, used in the Middle East (Greece, Turkey, Syria). Mahlab has a highly fragrant nutty, bittersweet, sour taste."

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sounds incredible. good on lamb?

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The jar recommends it for sweet breads, dessert cookies and biscuits, but if it goes well with desserts, I'd think it would go well with lamb too.

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epazote is native to the Americas

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ah, thanks.

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which reminds me, can you send me more info on the proper uses of Himalayan Rock Salt, et al.? We used French hot springs salt on our brussels sprouts the other night because it's the only one that's fine enough to sprinkle on as is. Should I use a grinder for the others?

Of course! I brought printouts with me to D.C. and entirely forgot to give them to you and Gr. M.

Use a grinder on the rock salts, definitely. The sea salts might be better as is. Most of the recipes recommend encrusting things with it and then baking.

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I've never used sumac in berry form, but I have used, and like, ground sumac in a lamb-and-apricot couscous dish.

Reading over the jar, it certainly is useful for many things! Sauces, poultry, fish, salads, and drinks. Drinks? I wonder what drinks.

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I was curious so I googled that, and apparently you can make something like pink lemonade from them by steeping them in cold water. I don't know if it would work so well using ground berries, but if so, it would be interesting. I no longer have mine or a convenient source to get more, or I'd try it now. From cooking with it, I'd imagine the resulting drink would be a very good mixer for gin, if you like gin.

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Come over sometime and we can try it. After all, you'll be living vaguely near me soon! (Not that you have to live in the area for there to be visiting.)

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Also, now that I look at the subtitle, I see that they are in fact ground sumac berries, so presumably the same thing you've used.

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spice memo from the houseguest:
I have never had a drink made with sumac. however, I have enjoyed "cumin water": hot water in which ground cumin is placed (or cumin seeds, which would be easier), and then strained. like tea, minus the tea leaves. there is a cousin drink called "white coffee": hot flower water, lemon water, or orange water, variously described as a characteristic drink of Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Egypt.

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Intriguing drinks! Thank you, houseguest. I'll try those.

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This is the first time I've ever felt ignorant reading a cooking post ...

I've never tried these and hadn't heard of mahlab or Aleppo pepper before being given them. It's educational for me too.

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after more than one year ( http://www.zonalibre.org/blog/demairena/archives/2004_12.html#064906 ), I found a spanish medievalist: http://www.medievalum.com/

best regards, JuanPablo
http://www.demairena.blogspot.com

Thank you!

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October