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When I make edible Christmas gifts, I like to think outside the baked-goods box (not that I'm averse to it) and give something that will save a cook some time when following a recipe. Spice mixes fill that role beautifully. I'm most familiar with Mediterranean mixes like Tunisian tabil (pronounced "table"), Middle Eastern za'atar and Moroccan ras al-hanut, a complex mix of spices that can contain more than two dozen elements and that no spice merchant mixes in the same way. In fact, all of the mixes offered here can be individualized to your tastes, as cooks throughout the Mediterranean would do.
Curry blends also make welcome gifts. For these you can't do better than the selection of spices mixes in Raghavan Iyer's wonderful and exhaustive compendium, "660 Curries" (Workman).
When putting together these mixes, it’s imperative that you use the freshest spices possible. I recommend ordering from the Penzeys catalogue (or buying them in a Penzeys store), where you can rely on freshness and great prices. Get out the spice mill, put the mixes together, package them in good-looking jars (don't forget the label) and you've just done a lot of Christmas shopping in your kitchen. I'm giving you quantities for large amounts here, but you can halve them (or increase them) depending on how much of each blend you're planning to make. I recommend keeping spices in the freezer if you have the space. They'll keep for a good year there.
Tabil (Tunisian Spice Mix)
Yield: About ¾ cup
Tabil is the all-purpose spice mix used in Tunisia. The word comes from the Tunisian Arabic word meaning "seasoning." One of the flavors I love in the Tunisian palate is caraway, which always surprises and pleases when I taste it in tagines and Tunisian salads. Clifford A. Wright, my go-to person for all things Mediterranean, says that this mixture is often used with beef and veal. I've used it in many a Tunisian vegetable couscous and salad.
Ingredients
4 large garlic cloves, chopped and left out on a piece of paper towel to air-dry for 2 days, or 4 teaspoons garlic powder or granulated garlic
8 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
4 teaspoons cayenne
Directions
- In a mortar or spice mill, grind the ingredients together until homogenous. Place in jars. Store in the refrigerator or freezer.
Ras al-Hanut (Moroccan spice mix)
Yield: Makes about 6⅖ tablespoons
This intriguing Moroccan spice mix is another one of those mixes that vary from spice merchant to spice merchant. It is always complex, and can contain up to 27 ingredients. The word means "head of the shop." That’s how important it is to the food seller.
Ingredients
8 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons turmeric
2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom seeds
1 teaspoon freshly ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon freshly ground nigella (black caraway seeds)
1 teaspoon freshly ground grains of paradise (optional)
Directions
- Mix together all the ingredients and store in a jar in the refrigerator or freezer.
Za'tar (Arab thyme mix)
Yield: About 1⅓ cups
Za'tar means thyme, the most important ingredient in this mix, which is used in the Middle East and in Turkey as both seasoning and condiment. In Lebanon, it is mixed with olive oil and used as a condiment at breakfast for bread. You can find sumac in Middle Eastern food shops and on the Internet at Penzeys.com.
Ingredients
1 cup dried thyme
¼ cup sesame seeds
1 tablespoon sumac
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Directions
- Mix together all the ingredients and store in a jar.
Middle Eastern Baharat
Yield: About ½ cup
This is an all-purpose spice mix used in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine. Although its name derives from the Arabic word for pepper, the flavors that define this as distinctly Middle Eastern to my palate are the allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg. It is equally welcome in meat, fish and vegetable dishes.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons black peppercorns
4 tablespoons allspice berries
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Directions
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Grind together the ingredients and store in a jar.
Zester Daily contributor Martha Rose Shulman is the award-winning author of more than 25 cookbooks. Her latest is "The Very Best of Recipes for Health," published by Rodale.
Photo: Spices are ideal holiday gifts. Credit: Martha Rose Shulman
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