“One lives in the hope of becoming a memory.”
The Flavour Maker!
The pantry at my grandmother’s house had the most distinctive and intoxicating aroma. As a little girl I was thrilled to be sent to retrieve something from its towering rows of shelves. The fact that it had a laundry shoot added quite a lot of intrigue, particularly after my younger cousins braved sliding down. But it was the combination of spices which captured me and remains planted firmly in my memory. Exotic spices bought from Lebanese delis in Montreal and herbs from her summer garden hanging to dry all topped off by the unmistakable scent of rose water. I keep a bottle of rose water handy at all times. I use it only occasionally but I like to open the bottle from time to time to recapture memories of my Sittoo and her pantry.
For most of my kitchen life I seasoned all Arabic food by smell. I disappointed friends regularly when they asked what amounts I used in seasoning this dish or that. It wasn’t until a day not too long ago that I was giving instructions to a friend who was making my roast chicken recipe when I realized I would have to actually sort what proportions were used.
I consulted my many Arabic cookbooks and didn’t really agree wholeheartedly with any of their proportions, and so going with my nose, as my Sittoo taught me, I sniffed out the right amounts.
Enjoy & Namaste!
- 3 TBSP Allspice
- 2 TBSP Cinnamon
- 1 TBSP White Pepper
- Combine and store in an airtight container.