Exotic Ingredients~What is Sumac?

No, its not what you think.

Sumac is a shrub which grows wild in the Mediterranean region, and this sumac is not toxic or poisonous. This non-poisonous variety also grows in other areas around the world and can be a colorful addition to home landscaping.

Ground sumac is a dark red-burgundy color. As a dried berry, ground sumac has a nutty texture when used dry.

The use of sumac came to Greece from the Middle East where it is more widely used. In Greek cooking, sumac is used as a rub for grilled meats, and as a flavoring most notably on meats, in stews, and in pita wraps. It is also used in rice and vegetable dishes.

It has a sour, lemony taste and can be used, mixed with water, instead of lemon juice. It is one of the ingredients that gives za’atar its characteristic flavour and is often used in marinades, with tomatoes, onions and in savoury pastries.

Recipe

Sumac-Dusted Oven Fries with Garlic Spread
serves 2-3

4 medium-sized russet potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt
1 head garlic
2 tablespoons sumac

Preheat oven to 350. Peel potatoes. Cut one potato in half and set aside one of the halves. Slice the remaining potatoes into 1/2-inch strips. Toss with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Bake 30-35 minutes, giving them a stir every 10 minutes or so.

Roughly chop the reserved potato half. Bring to a boil in salted water and cook until soft. Drain and roughly mash with a fork.

Meanwhile, make a paste with the head of garlic. Follow Emma's instructions here. Place garlic into a food processor or blender and add 2 tablespoons of mashed potatoes and 2 tablespoons of water. Add a little more potato or water as necessary. You want the spread to come together, but it won't be super creamy.*

When the fries are done, remove from oven and toss with sumac. Serve with spread on the side.

*Note: Conceivably, you could skip the garlic paste process and toss the whole cloves into the blender or food processor with some salt. But this was the process I used (with a hand blender), with good results.

To give credit where due, the recipe was inspired by a dish from Semiramis in Chicago.

Sources

about.com

thekitchn.com



On the Map~Fun facts about Papua New Guinea

Oops! Okay everybody, I got little bit behind posting last weekend, so I am playing catch-up.

Did you know?

Although English is its official language, only 1-2% of the population actually speak it. As the most linguistically diverse country in the world, over 820 languages are spoken in Papua New Guinea or 12% of the world’s total.

Sea shells were the national currency until 1933.

It is one of the few places close to the equator that experiences snowfall. Snow is visible on the top of Mount Wilhelm, the highest peak in Papua New Guinea.

Only 18% of Papua New Guinea's inhabitants live in urban areas. That makes it one of the world's most rural countries. Agriculture employs about 85% of the country's population.

 



Sewing Projects: Delany's Swimsuit

Delany recently made this new swimsuit! Isn't it adorable?

I love everything about it, from color, to print and style!

Great job!



Thrifty Threads: Color block tee

My friend Lauren over at green tea is this wearing this weeks Thrifty threads outfit.

Lauren made the awesome tee shirt, check out her tutorial

here

Skirt: $5 linen thrift store find

Undershirt: Wetseal hand-me-down

What is Thrifty Threads?

Examples of Modest and Feminine outfits that express an assortment of styles.

Do you have an outfit that you want to share? Email us a picture and we will post it!

throughthelookingglass4@hotmail.com

Requirements: please send photos directly in the email, attachments cannot be opened. Thank you!

Thank you, Lauren, for your contribution!

Exotic Ingrediants~What is Guava?

So what is a Guava? I am sure many of you have heard of them, and are trying to conjure up memories of where you have! When we lived in Claremont, my friend's mom would always make these delicious desserts with Guava paste in the center, but until recently I never really knew what it was.

"A guava is the sweet fruit of the guava tree, which grows in tropical regions of America and Asia. The genus consists of about 100 small trees and shrubs, with the Psidium guajava species being the most cultivated for food. The fruit can be eaten raw or used to flavor drinks, desserts, and sauces.

The guava is believed to have originated in an area extending from southern Mexico into Central America. Since 1526, it has been common throughout all warm areas of tropical America, the West Indies, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. It was introduced to Florida in 1847 and was brought from there to the East Indies and Guam. It is likely that it spread from those regions to Asia and Africa. It was introduced to Hawaii in the early 19th century and is now common throughout the Pacific islands.

The plant is evergreen, in the form of either shallow-rooted shrubs or trees up to 33 feet (10.05 meters) in height. The tree has a smooth copper-colored bark that flakes off to reveal a green layer underneath and has branches that spread at the top of the tree. The leaves are green and leathery. In addition to fruit, the tree also bears fragrant white flowers with four or five petals."

The guava is rich in vitamins A, B, and C, as well as beta carotene. It can be eaten raw, either out-of-hand or seeded and sliced in desserts or salads, although cooking eliminates the strong smell. The fruit is widely canned and sold for export, as is juice, nectar, and shells, which are stewed and served as a desert in Latin America and Spanish-speaking islands of the West Indies. There are countless recipes for the use of guava in pies, cakes, puddings, jellies, and chutneys, and the fruit may even be dehydrated and powdered to flavor ice cream. 

Recipe

Ingredients:

500g all purpose flour
200g unsalted butter
1 cup milk
1 tbsp baking powder

250g guava paste (for the filling)

1 egg white (beaten, to brush the top)
2 cup crystallized sugar (to coat)

Directions:

Slice the guava paste into small strips and reserve. Grease two 12×16 inches pan. Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
Mix the dough ingredients, the flour, butter, milk and baking powder. Mix until smooth. Divide the dough in two and reserve one half in a plastic bag. Roll out one half on a floured surface into a rectangle (not to thin). Cut into smaller rectangles (3×2 inches), put a guava paste strip in the center and role up the dough and pinch edge together to seal. Brush the top of the biscuits with the egg white and coat only the top with the crystallized sugar. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes (or until the bottom of the biscuits turn brown). Repeat the process with the other half.

Sources

pamalabrandao.com

wisegeek.com

wikipedia.com



On the Map~Fun facts about: France

Did you know?

1. There is a Victor Hugo street in every town in France.

2. It’s illegal to name a pig Napoleon in France.

3. France has won the most Nobel Prizes for Literature than any other country in the world, and the second most in mathematics.

4. “Let them eat cake” was a statement falsely associated with Marie Antoinette as it was created ten years before she was born.

5. The Eiffel tower was originally intended to be dismantled and sold as scrap after its construction.

6. It’s against the law to take pictures of police officers and police vehicles.

Au revoir!



Tutorial: Flower clip

I have seen pictures for clips like this, and a year or so ago I found a tutorial. I never did get around to making it and I lost the tutorial, so I decided to make one for you all.

Supplies needed

synthetic fabric

hair clip

hot glue gun

candle

The first thing you need is your fabric. It must be synthetic. I used this left over fabric from a shirt I made, it is 100% polyester.

These are the clips I used. They are very sturdy and perfect for the project!

Step 1: Cut three circles of fabric, make each a bit smaller than the last. Then I cut a circle of the grey lace (for the last layer).

Step 2: Hold the edges of the fabric over a candle flame, being careful not to get too close or touch the flame. (or the fabric will disintegrate) Do this for each layer. This step curls the edges and gives the fabric the "flower" look.

Step 3: Plug in your hot glue gun. Once it is hot, place a dab of glue on the top of the first layer, and place the next on top. Repeating this step until all of the layers are glued together.

Step 4: Open up the clip. Put a small dab of hot glue in the center of the bottom of the flower. Place the top of the opened clip on the hot glue. Make sure the glue is only on the center of the clip, not the edges, otherwise you wont be able to open and close it.

It should look like this.

Let the glue dry and your flower clips are complete! This a very simple and fun project, perfect for those fabric scraps you have laying around.