Lately I've been fiddling around with simple, weeknight recipes. I recently ran across dukkah in the spice aisle and figured I'd give it a try. Dukkah (pronounced DOO-kah)  is an Egyptian blend of ground toasted nuts, seeds and spices. It's quite healthy and nutritious. Dukkah can be sprinkled on meat or veggies but most people enjoy it by combining it with some olive oil and dunking some warm pita or crusty bread in it. It's easy to make at home but you can easily find it at a lot of ethnic or specialty stores these days too. I tried store bought dukkah and it was okay. I've since then made it at home and like it better. The dukkah I make consists of :

pistachios
hazelnuts
almonds
sesame seeds
coriander seeds
cumin seeds
dried lemon zest
fennel seeds
sumac
coarse sea salt
dried peppercorns

My measurements change each time. But I usually chop the nuts then toast them in a dry skillet. I set the nuts aside to cool then toast my spices.

In my mini food processor, I give the spices a few whirls. Then I add the nuts and do a coarse grind. I move the mixture to a bowl and then mix in my toasted sesame seeds.


Recently, I made some dukka-crusted scallops. I dredged some beautiful diver scallops from Sunh Fish through dukkah then sautéed them in some clarified butter in a cast iron skillet. Super easy and Mr.S. really liked them! We ate the dukkah-crusted scallops with some carrots seasoned with a touch of Herbes de Provence and a small salad. It was the perfect summertime dinner- nice and light.

I recently came back into touch with a friend whom I had not seen or spoken with in several years. One of the first questions she asked me when we hung out last week was, "What new condiments can you recommend?" Now readers, I have to be honest with you...I have a severe condiment problem. I'm a condiment hoarder. I love them, my fridge is full of them and I use them all. It ranges the whole gamut: umeboshi paste to truffle salt to yuzu hot sauce and furikake; it's all in there mixed together with the Sriracha, Korean Gochujang, Maggi Seasoning, and good ol' Heinz Ketchup. It's nice, it's wonderful...it's also taking over my fridge! Anyhow..............I thought long and hard and emailed her back about "Nanami Togarashi." I totally have a spice crush on Nanami Togarashi right now.

Nanami Togarashi typically contains coarsely ground red pepper, ground sansho peppercorns, roasted mandarin peel, black sesame seed, white sesame seed, hemp seed, ground ginger and nori. It's spicy (but not crazy-spicy) and has a lovely citrus-centric flavor to it. I love dashing some Nanami Togarashi on my udons, ramens, sneaking it into my dark chocolate desserts and even sprinkling some on pork products (ribs, mmmm!) ; but most of all, I enjoy pairing it with fresh avocado. One of my favorite afternoon snacks is- sliced avocado topped with lime juice, a bit of sea salt and a few shakes of Nanami Togarashi. Mmmmm!  I love how the simple seasonings enhance the natural flavor of the avocado. It's delicious and quite addictive.

If you're interested in trying it, you can purchase Nanami Togarashi at most Asian stores (Oto's carries it here in Sacramento) or you can get it on Amazon. A bottle should run you about $5, but a little goes a long way.

Happy Boxing Day, everyone!

Yes, I'm still in the midst of Lemon-palooza here at the cottage. I spent this morning, zesting and juicing a small mountain of lemons. The juice, I placed in ice cube trays and froze...it's great when you're cooking and need a tablespoon or two. You just pop a cube out and throw it in.  (I do this with leftover broth and wine as well.)

As for the zest, you can use a zester or a paring knife to remove it from the lemon but I like to use my microplane. (If you don't have one, get one! It makes life in the kitchen much easier)

Be sure to only grate the skin (the yellow part) and not the pith (the white part). The pith is quite bitter. Go downward only on the microplane, don't go back and forth, and roll the lemon as you go down so that the zest comes off evenly.

It's best to use the zest immediately afterward as that's when it's most potent, but you can dry it. I use this trick, I learned from Saveur. Take the zest and place it on waxed paper. Let it dry for 24 hours. Once it's dry, fold the paper up and crush the zest into powder. (I like to run a rolling pin or a heavy can over it.) Place it in an airtight container in the fridge, it will keep for a few weeks. Use it to season fish, salads, etc. You can also fancy it up by mixing it with some sea salt or sugar and then use it to rim margarita or lemon drop glasses.

1509 Wester Ave., Seattle, WA, 98101. (206) 682- 7274.
www.worldspice.com


One of my favorite shops to hang out in during our trip to Seattle was World Spice Merchants on Western Avenue (just outside of Pike Place). WSM was discovered during my trip along the West Coast last year, but this time around I wasn't on a time crunch and got to spend ample time persuing and sniffing the jars. Yes, I know-- I'm a total nerd. So what? WSM is a cook's dream...jar upon jar of every spice (and spice blend) imaginable and all the delicious aromas...Mmmm, bliss! I decided I just had to purchase a few spices to take home to experiment with even though there was a lengthy wait in the small shoppe (thank you Mr. S. for being so patient!). I ended up going with a few ounces each of the Harissa, Smoked Paprika, Zahtar (Israeli), Jerk Rub and I also restocked my cache of Herbes De Provence, but goodness if given more time (and a fatter wallet) there was much more I would have loved to buy. Luckily, WSM ships! So treat yourself to a small Xmas gift or order a few spices for the chef in your family.


[All of their spice blends are mixed by hand in small batches and ground to order within 24 hours of shipping. There's a two ounce minimum for purchase and they are packaged/sealed in plastic bags. For $2 more/each, they can be packaged in airtight 1-cup jars (ooh-la-la!). Also, you can order the spices whole instead of ground should you choose.]

When it's rainy and cold outside, I like for the inside of my cottage to smell warm and cozy. Usually there's the odor of baked goods, bubbling soup or (if it's morning) a percolating pot of coffee wafting through my abode. But sometimes if I'm just home relaxing for the night and feeling slothish, I take a shortcut. (This trick is great also if you're having company over and want to give your home a welcoming air.)

Scent-sational Cinnamon

Instructions

- Take a medium-sized pot of water, place 3-4 cinnamon sticks in it.

- Place on stove and boil uncovered for approximately 30 minutes.

- Turn stove off and allow pot to cool.

(* As the water boils, the cinnamon scent will be emitted and disperse through the air.)

Fresh spices are great but sometimes you're in a pinch and have to use the bottled stuff lurking in the back of your cupboard. If you're like me,  you've probably wondered- does this stuff ever go bad? What's the shelf life of a bottle of cumin or when does a cinnamon stick turn? Well, after digging around a bit I discovered that dried herbs and spices don't spoil...BUT (yes, you knew that "but" was coming...) they do lose their strength over time. The key to preserving their potency is to store them in an airtight container in a cool dark place (don't keep them by your stove, the heat & steam will degrade them).

According to spice kingpin, McCormick, the general guideline for spice shelf life is:



To help you out even further, many spice manufacturers have "freshness checkers" that decode the numbers and letters that replace actual dates on some containers. Just click on the link and follow the site's instructions.

McCormick (along with the date, you get some humorous quips)
Spice Islands
Durkee

* Note Schilling spices are no longer made and are at least 7 years old.