Little Luxuries

Luxuries can be flashy, big, bright stars that burn hard and fast. A thing that provides immediate gratification and then leaves you with that empty feeling, wanting more. But they can also be simple. A small gesture of kindness, a beautiful flower, making something wonderful from nothing. Those are my luxuries of choice, so for this weekend I give you a few of my favorites, the ones that are still bringing a smile to my lips, even after they are gone.

Yellow Roses of Texas

I made some Saffron Honey Bread this weekend. Deciding to be a little creative I broke the dough into 2 loaves, rolled them out, topped one with Spicy Za'atar and the other with the Premium and then braided them together. To recreate this on your own, just use the Pizza Bianca recipe, but substitute the sugar with honey, and add a pinch of crushed saffron to the dough.

Za'atar Spiced Flatbread

There's something wonderful about having family and friends over for a Friday night dinner in the dead of winter. The work week done, the last forced journey into the cold over, a long relaxing weekend to look forward to and the people you love gathering around your table, talking and laughing with not a care in the world. It was extra special because my sister had just returned from Jordan so we were all regaled with stories and pictures and as she is my sister and my blogging mentor, all kinds of goodies of the culinary sort.

My Jordanian presents: 2 za'atars, tea, thyme, sage and saffron

 One of the many goodies came in the form of Za'atar- a Mediterranean spice mixture that can vary in ingredients but most commonly contains sesame seeds, sumac, thyme, oregano, etc. Other herbs can be added or spices, to make it sweet or spicy. I was given 2 different kinds, the Jordanian "premium" za'atar (not sure what was in it to make it distinctively premium) which was very delicious and then a "spicy" za'atar, which was actually not that spicy in terms of heat but did contain a smokey kick that reminded me of a smoked paprika or mild chili powder.


Roasted Chicken for the Soul

It's been a long night. Actually no, it's been a long month, a long winter in fact. But tonight has just been especially long. I talked for 30 minutes with a guy I realized in the first 5 I had absolutely no chemistry with, but was too polite to get off the phone. And all I kept thinking of was the Seinfeld episode where George and Jerry make up a fake Chinese delivery so they can get off the phone with people. And then I'd feel like a terrible person for even thinking that.They say life hands you lemons and expects you to make lemonade. But I think also lemons are sometimes too easy and life may hand you other completely random things and expect you to make something just as genius, just as refreshing and delicious as lemonade. Right now that's where I am... figuring out what in the world to do with these various random things. I feel I can make something wonderful with what I've been given, actually know what the end result I want is... just can't figure out for the life of me how to get from having these things in my possession to the final product. Bear with my rant, I promise a delicious recipe at the end of it.