Khavanu: food labels

I hoard spices. I do. Every so often, I set out to make spice mixes. Recently, I picked up Bryant Terry's new cookbook: Afro-Vegan. The cookbook is awesome. I've already bookmarked many recipes. This is an example of one of six dry spice blends featured in the book. Earlier this week, I took out my big box of spices and set out to make za'atar and blackened seasoning. Za'atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend of thyme, oregano, and sumac. The sumac gives it tang. Terry's book is loaded with many song recommendations; they accompany the title on each page. After reading through Afro-Vegan, I went and found the playlist on Spotify. Then, I hit play, and got to work.

With Mother's Day coming up, I thought this would make a nice gift for mom (or a great Father's Day gift, or really - any occasion). I repurposed some old spice jars, and used a stamp and paper to make labels. The labels are just strips of nicer paper cut to about 1.75" (4.5 cm) wide by 5.5" (14 cm) long. I hoard stamps too, and liked this "Destination" stamp as a label for the contents and the date. I wrote the ingredients on the side. Once the labels are ready, I affixed the labels to the jar with clear packaging tape.

I like to use za'atar on pita bread. Coat the pita bread with a bit of olive oil and salt. Sprinkle on the za'atar and toast until just barely crispy. In high school, I used to baby sit and tutor for a Lebanese family. They always served me this in the mornings. I can still remember getting a steamy thick small coffee and pita bread with za'atar. In the past, I've used za'atar in spinach veggie burgers, on roasted potatoes, over a sunny-side up egg, and for tofu kebab skewers.

Za'atar

Recipe from Bryant Terry's Afro-Vegan cookbook.

Yield: about 4.5 oz, or enough to fill up 2 spice jars

Ingredients:

3 tbsp dried thyme

2 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp sumac

1 tsp cumin seeds, ground

1 tbsp sesame seeds (I used a mixture of black and white seeds)

ground black pepper

Directions:

Toast the cumin and sesame seeds. Once hot add them to a bowl and let them cool off slightly. To the same bowl add all of the herbs and black pepper. Grind them in a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle. Store in an airtight container, away from direct sunlight, or refrigerate.

No, not those kind of food labels: useful, straightforward ones - where the label actually tells you the ingredient, helps to organize the pantry, and makes clever use out of old cards that I can't seem to part with. Yes, those crafty cute food labels.

Did you ever read my bean queen post? If so, you'll know that I learned the art of pantry organization from my mother. She never resists to tell me how the space in the pantry could be better utilized if we got rid of our two shelves of our make-believe beer cellar.

These labels are made from stamps on paper, which are then glued (using ModgePodge) onto old birthday, postcards, wedding, and holiday cards. They are then taped onto glass and plastic jars. So far, so good. Clear lids are the best because I get a glimpse of handwritten notes on the back.