Tamarind is the fruit of a tropical evergreen tree from West Africa that is now grown in India, South-East Asia and the West Indies. It produces pods filled with dark brown, seed-laced, bittersweet pulp that is used to make chutneys, jams and condiments such as Worcestershire and Jamaican Pickapeppa sauce.
Tamarind is found throughout the world and particularly used to spice up Asian and Latin American cuisines. The Indians use dried tamarind pulp in spice mixes, salads, broths and other dishes and the Chinese use candied tamarind as a garnish for sweet-and-sour soup. The Egyptians use it as a base for a cold summer drink known as tamr hindi and the Mexicans have also developed a popular tamarind-based beverage called Agua de Tamarindo.
Phyllo dough is a delicate, thin, unleavened wheat dough that comes in sheets and is instrumental in Greek, Turkish, Middle Eastern and North African cooking.
It is made from finely ground wheat flour, water and a small amount of oil. The layers of dough are traditionally separated by a thin spread of butter or oil during baking.
Phyllo is classically used in dishes such as savory spanakopita, a Greek spinach and feta cheese pie, and super-sweet baklava.
When working with fragile phyllo dough, keep it covered with a damp kitchen towel and be sure to handle it gingerly, working quickly so that it doesn't dry out.
Pomegranate molasses is made by heating pomegranate juice to evaporate its water, reduce its volume and concentrate its sweet and bitter taste and ripe fruity flavor.
You can mix the syrupy molasses into cocktails, add it to salad dressings, marinades, sauces and glazes, or just drizzle it over grilled or roasted meats. Finding a bottle of pomegranate molasses used to mean a trip to local Middle Eastern market, but now it's widely available at all kinds of grocery stores.
Recipe: Oysters With Pomegranate Mignonette (hogwash)
Recipe: Duck Breast With Pomegranate Glaze (Washington Post)
One of the oldest fruits known to man, the pomegranate is the fruit of a small tree native to grasslands stretching from the Middle East all the way to the Himalayas and south to India. With a tough, red skin, the pomegranate is prized for its edible seeds, called arils, which have a sweet and sour taste.
The name pomegranate is derived from the Latin for apple "pomum" (apple) and "granatus" (seeded). Pomegranate recipes abound in the cuisines of many Middle Eastern and South Asian cultures. Whether stirred into sauces and chutneys, juiced and blended into drinks or baked and formed into sweets and desserts, pomegranates are one of the few bright and sweet fruits of winter.
Pomegranates are good sources of vitamin C and potassium. Recent studies have shown that pomegranates contain high levels of punicalagins, compounds that could act as antioxidants in the body.
Recipe: Pomegranate, Persimmon And Pecan Salad
Recipe: Sliced Oranges With Pomegranate Caramelized Walnuts
Place the pomegranate down on its stem end; the blossom end with have a small opening.
Cut firmly down along one of the 6 hexagonal ribs; hitting the rib cuts the flesh and not the seeds.
Hold the fruit down firmly and move your fingers away from the bottom; the juice is very dark red and stains almost everything.
Remove the split fruit to a bowl of water immediately to prevent staining of fingers and cutting boards.
Holding the cut side down over the bowl of water, tap it firmly with a spoon. The seeds will fall out and sink to the bottom; the inedible pith will float to the surface.
Alternatively, peel the skin off the fruit in the bowl of water. Either method works well to extract the sweet, juicy kernels.
