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ร—
Home ยป Sumac & Sunshine (formerly Tasting Jerusalem)

Tasting Jerusalem: Tart, Tangy, Tantalizing Pomegranate Molasses

by Beth Lee ยท Published: Sep 8, 2013 ยท Modified: Jan 27, 2022

For me, September is a time of transition โ€“ changes to daily routines, weather, and wardrobe. Summer warmth seems to slip away in an instant and then reappear in brief spurts just to tease us. With the departure of my son to college, if Iโ€™m not careful, my mood morphs from merry to melancholy as I consider another summer gone by, shorter days, colder weather, and a quieter house. So instead Iโ€™m focusing on new beginnings. The promise of a new school year, a new daily routine, new finds at the farmerโ€™s market and if you celebrate the Jewish holidays, a brand new year!

Tasting JerusalemThis past weekend, I found many items at the farmerโ€™s market hinting of the changing season including pomegranates, which are abundant in the fall, loaded with healthy antioxidants, and, it turns out, symbolic for the Jewish New Year. The many seeds inside symbolize the goods deeds performed during the previous year. While pomegranates may be available fresh only for a short while, you can enjoy their essence all year long by using pomegranate molasses. So this month for Tasting Jerusalem, we will explore the many ways you can incorporate this versatile ingredient in your cooking including several intriguing recipes from the cookbook.

A Beautiful Blend of Flavors, TJ Does the โ€œBaharatโ€

Before we move on to fall, hereโ€™s a brief recap of our groupโ€™s tango with the spice baharat. Though some of the recipes for baharat seem a bit more apropos for autumnโ€™s call for comfort food, the group dove in with exuberance, including several who conquered the masterpiece that is maqluba โ€“ a stunning composition of tasty ingredients that impresses, whether it holds its form or not. After inspiration from our lunch together at a Turkish Mediterranean restaurant in Mountain View, CA called Epheseus,

Tasting Jerusalem
Maqluba from Epheseus Restaurant

Sue of the blog Couscous and Consciousness went back to New Zealand and created this beauty:

Tasting Jerusalem
photo by Sue of Couscous and Consciousness

And a member from our Google Plus community, shared this maqluba masterpiece with us:

Tasting Jerusalem
Elisabeth's maqluba

Ruthโ€™s Stuffed Romano Peppers, the striking dish of Ottolenghiโ€™s mom inspired Michelle from Daily Waffle blog to write about one-dish wonders while I was motivated to stuff a pepper for (gasp) the very first time! (Michelle's photo is on the left) And our member Maria from Hong Kong, created her own version of the spice blend and then prepared the peppers as well, which she shared with us via Twitter! Tasting Jerusalem Tasting Jerusalem

And those lemony meatballs with favas โ€“ I urge you to give them a try. The baharat is the perfect undertone to carry the surprising citrusy sauce. I made them last spring and my family inhaled this palate-pleasing dish. Amanda of the blog Sercocinera, who won a packet of baharat in our couscous contest last May, created her version of the meatballs using turkey and edamame. What a lovely variation, in which she nominated the baharat the star. (Amanda's photo on the right)

Tasting Jerusalem

Tasting JerusalemEmily, from the blog West of the Loop made the baharat spice mix herself last February, when she reviewed the cookbook. Our member, Karen from Australia, reminded us that the Turnip and Veal cake, pg 156 also uses baharat โ€“ another homey recipe that would be lovely this fall. And finally, Aimee from the blog HomeMade Trade pointed out that the iconic dish known as โ€œJerusalem mixed grillโ€ also uses baharat, pg 174-175. But even more exciting is what Aimee did on her own with the spice โ€“ making the much-lauded mejadra and topping it with baharat-spiced grilled eggplant, seen in this beautiful photo on Instagram. Not to be wasted, the next morning she topped the leftover mejadra with a baharat spiced egg (yum!). Finally, she created a baharat-spiced burger stuffed with goat cheese that she described as โ€œcrazy yumโ€!

And our fearless co-leader Sarene experimented using the spice with olive oil on fresh corn on the cob, and raved about the combination. She also prepared the tabbouleh, which surprises with the hint of baharat. Through a conversation with a couple of TJ members, we also discovered many of the similarities and subtle differences between baharat and the Indian spice blend garam masala. So if you have yet to tinker with the baharat spice mix, try it out as you seek out fall comfort food. It will be the perfect ingredient.Tasting Jerusalem

Pomegranate Molasses โ€“ Our Pucker-Worthy September Ingredient

Tasting JerusalemIntensely sweet-tart pomegranate molasses is one of the must-have ingredients for Middle Eastern cuisine, where itโ€™s called dibs rumman in Arabic and rob-e anar in Persian. Its complex fruity flavor enlivens muhammara (roasted red pepper spread with walnuts)  fesenjan, an Iranian chicken stew served at weddings and special occasions, and bademjan (eggplant-tomato stew), among many others.

Its use in Iran stems from Iranians having a passion for tart flavors, says Louisa Shafia, author of โ€œThe New Persian Kitchenโ€ (Ten Speed Press, 2013) โ€œUnlike in the West, where lemon juice or vinegar are the usual souring agents, Persians call on many different ingredients to make a dish pucker-worthy, and itโ€™s rare to have a meal that doesnโ€™t include at least one of these,โ€ she says of pomegranate molasses and other tart ingredients.

According to cookbook author Paula Wolfert, doyenne of Mediterranean cuisine, โ€œThe uses for this thick, tangy, piquant syrup are many. It blends well with walnuts, adds a tart and pungent flavor to beans, sharpens the taste of poultry, gives a clean, tart taste to fish, gives an astringent edge to salads and vegetables, and is a great tenderizer for lamb and pork. It can also be diluted and used for sharp drinks and tart sorbets.โ€ (As quoted in the blog Cooking from Afar by Catherine Shteynberg.

But the beauty of the thick syrup is that itโ€™s so versatileโ€”beyond the Middle Eastโ€™s borders. Itโ€™s often compared to aged balsamic and can be used in some of the same recipes. Think vinaigrette with arugula and soft goat cheese or with figs. It can be used to add a sweet-tang to grilling sauces with chicken or mild fish. Weโ€™ve also seen mention of pouring it over vanilla ice cream.

Pomegranate molasses is readily found at Middle Eastern grocers. Some brands contain lemon and sugar, but we prefer the ones from 100% pomegranate juice. Home cooks can also make their own by reducing pomegranate juice over high heat until itโ€™s thick and coats the back of the spoon, notes Shafia.

September Recipes Include:

Fried cauliflower w tahini: pg 60 โ€“ This dish is described in the context of communal eating โ€“ something woven into the fabric of Jerusalem life. The headnote alone makes the recipe worthy of trying.

Lamb-stuffed quince w pomegranate & cilantro: pg 154-55 โ€“ Pears can be subbed for the quince, if you canโ€™t find them โ€“ Ottolenghi also teaches a simplified version where the quince are diced, rather than stuffed. Sounds like a springboard for creativity.

Wheat berries and swiss chard w pomegranate molasses: pg 100 โ€“ A great light meal or accompaniment for simply-cooked chicken or burgers, according to the book. Also, check out this lovely salad that Cheryl Sternman Rule created for a cooking class we taught together last January โ€“ it uses fig balsamic but I bet you could sub in the pomegranate molasses and add a bit of honey if it's a bit too tart. The roasted grapes are fantastic!

Here are our โ€œrulesโ€ for the group (there really arenโ€™t any except to cook and share your experiences.)

Group Guidelines:

  1. How often will we cook: Weโ€™ll pick a new set of recipes monthly to allow us all to fit in the cooking when we can and to find any ingredients that might not be available at your typical grocery store stop.
  2. Do I need to cook all the recipes?: We offer up several recipes to fit your taste buds, menus, schedules โ€“ cook as many or as few as you desire. But once you start cooking from this book, you probably wonโ€™t stop!
  3. What do I need to participate: The cookbook! Plus an interest in cooking, willingness to try new flavors, and an electronic device that communicates via the Internet. We will always post the monthโ€™s information in a blog post via omgyummy.com so you can subscribe to Bethโ€™s blog to be guaranteed to receive it or just check in frequently via the Facebook page or Twitter hashtag #TastingJrslm
  4. How to share what you cook: Tasting Jerusalem is open to anyone. You do not have to be a blogger or food professional of any sort. But if you have a camera, we encourage you to share photos of your dishes on Twitter or the Facebook page or Instagram, using the hashtag #TastingJrslm โ€“ we all love to see the results of your kitchen adventures. New to these types of social media? Just drop me an email beth (at) omgyummy (dot) com โ€“ Iโ€™ll be glad to help you get started.
  5. What recipes can be published and how to publish: We expect to cook through most, if not all, of the recipes in the cookbook over time. As such, for those of us blogging or writing about our experiences in any way, itโ€™s important that we donโ€™t include the recipe in our blog posts, unless Ten Speed Press has approved its use. The goal of the group is to learn together and enrich our experience using this cookbook, not create an online version of it. We are in touch with Ten Speed Press to find out which recipes we can post. For an example of another group that writes about their cooking but doesnโ€™t post each recipe, please visit French Fridays with Dorie. If you legitimately change a recipe, rewrite the headnote and instructions, and choose to share it, please say youโ€™ve adapted it, giving credit to the source including a link to purchase the cookbook.
  6. What if I have questions? Sarene and I will be monitoring the Facebook page and Twitter hashtag #TastingJrslm almost continuously so just leave us a note there. If you see a question and know the answer, jump on in before us. Part of the fun of the group will be each of us sharing our own knowledge, perspectives and ideas.
  7. What to include if you write a blog post: If you do post about what you cook, please let us know โ€“ we will link to it. And feel free to post it on the Facebook page and Twitter with the #TastingJrslm hashtag. Weโ€™d also appreciate it if you would include this verbiage in the context of your post:

โ€œTasting Jerusalem is a virtual cooking community exploring the vibrant flavors and cuisine of the Middle East through the lens of โ€œJerusalem: A Cookbookโ€ by Ottolenghi and Tamimi published by Ten Speed Press. You can follow along and cook with us by subscribing to omgyummy.com, following the hashtag #TastingJrslm on Twitter and Instagram, liking our Facebook page or joining our Google+ Community and finally checking out all of our groups' dishes on Pinterest."

More Sumac & Sunshine (formerly Tasting Jerusalem)

  • Preserved lemon pesto on a wooden spoon over a jar with carrot tops in the background.
    Carrot Top Pesto with Preserved Lemon
  • One stuffed pepper on a plate with yogurt and fresh parsley.
    Stuffed Romano Peppers Recipe
  • Blue bowl of baharat with a wooden spoon.
    Baharat Seasoning Blend
  • Roasted harissa potatoes on a white plate with a small bowl of gremolata and a lemon napkin.
    Roasted Harissa Potatoes with Preserved Lemon Gremolata

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  1. Deb

    September 10, 2013 at 7:57 am

    As a new owner of "Jerusalem" I am enjoying this great roundup of recipes and looking forward to learning more about ingredients that are new to me!

    Reply
  2. [email protected]

    September 09, 2013 at 5:07 pm

    everything looks very edible. i f you will make some of the dishes I will certainly eat them.

    Reply
    • Beth Lee

      September 09, 2013 at 5:41 pm

      LOL! Oh yes - very edible. I think you would love the meatballs - will have to make those for you ok?

      Reply
  3. Emily

    September 09, 2013 at 4:52 pm

    Thanks for including me even though I did not make a Baharat recipe this month for the challenge. Too much travel! I also love the meatballs with favas and made it in the spring when I could find fresh favas at the farmers market.

    I'm excited to try the pomegranate molasses recipes. I just picked up my first ever bottle at an Indian market in Chicago. I love the sweet-sour taste and unctuous texture and have been subbing it for Balsamic in recipes like roasted figs.

    Reply
    • Beth Lee

      September 09, 2013 at 5:45 pm

      Doing research for the post turned up your cookbook review with the baharat - that was a great find! Can't wait to see all that you do with the pom molasses - I know you are a fan. Hope the new year is off to a good start for you - see you on Twitter and FB and, hopefully in person sometime soon!

      Reply
  4. Hannah

    September 09, 2013 at 4:42 pm

    Love this round up of baharat spiced recipes, Beth! And I appreciate all the background you shared on pomegranate molasses...one of my favorite Middle Eastern ingredients. I have to make the Fried Cauliflower - my taste buds are tingling! I hope you are doing ok during this period of transition. It really is a bittersweet time, isn't it? Cheers to new beginnings and hugs to you!

    Reply
    • Beth Lee

      September 09, 2013 at 5:40 pm

      So good to hear from you Hannah! I treasure our virtual conversations until we get a chance to meet in person. Yes, it's an unusual time - I couldn't quite pull together my usual Rosh Hashanah celebration but am rallying for a small break fast this weekend when G comes home. We are going to make blintzes together ๐Ÿ™‚ I hope you are doing ok with the impending move. Just go with the emotions and focus on the new ways you will be sharing time together.

      Look forward to your pom molasses inspiration. Your new home seems like a wonderful place to fuel your creativity (though I don't think it really needs fueling from what I see!)

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Beth!

I'm a cookbook author, cooking teacher and preserved lemon lover. My family is a mix of Jewish, Hawaiian and Korean heritage. My virtual multicultural kitchen is always open. Let's cook together!ย 

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