Condiments

I’ve been addicted to Trader Joe’s red pepper spread since Stephanie recommended it, but it wasn’t until a friend returned home from Eastern Europe with a jar of ajvar that I realized this chunky mix of roasted red peppers and eggplant is actually a traditional Serbian dish. Added bonus: it isn’t too difficult to make from scratch!In Serbia, autumn is ajvar-making season, when the red peppers are harvested.

We love garlic in our vinaigrettes, but find that the raw stuff often becomes too pungent and overpowering. A chef friend recently suggested we try rubbing the salad bowl with a clove of garlic. The result is magical: a pleasant background note of garlic infused throughout the salad. You have to try this!We think this garlic tip works in two ways.

Earlier this week we made Messy Moroccan Chicken Wings and one of the ingredients that makes them finger lickin’ delicious is sour orange juice. Some might call it bitter orange, bigarade, or Seville orange, but no matter which one you choose, it’s a staple in our house! Bitter orange juice comes from a specific type of orange (you can read more about it here) and it’s a smaller orange with thick skin that gets a little wrinkled with deep pores.

If you like cooking Asian food at home, then you should have a bottle of ponzu in your cupboard. It is an essential condiment and marinade with a wonderful, zingy flavor that pairs well with vegetables, seafood, and meats. Sadly, it’s very little-known outside of Japan and it deserves more widespread knowledge.Ponzu is a citrus-based sauce used in Japanese cuisine as a marinade or an addition to soy sauce. It is made with rice wine, rice vinegar, bonito fish flakes, and seaweed.

I first heard of Lyle’s Golden Syrup, a British pantry staple, back in the 80’s. I was reading John Thorne as well as Laurie Colwin, so I’m not sure which one introduced me but I’ve enjoyed keeping a tin on my shelf ever since. But what exactly is Lyle’s Golden Syrup and even more importantly, what’s up with the dead lion and the honey bees on the label?Lyle’s Golden Syrup was invented in 1885 by a Scottish businessman by the name of Abram Lyle.