On 4/12/2016 11:43 AM, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
> On Tuesday, April 12, 2016 at 11:07:53 AM UTC-4, sf wrote:
>> On Tue, 12 Apr 2016 03:16:38 -0700 (PDT), Cindy Hamilton
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> On Monday, April 11, 2016 at 6:13:41 PM UTC-4, sf wrote:
>>>> On Mon, 11 Apr 2016 03:23:03 -0700 (PDT), Cindy Hamilton
>>>> > wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> On Sunday, April 10, 2016 at 6:49:37 PM UTC-4, sf wrote:
>>>>>> On Sun, 10 Apr 2016 10:12:02 -0600, carnal asada >
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 4/9/2016 11:33 PM, sf wrote:
>>>>>>>> On Sat, 9 Apr 2016 16:52:02 -0600, carnal asada > wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I do an olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and crushed garlic marinade
>>>>>>>>> with ground sumac to shake over just before grilling.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> It is very tasty...
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Sounds delicious, but sumac is just more of a lemony flavor - have you
>>>>>>>> considered substituting za'atar? Depending on which mix you buy, you
>>>>>>>> might have sumac or you might not. I prefer the one without sumac.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> You have mentioned that before and I still need to score some.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I find the sumac is tarter than lemon, though your commonality
>>>>>>> observation is sound.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> It's definitely a sharper flavor that I find it off-putting in
>>>>>> za'atar.
>>>>>
>>>>> It's the thyme that I find off-putting in za'atar. I've got a
>>>>> Middle Eastern (ish) recipe that calls for thyme; I just put in
>>>>> an equal amount of za'atar.
>>>>>
>>>>> I love sumac sprinkled on red lentil soup.
>>>>>
>>>> I'm not against sumac, but find it too jarring in za'atar.
>>>
>>> Maybe I'm buying the wrong za'atar. I'll see about making my own,
>>> since I have all of the ingredients.
>>>
>>
>> I doubt it. The way I understand it, za'atar is made with wild thyme,
>> I suppose you could leave the thyme out but it would be missing a
>> major flavor component (IMO). I guess that would be when you'd use
>> marjoram or oregano. I can visualize the flavor of sumac with
>> oregano. Possibly it would go with marjoram too, but I don't like it
>> with thyme.
>
> We've got loads of Middle Eastern markets around here. There's one
> about 100 yards away from my current location. I'd be amazed
> if I couldn't find wild thyme.
>
> Anyway, I was contemplating making a mix that had much less thyme
> and much more sumac than what I've been buying. As a start, I
> could just add sumac to what I've got.
>
> Cindy Hamilton
>
I've been making my own za'atar for a while now. 2 Tbsp toasted sesame
seeds, 1 Tbsp each sumac, dried oregano and dried marjoram, lightly
crushed together. Proportion of spices is to taste. I've never used
thyme in mine and had not seen it in any of the recipes I looked at when
I decided to make my own. It fits the general flavor profile but I
don't think it is necessary.

Of the many uses I have found for it, popcorn was a surprise hit.