Are We Over Pumpkin Spiced

 It's everywhere these days. Pumpkin spice is like the mold of the fall season. why is it here and why is it so popular? When did it become part of our autumnal ritual?

Surprising the mix is a lot older than the US.It's around thirty five  hundred years old.It  first came  into international being with the spice trade with the Indonesian islands known as the Spice Islands by the Dutch.They called a mix of similar spices soeculaaskruiden, that also has pepper and cardimon. By 1791 it reached cookery or cookbooks written by a Scottish housewife known only as Mrs. Frazier. This was a mix of nutmeg, clove and Scottish pepper which was likely allspice. The spices were also coming from the Caribbean too at this point. This 18th Century version of pumpkin spice wasn't used in hot beverages. Mostly fried flounder and pork chops benefited from this. It only became a sweet spice when it hit the US and went into pumpkin pie. The blend had evolved into mace, nutmeg and ginger. It was a while before it made it into out coffees and other baked goods.

Blame the big spice purveyor McCormick for its' rise. It introduced a spice blend  named what else - pumpkin pie spice in 1934.It never really took off as a savory save in Vietnamese cooking where cinnamon is widely used. Indian cooking also uses the spices too. It came into lattes in 2003 thanks to Starbucks. The company did well with its' tasty Peppermint Mocha and Eggnog. The big guys at the top figured that the mix of spices would go well in coffee and they did. Soon Starbucks' rival Dunkin Doughnuts was making a similar coffee and it was a no brainer to add the flavoring to their doughnuts and doughnut holes. Now it's like the Godzilla of spices taking over everything. Stop & Shop sells a pumpkin spice soda along with cookies and cupcakes. The last are covered with  mounds of cream cheese frosting which also covers their pumpkin spice cakes. Now there are even Oreos filled with pumpkin spice.. There is even candy corn with the flavoring but that's its for now. Luckily there are no Reeses Cups stuffed with it or M&M's. Yet.

It's time we think of a new spice blend for the fall. Something smoky that works well in sweet and savory. what will it be? we should put our heads together and think.

The ABC of Za atar

Ever since reading and finally tasting za'atar ,I decided to make it. It's easy thanks to McCormick's spice mix which even has the sesame seeds included . It was then just adding fresh thyme and a good half cup of olive oil (I recommend Bertoli's).

The bottle is 1.25 ounces and you will need the entire contents when making it (for a party use two or three bottles) along with an entire container of fresh thyme.

Use about .25 ounces or about fifteen sprigs. (use less if you're not big on the flavor, nut just remember thyme is an important part of the overall taste.)

Then it's tearing off the leaves using a paring knife.

Discard all the stems and add to the za'atar mix.

I poured in about half a cup of olive oil to get it to the consistency that King's Falalfel had. It'll look like a dark green paste.Stir evenly so the oil coats all the mix. You can add more oil for a thinner paste or less for a thicker one. Here's the fun part. Za'atar goes with everything.
                               

                                             I spooned it on grape tomatoes. The blend bring's out the tomatoes'     sweetness along with making them more interesting I used about three teaspoons.                                                                        It's also good on pita. I couldn't find any so I bought the Indian naan bread,  cut it into fourths and, drizzled olive oil on top of the pieces. They were them popped into a 350 degree F toaster oven for ten minutes to crisp up

                               Then .the za'atar was spooned with a big dollop of hummus onto a plate..

Mash the two together, dip and double dip for an amazing bite.

This is a great dip and spice blend. I plan on using it on Gardein's soy beef tips next, and possible, added to scrambled eggs.

If you want something delicious and new, try za'atar,It's an easy mix and tastes so good. Try it on fresh veggies or spooned over crisped pita or naan breads.