I made a trip to Lynnwood last week via bus for a couple things that I expected to find at J.D.’s Market, specifically bourma and fresh halwa because it’s Ramadan and they’re typically available during the fasting month. No such luck, but I did pick up a jar of Ariana Sumac, a seasoning widely used on flat breads with sesame seeds in the Levant, Persian Gulf and found often by me in some London bakeries. Here? Not so much, although there used to be a bakery in Everett owned by a Lebanese and Syrian family where all three of those things and more could be found. Sadly, the shop is gone and there’s no other within 50 miles which compares.
Along the way to J.D.s I noted the amazing progress being made on the Sound Transit Light Rail link to the Lynnwood Transit Center. It’s been connected at Northgate and runs along the same path as the I-5 Freeway. I shot a few photos of the giant cranes for my Instagram while I was in Lynnwood but all the while I was dreaming of sesame and sumac on naan, also known as skillet bread* (and pita if made pocket style.)
It only takes a couple hours to go from dough to bread, with maybe 5 minutes in the skillet. The sumac is sprinkled on one side just before it’s flipped over onto sesame seeds scattered in the hot modestly-oiled pan. I had a frozen Aplenty tomato and vegetable korma picked up at the new Amazon Fresh close by and it was perfect for dipping with the warm fixed-up naan.
For those who don’t know, culinary sumac (not the poison!) is lemony sour. It’s also used widely on fish and in some meat dishes. I’m a fan and now there’s a jar in my cupboard.
*https://mschefinseattle.com/2016/09/08/making-skillet-bread-serving-it-with-marinated-cold-salmon-and-avocado/ Recipe for the bread included in the linked post
Ms Chef in Seattle 