[Sca-cooks] Pantry raid...

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

Cooking from Arabic language cookbooks, my pantry would need what i list below. The pantries of the anonymous Andalusian, in the Western Arabic speaking world, and al-Baghdadi, in the Eastern Arabic speaking world, and both from the 13th c., are significantly different - i've compared them on my website. Below is a composite list.

SPICES
Pepper - i am sensitive to something in the skins of black peppercorns, so i prefer white
Coriander seed
Cinnamon, preferably Ceylon or True Cinnamon
Cumin
Saffron
Ginger
Gum Mastic
Sumac
Caraway
Spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi, Valerianaceae) or the American substitute
Cloves
Galangal
Nigella seeds
Mustard

HERBS
Spearmint (fresh)
Cilantro / coriander greens (fresh)
Celery leaves (no pesky stalks) (fresh)
Dill weed  (fresh - dried in a pinch)
Parsley (fresh)
Thyme & Marjoram, as a substitute for Zatar which is any of a number of related plants that grow in Southwest Asia, historically known as The Levant or Greater Syria (fresh preferred)
Rue (if i could find it)
Citrus tree leaves - preferably citron, but lemon will do - fresh preferred
Lavender buds, dried

MISC
1. Murri
--- light soy sauce, according to Charles Perry
--- i tasted someone else's homemade murri at Pennsic 2011 - it tasted close to Thai fish sauce without being fishy, if that makes any sense
--- several recipes say not to use fake / Byzantine murri
2. Rose water

SOURING AGENTS
1. Wine Vinegar
--- i prefer white, but i'm not sure if red or white is more historically accurate
2. Lemon Juice
3. Sumac Juice (yes, i have a bottle :-)
4. Pomegranate Juice, unsweetened - or sour pomegranate "molasses"/nardenk
5. Sour Grape Juice (verjus, abghurah, hisrim)

SWEETENERS
1. Sugar - For the type of cooking i do - and for most noble cooking - pilloncillo wouldn't really be appropriate - it's brown and damp. White sugar is more appropriate. Also, for some cooking - rock sugar.
Question for the combined wisdom: Would turbinado or demerara sugars be as or more appropriate than white? Turbinado is usually off-white or pale beige with crystals larger than standard white sugar. Demerara is more pale brown, and tends to have crystals that are larger and more irregular than Turbinado.
2. Honey
3. Grape Syrup, Pekmez in modern Turkish

NUTS
Almonds
Walnuts
Pistachios
Pine nuts
Hazelnuts

ALLIA
Onions
Garlic

GRAINS / STARCHES
Semolina flour
Pastry flour
Rice
Lentils, red
Mung beans
Chickpeas
Fava beans

Urtatim
Who will also be making up a food list of things to bring for the classes i'm teaching at the Symposium