The breath of inspiration

Recipes, elaborate instructions, precise measurements; this is the stuff that fumbles me. For while I am very aware that many do not feel comfortable without these specifics, I become stifled, flustered in my own domain, stumbling as I try to stay true to a recipe.

Middle Eastern recipes are passed down over the centuries, most often from mother to daughter or within the female community, but precise weights and measures are rarely part of the instruction. A large spoonful of this, an Arabic coffee cup of that, a squeeze of lemon, just enough water ... these are the units of measure in a Middle Eastern kitchen, with the emphasis on constant tasting and adjustment.