In my kitchen this October are some beautiful ingredients, barberries, dried rose petals and saffron sugar crystals. These gorgeous ingredients are as pretty as a picture and a gift from foodie friend, Fifi. I plan to use some of these ingredients with persian recipes from a cookbook I have, that use barberries and rose petals. The tart flavor of barberries are perfect for mixing into salads too. Sometimes I make rose petal sugar to dust over shortbread biscuits and Madeleine’s and use rose petals in this salted nut-brittle recipe. On occasions, use rose petals to make this rose petal and white chocolate no-churn ice-cream.
The saffron sugar crystals add a lovely warm sweet flavor to teas but you could use them to flavor other drinks and custards too.
Picked up these old indian measuring cups from an antique shop when visiting our local Manama souq many years ago. They do need a good polish, but love them just as they are.
In my kitchen is a new Mexican cookbook by celebrity chef Marcarita Carrillo Arronte. She recently visited Bahrain as part of a cultural event and cookbook signing to promote authentic Mexican food. Not a fan of Mexican food but she may have changed my mind as I explore some new recipes from her cookbook, Mexico. This was also the book chosen for our cookbook club and the reason I had these Habanero chillies, they certainly pack a punch.
In my kitchen we love salads in pretty big bowls. Salads you throw together using healthy ingredients from the fridge and store cupboard. No-recipe needed kind of days and perfect for serving for lunch or dinner.
This was the last remaning slice of a honey-caramel tasting date cheesecake from the cookbook Sun, Bread and Sticky Toffee. Loved that I used dates from our own date palms in the recipe.
Also in my kitchen, a lovely olive dish, a gift from June :), goes perfectly with these cute olive picks.
Love filling this bowl with the clean flavors of asian food, like this asian style salad with prawns and using chopstick to eat with. And of course, chopstick rests are a must… especially when they look like a curled up cat.
With the year-end fast approaching… once again joining the host and other bloggers from around the globe with the In My Kitchen monthly theme run by Celia from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial. What treasures do you have in your kitchen?
Food and Tools 
You have lovely thinks in your kitchen! I absolutely adore those old fashioned Indian measuring cups!
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Thank you Zirkie, they are one of my kitchen treasures but could do with a good polish 🙂
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I am so intrigued by the saffron sugar. I will have to look into that. Thanks for the peek into your kitchen 🙂
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It seem the saffron sugar has intrigued a few in this months IMK. 🙂
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Tandy, the sugar is called Nabat and it’s a Persian rock or crystal sugar used in tea and apparently has some medicinal qualities too.
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Like Tandy, I’m intrigued by the saffron sugar, does much colour and flavour come through? I think you would spoil the character of your Indian measuring cups if you cleaned them! Thanks to the peek into your kitchen..
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Sandra, so far have only used the rock sugar to sweeten black tea and the flavor of saffron is not overpowering. The color is not so noticeable except when using pieces of rock sugar that contain strands of saffron. Don’t think I will be polishing those measuring cups anytime soon 🙂
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Hi Moya, Love your measuring cups.
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Me too Glenda 🙂
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You definitely should explore more Mexican food! Definitely one of my favourite cuisines.
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Hi Jaina, I intend to and have plenty of recipes to try 🙂 Finding some of the ingredients is difficult especially when trying to make corn tortillas.
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Yes! I found masa harina once in Al Osra last year and haven’t been able to find it since! And have now run out of the stuff. Stocked up on dried and canned chillies on a trip to the States earlier this year. But yes, totally agree, finding the ingredients here is tricky!
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Oh Moya… just exquisite… especially the barberries, saffron crystals (!) and rose petals xxx
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Yes Lizzy they are exquisite and very happy to have them in my kitchen 🙂
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I’m smitten with those saffron sugar crystals, so pretty. Thanks:)
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The do Fergie and even more so when a little piece is placed on the side of a tea cup 🙂 Thank you for stopping by.
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Moya, what a beautiful visual feast you have prepared for us all. Just stunning. As others, the saffron sugar has caught my eye. Happy October x
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Thank you Ania and hope you have a great October too 🙂
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Beautiful photos Moya. I love the shot of the little habaneros.
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Thank you Francesca, they may be little, but so spicy 🙂
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i love the chopstick rest we have fish ones which are very cute too. and i adore barberries such divine little berries. i have never seen saffron crystals. how fascinating.
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Glad you noticed the cat chopstick rests Sherry, it’s nice to add a little fun to your tableware 🙂
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in love with the chopstick rest!!! The saffron crystals are beautiful!
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Me too Faye I also have a cat chopstick rest in black 🙂
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What a beautiful array of delightful things! To sound like a broken record, I too like the saffron sugar.
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Thanks Liz it seems the saffron sugar has been a favorite on this IMK post 🙂
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Moya, I couldn’t help but notice “tapenade” on your lovely lil’ olive boat (one of my favorite appetizers) and those picks are perfect for the “whole” variety — love ’em! Also loved how “international” your cooking and treasures are. IMK has expanded my worldview (and menu) and I’m so grateful. Congrats on having a photo of yours published, too (a couple o’ posts ago) — yippee! Well deserved. xo
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Thank you Kim, it is a pretty olive dish with plenty of room 🙂 I was chuffed to see one of my photographs published, who knows maybe one day I have my own cookbook.
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Go for it, Moya!
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I’ve never had saffron sugar. I must fix that STAT. A lovely IMK post.
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Hope you find the saffron sugar Jennifer, it really does look like a very luxurious ingredient 🙂
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The first picture is absolutely gorgeous…found you on instagram 🙂 And the salad looks beautiful as does the cover of the Mexican cook book.
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Thank you Laila, see you on Instagram too. The vibrant color and perorated design of the cookbook cover represents Mexican folk art. I think it’s quite an eye catching cover.
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So many delightful things in your kitchen. I have just picked up some barberries, they are quite expensive, but I am hoping to cook up a Persian meal soon. And I look forward to finding that cookbook at a bookshop near me, I adore Mexican cuisine.
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Glad that you managed to find some barberries Shaheen and look forward to seeing your recipe. If you adore Mexican food then you will love this cookbook, lots of recipes to choose from and hopefully you can find many of the ingredients, especially the masa harina.
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Gosh, we always dream of what we haven’t got. I can’t imagine dates from my own date palm!
What a delightful photo of the barberries, rose petals and sugar.
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Thank you Fiona it really is wonderful to have our own organic dates and of course I make good use of them too.
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Moya, you always have the most beautiful colours in your kitchen! I’ve only just started using barberries as well (have recently found a source for them here) and we love them – Pete has started adding them to his muesli. And habeneros? Waaay too hot for me! 🙂
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Thank you Celia 🙂 Glad you found a source for barberries, they are quite tart but really lovely. I am sure you will find plenty of use for them and expect you might even put them in a sourdough recipes. My tolerance for heat has risen since living in the middle east but yes the habaneros are very hot indeed 🙂
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Moya I just adore those antique measuring cups! They are a beautiful piece to photograph and the colours work really well in your photo – beautiful. Habaneros are a favourite of ours, used sparingly of course. My husband loves Tobasco Habanero sauce – it burns my mouth! Did I also say I love your new blog design and your photos are looking beautiful too x
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Me too Nichole, I have those measuring cups a long time. So lovely that you noticed I changed the blog design, hopefully at some point will find someone to draw a creative graphic design that I can add to the top of this blog 🙂
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