Sumac at the West Side Market

I don't know many Clevelanders who don't love the West Side Market. In operation for nearly 175 years, it is a combination indoor-outdoor public food market. I like to think of it as Harrod's Food Halls meets Middle Eastern Bazaar. As you jostle your way through the crowd (and it is always crowded on a Saturday), it is sensory overload, and every type of food, both that which you consider sublime and that which you consider straight-up scary, is probably represented.

Although mi esposo can't exactly be called a food enthusiast, he never passes up a chance to go to the market.

"If you wanna go to the West Side Market, I'm leaving NOW," I called up the stairs.

And though the good man never likes to have a project interrupted (he's been working on something up there, mad-scientist-style), he was down those steps like a shot.

"OK, I'll go!"

And out the door we went.

Every time I go to the market, I lament the fact that I use grocery stores at all. The market is much more exciting, and you often find much more exciting items. Mi esposo loaded himself down with the sweet pastries that his savory-loving wife will only make every once in a blue moon. And, to my delight, I found sumac.

Sumac is a spice that was relatively new to me. I was aware of its existence, but I had never cooked with it. No, it's not poison sumac either...different plant from a different corner of the world, FYI. I happened to see it on the spice rack at the Culinary Institute of America, so I asked the chef-instructor about it. He toasted some up and called the class to inspect it. When I didn't pick up a particularly strong aroma, I grabbed a tasting spoon and took a sample. It was simultaneously sour and salty-flavored.

If I love two things in cooking, they would have to be (sour) citrus and salt. In my opinion, both accents, judiciously applied, have a way of bringing out the best in almost any dish. Sumac does not however, contain any acid or sodium. Hmmmm...I cook for people who restrict both. THIS could be my new secret weapon, I thought to myself.

Since I returned from the CIA, I looked for sumac, albeit not as hard as I could have. The short story was it was unavailable at the grocery stores I frequent most often. But it WAS at one of the spice counters at the West Side Market. Thank you, ethnically-diverse and food-passionate Clevelanders! I should also mention that the heavy-handed couple of ounces the purveyor sold me rang up a total that is probably half of what it would have been if there was a McCormick's or Penzey's label on the bottle. (I've got a frugal side, so I'm just sayin'....)

The little bit of reading I've done indicates that sumac is used widely in Middle Eastern cuisine and is lovely on hummus, yogurt sauces, fattoush salads, and more. I intend to season some of the Lake Superior Whitefish I bought, and then maybe top that with a creamy, buttery fish fume sauce. (Sunday dinner can't come soon enough!) I also want to try sumac on loads of other things to see if it really is the great salt replacement I hope it will be for my sodium-restricted friends.

As I meander through this disjointed post, I may as well tell you that one of my classmates in my CIA class asked if I liked my hometown. I responded immediately with "yes" and explained that despite its many problems, Cleveland has some priceless advantages, one of which is the fact that it is a first-rate food town. He was genuinely surprised, but most Clevelanders and many, many transplants to this crusty, old city would agree with me. Those who don't should spend a Saturday at the West Side Market and overwhelm themselves with lovely, hard-to-find treats.