Berbere musings

Remember when I made berbere and it was awesome?  Yeah, me neither, or just barely.  But the stuff I made nearly ten months ago is still really fragrant and potent, sitting in my spice annex, waiting for me to return, like some Mariana lady in a moated grange (whatever that is).  Anyway, you may remember the berbere from an Ethiopian lentil stew, or even the less traditional berbere-encrusted tempeh.

And now...this special, spicy curry powder, with strong notes of fenugreek and cinnamon, tastes amazing on popcorn (with a little salt).  It goes on the popcorn topping list, along with dukkah and all the earlier toppings.

Berbere also rocked in this tempeh scramble, which I made by frying onions, garlic, and berbere, then adding tempeh and salt.  Done.  Pictured with whole wheat lavash and avocado.

But I have to be honest, folks.  This blog has been suffering.  Now, I've been cooking, sure.  I've made a lot of simple dishes like this one, or like fried greens with Indian spices, or rice pilafs.  And I've done some repeat recipes like dal with ginger and lime.  I tried out these Spaghetti-nos with mini lentil meatballs (and forgot to take any photos!).  But after two and a half years of a passionate relationship, this blog and I have been going through our first rough patch.  Inspiration and recommendations are always welcome, but more now than ever.