Books & Cooks Letter Z: Za’atar

This year I’m going to be combining two of my passions – cooking and kid lit for Books & Cooks! I’ll be bringing you great recipes based on spices of the alphabet that pair perfectly with kid lit books! Last, but not least? The letter Z and spicy Za’atar!

Spice: Za’atar

We have finally reached the letter “Z”! And today I’m highlighting the very tasty spice blend, za’atar! With thyme, marjoram, and oregano, za’atar is found in many Middle Eastern recipes. It can be used to season meat, put into hummus, and also used to sprinkle on flatbread.

Book Review: Other Words for Home

“I am learning how to be
sad
and happy
at the same time.“

This novel in verse is a powerful refugee story of a young girl, Jude, with one foot in her home of Syria and another foot in the United States. Jude and her mom move in with her uncle’s family while her older brother and father stay in Syria. I loved the writing in this book – anytime a book is written in verse I feel there are no wasted words. It’s even more important to use the right words to describe everything – setting, characters, plot, everything. This is a story you won’t want to miss and is a great conversation starter to talk about immigration, the refugee crisis, and unrest in areas around the world. It would also pair well with Escape from Aleppo by N. H. Senzai.

Recipe: Za’atar Roasted Chicken Breast

I haven’t made this recipe yet, but I made a similar recipe and absolutely loved the flavoring of za’atar on chicken. This simple recipe yields big flavor and would taste great with an Israeli couscous dish or roasted vegetables! Make sure to build in time for letting the chicken marinate for at least a couple of hours to really deepen the flavor.

During the month of April, I’ll be participating in the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge 2020. For my theme this year (Books & Cooks), I’ll be combing children’s books with cooking spices and including a recipe to bring the book into your very own kitchen! I love to cook and read, so I thought this would be a fun way to combine two of my passions. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it! Let’s dig in! And if you want to see what I’ve done in the past, check out the past few years – 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019!