Gettin' more exotic

I've been obsessed with Asian foods (the spicier, the better) since I was a kid, and as an adult have had the pleasure of visiting various Asian countries (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Japan and Timor-Leste). As well as eating at Asian restaurants as often as my waistline and budget will permit, I've experimented with many dishes at home, and even taken cooking classes in Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and Australia to help hone my skills. I haven't, however, visited anywhere in the Middle East. Just when I was thinking it was time to explore the cultures and cuisines of that part of the world, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and any travel plans, however vague, ground to a halt.

But when one door closes, another opens …? The pandemic has seen many businesses switch to online selling – and has caused others to spot and fill a niche – and that's how I stumbled across Exotic Bazaar. The company is based in Queensland and makes a delightful range of Persian, Moroccan and Turkish recipe bases, spices, condiments, and cake mixes. Apparently they started by selling ingredients at community markets and branched out into internet sales. I bought a Middle Eastern feast pack (pictured above) about six months ago and enjoyed everything so much I've ordered additional recipe bases and cake mixes since then. It's been fun to veer sideways in my food obsession, to travel a little further west …

Update: Sunday 25 June 2023

The first time I made a Persian Love Cake, using the ingredients and recipe in the box shown above, I used a baking tin that was too small. The cake mixture rose up the sides, flowed over the top, and was partially lost. After that I purchased a larger silicone cake baking mould and recent attempts have been more successful. Here's the cake I made yesterday to take to our friends' place for dessert tonight:

Of course, you don't have to buy a pre-packaged cake mix to make this sort of cake. The recipe shown here, from Recipe Tin Eats, also works well, if you don't mind tracking down the more unusual ingredients rather than having them land on your doorstep.