This little squid went to the market

One of the things that I miss the most about Montreal is its culinary diversity. Anywhere you go, you are bound to find a cultural pocket - a delicious hole-in-the-wall dumpling restaurant, an Italian grocer selling pickled baby octopus, a family-owned Indian restaurant with $0.50 samosas and dirt-cheap thalis. The further away from downtown you travel, the more you realize just how much of a hub the city is, a second home to people from every corner of the world whose new roots form a beautiful, ever-evolving urban landscape.

Last week in Toronto, A and I took advantage of the city's foodie leanings and spent a couple of days eating at little restaurants in the ethnic patchwork quilt that is Kensington Market. We sampled delicious mahi mahi tacos, pickled mussels and corn ice cream, among other things, and intermittently worked at cool leafy cafes and browsed an endless array of interesting shops.

This simple dish was made using a fantastic batch of za'atar that I picked up at a small Lebanese grocer and bakery in the market. Here, za'atar, the ubiquitous Middle Eastern spice mix comprised of herbs, sesame seeds, dried sumac and salt, is combined with olive oil, garlic and lemon and spread liberally on a basic pita dough. Once baked, the dough, soft and chewy, creates a very shallow bowl shape filled with a gloriously tangy and flavorful spice mix. The pitas are wonderful at slightly warm and can be eaten alone or with a dip such as hummus or baba ghanoush.

Za'atar pita

Adapted slightly from Group Recipes

Ingredients

Dough:

- 1 tsp active dry yeast

- 1 cup warm water

- 1 tbsp sugar

- 3 cups flour

- 1 tsp salt

Za'atar spread:

- 8 tbsp za'atar mix

- 3/4 cup olive oil

- 2 tsp lemon zest

- 2 clove of garlic, crushed into a paste

Prep time: 10 minutes

Active time: 25 minutes

Total time (including rising time): 2 hours

Makes 8 7" pitas

1. In a small bowl, mix yeast, 1/4 cup warm water and sugar. Let sit at room temperature for about 10-12 minutes, or until yeast mixture is foaming.

2. Mix flour and salt together and add yeast mixture. Slowly knead mixture into the dough, gradually adding remaining 3/4 cup warm water, until dough is firm and elastic (about 8 minutes).

3. Place dough in a bowl, cover with a clean towel and let rise for 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to 400F. Remove towel and knead for an additional 2 minutes. Divide dough into 8 even balls and carefully roll out into circles about 1/4" thick and 7" in diameter. Roll up the edges of dough rounds and make indentations in the dough with your finger. Using a fork, poke a few holes in the pita dough.

5. Arrange dough rounds on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, garlic, lemon zest and za'atar and divide evenly among pitas, taking care not to let the oil trickle over the pita ridges.

6. Bake pitas for about 12-14 minutes, until dough is lightly golden and za'atar mix is bubbling. Remove from oven and let rest in pan, then transfer to cooling racks.