My August Picks from the Milk Street Store

Villa Jerada’s Za’atar and Sumac
We call for za’atar, a spice blend popular in the Levant and the Middle East, in a number of our recipes, and this new version from Villa Jerada beat out a dozen others in a blind taste testing at the office. It’s herbal, nutty and slightly tangy. Try it.

What’s equally exciting is their brand new sumac. Though it’s made from a tart, lemony berry, generic sumac can be disappointingly dry and spiritless (like the bottle I’ve had gathering dust for five years). Villa Jerada’s is almost wet to the touch—a sign of careful sourcing and thoughtful processing—and deliciously tart. It adds brightness and verve to everything from rubs for chicken thighs to pitchers of lemonade. It’s a total game-changer.

The Smallest Batch Knives from Japan
When we brought in Nagomi’s knives from Seki, Japan, I was fascinated for two reasons: their unusual designs and Nagomi’s micro-manufacturing process. Of all four knives we brought in, this stunning Offset Serrated Knife—essentially a "cake" knife—is my favorite. Set at a unique angle, it easily cuts through soft, fluffy desserts without destroying their shape. The offset angle provides leverage and keeps your hand away from the cake or pastry surface as the knife comes down, and the tapered blade limits the surface area that comes in contact with your dessert, resulting in cleaner slices. The handle is polished to a high shine—combined with the futuristic blade, the knife looks extremely cool.

Every knife Nagomi makes requires multiple artisans and five rigorous steps. They only make 20 per day, so each one is made with care.

My Meal Prep Secret Weapon
Even though getting to know new products is part of my job, sometimes I’m reluctant to accept that a new thing is better than my old thing. My old cookie scoop works, but it’s a noisy, spring-loaded thing that catches as it tries to expel dough or hummus, with a small bowl that needs frequent scraping down and refilling.

Well, Zeroll’s dishers are better. Available in multiple, color-coded sizes, you can use them to scoop anything—sweet or savory. They’re great for portioning malleable foods: cookie dough, hand-pie filling, ground meat to fill potstickers, tuna or chicken salads, mashed potatoes, meatballs, rice and yogurt. Use it to drop muffin or cupcake batter into tins with ease. There are no pesky springs that jam or stop working; instead, there’s a smoothly rolling gear with a thumb press. You won’t go back.

The Best Knife Sharpener I’ve Ever Tried
About 80% of home cooks don’t ever sharpen their knives, and until the Japanese Suehiro came into my life, I was one of them. The Suehiro has a petite water tank with two ceramic whetstones (a "roller") set into it. Just fill the tank with water, let the roller soak for a few minutes, then swipe your double-beveled knife back and forth until the blade is sharp enough. It’s so quick, easy to use and affordable, I can’t think of any reason not to have one, even if you swear by other methods of knife maintenance. (And since the tool is small and portable, I’ve even been known to take it my parents house to sharpen up dull blades before Thanksgiving prep.) Use it for proper sharpening as needed rather than daily honing.

Juicy, Fruity Cocktail Syrups from Liber & Co.
I’m an absolute fiend for passion fruit, so when these cocktail syrups came back into the store after a year, I was thrilled. All of Liber’s flavors are incredibly lush and juicy, because they start with real ingredients—quinine, coconut, ginger and passion fruit—not a bunch of artificial flavors. Plus, the bottles are 17 ounces, big enough to use for a few mixology sessions.

The four syrups lend themselves beautifully to different spirits—try the clean, bittersweet Premium Tonic Syrup with club soda and gin—but my favorite combo is actually zero-proof: a heavy splash of Tropical Passion Fruit and a can of the Spindrift Island Punch in a deli container over ice. The tart, acidic tropical flavor will squeeze a little more summer out of the year.