PASSIONATE RATIONS

Last week I had someone jump up in an out-of-town meeting and scream “Go f*** yourself” after I called them on some bad behavior.

After the meeting, I wanted to remind myself that, really, people could contribute good things to the world.  Luckily, my colleague has an explorer’s spirit and suggested we stop by a “little Mediterranean place” he knew.

It looked like a dive from the outside.  I should know by now never to judge a place by its exterior.

The door opened into a gourmet marketplace.  Their specialty was obviously Middle-Eastern fare, but, small though it was, they had a truly worldly stock—everything from Nutella to California wines to mustard seed oil.  The air tasted of garam masala.  Large white bags of beans and grains showed off their contents, tempting buyers.  A vat of freshly-made hummus and towers of halva awaited the lunch crowd at the deli counter.  Huge rounds of Lebanese flat breads, dappled with sesame seeds, stood stacked on several shelves.

Overwhelmed by the spicy scents and fascinating products, I was in danger of embarking on a ruinous shopping spree before my sensible side took hold and reminded me that maybe I should stick to something I’d been thinking I wanted a few days before—tahini.

And, oh, did this place have tahini!  Many sizes, many brands.  I chose an unassuming 16-oz. jar of the creamy, earthy-colored sesame-seed butter, imported directly from Lebanon.  And a ¼ lb. tub of tabouleh for lunch.

Later, as I savored the mingling of mint and lemon juice upon my tongue and contemplated the hummus recipe I planned for dinner, I sighed.  Yes, the stupidity of others can be borne if this is what awaits us on the other end.

[If you’re ever in Worcester, Massachusetts, you too can find blissful reminders of how good humanity (or at least its food) can be at 408 Pleasant Street (Ed Hyder’s Mediterranean Marketplace)].