Instructions: Manaesse (man-eesh), a spicy specialty of many Middle Eastern bakeries, will always be known as "dirty bread" in my house. Thats a pet name our neighbor has used since her Lebanese-American childhood.

Indeed, at first glance zataar bread does look like a pita loaf that fell to the floor. While different cooks will add their own regional and personal spin to zataar bread, the basic recipe is a soft white flour dough that is flattened pizza style, spread with olive oil and sprinkled with zataar-a tart spice blend common in Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, and other Arab countries.

There is no definitive recipe for zataar (sometimes spelled "zatar"

or "zataar"). The main ingredient is thyme. Additions may include sesame seeds, oregano, rosemary, and other seasonings. You can make your own zataar blend with the recipe below. Zataar might be available in larger supermarkets and delis. There are also many online mail order companies that package and sell zataar.

Zataar bread is baked or grilled and is best served warm. Canadian baker and food writer Marcy Goldman has perfected a grilled zataar bread recipe. Using a gas grill to control the heat, she starts the bread on a cast iron skillet or cookie sheet to keep the bottom from burning before the bread is baked through.

Her grilled bread tips also apply to other recipes, such as Italian foccacia.

Penzeys Spices features an Easy Flatbread recipe on its website that shows how the dough is mixed and shaped. (A 3-minute Quick Time video demonstration might be of interest to people with fast Internet connections.) Penzeyss recipe tops the dough with Turkish thyme, rosemary, and crushed garlic, but zataar spice could be substituted.

If you dont have the time or the inclination to make your own dough and grill your own zataar bread, you can cheat and use prepared pita bread. This easy recipe makes a quick hors doeuvres or snack that retains the flavors, if not the textures of the real thing.

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