SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--Camping, sort of, in a sprawling house that hasn't been lived in for almost a year, but has finally been sold and is about to be emptied out.
A discovery in the liquor cabinet! A squared-off bottle labelled Bokabsa Boukha, almost full. Lord knows where it came from, or how long it's been there. To the Google!
Bokobsa is a respected distillery in Tunis, and Boukha is the national apéritif of Tunisia, it turns out, a liqueur made from figs. I've got a boneless leg of lamb, courtesy of the American Lamb Board, to prepare, with a vaguely North African "flavor profile" (coffee, garlic, cumin). Figs would complement perfectly!
This is exciting. There's a bottle of Domaine Ste. Michelle in the fridge, so I think "Tunisian kir royal," right?
Alas, the fruit has completely evaporated from the liqueur, it now tasts like disgusting cough syrup. The apéritif? Undrinkable.
But stand by: the lamb will be prepared nonetheless. Details in the next post.
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