I wanted to try my hand at making silan, the sweet date syrup frequently used in the Middle East. But I wanted silan with a plot twist. I had once brought dried sour plums from a Middle Eastern grocery in Los Angeles and gave them to a Georgian friend back in New York. Her mother turned them into Tekemali (sour plum condiment) with the addition of cilantro and scallions. I jealously guarded my little jar, sneaking a spoonful now and then. Here, dates marry tamarinds (tamar-i-hind after translates as "date of India") for a kind of tart-sweet-savory condiment.

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