The Quick Guide to Eggplant Roasting

Baba Ganouj is only one of several amazingly good dishes you could make out of a freshly roasted eggplant. Most of which go wonderfully with hummus and tahini, naturally. The traditional open fire could easily be replaced with a simple kitchen stove.

In order to make delicacies like Baba Ganouj (and other super-tasty eggplant dishes), you should first have your eggplants roasted and peeled. This should not be too much of a hassle if you know what you’re doing, but most people don’t. So, here’s a quick list of crucial tips.

חציל על האש

Choose your eggplants wisely. Most people have a hard time choosing the right eggplants, which may sound trivial but isn’t. As a rule of thumb, a good eggplant is one with little or no kernels. Eggplants with too many kernels are often too bitter and watery, and will make a lousy Baba Ganouj. Read more

Synia: a Palestinian Culinary Treasure

Well, that’s another dish I would die for but can’t spell. It’s the Arab Sinia in it’s Palestinian version. Make way for another REAL recipe.

Some of the readers of this blog are vegetarian or health freaks, or people who are fond of hummus and tahini mainly because of their famous nutritional virtues. Some of the recipes already posted here, were more suitable for them.

This recipe is not for those people, I’m afraid. It involve the use of tasty animals, and forbidden practices such as frying in oil (!) and, all in all, I can’t guarantee that’s it will improve anybody’s health – contrary to hummus or tahini.

On the other hand, it’s absolutely delicious. Know what, just look at at it:

Palesinian Synia
My very own Synia. click to enlarge.

I just wish you could also smell how good it is.

Read more

The Hummus Revolution

For me, hummus is more than a dish. It’s a passion, an ideology and a way of life. Also, I believe hummus to be an Archimedic point, from which things may turn and change for many people.

People had asked me, on many occasions, why did I decide to write about hummus. As if there aren’t other burning issues – especially in the middle-east, where I happen to live – if you know what I mean.

True, there are things that might seem more important. But for me, as I already stated once or twice in the past, hummus is more than a dish. It’s a passion, an ideology and a way of life. Also, I believe hummus to be an Archimedic point, from which things may change for many people.

Yeah, I know, this sounds pretentious. But let me argue my points and than decide. Read more

Hummus and Pita in 2:13 minutes (video)

Well, you may find out that it is a little bit trickier than this video tutorial suggests (tip: pay attention to the hit your pitas should be baked in), but still – a very nice video.