Inside the Israeli Pita
Falafel, an ancient dish from Egypt, found itself in our era in the middle of this civilization collision mess. If only all other outcomes of cultural conflicts were so tasteful.
I’m afraid we are all living in what that famous Chinese saying calls “interesting times”. And it’s most certainly too interesting here, in Israel.
Even if you follow the news, you probably don’t get the full picture. It is complicated, and I’m really here to write about food, so I’ll say just that: both us Israelis and our Palestinians brothers, are good people with lousy leaders.
But well, I’m here to tell you about the complexity of the Israeli pita bread, so lets get down to it.
Read more
Perfect Baba Ghanouj in 6 Steps
There’s no way this hummus blog could go on with no baba ganouj recipe in it, right?
Baba ghanouj (or “baba ghanoush”) is the Arab name for roasted eggplants with tahini, a dish which is found all over the middle-east and in some Mediterranean countries. It’s very easy to make, but the taste can go all the way from horrible to divine - depending mainly on the quality of the ingredients and the proper roasting of the eggplants.
Well, you know what they say - practice makes perfect. So start practicing this recipe. Read more
Pseudo hummus
It’s not enough to call a certain dish “hummus” for it to become hummus. If I had a nickel for every strange looking hummus I saw, I would probably have some… 20 bucks by now.
When I say “pseudo hummus” I refer to dishes which may look like hummus, or even have somewhat similar ingredients, but do not taste anywhere near the real thing. Of course, when something don’t even look like hummus, this may be a good indication for it not being hummus. Unfortunately, having tasted some of these hummus-mutations, I can assure you they do not come close. Read more
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.
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:
My very own Synia. click to enlarge.
I just wish you could also smell how good it is.
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.
-
-
The hummus SHOP
Buy tahini, chickpeas, olive oil, falafel mix., halva & more.
-
Please vote for us
-
