Food Wine Sleep

A delightful dip, which holds it's own without needing to be part of the Mezzeh (Please also see the recipe and description of Hummus in this category) Perfect on grilled Bruschetta, or with savory crackers, Lavosh or crisp Papadums.

Dukka, a.k.a Dukkah, is an Egyptian spice blend comprising of toasted nuts, seeds and spices. It can be sprinkled over cooked meat, poultry or vegetables, as a seasoning mixture, but mostly is used as a dip for bread. Dukka/Dukkah seems to be one of these recipes where every chef has his own take on what is best. There are very lightly toasted to heavily roasted varieties and there are some that include walnuts, chickpeas and even pistachios. Personally I feel that this is great, as it gives some creativity and individuality to our recipes. For best results; dip bread into a quality virgin olive oil and then into the dukka mix. Alternatively, combine the dukka into...

I like the Middle Eastern Mezze or appetizers. Mezze almost always consists, of Hummus (chickpea - sesame spread) and Babaganoush (eggplant- sesame dip) served with warm pita bread. Other items such as Sambousik (pastries filled with minced meat and nuts) Tabouleh (Cous cous and parsley salad) and more are also added, but Hummus and Babaganoush are omni present when Mezze is served. The rich creamy sesame paste called Tahini is really the "main ingredient" in both spreads and the strong, nutty, almost smoky taste of it, is what makes this spread so flavorful and distinct.

Tabouleh like hummus and babaghanouj has its origins in the Middle East, it is a salad made of parsley, wheat bulgur, tomato and lemon. I have some Lebanese friends and an annual highlight for me when summer rolls around is to be fortunate enough to be invited to a few of their many barbecues. The only thing that flows thicker than their hospitality is the food. It always starts with some traditional dips, spreads, stuffed vine leaves and stacks and stacks of freshly baked flat bread to spread and dip it all with. After that the barbecue gets fired up and the various types of meats hit the grill, there is garlic marinated chicken skewers, minced and spiced lamb skewers, b...