Muhammara- Roasted Red Bell Pepper Dip

         

Think you like hummus? Wait until you try Muhammara, a decadent dip originating from Syria that will make your world explode with creamy, comforting goodness.

Prior to the nightmare that has been Covid-19, I loved frequenting the Peacock Lounge at the Proper Hotel here in Austin, where I first discovered this outstanding treat. Served with warm pita and a zesty cocktail or shrub, this is hands down my favorite appetizer or mezze to enjoy while lounging in the colorful middle eastern inspired lounge lobby with friends. And then, just like that, the entire world was turned upside down due to a virus that literally made society come to a screeching halt, and along with it, entertaining, dining out, bountiful grocery store visits. The pandemic proved the terrifying reality that these great United States was woefully under-prepared to handle the wave of illness headed its way. And so we all did our part and took shelter for what we thought would be a fortnight and stretched in to two months. I was blessed to be able to work from home, despite my worries for my team who stayed working the front lines with the public at my office. They adapted beautifully, and I did my best to pray for them and send food to nourish them and send them my love from afar. It has been the strangest and most unsettling and surreal of times. Not a war, but in a way still a battle, only with an invisible killer.

My anxieties hit a peak when we had to take one of our beloved pugs and put him to sleep- socially distanced as I tearfully soothed him with my voice. I lost my appetite and with it, five pounds shed from worry. And then I began to learn and practice daily meditation and slowly felt my limbs and my breath relax and return to life, and with it, my love of cooking. We made some tremendous meals throughout the sheltering and I was thankful I have learned to be resourceful and stock a pantry, as supplies were at one point very limited in our formerly abundant stores. There are just the two of us, so we have no back up freezer as the majority in our area have. They were the fortunate and dare I say, greedy ones, who stockpiled all the shelves at our local store. They ate well, so did we, but with much planning and frugality. My Depression era father thankfully taught me how to stretch out a meal and get creative.

I was craving my favorite treat from the Peacock, so I googled muhammara recipes and with the staples I had on hand, made a rather good knock off which was a huge hit with my husband. He could dip handfuls of homemade pita into the creamy dip. Being gluten free, I enjoyed it with crudites or Simple Mills almond flour Rosemary and sea salt crackers. The recipe calls for Pomegranate molasses, of which I did not have, so I made due with pomegranate juice in the back of the fridge. I scored some fresh seeds from a Whole Foods delivery on the rare, and lucky day they had a slot open after weeks of none. They even had some chicken that day! I realize I still had many blessings to count as so many around the globe have lost their jobs and all sense of normality and security.

Things were looking up, until our refrigerator and freezer broke. The Russian repairman who spoke but a few words of broken English, typed in his google translator that our fridge was beyond repair. We hurriedly went to the home improvement store to find another one. A rush delivery would be six days out. I felt deflated and despaired that the small amount of food we managed to procure would all go to waste. Somehow, by a miracle, the freezer held it's temps until the new fridge came. It was quite the relief and I was so grateful my prayers were answered. This dip, while not quite as good as the one I enjoy at the Peacock, will always hold a bittersweet memory for me as we embrace the new way of life.

INGREDIENTS

1 12 oz jar of Roasted Red Bell Peppers, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup creamy almond butter

2 roasted cloves of garlic (I smoked mine in the Big Green Egg)

2 teaspoons allepo or cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons sea salt

4 tablespoons or pomegranate juice and 1 pinch of sugar

Olive oil, pistachios and pomegranate seeds to garnish

Blend all the ingredients except for the garnish until smooth and creamy. Add a little water if it is too thick.

Drizzle with olive oil, garnish and serve at room temperature with crudites, warm pita or crackers.

Stays sealed in a container in fridge for a week.

Bee Cave "Original Recipe" Chicken & Pork Poppers

It's a rainy Memorial Day and while normally we'd be sitting poolside throwing something on the grill, we are forced indoors due to much needed rain and grey skies. It gives one pause to think of those who sacrificed their lives for our freedoms. Granted, everyone likes a day off to sleep in and let loose, but the significance of the day weighs heavy on the mind. I was named after my great uncle who was killed by vicious Germans in the Ardennes Forest during WWI. He was only 27 years old but apparently a brave and kind young man who's life was cut short fighting for what was right and good. I'm proud to carry his name.

Since we are indoors and may have a few friends over later, we decided to make some small bites. As a girl I loved Kentucky Fried Chicken like no one's business (except for my grandmother's recipe which was like no other). The original KFC recipe was so tasty and back then they weren't using these freakish lab chickens (so cruel) and harmful GMO stuff. Apparently they did use MSG, and since I'm allergic to it, I'm better off having not enjoyed KFC since the late 80s. These little meatball poppers have a taste surprisingly similar to the KFC original recipe and are delicious little morsels that also freeze quite well.

INGREDIENTS

1.5 pounds ground chicken thighs
1.5 pounds ground pork (the pork adds a nice richness)
1 small yellow onion
1 small bunch of parsley
2 organic eggs
4 spring onions- light green parts only
2 tbs onion powder
2 tbs garlic powder
2 tbs paprika
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Sea salt to taste
1.5 tbs chicken soup base
1 tsp celery salt
a few pinches of dried sage

In a food processor finely chop onions, parsley and eggs. Add mixture to meat with the seasonings and blend well. Form into meatballs and deep fry in grapeseed or peanut oil preheated to 350 degrees for about 4 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Serve on skewers or toothpicks for easy finer food. Goes great with Ranch, honey mustard or tzaziki sauce for dipping.

 

White Bean & Roasted Tomato Dip

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Parmigian & Asiago Cheese Spread- Bottega Napa Valley

While on a recent trip to Napa Valley we dined at Bottega and our waiter brought to the table a wonderful spread to be eaten with their freshly baked rustic bread. Since I can no longer eat wheat I only got to sample the spread by itself but it was so wonderful and my friends loved it so much that I decided to try my hand at making some for us when we returned home.

Luckily I found the recipe at the Food Network and it was pretty simple and tastes great after a day in the fridge. I think it makes cute little gifts for the holidays, so thought to share it with you. Be sure to eat it a room temperature.

INGREDIENTS for SALSA DI PARMIGIANO

1/2 pound Parmesan, not too dry
1/2 pound Asiago cheese, not too dry
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pulse all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth with small chunks. Seal in glass jars and store in the fridge up to one month. I've used it in sauces, to top pizza, spread on my gluten free rosemary bread and even with some scrambled eggs and chives. It incredibly versatile, rich and rewarding.

Heirloom tomato and Burrata Caprese with Balsamic "Caviar". I need to learn how to make that caviar!

Passing by on our morning walk, I savored the smell of simmering veal stock wafting from the kitchens...

French Laundry Gardens

 We kicked off the trip with a long sail around the Bay with Captain Lisa from Sailtime San Francisco. Highly recommended!!

Ricotta and Graham Crackers with Fig and Honey Drizzle

So I made some ricotta cheese a few weekends ago HERE and just fell in love with the whole process and the fresh, creamy taste. I made another, smaller batch and this time let it drain in the fridge for 3 hours and it yielded a much denser ricotta which I think may work better for cannelloni or lasagna.

So for a nice little Holiday hors d'oeuvres I simply smeared some organic Cinnamon graham crackers with ricotta, dolloped some fig jam and topped with chopped Spanish marcona almonds and fresh herbs such as chopped basil, lemon thyme and lavender from the window herb garden. I also made one with ricotta, local honey, marcona almonds and herbs. A little crack of fresh ground sea salt. This would be great also drizzled with some good ages balsamic vinaigrette or lemon curds and lavendar. The graham cracker really is a terrific little medium for these sweet and salty little bites. Serve with your fave wine and enjoy the season of indulgence! When not using homemade ricotta, I really, really like Bel Gioioso brand as it tastes the freshest.