Muhammara

Ever since I was a little girl, I've loved Middle Eastern food (ask me about my torrid, long-running love affair with falafel some time, a riveting story full of passion, tears, laughter and tahini). And yet shockingly, it was not until last summer that I first tasted muhammara. This amazingly delicious dip is a simple combination of roasted peppers, walnuts, bread and olive oil that becomes a thick, red paste that is immeasurably more than the sum of its parts. I was first exposed to it at the home of an Armenian friend (James Najarian, I'm talking to you), who'd used a recipe he got from his auntie. I went so crazy for the stuff that after eating almost the entire bowl at his party, I begged for the magic formula, so I could make more the very next day. I made a few adaptations, adding more nuts and decreasing the oil, but otherwise it's pretty faithful. This recipe makes a lot, but it does tend to disappear quickly, and you really can't have too much. It's good with pita wedges, or even in a sandwich but, for the optimal muhammara gluttony experience, I highly recommend getting your hands on some good lavash.

Muhammara

Ingredients:
~ 2 12 oz. jars fire-roasted peppers, including liquid
~ 1.5 cups chopped walnuts, toasted in the oven 10 minutes at 375 degrees fahrenheit
~ 4 slices toasted whole wheat bread, crumbled
~ 2 tbsp. each: minced garlic, lemon juice
~ 1 tbsp. molasses (pomegranate if you can get it)
~ 1 tsp. each: salt, cumin, basil, paprika
~ 1/2 tsp. each: red chili flakes, nutmeg, fresh black pepper
~ 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
~ In a blender or food processor, puree the peppers, their liquid, the oil, spices, lemon juice and molasses
~ Add the toasted walnuts and crumbled bread; process until almost smooth, adding more oil or liquid to thin if necessary (you're going for a consistency a bit thicker than hummus, but still retaining a bit of texture).
~ Serve as a dip with lavash or pita bread and/or crudites, or make it a little thicker and use as a sandwich spread. Or cut out the middleman entirely and just fill the bathtub with it, then climb in: yummy!