“Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.” ~ Samuel L. Clemens,
better known as Mark Twain, American author and humorist (1835-1910)

Talking about current events as we sit around the dinner table, we find that Egypt has taken a central role for much of this year as many there fight for civil rights. It just seems worthy that we should try to get to know this country that at one time was the heart of the civilized world.

At our house, one way we explore other cultures has always been through their food and Egyptian cuisine works particularly well for us because it is largely without dairy, meat, or eggs, having come of age without the availability of refrigeration.

Flatbread is by far the mainstay of the Egyptian diet and is used as the meal’s utensil, dipping and scooping as one might use a spoon. As an appetizer or mid-day snack, flatbread is often dipped in olive oil and then into a paper cone filled with dukkah – a toasted, ground spice, seed, and nut blend.

As with other spice blends that we have encountered, the exact ingredients and proportions in dukkah are unique to each chef or household. It almost always contains hazelnuts, but since they are often
difficult to find in grocery stores other than at Christmas time, we substitute almonds with excellent results.

Note: Don’t let the lack of a spice grinder or mortar and pestle stop you from enjoying this tasty treat. We just pour the spices into a measuring cup, then grind away with the help of the blunt end of a citrus reamer, as you can see in the photo above. There is no better way to get rid of any aggressive feelings you might be having!

Dukkah

Makes 1 1/4 cups
Time: 20 minutes

1 tablespoon whole coriander seed
1 tablespoon whole fennel seed
1 tablespoon whole cumin seed
¼ cup sesame seeds
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup ground hazelnuts or almonds
Olive oil and bread, for dipping

Toast the coriander, fennel, and cumin seeds together in a dry skillet over medium heat until they are fragrant and just beginning to brown. Remove from heat and transfer to a measuring cup or mortar to grind by hand (described above), or to a spice grinder to process.

Toast the sesame seeds in the dry skillet over medium heat just until they begin to pop. Add to the ground seeds. Stir in the black pepper and the ground nuts.

Serve with the best quality olive oil you can, and some whole grain flatbread cut or torn into strips. To eat, dip an end of the bread first into the olive oil, and then into the dukkah.

Dukkah is a perfect accompaniment to a glass of New Belgium Brewing’s Trippel Belgian Style Ale, which also has a hint of coriander. It’s another one of those rocking chair on the porch moments, for sure.

“Every teddy bear, that’s been good
Is sure of a treat today
There’s lots of wonderful things to eat
And wonderful games to play

Beneath the trees, where nobody sees
They’ll hide and seek as long as they please
Today’s the day the teddy bears have their picnic” 

~Lyrics from The Teddy Bears’ Picnic by Jimmy Kennedy, Irish songwriter (1902 – 1984)

The loveliest picnics take place on the hottest days, Teddy Bears present or not, with a great selection of cold food and beverages. Think of them as a cocktail party under a tree, and they become a very worthwhile endeavor any day of the week. Especially on Meatless Monday.

Haven’t you ever enjoyed the appetizers and tapas at a party so much that you’ve ended up skipping supper altogether?

Tonight we’re offering up a replacement for winter’s popular chili – a cold white bean, carrot, and chili pepper topper for baguette slices or crackers. Make it with the chili pepper that reflects your preference for heat from the mild Pablano on up to the super hot Scotch Bonnet, or any combination in-between.

Summer Chili Tapas

Serves 6
Time: 10 minutes + chilling time

1 (15-ounce) can navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium carrot, shredded
¼ cup finely diced red bell pepper
¼ cup finely diced chili pepper of your choice
¼ cup minced parsley
2 tablespoons minced chives

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
Pinch of garlic powder

Toss all together in the order given. Chill and serve cold with slices of crusty baguette or whole grain crackers.

Other small plates that we’re putting out with the Summer Chili Tapas tonight are Olive Tapenade, some Pleasantly Toasted Tomatoes, and some of the Spicy Candied Nuts from page 62 in the Mosaic Meals cookbook.

“It’s difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.” ~ Louis Grizzard, American writer and humorist (1946 – 1994)

We don’t all have the option of homegrown tomatoes, but that doesn’t mean we can’t think pleasant tomato thoughts.

One way to kick up the flavor, especially the sweetness, of grocery store tomatoes, is to toast them briefly with a little seasoning on top. Broiling fresh tomatoes takes less time than preparing most other vegetables, even from frozen, and they make a gourmet quality side dish, lunch, or appetizer. Pleasant can be very, very easy.

Hint: Trim a small spot of the top and bottom of tomatoes if needed to get them to sit without rolling on the baking sheet.

Toasted Tomatoes

Serves 2
Time: 3 minutes active, 5 minutes cooking

1 large ripe tomato
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon dry bread crumbs
½ teaspoon Mrs. Dash Original seasoning blend

Split tomato horizontally, and place each half cut-side up on a baking sheet. Brush the olive oil generously on top of the tomato slices.

Mix the bread crumbs with the Mrs. Dash and sprinkle over the cut sides of the tomato halves. Place about 8-10 inches under the broiler flame until the crumbs have browned and the tomato is hot but still firm, about 4-5 minutes.

Now, think with me… a toasted tomato half, some crusty bread, and a glass of merlot, sitting on the front porch with a cool breeze and a good book. That’s what I’m talking about.

“I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain
I’ve seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I’d see you again” ~ from the “Fire and Rain” song by James Taylor, American singer and songwriter (1948 – )

Spicy food, particularly hot peppers, are a staple of summer. They make us sweat, which cools us off – sort of like a cleansing rain at the end of a hot, dusty day – and while the effect of the hot pepper cools off our surface area, a slice of icy cold watermelon offers its powers to chill from the inside out. Why not make the world perfect by combining the two?

There are a lot of watermelon salsa recipes online, but the ingredient that makes this one extraordinary is the dried ground chipotle pepper. This pepper is made by smoking and drying jalapeño peppers, so it is moderately hot, and very earthy. Here, the spiciness is tempered by the sweetness of the watermelon, so it won’t feel as hot on the tongue as the individual peppers would.

Fire and Rain Salsa Fresca

Makes 2 ½ cups
Time: 10 minutes active + 2 hours refrigeration

2 cups seedless watermelon in ¼-inch cubes
2 tablespoons minced fresh jalapeño pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh Hungarian pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro (coriander)
⅛ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper, or to taste
⅛ teaspoon ground cumin seed

Gently stir all the ingredients together and chill for 2 hours before serving. Note that this salsa must be eaten the same day, as the watermelon breaks down rather quickly and will be mushy if left to sit overnight.

Don’t limit your use of this salsa to just tortilla chips; it also works well in place of a chutney, especially on top of plain, hot rice!

“Life without liberty is like a body without spirit.” ~ Kahil Gibran, Lebanese born American writer (1883 – 1931)

Speaking of spirits… We’re still making an effort to use up some of the liquor we have on hand. You should be so lucky to have such a difficult task, right?

Throwing a little booze into a sauce with tomatoes isn’t exactly a new idea; some of the flavors in tomatoes and peppers are soluble in alcohol, which means their character becomes more evident. Just like with some people.

Most of the time, we cook with wine because it seems like there is almost always an open bottle on the counter. But the wine adds its own flavor to the mix, and it can mask the flavor of some of the other ingredients. Not so much with vodka.

Being hot this week, we haven’t wanted to spend much time in front of the stove, so we’ve turned to some of the more harmless prepared foods and combined them to make our Meatless Monday entrée in a way that is still a whole lot less damaging than what we might end up eating otherwise.

Jarred vodka sauces usually contain cheese and cream (read: cholesterol and dairy fat). We can get fresher flavors and a healthier content by using a favorite tomato sauce and adding a fat-free non-dairy creamer. Choosing an organic sauce will eliminate other unnecessary ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup and chemical additives.

NOTE: Even with cooking, not all alcohol will evaporate. Please consider that this dish might not be appropriate for everyone.

Polenta with Vodka Sauce
Serves 4
Time: 15 minutes

1 (28-ounce) jar organic tomato pasta sauce with basil
¼ cup vodka
½ cup So Delicious Original Coconut Milk Creamer
1 (18-ounce) chub organic polenta
Olive oil to brush or spray
1 small zucchini, cut in long shreds (optional – for garnish)

Mix the vodka and sauce together in a sauce pan and bring to a Simmer. Cover and continue to simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, brush or spray a non-stick skillet with olive oil and place over medium heat. Slice the polenta into ¾-inch thick pieces and place into the skillet to lightly brown about 5 minutes on each side.
Stir the creamer into the sauce and continue heating just until it begins to simmer. Do not let it boil.

Remove the polenta from the skillet and immediately add the zucchini, cooking it for only 2 minutes so that it is still tender-crisp and the color has brightened.

Divide the polenta between plates, cover with the vodka sauce, and garnish with the zucchini. Serve while hot.