POM Perfect Thanksgiving Appetizer: Muhummara, Hummus' Kissin' Cousin.

    The week coming up is known around are house as Get Out Of My Way I'm Cooking Dammit Week! This is the time when the kitchen becomes my arena and I go into cage-match mode with a turkey. However, this year I am not making a turkey. This year I am cooking for a smaller crowd than usual, so I am in Tuscan Thanksgiving mode since my parents are suspicious of anything else that might be on the table.
   We live in Sonoma which is Wine Country. It's also Cheese Country and I happen to be lucky enough to  count among my friends some of the best artisanal cheesemakers around here. Sheana Davis is one, whose prize winning Delice de La Vallee Cheese can be found on the menu of the French Laundry and fine cheeseshops around the country. So when we do cheese around here, we're not talking about that port-wine-drizzled bowling ball that arrives in the mail from Aunt Tina. We really do cheese. I will be serving some of these excellent cheeses at my house this Thanksgiving; my family loves them. I will not however be serving the recipe I am about to share with you, and that is only because I know my parents would never eat it. Clam dip with dried onion soup mix (remember that one?) is about as daring as my mom gets. The line has been drawn and it will go no further.
   So what is this mysterious appetizer?  Muhummara is it's name, don't wear it out. I discovered Muhummara while I was planning my big POM Wonderful dinner. I wanted to make sure I had something on the table when my guests arrived. I wanted to make sure that during my final preparations of the entree, I would not be disturbed. I wanted to make them happy so they would not be constantly asking me when the food would be ready. Boy howdy, did I succeed.
   For those of you who  have never heard of Muhummara, join the club.  As I said, it's kissin' cousin to Hummus but instead of chickpeas, it's made of roasted red peppers and walnuts and other good stuff. It's hot and sweet and spicy and the perfect foil for whatever you're planning on serving later. It also goes great as a relish with everything from kebabs to roast chicken. Trust me I've tried it. It kicks ass!!
   Since my POM meal was of mixed  Middle Eastern/North Indian origin, it was the perfect opening act. It also makes up in about 15 minutes and then mellows a bit before serving. For the busy T-day cook, what's not to like about that?!

Muhummara

   Here's my adaptation of a classic Muhummara recipe.
   Grind one slice or small roll of french or Italian bread in the blender or food processor until you have a bowl of crumbs.

 In a dry pan toast 1 cup of California Walnut pieces

When they're nice and toasty, save a few out for sprinkling across the top of the muhummara  and toss the rest into the food processor along with:
   2 Tbs of olive oil
   1 Tbs of tomato paste
   2 Tbs of pomegranate molasses
   1 tsp of ground cumin
   1 tsp of kosher salt
   1 cup of roasted red peppers. I used a jar of  roasted bell peppers that my friend Ron Mezzetta had given me.
  Up to 1 tsp of coarsely ground Aleppo pepper or 1/2 tsp Hungarian Paprika. I used a jar of special  Aleppo pepper that Paula Wolfert brought back for me from her last trip to Morocco.

   Grind it all together in the food processor.

 

 Taste for flavor. It should be hot and smokey sweet. Cover it and let it rest for at least 20 minutes or so for the flavors to blend. Check the taste again just before you serve and make any adjustments you'd like, then sprinkle the bit of roasted chopped walnuts you have left over and some pomegranate arils over the top and you're good to go. Of course before serving, Alan  my House Paparazzi had to get a couple of shots.

Feel free to experiment, some people like to add mint, or garlic, or sugar. Have fun.
   You can serve this with pita bread or crackers or raw veggies, anything good for dipping. I grilled some flatbread out-doors since my oven was fully occupied. Before baking, I drizzled it with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and a bit of coarse salt.

    

  Okay, now after writing about this and seeing the pictures again. I'm making it for Thanksgiving after all. This stuff is too damn good! After all, if my parents are too  picky to eat it, more for the rest of us.

Killer Flatbread and a Lakers NBA Victory Party!!

   It was crazy times last night at our house. The LA Lakers were going up against the dreaded Boston Celtics for the NBA championship. I had planned an evening of flatbread based on a fabulous recipe courtesy of Vegetable Matter. Pizza was the rule since the Lakers lost when I'd served Indian food and had only won on Pizza nights. Follow the Vegetable Matters' link that will take you to a recipe that includes chard, spinach, currants, toasted pinenuts and ricotta salata cheese. It is a fabulous recipe plain and simple. I can't wait to make it again. My only change was I didn't use kale as I had a ton of chard and spinach that needed eating. It was delicious anyway.
    As for the recipe for the flatbread part. I mixed 3 cups of flour, 1/4 tsp of dry yeast, 1 tsp of kosher salt, about 1 and 1/2 cup of warm water and mixed them together. I mixed it well and set it covered in a warm place for 24 hours. If this looks familiar it should. This is the basic New York Times recipe for no knead artisan bread that's been making the rounds of the internet. This batch of dough will make 2 nine inch pizzas.
   If you don't want to or can't use it right away, it will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks. It also freezes extremely well. Bag it and shove it in the freezer. When you're ready just take it out, let it thaw and Boom! You're pizza baby! The only "work" that needs to be done to make this pizza stone-ready is to add a bit more flour as you're forming it into rounds. The put it out for a second 40 minute rise before baking. That's it. If you've got kids who like pizza, this is your ticket to easy, fast pie nights.

  We were concerned we might not have enough good juju going into this game, so our friend Chip brought his Kobe Autograph Ball once again as our lucky totem. In fact he forgot it and midway to our house went back to get it. I'm so glad he did as it was the mojo we needed.

 His wife Terri baked some insanely good oatmeal, dark chocolate, cherry, almond cookies!!!

 The frantic and fast action on the court was matched in the living room when Patsy met Gracie, the 5 month old Lab puppy who we'd heard beforehand was a die hard Celtics fan. Patsy was determined to change her mind.

     The two of them met outside on their leashes in our driveway and then walked inside together. Proper dog etiquette, the canine equivalent of a jump ball. From there it was off to the races as the two of them wrestled and chased each other around the furniture and through the house for the entire game. It took two peanut butter stuffed kongs to settle them down.
     We whooped and hollered and the Lakers won and it was dog cookies all around. My excitement got the better of me and I attempted a tricky move, feeding two dogs two cookies at the same time."Look Ma, no hands!"

 
   So Basketball season is officially over, and it's back to normal, or as normal as it gets around here. Tomorrow..a nifty new way (for me) to do green beans. Whee!