Pomegranates & Pine Nuts

Moroccan citrus salad by Bethany Kehdy for Pomegranates & Pine Nuts, copyright Duncan Baird Publishers 2013, commissioned photography by Sarka Babicka. 

"Developing the recipes for my first book has been both a revelation of the Middle Eastern and North African culinary traditions and a tantalizing glimpse at the possibilities that lie ahead," writes Bethany Kehdy in her new cookbook Pomegranates & Pine Nuts. "I like to think of this book as an ode to the treasured dishes of the past, embracing a creative and contemporary approach." Her collection of classic and innovative dishes features Lebanese, Moroccan and Persian recipes.

A Lebanese-American who grew up in the Lebanese mountains, Bethany spent a lot of time as a child "watching and learning via osmosis the art of Middle Eastern food preparation, cooking and preserving from my grandmother, dad and aunties." She leads culinary tours across Lebanon, organizes Food Blogger Connect (the London food blogging conference) and shares recipes on Middle Eastern cuisine along with her food photography at Dirty Kitchen Secrets.

The cuisines from the Middle East and North Africa share many spices and ingredients--saffron, sumac, pine nuts, figs, and pomegranates. Bethany's book explores home cooking (with a regional perspective) from Egypt, Palestine, Morocco, Syria, Turkey, Jordan, and Lebanon. Sections cover meze, poultry, meat, seafood, vegetarian, and desserts. Additional sections in the back include an explanation of common ingredients kept in the Middle Eastern and North African pantry, basic recipes and methods (dips, condiments, spice mixes, stocks, breads, and how to prepare and cook rice and chickpeas) and suppliers. Some of the more exotic ingredients (pomegranate molasses) are available from Middle Eastern markets.

"This is not fusion food," Bethany said at the book launch in London for the UK edition, The Jewelled Kitchen, earlier this year. "It's about traditional dishes and authentic ingredients." Several of the 100+ recipes are accompanied by photographs courtesy of food, lifestyle and travel photographer Sarka Babicka. It's an excellent introduction to Middle Eastern cooking. 

Chargrilled sweet pepper & walnut dip by Bethany Kehdy for Pomegranates & Pine Nuts, copyright Duncan Baird Publishers 2013, commissioned photography by Sarka Babicka.

Chargrilled sweet pepper & walnut dip

"The Arabic title of this dip, muhamara, means reddened or crimsoned. This recipe is traditionally made using sun-dried Aleppo peppers, finely chopped to a coarse paste. These peppers, which hail from Syria and neighboring Turkey, have a high oil content and a hint of earthy smokiness in their flavor," writes Bethany in this recipe's introduction. "It isn't easy finding Aleppo pepper paste in the West, but Aleppo pepper flakes are readily available. Most popular recipes for this dip involve pureeing, but I prefer it chunky like this version. It's great as a dip, as well as spread on flatbreads, mixed into hearty stews or tossed with pasta or potatoes."

Serves 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus roasting the peppers

Ingredients:

1 pound 2 ounces roasted sweet pointed peppers

3/4 cup walnut halves, roughly chopped

2/3 cup fine bread crumbs

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes (optional)

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra to drizzle

finely chopped mint leaves, to sprinkle

sea salt

warm Arabic bread

Directions:

To roast the peppers choose a suitable cooking method (gas stove, barbecue or oven.) Turn a gas burner to high and lean the peppers, stem still on, directly over the burner, turning each one occasionally with tongs until all the sides are charred and the peppers are soft. This should take about 5 minutes per side, or 15 to 20 minutes in total. Use as many burners as necessary. Alternatively, use a barbecue or heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cook the peppers until all the sides are charred and the flesh is soft. Remove from the heat and transfer to a sealable plastic bag, then seal and leave to rest 10 minutes. Holding the stem of one pepper at a time, use the bag to peel off the skin and any charred edges.

Slice the tops off the roasted peppers, discarding any seeds. Chop the flesh finely and put it in a mixing bowl.

Add the walnuts, bread crumbs, pomegranate molasses, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, Aleppo pepper flakes, and oil and season to taste with salt. Mix well, then set aside about 1 hour to let the flavors develop.

Put the ingredients in a serving dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with mint. Serve at room temperature with warm Arabic bread.