babaganoush

(Gerry Furth-Sides) This insiders guide to mideastern cuisine, the 2019 trending darling of the culinary social briefly defines the ancient and modern of the most popular items of this  fascinating and universally appealing cuisine plus a quirky fact to impress your table mates!

To start with, The Middle East includes the region formerly known as the “fertile crescent” between the Tigris and Euphrates, an area that seemed exotic and ancient in elementary school history class.  Wheat and barley were first cultivated here, as well as fruits and nuts that have less esoteric the last century, including figs, dates, pomegranates and pistachios.

Light, flavorful, varied, mideastern cuisine is universally appealing

Fun fact: The Mediterranean diet, with its incorporation of vegetables and proteins, is highly sought after for its freshness and health benefits.

Tahini is made from sesame seeds soaked in water before being crushed to separate the bran from the kernels. The crushed seeds are soaked in salt water, causing the bran to sink. The floating kernels are skimmed off the surface, toasted, and ground to produce an oily paste perfect for sweets.  

Absolutely Gluten Free Tahini bars falls into this category of what can we do to make a portable sweet into  Sweetest Version of 2019 Middle Eastern Food Trend.  If an ancient flavor not only survived but evolved over thousands of years, why not put an entreprenureal New versions of ancient foods molded into snack products include middle eastern tahini goes into a candy bar.

Absolutely Gluten-Free Tahini Bars

Sumac oil Corn remains the star of the show at Upper West Restaurant with the Corn Soup, on the menu since the restaurant opened a decade ago, not only because of the creamy base but the  middle eastern  swirl of sumac oil  and airy, fritter-like black bean falafel a swirl of sumac oil to punctuates it.   Nick: “Our menu is international, and this element with its garbanzo bean base is my homage to our Israeli partners. Folding black beans into it brings in the Texas theme, and more spices, such as yellow curry, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, not only intermingle well with the oil but add a little mystery to it, and at the same time echoes the flavors of the soup.

Fun fact:  The sumac shrub or low tree, belongs to the family Anacardiadeae, which grows wild in the groves of Palestine and which includes the pistachio, .

The black bean falafel at Hasiba Kosher Vegetarian Restaurant

Hummus itself has already popular since ancient times, but why not take the craze to the next level with intriguing ingredients to punch it up as a main dish with fresh pita? National Restaurant News predicts that the chickpea explosion will happen in 2019 by adding exotic flavors .  Middle Eastern and Mediterranean their time in the “culinary food trend” limelight after being popular for thousands of years, also showing up in fast-service eateries.  In 2018 we mentioned that “ethnic foods and ingredients” in consumer trends.

Creamy hummus at Hasiba with a nest of dukkah dusted grilled eggplant

Hummus at MOMED Restaurant

Chef danny Elmaleh’s eggplant hummus at CLEO on Third street has mint

The Dukkah  hummus topping above is also used as a dip for fresh veggies or alongside radishes and cucumbers for dipping.

Ground into more of a powder or left chunky and crunchy, it is comprised of  nuts and a diverse array of seeds, spices, herbs, sea salt and pepper.  The standard seem to be hazelnuts, cumin, black cumin seeds (black nigella seeds), coriander, and sesame seeds. Some cooks

Fun fact:  Always the benchmark for being an accepted and identifiable by the public, Dukkah is on Trader Joe shelves identified on as a “Nut and Spice Blend.”

Babaghanoush

Baba ghanoush is a light Levantine or Greater Syrian dish made with mashed cooked eggplant mixed with tahini, olive oil, and various seasonings.  Eggplant to be baked or broiled over an open flame before peeling, so that the pulp is soft and has a smoky taste.

Fun fact: In the film, “Wedding Crashers,” Babaghanoush was the nickname the main characters played by Owen Wilson ad Vince Vaughn had for each other just because they liked its quirky sound.

Harissa Restaurant Baba Ghanoush acclaimed the best in town

Harissa sampler plate to try (clockwise) baba ghanoush, olive tapanaea, mechouia spicy eggplant and harissa in the middle

Israeli Chopped Salad classically made of diced Cucumber, tomato and  peppers with lemon and herbs make this .  It’s easy to make but labor intensive so even better in a restaurant with heirloom tomatoes that have taste. Classic & traditional.

Fun fact: bright and fresh, this salad that is so good we never tired of it in two weeks when the kibbutz we were staying at served it at 5 am breakfast, where it is a classic along with a hard-boiled egg.

Hasiba’s Moroccan influenced Israeli salad has carrots in it, popular in many Moroccan dishes

Chef Danny Elmaleh’s update on Israeli salad, uncapped

Shakshuka is a dish that works for any meal, usually served for breakfast of simmering tomato sauce, gently poached eggs, onions, garlic and spices.  It is popular in all the middle east and also North Africa.  The tomato sauce preparation makes each dish unique from a liquid to a paste.

Fun fact: Shakshuka is served in its own skillet.

Hasiba’s shakshuka with the twist being the dense tomato sauce almost being a paste

Chef Danny Elmaleh’s shakshuka at CLEO on THIRD STREET and Mizlala in Sherman Oaks

Sabich:

The Sabich is an Israeli sandwich popular mostly in bustling Tel Aviv  in Israel, the perfect on-the-go sandwich of pita fried eggplant and hard boiled eggs stuffed into pita.

Fun Fact:  This is a street and cafe food that began at home.  In Israeli, the Iraqi Jewish population who keep shabbat and do not cook from sun down on Friday to Saturday, prepared this dish ahead to eat.  Local Israelis offered in a cafe and it became so popular  it spread like wildfire to other restaurants . 

Harissa, the new darling of the cuisine world, in which chiles are blended into a thick paste with garlic, olive oil, and aromatic spices such as caraway and coriander.  A twist adding a squeeze of lemon, herbs like mint.

Fun fact: you can purchase a jar of it at, where else, Harissa Restaurant!   And eat dishes made with it, too.