New flavors for Yom Ha’atzmaut favorites

We learned new ways to flavor hummus, tahini (tehina) and other popular Independence Day foods from chef Tom Fraker of Melissa's Produce in Los Angeles. We loved the hummus that Fraker prepared for a recent presentation by authors Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg. It was deliciously different from the standard hummus, and we asked him how he made it. In addition to the usual flavorings – tahini, garlic and lemon juice – he blended the chickpeas with roasted red peppers, cumin, olive oil, fresh basil and Parmesan cheese. (See recipe.) Fraker added that when looking for ideas for new dishes, he would often go to Page's and Dornenburg's award-winning book The Flavor Bible. “It's not a cookbook, but a reference book to use as a guide to culinary creativity,” said Page. To produce the book, the authors interviewed dozens of America's most imaginative chefs and asked each one about his or her favorite combinations of ingredients. Three years ago, the two authors decided to change their diet and eat more healthful meals. “Most nutrition experts don't agree on much,” said Page, “but they do agree on one thing: A plant-based diet is best.” So they decided to become vegetarians. After spending years eating at top restaurants, where, Page said, the holy trinity was caviar, foie gras and truffles, she was concerned that she might not manage to stick to her decision. To learn the best ways to make tasty vegetarian foods, she asked chefs known for their great vegetable dishes to offer tips. “We never dreamed we'd learn so much more about flavor when we stopped eating meat,” she said. “If I hadn't discovered eating vegetarian to be so delicious, I'd never have lasted beyond that first meatless week,” she wrote. “But I've learned... eating this way offers the thrill of discovery of new avenues of flavor.” Page finds that Manhattan chef Terrance Brennan makes the best butternut squash soup, and she told us how his recipe evolved. At first Brennan used chicken stock in his pureed soup of roasted squash flavored with sauteed onions, pears, Riesling wine, salt, white pepper and a touch of honey. When he realized that the chicken stock overpowered the flavor of the squash, he switched to vegetable stock, and later to squash stock. Eventually he stopped adding cream to the soup, as he found it diluted the squash's flavor. The fact that his superb soup was vegan impressed Page. Another example she gave was Michel Richard, who told her that he used miso instead of meat stock to intensify the flavor of his onion soup. The reason: It brings as much, if not more, richness and umami (savoriness) to the soup without overpowering the onion flavor. This research led to their latest book, The Vegetarian Flavor Bible. Page calls it “an empowerment tool” with more than 600 entries “listing modern-day compatible flavors.” Each entry is an ingredient or style of cuisine with flavor pairings. “Once you understand flavors that work well together, you can use them in countless different applications, from pasta or pizza toppings to mix-ins for quiches or salads, or as the basis of soups or stews,” she wrote. Let's say you're looking for a different way to prepare tahini sauce. The entry for tahini has a list of 70 ingredients that match well with it, ranging from asparagus to zucchini and including such seasonings as cumin, ginger, honey, lime, miso, orange, soy sauce and wine. Each entry in the book also has a list of flavor affinities consisting of three or more flavors used together in restaurants' signature dishes, which, wrote Page, “will get you started on complex flavor combinations.” Here are some of the tahini flavoring affinities: • tahini + carrots + ginger • tahini + garlic + lemon + sesame oil + tamari • tahini + lemon juice + soba noodles If you would like to make a new version of the popular spicy cooked carrot salad, here are a few carrot affinities from the book: • carrots + harissa + raisins • carrots + cilantro + ginger + scallions + sesame oil • carrots + ginger + honey + rosemary Another recommended pairing is carrots with parsnips. It appeared in the delicious carrot and parsnip side dish that Melissa's chefs prepared for the event – roasted carrots and baby parsnips with grape tomatoes. (See recipe.) In the US, vegetarianism is gaining a more positive image. “In a recent Technomic poll, two out of three Americans agreed that a vegetarian meal can be just as satisfying as a non-vegetarian one,” wrote Page, mentioning that Israel has a high percentage of vegetarians. The writer is the author of the award-winning book Faye Levy's International Vegetable Cookbook. ROASTED PEPPER HUMMUS WITH BASIL AND PARMESAN This hummus is perfect for a meatless Yom Ha'atzmaut spread. If you want to serve it with kebabs or other meat dishes, omit the Parmesan cheese and the yogurt. Chef Tom Fraker recommends serving the hummus with your favorite assortment of dipping vegetables. Of course, it's also delicious with fresh pita. Makes about 6 to 8 servings ❖ ¼ cup pure tahini ❖ Juice of 2 lemons ❖ 2 Tbsp. Greek yogurt ❖ 1 garlic clove, minced ❖ 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil ❖ 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese ❖ ½ tsp. ground cumin ❖ Pinch of coarse salt ❖ Pinch of freshly ground pepper ❖ 1/3 cup (packed) fresh basil ❖ 1 cup roasted sweet red peppers, from a jar or homemade, drained ❖ 2½ cups cooked or drained, packaged or canned chickpeas (two 255-gr. or 9-oz. packages or 1½ cans of 400 gr. or 14 oz.) ❖ 2 to 3 Tbsp. water (or cooking liquid from home-cooked chickpeas) Combine the tahini, lemon juice, yogurt, garlic, olive oil, Parmesan, cumin, salt, pepper, basil, roasted peppers and chickpeas in a food processor or blender and process for 2 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp. water and process until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. If hummus is too thick, add another tablespoon water. Taste and adjust seasoning. ROASTED CARROTS AND PARSNIPS You can make this dish with carrots alone, but, writes Cathy Thomas in Melissa's Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce, parsnips add a delicious earthy tone to it. For a tomato-and-basil variation, add ½ cup grape tomatoes for the last 5 to 10 minutes of roasting, and finish the dish with slivered fresh basil; in this case, you can omit the rosemary and sage. Makes 8 servings ❖ 1.4 kg. (3 lbs.) medium carrots, peeled, trimmed, leaving 2.5 cm. (1 in.) of stem attached ❖ 3 or 4 parsnips, peeled ❖ 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil ❖ 2 tsp. coarse salt ❖ 1 to 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper ❖ 2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary leaves ❖ 2 tsp. chopped fresh sage leaves ❖ 3 Tbsp. water Adjust oven rack to lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Either leave the carrots and parsnips whole or cut them in thick diagonal slices. In a large shallow baking pan, toss carrots with oil, salt, pepper, rosemary and sage. At a corner, pour water into pan. Roast the vegetables until tender, 45 to 55 minutes (depending on their size). Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot, warm or cold. SPANISH MARINATED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS WITH NEW POTATOES Authors Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg developed this vegetarian dish from a meat entrée they loved in Spain, which called for marinating the meat with smoked paprika, oregano, cumin, bay leaves and parsley, and stewing it with potatoes. They substituted portobello mushrooms for the meat and found it just as delicious. They recommend serving the stew with red wine and with crusty bread. Makes 2 servings For the marinade: ❖ 1½ Tbsp. Spanish smoked paprika ❖ 4 garlic cloves, minced ❖ 1 onion, chopped ❖ 3 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley ❖ 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil ❖ 2 tsp. ground cumin ❖ 1 tsp. dried oregano ❖ 1 large bay leaf ❖ Salt and fresh black pepper to taste For the stew: ❖ 6 large cleaned portobello mushrooms ❖ 1.6 kg. (3½ lbs.) new potatoes ❖ 2 Tbsp. olive oil ❖ 1 liter (1 quart) vegetable stock ❖ ¾ tsp. smoked paprika ❖ Ground cumin and salt to taste ❖ Fresh chopped parsley In a large bowl, combine the smoked paprika, garlic, onion, parsley, olive oil, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper, and whisk them together. Add the mushrooms and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Peel the potatoes and roughly quarter them into irregular-sized pieces by inserting a knife point into each potato, and twisting until the potato breaks. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a wide stew pan over medium-high heat. Add the marinated mushrooms and sear them about 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Add the potatoes, vegetable stock, smoked paprika, and cumin and/or salt, and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Ladle mushrooms and potatoes into serving bowls. Reduce sauce over high heat for 2-3 minutes to thicken. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning. Spoon sauce over mushrooms and potatoes. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Serve in shallow bowls. Note: Adapted from a recipe published in healthyblenderrecipes.com.

New flavors for Yom Ha’atzmaut favorites

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