In my continuing quest to recreate the Kurdish/ Turkish food I came to love while in Germany (more on that here and here), my latest cooking adventure was making hot sauce (harissa) to go with my falafel.
Evidently it’s possible to buy harissa at least a couple of places here in Charlotte, but once I found this recipe, I felt I really had to make it myself.
Basically you’re soaking dried chiles (minus seeds), then blending with garlic, lemon juice, spices, and oil. It’s not quite the same as what they served at my imbiss in Hannover, but wow, I do not care. It is OFF the hook! I’d eat it on green beans, corn on the cob, broccoli, oatmeal—–okay, maybe not oatmeal.
The recipe is not really all that hot (as a person who is usually happy with medium hotness salsas and sauces), but the flavor complexity is INSANE.
I was short on lemons but long on limes, so I used lime juice. Also, the recipe calls for New Mexico chiles, but I had what I think were ancho chiles, so I used those instead.
The picture below of falafel with peppers and harissa also stars tahini sauce, this time made with lime juice and coconut milk, which was soooooo fantastic. The original recipe is in Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian (the coconut variation is a suggestion of his). A similar recipe is here.
Speaking of which, it’s snack time and there are leftovers in the fridge. See ya!
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Recently, I was invited to join the group Writers of the South (USA). It is a small, but enthusiastic group of authors in every type of genre. The group is aimed at supporting and promoting authors in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi and Tennessee.
As we grow, we plan to take several opportunities to showcase the varied and talented people in the group. We will hit it hard over the next couple of days, hopefully gaining some new exposure and introducing you to writings you might not have found otherwise. Looking at the group, there is something for everyone, so be sure to check these posts every day. The plan is to do this again in a few months.
Lisa Alexander-Griffin began her career as a writer twelve years ago. Multi-published, her titles range from sweet to spicy with elements of fantasy and suspense.
Lisa says, "most days you'll find her weaving tales of heartbreak and betrayal, love lost and found, and happily ever afters."
The first bunch of wee red chillies from my garden. Slightly dried out by the time I got round to drawing them, so they're a bit warped and slightly twisted ... exactly the way I like them.
Red Hot Chillies cards & matching gifts at
Floating Lemons at Zazzle
The first bunch of wee red chillies from my garden. Slightly dried out by the time I got round to drawing them, so they're a bit warped and slightly twisted ... exactly the way I like them.
Red Hot Chillies cards & matching gifts at
Floating Lemons at Zazzle
Sure you don’t want to come and cook for me?