Hummus and I go way back. I couldn't imagine my college years without
the chickpea dip. It was always there for me when I needed an impromptu
dorm room dinner or when I had friends over. I love to dip into hummus
with soft pita or even tortilla chips, never those awfully hard pita
chips, which have the texture of wood chips. Hummus is now so popular
that you can find it around the world, but this dish has Arabic origins.
It's not completely clear which peoples invented hummus, but you can
find it throughout the Levantine region: Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, and
Turkey. But you don't have to travel throughout the Middle East to find
hummus for yourself. Every market sells it, but making your own is so
much more satisfying, because you can flavor it to your personal taste.
Plus, with a food processor, it only takes a few minutes to prepare.
Start a party with an appetizer platter including hummus.
When I think of casseroles, I imagine layers and layers of meats and
vegetables slowly cooking together until fork tender. Baeckeoffe is
that casserole; it beats all other casseroles. Beef, lamb, and pork are
combined with onions, leeks, and carrots, then drowned in wine, and
slowly braised for hours in the oven until just perfect. Baeckeoffe,
which translates to baker's oven, originates from Alsace, France, a
region that has changed hands many times between France and Germany. In
many ways, especially gastronomically, it maintains a German identity.
Here you will find beer, sausages, sauerkraut, and vineyards growing
typical German grapes like Riesling and Gewürztraminer. Many dishes are
specific to this region, Baeckeoffe being one of its most famous
traditional foods.