Baba Ghanoush

For some reason, Baba Ghanoush is often overlooked and hummus reigns supreme in Western refrigerators. Baba Ghanoush is a smoky, savory mix of eggplant and tahini that I generally prefer over hummus. Most hummus you get in America is a) cold b) flavorless and c) from a hermetically sealed package. If the hummus has just been made (i.e. hot because you actually boiled the chickpeas yourself) with good tahina (I “imported” mine while on a trip to Israel) and extremely smooth, then I love the stuff. Otherwise, save yourself a night of soaking chickpeas, an hour of boiling the beans, and 10 minutes of your poor food processor’s motor, and instead make Baba Ghanoush. You can make it in a bowl with a fork/masher if you want to, or you can be lazy and put it in the food processor.

Baba Ghanoush

1 medium/large eggplant
2T tahina
½ large lemon
1T parsley
1T olive oil

Prick the eggplant with a fork all over its exterior. If you have a gas stove, turn it on to medium high heat and roast the eggplant over the flame for 3-5 minutes. I roast it for longer, but I like really smoky things which most people do not. If you don’t have a gas stove, put the eggplant under your broiler and turn it occasionally. Afterward, put the charred eggplant on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes at 400F. Do not (NOT!) cut the eggplant’s stem off at any point before or during the baking process. After the eggplant is completely soft, remove its stem and skin and process it with the other ingredients. Some people like it to be really smooth, some like it chunkier. I personally like it fairly smooth, but still with some mouth feel.

My Grade: B, I really like the smokiness but 10 minutes on an open flame is too much for most people
Recipe grade: A-, it's too simple to mess up
Diagnosis: if you like hummus but are a little bored by it, try baba ghanoush.