Baba Ghanoush
During the heat of summer I'm always looking for foods that are light, refreshing, and ultimately cool. I never crave hot foods in summer—and who does? The best cuisines for staying cool under the sun have always been Mediterranean and Middle Eastern. These foods, especially the dips and spreads, never make you feel like you've been weighted down. Many vegetables make a delicious dip, but eggplant dip is particularly popular in the region and beyond. Baba ghanoush, the famous Levantine dip, is part of a traditional meze platter, which can include, hummus, stuffed grape leaves, olives, and flatbread. In Greece they have a similar dip called melitzanosalata. The basic recipe consists of roasted eggplant that is mashed together with garlic and parsley. Tahini (sesame seed paste) and lemon juice can also be added for more flavor. That's all you need to create this appetizer. When you're looking for something simple for summer entertaining, baba ghanoush might just be yo...
