Spicy Harissa Hummus

Spicy Harissa Hummus

Spicy Harissa Hummus with Olives and Homemade Pitas

I’ve been a fan of harissa ever since my honeymoon in France where we ate Moroccan olives flavored with the Tunisian chili paste. I love how it spices up a dish and gives it a nice, smoky flavor. Today I made a spicy harissa hummus drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with chili flakes. It was amazing!

Lately, I’ve been making more of an effort to incorporate beans into my diet and hummus is a great way to do this. It’s perfect for snacking and is a wonderful way to transform chickpeas into a delicious dip. You can serve it with celery, carrots, fresh pitas, pita chips, or any other tasty chip or vegetable. read more

Boiled Peanuts | A Classic Southern Snack

Green Peanuts used to Make Boiled Peanuts

Green Peanuts Used to Make Boiled Peanuts

Boiled peanuts remind me of my childhood and are forever linked in my mind with the beach. One of my favorite childhood treats was riding with my father to Pensacola Beach in “Old Blue”—a Chevy pickup—while listening to rock ‘n’ roll and eating boiled peanuts from a roadside stand. They were always sold piping hot, but that never stopped us from scarfing them down.

I think that there’s something inherently satisfying about boiled peanuts. Maybe it’s their association with my childhood. Maybe they remind me of the South. But it’s probably due in large part to their delicious taste! They’re salty, juicy, tender, and delicious. What’s not to love? read more

Pepero South Korean Snack – Pepero Day

Pepero South Korean Snack

Pepero—a popular South Korean Snack manufactured by Lotte Confectionary

I thought it would be fun to do a snack series on Flavorful Journeys, where I feature different snacks from around the world and discuss their history and cultural significance. After all, who doesn’t like snacks, right? In today’s busy world, we don’t always have time to sit down and eat three meals a day; sometimes snacks play a critical role in tiding us over until our next meal and getting us through a long, hectic day. read more

Crunchy Shrimp Balls

crunchy shrimp balls

Crunchy shrimp balls are fun to make and incredibly tasty. Their unique, satisfyingly crispy texture contrasts nicely with the shrimp filling. Spring roll wrappers—similar to wonton wrappers, but thinner and made with rice flour—are the secret to this delicate texture. They’re sold in the refrigerated or frozen aisles and are not to be confused with the dried rice wrappers used in Vietnamese spring rolls.

This recipe comes from Bee Yin Low’s cookbook, Easy Chinese Recipes. Her blog, Rasa Malaysia, is one of my favorites. She features authentic Asian recipes, with a particular emphasis on Chinese and Malaysian cuisine, but also occasionally dapples in Western baking. The stunning photography, frequent giveaways, and easy-to-follow recipes make her blog worth checking out. read more

Red Pepper Hummus

Red Pepper Hummus, Roasted Red Peppers, Pita Chips, Chickpeas

Hummus is one of the oldest foods in the world. In fact, it is believed that chickpeas were  being cultivated over 7000 years ago in the Middle East. The exact origin of hummus remains a mystery, since its long history. However, it is most often theorized as coming from the Middle East. The name hummus actually means chickpea in Arabic. You might also hear chickpeas referred to as garbanzo beans, which is the Spanish translation. There are endless variations of hummus and today I present you with one of my favorites: Red Pepper Hummus. read more