LCBO Food & Drink Winter 2018

FOOD  TRENDS

tahini

ATASTEOF

BY AMY ROSEN PHOTOGRAPHY BY VINCE NOGUCHI

NO WONDER TAHINI HAS BECOME SUCH

A BUZZ-WORTHY INGREDIENT— IT

ADDS RICH LAYERED FLAVOURS TO DISHES BOTH SWEET AND SAVOURY.

TAHINI, a paste or condiment made from toasted and ground hulled sesame seeds, is like the ketchup of the Middle East and Mediterranean. Found in everyday staples like hummus and baba ghanoush, it’s so ubiquitous that in the seminal Adam Sandler movie You Don’t Mess with the Zohan , he even stirred it into his coffee. (We don’t recommend this.) Tahini can be found at most major supermarkets, and black tahini (if you can find it) is also making inroads. To make black tahini, buy a cup of toasted black sesame seeds and blend it with 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil in a blender until smooth and pourable. Cover and store in the fridge for up to a week. For ease of execution, we’ve decided to go full-on regular tahini, with a decadent parfait, luscious lamb chops, chicken satay, and tahini-swirl brownies for dessert. We think the Zohan would approve. Yogurt − tahini parfaits recipe on page 85

FOOD & DRI NK WINTER 2018 29