Where shall we go? What shall we cook? Cooks Without Borders is Leslie Brenner's interactive, personal blog about cooking through the world's cuisines. In your kitchen, you're a citizen of the world. Cooks Without Borders features recipes, stories, photographs and cookbook reviews from Leslie Brenner, a cookbook author, former Los Angeles Times Food Editor, and currently restaurant critic at the Dallas Morning News, along with posts and recipes from guest bloggers. © 2015, 2016 by Leslie Brenner.

Just when we were starting to experience some serious Brussels sprouts fatigue, we took this recipe from Ottolenghi Simple (from which it is adapted) for a spin — and fell in love all over again. If you’re not familiar with black garlic — which is regular garlic that has been slowly fermented, until the cloves turn black and become soft, mellow and rich — this dish is a great introduction. A favorite Ottolenghi ingredient, it is available at some well stocked supermarkets (we find it at our local Whole Foods). It brings umami depth to the dish that plays really well with tahini and lemon juice. Toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) add lovely crunch. The dish comes together very quickly once everything’s prepped — and happily, the prep is not terribly involved. Ottolenghi suggests getting everything chopped and ready and then making it at the very last minute. If you’re starting with pumpkin seeds that aren’t toasted, spread them in a baking pan or on a baking sheet and toast them in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can toast them gently in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for four or five minutes, until they’re just starting to turn golden.

FEAST to the world: 2011

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