Potato chips in tahini sauce
February 16, 2010 • Category: Mezze/Appetizers
I am not sure if what I go through is shared by many people or humanity at large, but every year it is the same thing: in the heat of summer, I wish it could be cooler. In the dead of winter, I am longing for summer!
I can’t think of anything more pleasurable than swimming in a clean, blue pool (empty of screaming children). Hurry, summer! I am tired of wearing three layers of clothing!
The following dish is prominent on Lebanese tables; it is offered at every beach and small café and restaurant and is part of themezzemenu. I love it because it is made from fresh potatoes and does not have that starchy, bland, cardboard-taste of mass-produced french fries sold at fast-food joints. Your order of fries will come with ketchup but I prefer the traditional tarator sauce.
Tarator is our Lebanese mayo. Very simple to make, it consists of tahini, garlic, lemon juice and water. It is used to dress all manners of boiled vegetables, from cauliflower to chard stems. It is tangy and smooth with a pronounced tahini flavor.
Potato fries:
- Take one or more potatoes and sweet potatoes if you wish. Scrub and cut in sticks. Spread on a cookie sheet and douse in olive oil. Bake at 375F until cooked.
- Flip once or twice to roast evenly. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve.
TARATOR:
- 1/2 cup of tahini
- 1/2 cup of water
- juice of one lemon
- 3 (or more, to taste) cloves of garlic, mashed with dash of salt in a mortar.
- 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
- Mash the garlic and salt in a mortar.
- Add the tahini and stir to mix evenly.
- Add the lemon juice gradually then the water.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve. (sauce can be kept in the fridge for a few days)
- If you wish, add the chopped parsley right before serving.
Sources: The secret life of food by Clare Crespo & Lebanese cuisine by Anissa Helou
Comments
21 Comments • Comments Feed
Kristin Kunoff says:
This looks good, I might….I said might….have to sacrifice my ketchup one day and make this instead=) Your flip flops are too cute!
On February 16, 2010 at 10:01 pm
sophia says:
oh…my…gawd. Why are you just so brilliant? I looooove those adorable “flip flops”!!! Wow what a fabulous, adorable creation!
The Lebanese mayo sounds awesome, too. I’ve got to try that!
On February 16, 2010 at 10:07 pm
souska says:
I love your fries and this sauce.I want to know how to prepar the garlic sauce because I love it.Kisses
On February 16, 2010 at 11:49 pm
Sushma Mallya says:
it looks really good….very nice click…and easy to make it too
On February 17, 2010 at 2:10 am
Priya says:
Woww your flip flops looks too cute…wat a brilliant idea of turning them as though..
On February 17, 2010 at 2:35 am
Miriam/The Winter Guest says:
Loved the flip flops! Hmmm, I’m one of those who long for warmer weather in the middle of the winter and for the cold in the middle of the summer… we’re never satisfied, aren’t we? I will surely try that Lebanese mayo, sounds fantastic.
On February 17, 2010 at 2:53 am
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says:
I love that Secret Life of Food book! So many cute ideas in it. Your flip flops are adorable! 😀
On February 17, 2010 at 6:09 am
Joanne says:
That “mayo” sounds WAY better than mayo. I need to try it. Absolutely. Tahini is one of my favorite things!
I am exactly the same as you when it comes to the season. Although I never complain during spring or fall. They are perfect in my opinion!
On February 17, 2010 at 6:09 am
oum mouncifrayan says:
mdrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…
i understood nothing when i read the title!!!! but it is very amazing this idea!!! thanks joumana!
On February 17, 2010 at 7:18 am
Simply Life says:
ha! i love those flip-flops! 🙂
On February 17, 2010 at 7:49 am
Julie says:
Je crois que je confondais le tarator avec autre chose, une sauce blanche à base de poulet que j’ai l’habitude de manger dans un resto arménien, (je ne sais pas si vous le mangez aussi au Liban), mais cela dit j’aime aussi le tarator (le vrai du coup!).
Tes premières photos me font trop rire, c’est trop mignon! Et je suis comme toi, ça fait un mois que je me damnerais pour avoir du soleil, en fait je voudrais que ce soit le printemps toute l’année !
Gros bisous!
On February 17, 2010 at 8:25 am
5 Star Foodie says:
Oh, I just love those adorable edible flip flops! So cool!
On February 17, 2010 at 10:25 am
rebecca says:
wow love the flip flops and fries yum your blog rocks
On February 17, 2010 at 11:16 am
Camille says:
I agree, the potato and green bean flip flops are too cute! And I certainly wouldn’t complain about some warmer weather!
On February 17, 2010 at 11:33 am
Angie@Angie's Recipe says:
How fun! Edible flip flops! I would love to try them!
On February 17, 2010 at 1:08 pm
TastyTrix says:
I must make the Lebanese version of mayo, that sounds incredible! And your potato flip flops are too cute. I never long for it to be cold, by the way … never, ever. Sigh.
On February 18, 2010 at 2:56 pm
Kitchen Butterfly says:
Simply stunning. I will, must, should, have to thrill my girls with this!!!!!!!!! Superb! Maybe even this weekend.
On February 18, 2010 at 3:35 pm
Skip to Malou says:
those flipflops are cute! such a novel idea!
On February 18, 2010 at 5:15 pm
Michelle says:
Love the flipflops! So cute!! Food is so much fun to play with. HA HA!
On February 18, 2010 at 7:25 pm
PJ says:
Lovely flip flops and I must say u have a very creative mind!!!Tarator sounds delicious!!!
On February 18, 2010 at 8:42 pm
Jana says:
hello:-)
as a Bulgarian I found it funny that you call your “mayo” tarator, when at home we call tarator the cold summer soup made of yoghurt, cucumber and fresh walnuts!
great recipe…would love try it soon (kind of difficult as my friend does not like the smell of broccoli+cauliflower)…
wonderful blog you have here and amazing shots!
sunny greetings from the Netherlands (yep, I am an expat:-)
P.S: last but not least: your FLIPFLOPS are amazing:-)))
On July 19, 2011 at 2:40 pm