1/4 cup tomato paste
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons harissa or other hot pepper paste, to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup walnuts, lightly toasted
3/4 cup hazelnuts, lightly toasted
5 tablespoons pistachios, lightly toasted
7 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 large bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
Pomegranate seeds for garnish (optional)
Preparation:
Put the bulgur in a large bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Let soak for 30 minutes, until the grains are very tender. Stir occasionally so that the water is absorbed evenly.
Combine the olive oil with the pomegranate molasses and season with salt. Add the lemon juice, tomato paste, harissa, cumin, coriander, and allspice and beat vigorously with a fork until well blended. Pour over the bulgur and mix very well. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Coarsely chop the walnuts, hazelnuts, and pistachios. Add them to the bulgur, stir in the pine nuts and parsley; mix well. If you like, garnish with pomegranate seeds before serving.
Reprinted from Claudia Roden’s Mediterranean: Treasured Recipes from a Lifetime of Travel by Claudia Roden, copyright © 2021. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Photo courtesy of Ten Speed Press. As featured in edibleLA. See: https://www.ediblela.com/news/spicy-bulgur-and-nut-salad
Muhammara (Walnut and pomegranate paste)
“This walnut and pomegranate paste is a stunning deep-red color, and the flavor is rich and mildly hot. Use it as a dip or spread, with bread or grilled fish or chicken. Recipe from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden. Aleppo pepper will add richness to many dishes, from butternut gratin to flatbreads with spiced chicken, lentil soup to lamb kibbeh, bulgur pilaf to collard greens. Mix it into egg salad, or sprinkle it on pizza, too.”
Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups shelled walnuts
1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 slice whole wheat bread, crust removed, lightly toasted
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or a pinch of mild chile pepper)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons sugar
Kosher salt, to taste
Preparation:
Blend all ingredients to a rough (not too smooth) paste in the food processor. Serves 6-8.
See: https://www.theperfectpantry.com/2008/03/aleppo-pepper.html
Claudia Roden’s Mediterranean: Treasured Recipes from a Lifetime of Travel
One of the most celebrated food historians and authorities of our time shares 100 of her personal favorite recipes from all around the Mediterranean. To order, go to:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/671585/claudia-rodens-mediterranean-by-claudia-roden/
https://citylights.com/cooking-cookbooks/claudia-rodens-mediterranean-treasure/
For Roden’s recipes from The Guardian, see: https://www.theguardian.com/food/claudia-roden
For recipes in Epicurious, see: https://www.epicurious.com/contributors/claudia-roden
For recipes from The Splendid Table, see: https://www.splendidtable.org/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=roden&button=
For a complete list of her books, see: https://www.amazon.com/Books-Claudia-Roden/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AClaudia+Roden
See Roden’s YouTube video at: “Claudia Roden – Our food is our identity” (19/155) at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0-gOhx4ybY.
In this unique interview for Web of Stories – Life Stories of Remarkable People, Claudia Roden talks to her granddaughter Nelly Wolman about her life in food.
See: “Traveling the World for Recipes, but Always Looking for Home,” Famous for her scholarly works, the cookbook author Claudia Roden shows off her lyrical side with her latest, “Claudia Roden’s Mediterranean.”
Go to: https://www.nytimes.com/by/melissa-clark?page=7
Also:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cswpmb
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/sep/26/claudia-roden-20-of-her-best-recipes-from-a-50-year-career
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2021/sep/19/claudia-roden-med-yotam-ottolenghi-jose-pizarro-sam-clark-recipes
https://www.splendidtable.org/bio/claudia-roden
https://cookswithoutborders.com/new-story/claudia-rodens-mediterranean
https://food52.com/blog/19228-claudia-roden-tells-her-immigrant-story
https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/roden-claudia