Egypt was an amazing place to visit, for the history, the culture, and of course, for the food. I enjoy Middle Eastern food, and found that in Egypt the ingredients were all fresh, the key to any good meal, I believe. We tried hummus after hummus, and I discovered the secret is to use good-quality olive oil - with the right oil, chickpeas and tahini is elevated to a decadent, creamy consistency that puts packaged American-brand hummus to shame. I tried hummus with sesame seeds, hummus with spicy red pepper blended in, hummus with garlic, hummus with pine nuts; I ate hummus with the classic bread served with any Egyptian meal, hummus with falafel, hummus with vegetables mixed in; they even serve hummus topped with meat. Now you would think that I would be sick of hummus, but quite the contrary, I am now more determined than ever to learn to make excellent, Egypt-quality hummus. Let the experiments begin.
Falafel, crusted with sesame seeds and coriander, served, of course, with vegetables and hummus:
(At a traditional Egyptian restaurant in the souq in Cairo.)
Fresh jumbo shrimp, caught from the Mediterannean and grilled for us:
(At the Fish Market in Alexandria, overlooking the water.)
Traditional Ramadan pastries, made with honey:
(At a patisserie in Zamalek, an island on the Nile.)
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