Heather, tahini question
#16878 - 08/10/03 01:10 PM
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BL
Reged: 06/01/03
Posts: 3522
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Heather, What exactly is tahini? Is it absolutely necessary for the smoky eggplant hummus? A small jar of it in the grocery store is almost more than $7. I've seen some hummus recipes that call for it, and others don't. Please explain to this novice cook.
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What a coincidence! I was wondering the same thing this morning. I actually looked at the recipe this morning before I went to the store, and I just wasn't in the mood to track something down that I didn't know what it was, so I figured I'd try some other time.
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Hi - tahini is sesame paste (kinda like peanut butter made from sesame seeds). It's high fat, but you use a tiny amount. It has a very distinctive flavor, and it's a pretty key ingredient in hummus and some baba ganouj recipes. I don't know why on earth it's so expensive some places. At health food stores it tends to be cheap, and if you have any kind of Middle Eastern market it will be dirt cheap there ($2-$3 for a big can that will last forever if you refrigerate it).
If you have to, just omit it and add about 2/3 as much olive oil to replace it. Oh, also - if you have a food processor you could take whole toasted sesame seeds and just blend them until they're a paste - that would be tahini!
- H
-------------------- Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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How do you store Tahini, simply at room temperature or does it need to be kept cool??
Thanks
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Please tell me it goes in the refrigerator. I put this new jar in there today. It was already so thick when I opened the jar; I cannot imagine how thick it will be now that it's cold.
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It does smell yummy. Kind of like peanut butter!
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You can store at room temp or fridge. It will stay fresh much longer if it's chilled (it's very high fat). But, it will get even thicker. I keep mine in fridge, and take out the day before I think I'll be needing it.
- H
-------------------- Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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