Open Sesame.

A new found fondness for tahini.

I had read about tahini and its versatility. In sauces, instead of butter, in salad dressings and of course as a component of hummus. A while ago I saw a jar winking at me from a supermarket shelf and into the basket it went. Once I got home I couldn't wait to taste it and have a bit on bread...yikes, it tasted awfully bitter. What were theses enthusiasts talking about?

Into the back of the fridge it went where I had a cunning plan for it. Mum would like it for sure and would give it a temporary home. Next time she came over I hastened to let her taste a bit of this miracle paste but it turns out the apple didn't fall far from the tree because not only didn't she like it, she even told me to bin it. A rare occasion for mum.

No, bin it definitely not so back into the fridge it went until a few days ago when I stumbled over a talk on the power of food. The presenter was going through a list of super healing foods and tahini was in it. Sesame seeds after all. He mentioned how he makes a salad dressing with this paste, lemon juice and vinegar.

I tried it out on my next salad and was over the moon with this flavour combination. Divine. This blend between sweet and sour is perfect even on a plate of cooked pasta or a boiled potato. I love it although so far I've not motivated Bob enough to give it a try. All the more for me...

Changing the way and what we eat is liberating and akin to thinking outside the box. New ideas emerge, new flavours bowl one over and culinary boredom is banished. Planning and cooking meals has morphed into a new hobby.

Biggi