Harissa

During my recent Moroccan cooking extravaganza, I discovered harissa, a volcanic hot, herb-y chili paste. This has become my new secret ingredient. Make a batch of this stuff, throw it in a jar and keep it in the fridge. I use this in marinades, sauces, pastas, on meat and sometimes a pinch between the cheek & gum.

So as usual, I had a recipe from The Food of Morocco cookbook, but I, of course improvised...

The recipe calls for 4 1/2 oz. dried chilies (who knows how much that is? I don't measure in ounces!) chopped and soaked in boiling water for an hour.

I also added one habenero chili, some spicy, sweet peppers that I had from the deli, and some pickled jalepenos.

The recipe calls for 1 Tbsp. dried mint, I used a handful of fresh.

Also 1 Tbsp. ground coriander, I used a handful of fresh parsley.

1 Tbs. ground cumin, which I actually had.

1 tsp. ground caraway seeds, I skipped this altogether.

10 chopped garlic cloves

1/2 C. olive oil

Throw it all in the food processor and give it a whirl till combined. If you like spicy, you're gonna love this. The mint gives it that Moroccan twist and a little mystery taste in the finished dish. Let me know if you like it!