Xawaash

This is a Somali spice mix used in a ton of different dishes.

2 cinnamon sticks
2 TBSP black peppercorns
1/2 cup whole cumin seed
1/2 cup whole corriander seeds
8 cardamom pods
1 teaspoon whole cloves
2 tsp ground turmeric

Break the cinnamon stick up into a few smaller pieces with your hands. Place all ingredients except turmeric in a medium dry frying pan on medium heat.

Lightly toast spices, stirring constantly, as they become highly aromatic and start to turn a tad darker color (but not burned). When finished, transfer to an electric spice or coffee grinder and grind into a powder. Add turmeric, and store in a cool, dark place with an airtight lid. 

Simple tapenade

Great for anytime you need a quick dip, sandwich addition, or spread! I like the big, salty flavor of a Kalamata for this if it is for a dip. But a tapenade with more delicate and mild olives is great for topping fish, chicken, or grilled vegetables (where I might add some garlic as well). You can also experiment both the ratios below and with other ingredients as well. This is a great base recipe!

Prep time: 1/4 cocktail

1 1/2 cup pitted olives, Kalamatas and/or other olive varieties, drained and lightly rinsed
1/4 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup olive oil
1 TBSP fresh squeezed lemon juice + 1/2 tsp of the grated zest 
2 anchovy filets (optional)
1-2 TBSP capers + 1/2 tsp caper brine
2 TBSP shallots, finely minced
1/4 cup pine nuts
Black pepper to taste

You can lightly toast the pine nuts in a dry pan if you would like, as this brings out their full flavor. But this is an optional step. 

Combine everything EXCEPT capers, shallots, pine nuts, and pepper in food processor. Pulse the mixture until you reach the desired consistency (finely broken down but not all the way into a paste). 

Transfer olive mixture to a bowl and stir in capers, shallots, pine nuts, and pepper. 

Adjust seasoning to taste.

(Sometimes the ingredients will release liquid and it'll pool a little if the tapenade stands fro a few minutes. You can add a couple pinches of bread crumbs to absorb excess liquid. Just don't add so much bread crumbs that you change the flavor or texture of the final product.)

All-purpose coconut "alfredo"

Once in a while I want to make something that calls for some sort of basic creamy sauce, whether it's for vodka cream sauce, a hearty addition to a gnocchi or baked pasta dish, a white-sauce pizza, my Chicken Montego Bay facsimile, or just a plain cream sauce for a vitisting friend's kid, keeping this on hand in the refrigerator or freezer (or making it real quickly on the spot) always cones in handy. You can also make this vegan with fake butter and Parmesan without losing too much of the great flavor. 

Prep time: 1 cocktail (but ideally you can let the flavors meld for a few hours or overnight)

3 TBSP butter of vegan butter
4 cloves garlic, very, very finely minced
1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk (or, ideally, coconut cream, if available)

1-2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp dijon
2 TBSP nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup pretty well packed parmesan, grated with a microplane (or a vegan version)

Generous several grinds black pepper
A few pinches' worth of nutmeg, fresh grated with a microplane (optional)

A little tapioca starch (optional)

On medium to medium-high heat, melt the butter and then add the garlic, sautéing for about 2 minutes. 

Once garlic is fragrant and turning slightly golden, add coconut milk, lemon juice, dijon, nutritional yeast, and salt. Use a whisk to incorporate it all and keep using it, stirring nearly constantly, until the sauce reaches a boil. Reduce to a simmer and keep whisking often.

After reducing to a simmer, you can start adding the parmesan. Add it a few pinches at a time; if you dump it all in at once, it'll make a big glob of a cheese mess. Keep whisking as you slowly add all the cheese. Once it's all incorporated and melted, you can add pepper and nutmeg to taste. 

If you want a thicker alfredo, now you can add a little tapioca starch and whisk it in well. But I prefer to let it cook down slightly and then cool before a quick reheat to serve. This gives me the right consistency without tapioca starch. Either approach is fine!

As you finish the sauce, adjust lemon, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and nutritional years to taste. Remove from heat and serve or (ideally) let the flavors meld for a few hours before serving. 

Hot giardiniera - summer perfection in a jar

For those of you who are lucky enough to live near a Snarf's Sandwiches, you know and love their giardiniera. I don't mean you might like their giardiniera or you have tried and probably enjoyed it.  To be human is to love Snarf's giardiniera. That's all there is to it. Hungover? A Veggie with everything and extra giardiniera will cure you. Heartbroken? That definetly calls for a meatball or eggplant parm sandwich loaded with giardiniera. Fussy kids? They'll shut the hell up and eat the shit outta a grilled cheese with a smattering of giardiniera and likely remember that sandwich well into their old age. Guarnteed.

So with this recipe, I've attempted to replicate Snarf's famous giardiniera. I made this recipe with the intention of being good on pizza or sandwiches, but we had it the other night on top of grilled homemade sourdough that was brushed with olive oil and topped with a few thin shavings of Pecorino Picante. It was a transcendent experience and only took a few minutes to make.

Prep time: 1 cocktail

Brine: 
1/4 cup salt
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1-1 1/2 cup white vinegar (depending on the level of tang you want)
1 quart water

Vegetable mix:
1/2 cup finely diced carrots
2-3 stalks celery, sliced
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
15-20 (or so) jalapenos, serranos, fresno chilies or a mix thereof, sliced into wheels
1/4 cup diced onion
1 crown cauliflower, chopped up small
1/2 cup cheap jarred Spanish green olives (even the kind with pimentos is fine), minced 

Marinade:
Whole coriander seeds, peppercorns, fennel seeds, oregano, and mustard seeds
Bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
Canola oil
Vinegar (white, apple cider, or white balsamic are all great) 

Bring all brine ingredients to a boil and make sure salt is dissolved. Let cool until it's warm or room temperature then place veggie mixture into a Tupperware or mixing bowl and pour brine over all the veggies EXCEPT THE OLIVES (save these for later) and make sure they are fully submerged (if not, brew up a little more brine). Place in the refrigerator 12-18 hours.

Drain veggie mixture and rinse. Stir in the minced olives.

Now grab some 1 quart mason jars. For each jar, you want to toss into the bottom: a large pinch each of coriander, peppercorns, fennel, oregano, and mustard, as well as 1-2 bay leaves and 2 cloves of minced garlic.  Now fill each jar totally up with your veggie mixture.

On top of the veggies, pour oil and vinegar until you completely submerge the veggies and the jar is filled to the brim. Use about 2/3 oil and 1/3 vinegar, but you don't have to be super exact about it.  

Transfer to the refrigerator. Refrigerate at least 2 days before eating, though this is best after a week. Stays good in the refrigerator 2-4 weeks.

Quick Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

You can make this in just a few minutes. Great as a marinade, stir fry sauce, or topping all kinds of good stuff!

Prep time: 1/4 cocktail

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 cup soy sauce
2-3 TBSP sugar
1/2 tsp ginger, grated with Microplane or the finest setting of a box grater
1 clove garlic, minced
2 TBSP mirin cooking wine
The greens of 2-4 scallions

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 3 TBSP water until fully incorporated.

Combine all ingredients except the scallions in a small pan on medium-low to medium heat and bring to a boil for about 4 minutes.

Let cool to room temperature, stir in scallions. If it gets too thick, add a bit of water until you get it how you want it.

Goddamn Delicious Sriracha Aioli

This is delightful on fusion sushi, sandwiches, or as a dressing or dip. In fact, I like it so much, I'd even recommend it on cereal, in coffee, or as a facial cleanser. It's that good!

Note that if you want wasabi aioli, you can swap out the Siracha for an equal amount wasabi paste.

Prep time: 1/4 cocktail

1 egg yolk

1 TBSP Siracha 

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp agave nectar (you can adjust this up or down to taste)

2 tsp dijon mustard

2 tsp rice vinegar

1 tsp lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced

Roughly 3/4 cup neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed--NO olive oil 

A small handful of sesame seeds

Combine everything except last 2 ingredients in food processor and puree until well incorporated (scraping the sides down with a rubber spatula once or twice). 

Then, with the processor running, slowly drizzle the oil in. Add until you reach your desired consistency--meaning that it may vary a bit from the recommended 3/4 cup.

Adjust siracha, soy sauce, and/or agave to reach desired taste. 

Once it is all incorporated, transfer to a bowl and stir in sesame seeds and serve!

Coconut cilantro chutney

This is a chutney traditionally served with idli. For the coconut, use a fresh coconut or frozen flesh that is sometimes available at supermarkets or Asian grocers--don't use dried or the sweetened stuff for baking. There are tons of really easy to follow instructions online on how to get the coconut flesh, if you're unfamiliar. You can also get the hing (asafoetida), curry leaves, urad dal, and chana dal online or at an Indian grocer.

Prep time: 1 cocktail

1/2 cup chana dal
1 1/4 cups shredded coconut meat (about 1 small coconut)
3/4 cup packed cilantro leaves
1/2-inch ginger piece
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 serrano chili, chopped
1 cup water or coconut water if you use a fresh coconut
3/4 tsp salt
Agave nectar or sugar (optional)
2 TBSP neutral oil, like canola
1/2 tsp urad dal
8 fresh, whole curry leaves
A pinch of hing (aka asafoetida)

Heat a dry frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add chana dal and toast until it's lightly browned, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, transfer to a spice grinder or electric coffee grinder and process into a powder.

Combine chana dal, shredded coconut, cilantro, ginger, lime, chili, water/coconut water, and salt in food processor. Puree into a smooth paste. Adjust lime and salt to taste, add some agave or sugar, if desired.

Pour into the container you want to serve the chutney in. Then in a small, clean frying pan, heat the oil over medium to medium-low heat. When oil shimmers, add mustard seeds. Simmer the seeds until they just start to pop. Add urad dal and simmer until the dal is browned but not burned, stirring constantly. Add curry leaves and hing cook 3-5 more seconds. Remove from heat and immediately pour on top of chutney and serve--no need to incorporate or stir in oil and spices.  

Major Grey-style fruit chutney

This is a mango chutney, but you can use any fruit that cooks down well.

Prep time: 1/2 cocktail, plus additional simmering time

2 TBSP neutral oil, like canola
1-2 dried red chilies
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1/2 TBSP coriander seeds
1/2 tsp dark mustard seeds
8 cloves, ground with mortar and pestle
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 20-ounce can mango pieces or pineapple pieces, retain juices
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 tsp salt
Agave nectar (optional)

Heat oil over medium-low heat. While it warms up, combine next 6 ingredients in a small bowl. When oil shimmers, add spices and simmer for a minute or so, until they turn a shade darker. Add fruit (juice and all). Bring to boil and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Uncover and if the fruit hasn't broken down, mash it up with a potato masher until it's thick and chunky. Increase heat to medium, add raisins, vinegar, and salt. Cook down until you have a thick, jam-like consistency. Adjust salt and vinegar, if necessary and add agave if you want it sweeter. Let cool and serve.

Chimichurri

A perfect condiment that goes great with grilled vegetables, on sandwiches, or as a side with just about any type of fish, meat, or egg dish.

Prep time: 1/4 cocktail

1 cup finely minced Italian parsley
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 TBSP water
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
Red chili flakes to taste

Combine all in a small bowl and allow flavors to mingle at least a half hour before serving.

Creamy cashew chutney!

This bad boy is from the south of India and goes great with literally just about any Indian dish as a cooling to medium-heat chutney.

Prep time: 1/4 cocktail

1 cup raw, unsalted cashews, chopped up a bit
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2-inch piece ginger, chopped (no more!)
1-2 small hot chilies, chopped
1/2 cup water
2 TBSP cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Combine all ingredients EXCEPT cilantro in food processor and process until totally smooth (this will take a few minutes). Taste and adjust salt or lemon juice, if necessary. It should be a nice, spreadable chutney. If it's too thick, puree in a bit more water. Stir in cilantro and serve!

Fireball Chutney!

This toasty, spicy chutney adds some zing to any type of Indian dish where you want to add a little extra flavor and heat.

Prep time: 1/4 cocktail

1/4 cup chana dal (a type of split chickpea that's available at an Indian grocer or online)
8 dried red chilies (you can dial this up or down depending on personal preference)
8 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 1/2 tsp tamarind concentrate (I use Tamicon brand, others brands may vary in potency, so be careful!)
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2/3 tsp salt
Water or coconut milk to achieve the desired consistency

Over medium-low to medium heat, warm up the dal in a frying pan. Stirring constantly for about 5 minutes, fully toast (but don't burn!) the seeds.

Transfer the seeds to a coffee grinder and process into a smooth powder.

Transfer the chana dal powder and the other ingredients to a food processor and process until it's a smooth paste.

Caponata: The Culinary Equivalent of Celebrity Sex Pics

This is another recipe I have unabashedly stolen (and improved upon) from an unnamed restaurant I once worked at. Like stolen celebrity sex pics and 100-year-old Irish drinking songs, this recipe is just too good not to be in out there in the public domain. So by stealing this recipe and posting it, it's basically an act of selfless community service I'm performing. You'll thank me later.

If you're unfamiliar, caponata--which is somewhat similar to ratatouille--is a classic Sicilian condiment. However, caponata is zingier thanks to the addition of olives, vinegar and capers. It can be enjoyed as a delicious cold appetizer spread that’s great on crackers or bread, it can be used as a vegan spread for sandwiches. You can even toss it warm with hot pasta and warm brie cheese for an amazingly decadent dinner.  Note that this is a pretty huge (party-size) portion. You may want to halve this if not feeding a football team.

Prep time: 3 cocktails

1 large eggplant

2/3 cup olive oil, divided

1 medium onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 celery stalk, chopped

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, chopped

1/2 tsp cayenne (or a bit more to taste)

1/3 cup carrots, diced finely

1/2 cup canned tomato sauce (or 4 tomatoes pureed and cooked down with a bit of salt)

1 cup Kalamata olives, chopped

3 TBSP sugar

1.5 TBSP capers

1/3 cups red wine vinegar

2 tsp Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.

Peel eggplant, then dice into ¼-inch cubes. Toss with 1/4 cup olive oil and spread on a cookie sheet and place in oven. Roast until soft (about 20 minutes). Remove from oven.

Heat a large pan, Dutch oven, or wok over medium high heat. Add remaining oil. When oil is hot, add eggplant, carrot, onion, garlic, and celery and sauté, stirring frequently until onion becomes transparent—about 10 minutes. Now add all other ingredients EXCEPT pine nuts and parsley and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring frequently. Cook until vegetables begin to break down a bit and most of the excess liquid has cooked off, stirring frequently. This can take some time—30 minutes to 1 hour in most cases, but it can vary depending on how juicy your veggies are. Just don’t cook everything into a total paste. Add parsley when the mixture is about done and sauté for 2 more minutes.

Remove from heat and toss in pine nuts. Salt and pepper to taste. Add enough salt to balance out the sugar and other flavors.

Hong You (Szechuan chili oil)

Don't buy chili oil at the Asian grocer! That foul, artificially-colored garbage is the surest way to screw up an otherwise perfect Chinese meal! This takes only a few minutes to throw together and will keep almost indefinitely. Also, it is great as a finishing oil, in salad dressings or marinades, and can add awesomeness to just about any sauteed dish. Note, however, that you need a deep-frying or candy thermometer. You can get one for a few bucks at any kitchen store or big box store that sells kitchen stuff.

For the chilies, you can use plain chili flakes from any grocery store or go to an Asian market to buy specific types of chili flakes. You can also buy whole dried chilies and puree in a food processor.

Prep time: 1/2 cocktail

2 cups canola or peanut oil
3 cloves garlic, smashed with the side of your knife and peeled
6 1/2" sections of ginger, also smashed with the side of your knife
4 whole star anise pods
6-10 black cardamom seeds
6-8 whole cloves
1/2 cup chili flakes
1 cinnamon stick broken in half
1/2 tsp ground Szechuan peppercorns, (optional, grind in a cleaned coffee grinder after a brief dry fry)
1 tsp sea salt

Heat the oil (with the thermometer in it) in a small pan over medium heat until it reaches 285 Fahrenheit. AS SOON as it hits 285, remove from heat and add ginger and garlic. Don't stir.

While oil is heating or right after you add garlic and ginger, combine star anise, cardamom, cloves, chili flakes, broken cinnamon stick, and peppercorns in a small dish. AS SOON as the oil temperature drops to 250, add this dish of spices. Also, don't stir.

As soon as the temperature drops to 200, use a wooden spoon or tongs to fish out the ginger and garlic. If you don't do this, they'll cause the oil to go rancid over time.

Now let the oil cool to room temperature. Stir in salt. Transfer to a glass jar with good lid and let sit at least 24 hours before using. The taste will improve over time and it'll stay good unrefrigerated for at least 3 months. After three days, you can strain out all the solids if you think the taste is vibrant enough, but they can remain in as long as you want to continue to infuse the oil with additional flavor. Also, if the oil is too strong for you, dilute with a cup of plain canola oil.

Herb-Infused Olive Oil

This is a simple and awesome preparation that makes for a great stand-alone dip for bread, a good substitution for normal oil in homemade mayonnaise, and is a home run in homemade marinara.

You can also use other fresh herbs instead of (or in addition to) oregano... I love basil, arugula, parsley, rosemary, and even a bit of thyme or dill. Because I'm crazy like that. Fuck yeah. 

Prep time: 1 cocktail

1/3 cup good cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil

1 head of garlic, cloves separated BUT NOT peeled (optional)

1 very big handful FRESH oregano, leaves off the stalk, but not chopped

2-3 pinches salt (or to taste)

Put the oil in an 8" frying pan. If you're using a larger pan, you'll have to make a bigger batch. The oil must have a minimum thickness in the pan of about 1/4 - 3/8 inches. So if you're using a 10" or 12" pan, scale up your oil.

Heat the oil on medium-low heat. When the oil is hot, add herbs and garlic. Toss well. If necessary, adjust the heat as low as you can go. You want the oil to be just hot enough so that the garlic is barely sizzling… No hotter.

After a few minutes, add salt.

Stir every few minutes. Garlic is done when it becomes very soft. Depending on size and age of garlic this can take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes. Remove the garlic. You can continue cooking herbs as long as you like. The longer you cook them, the richer the oil becomes. I've cooked the herbs and for oil for over an hour with great results. The herbs will become crisp and appear burned; don't worry—they're fine!

After removing, you can peel the 'roasted' garlic. You can spread the garlic on bread almost like butter, put it whole on pizza, or just eat it plain.

There's no need to remove the herbs, though you may wish to crush them up with a wooden spoon or by hand after it cools a bit.

Horseradish Black Pepper Vinaigrette

This is literally the best salad dressing ever. How do I know? I Googled "best salad dressing ever" and came up with a bunch of insipid, lame-as-shit recipes written by people with poor grammar and weird taste. And we all know that The Google don't lie. So this is therefore the best salad dressing ever. Airtight logic. Case closed.

Don't believe me? Go ahead and fix up a batch. Send me an angry email* if you don't like it.

*All angry emails will be ignored.

Prep time: 1/4 cocktail

1 TBSP prepared, hot horseradish

2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper 

1 TBSP white or cider vinegar

2 TBSP olive oil

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp light agave nectar

1 tsp soy sauce

Poppy seeds, dill, or sesame seeds (all optional)

Combine everything into a small jar with an airtight lid. Seal and shake until everything is well mixed. Dressing is ready! 

Chermoula: The New Humble Star of Your Summer

While it looks like an unassuming--even lowly--green paste, don't be fooled. Chermoula can transform anything you make this summer into a hero's meal. Traditionally used as a topping or rub for fish or grilled meat in Moroccan cuisine, it is super versatile and can also be made into a mayonnaise for hamburgers (or beet burgers), added to marinades, incorporated into salad dressings, or snorted through a hundred-dollar bill off a hooker's belly. Yup, it's that good. It'll add a nice, exocitic ring to anything.

Prep time: 1/4 cocktail

4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
2/3 bunch coarsely chopped Italian flat leaf parsley (don't use curly parsley)
1 tsp cayenne powder
1 pinch saffron (I know it's expensive. Get over it.)
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp grated ginger
Juice of 1 large juicy lemon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup high-quality extra virgin olive oil

Put everything except the olive oil into the food processor. Pulse until it's broken down pretty well, but not to the point of being a smooth paste. Now, with the food processor running, drizzle the olive oil into the mixture. It's that easy!

Sweet and Sour Carrot Jelly

A great all purpose condiment for just about any spicy meal, but this shines with bolani.

Prep time: 1/2 cocktail

½ pound carrots

½ cup apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup white sugar

1/2-1 jalapeño pepper, chopped (optional, if you want to add some heat)

½ tsp coriander,

¼ tsp dried, ground ginger

1 cup water

2 tsp cornstarch

Combine everything except corn starch in food processor. Puree well. Transfer to a small saucepan on medium heat and bring to boil. Once boiling, whisk the cornstarch with 1 TBSP water in a small dish with a fork until cornstarch is dissolved. Stir it into the saucepan. Continue boiling a few more minutes, or until you have reached the consistency of applesauce. Remove from heat and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Cilantro Chutney (Chutni Gashneez)

Cilantro chutney along with garlic-mint yogurt, is served with virtually every meal in Afghanistan. This condiment is served on top of just about everything from bolani to kebabs.

There are many variations, but here’s a really good, straightforward preparation.

1 big bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped 
3 garlic cloves 
1 jalepeno pepper, chopped 
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
3 TBSP lemon juice
3/4 tsp salt 
2 tsp sugar

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until you get a uniform consistency. Now the taste test: like any good pesto, you should be able to perfectly taste each flavor: lemon, walnuts, pepper/garlic, cilantro, salt, and a slight sweetness. In addition to each flavor having equal weight, they should blend harmoniously into one superb-tasting sauce. Because your salt, jalapenos, lemons, or other items may vary in strength or size from batch to batch, remember that the taste test is what tells you you’re done; not the instructions.

Once you have made any necessary flavor adjustments, chill before serving.

Afghani Garlic-Mint Yogurt

An all-purpose topping that goes great on any Afghani food or is good as a dip. If you want to try making Greek yogurt yourself, here's how you do it.

16 ounces plain Greek yogurt (full fat or lowfat only—no nonfat)

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1 TBSP dried mint

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

Combine everything into a bowl and stir well. Let sit in refrigerator, covered, at least an hour before serving. 

Artichoke, Goat Cheese, and Roasted Red Pepper Dip

Let's face it: most artichoke dips are pretty shitty. They tend to lack any flavor or personality besides maybe salt. But this version has a great combination of fresh herbs, cheesiness, artichoke tang and sweetness provided by the roasted peppers. It's pretty rad, if I say so myself. It'll make you, along with the spiked eggnog, the hit of the holiday party.

Prep time: 1 cocktail

2 medium bell peppers

10 ounces cherve goat cheese

2 14-ounce cans artichoke hearts, drained (don’t use marinated type)

½ cup dry white wine

½ tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

2 small cloves garlic

2 TBSP white balsamic vinegar

1 tsp salt

Scant 1 tsp dried thyme

Several good grinds of black pepper (or more to taste)

½ cup parsley, finely minced

Preheat oven to broil.

Put the peppers in or over a foil-lined pan and roast until the tops get nice and blackened—about 15-20 minutes. Flip and repeat. When nice and blackened, remove the peppers from the oven and place in a paper or plastic bag. Seal tightly and set aside until the peppers have cooled enough to handle. Remove stem, seeds, and skin and discard (this is easier under running cold water). Chop up a bit.

Combine peppers and all other ingredients, except parsley in food processor. Process well, until you have a nice smooth consistency. Transfer to a saucepan and stir in parsley. Over medium heat, stir constantly until the dip reaches a boil. Serve warm with pita chips or crackers.