You can garnish plain hummus with a drizzle of olive oil. Get fancier by adding some paprika and flat parsley leaves.

Get even fancier with sprinkle of whole chickpeas—the base ingredient of hummus. Roast them yourself or buy roasted chickpea snacks for a step further.

But the James Beard Award-winning Shaya Restaurant in New Orleans knows how to dazzle.

Its take on modern Israeli cuisine draws inspiration from the cuisines of Eastern Europe, Greece, the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey.

And some of those influences are turned into hummus toppings.

First, there’s the simple approach: olive oil and sumac (photo #2).

But expand your horizons to toppings like these:

 
The point here is that you can put almost anything atop a dish of hummus: legumes, meat, pickles, seafood and vegetables galore, with a variety of herbs and spices.

Start experimenting today!
 
 
THE HISTORY OF HUMMUS

Chickpeas, sesame, lemon, and garlic have been eaten in the Levant* for millennia. Though widely consumed, chickpeas were cooked in stews and other hot dishes.

Puréed chickpeas eaten cold with tahini do not appear before the Abbasid period (750 to 1517 C.E.) in Egypt and the Levant†.

The earliest known recipes for a dish similar to hummus are in 13th-century cookbooks from Cairo.

Some food historians believe the paste appeared a century earlier, prepared by Saladin, who was the first sultan of the Ayyubid dynasty (1174–1193).

(That is to say, it was created by one of Saladin’s chefs.)

If so, it was more likely created by a cook in his kitchen, the idea of the warlord Saladin-as-cook being tough to swallow.

Recipes for cold purée of chickpeas without tahini, but with vinegar, oil, pickled lemons, herbs and spices—but no garlic—appear in medieval cookbooks; as do recipes with nuts vinegar (though not lemon), with many spices and herbs.

Whomever and however, we’re grateful that it came to be part of our [almost] daily diet.
 
 
MORE HUMMUS RECIPES

[1] Hummus topped with a Middle Eastern “salad” of jammy eggs, onions, pickles and herbs (photos © Shaya Restaurant).

[2] Hummus garnish at its simplest: topped with extra virgin olive oil, Aleppo pepper and shredded parsley.

[3] Grilled octopus and chanterelles as hummus toppers? Yes, along with roasted corn and a sprinkle of sumac.

[4] Chopped eggplant is spiced and sautéed, then topped with peas and pine nuts.

[5] A garnish of roasted cauliflower and caramelized onions.

*The Levant is an English term that first appeared in 1497. It originally referred to the “Mediterranean lands east of Italy.” The historical area comprises modern-day Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria. Among other popular foods, Levantine cuisine gave birth to baklava, balafel, kebabs, mezze (including tabbouleh, hummus and baba ghanoush), pita and za’atar, among other dishes that are enjoyed in the U.S. and around the world.

†Jammy eggs are eggs cooked until the white is set but still tender, and the yolk has a soft, custardy, spreadable texture. It is a soft-boiled egg, but one where the yolk isn’t runny, but somewhere between soft-boiled and hard-boiled.

[1] Variegated pink lemons are difficult to find outside of California, but you can order them online from specialty produce purveyors like Melissa’s (photo © Melissa’s Produce).

[2] Serve a slice with a cocktail, seafood or salad, and let family and guests experience the fun of discovery (photos #2 and #3 © Fast Growing Trees).

[3] If you can grow citrus outdoors, buy yourself a dwarf tree.

[4] Pink lemonade (photo © Sence Nectar [now closed]).

When life gives you lemons, goes the proverb, make lemonade. But when life gives you a fancy lemon, show it off to your family and friends.

The variegated pink-fleshed Eureka lemon in the photos is a beauty inside and out, from its pretty striped rind to the pink flesh inside.

Yes, its juice is pink, too…and if can afford it (they’re more expensive than conventional lemons), make pink lemonade!

The juice is sweeter (less acidic), with wonderful lemon flavor and fewer seeds than the conventional Eureka lemon.

The crop grows throughout year in California, but is mainly sold in that state at specialty markets, and online.

The leaves are variegated green and white, making the tree a lovely ornamental choice, although it’s a bit less vigorous than a typical Eureka lemon tree.
 
 
SO WHAT IS THE VARIEGATED PINK-FLESHED EUREKA LEMON?

Also called the variegated Eureka lemon, pink-fleshed Eureka lemon or pink lemonade lemon, it’s a cultivar of the Eureka lemon (Citrus × limon*).

It was discovered as a bud sport on an ordinary Eureka lemon tree in a private garden Burbank, California, in 1931 [source].

In botany, a bud sport, or sport, is a part of a plant that shows morphological† differences from the rest of the plant.

Sports may differ by foliage shape or color, flowers, fruit, or branch structure. The cause is believed to be a chance genetic mutation.

Sports with desirable characteristics are often propagated to form new cultivars.

In addition to the variegated Eureka lemon, examples of fruits propogated from bud sports include, among numerous others, the:

 
 
HOW TO SHOW OFF THE LEMONS

This pink-flesh lemon deserves to be the focus of attention, so people can enjoy the appearance of both the rind and the flesh.

The best way is to use it as a garnish for:

 
 
GET YOUR VARIEGATED EUREKA LEMONS

 
 
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEMONS

> THE HISTORY OF LEMONS
 
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*The supermarket lime, or Persian lime, is Citrus × latifolia.

†Morphological means relating to the form or structure of things.

Mankind has been making vinegar for more than 10,000 years. It was inadvertently created alongside its alcoholic forbears—wine, beer, and other spirits. Vinegar quickly became a culinary staple as well as a health tonic.

Vinegar can compliment dishes by delivering a complexity of flavors. While for most people, “vinegar” means apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, distilled white vinegar and sherry vinegar, you can make flavor-infused vinegars with fruits (raspberry, maple, plum, e.g.), herbs (tarragon, herbs de Provence, e.g.) and spices (ginger, garlic, vanilla, e.g.).

Fermentation expert Kirsten K. Shockey opens our eyes to making vinegar at home, with her new book, Homebrewed Vinegar: How to Ferment 60 Delicious Varieties, Including Carrot-Ginger, Beet, Brown Banana, Pineapple, Corncob, Honey, and Apple Cider Vinegar.

The book is a deep dive into this ancient condiment, health tonic and kitchen staple.

If you’re a great cook, or simply someone who loves great cooking, you’ll appreciate the world of vinegars in this book.

And you don’t just explore: You’ll get inspired to make your own vinegar, for your home table and for gifts.

While most of us think of grapes as the base for vinegar, vinegar can be made from any food that has fermentable sugar, from any other fruits to flowers, even to beer (after all, champagne, red and white wines, and sherry are commonly made into vinegar).

In this era of sustainability, homemade vinegar is also a way to minimize kitchen waste. For example, you can make vinegar from the pulp left over from juicing, or from overripe mushy bananas.

Intrigued? Read on!
 
 
DISCOVER EVERYTHING ABOUT HOMEBREWED VINEGAR

You’ll get the foundational skills and knowledge for fermenting your own vinegar.

 
Ready to turn your kitchen into a vinegar emporium?

Head to your local bookseller, or find the book on Amazon.
 
 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

In addition to Homebrewed Vinegar, Kirsten K. Shockey is also the author, with her husband, Christopher Shockey, of The Big Book of Cidermaking; Miso, Tempeh, Natto & Other Tasty Ferments, Fiery Ferments, and the best-selling Fermented Vegetables: Creative Recipes for Fermenting 64 Vegetables & Herbs in Krauts, Kimchis, Brined Pickles, Chutneys, Relishes & Pastes.

The Shockeys got their start in fermenting foods with their farmstead food company, where they created more than 40 varieties of cultured vegetables and krauts. Their current focus is on teaching the art of fermenting vegetables to others through classes and workshops at their farm—a 40-acre hillside homestead in the Applegate Valley of southern Oregon.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF VINEGAR

> BALSAMIC VINEGAR HISTORY

> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF VINEGAR

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*In ancient Greek, oxymel means “acid and honey.” The combination of vinegar and honey was a staple that was used for medicinal purposes from ancient times through the Victorian era. People still use it in homeopathy (alternative medicine). The word is also spelled oxymellus and oxymellis; the plural forms are oxymeli and oxymelli.

[1] Make your own vinegar. The flavor possibilities are endless (photos #1, #2, #3 © Homebrewed Vinegar | Storey Publishing).

[2] Turn any fruit or spice into vinegar.

[3] Buy the book for yourself or for a serious cook.

[4] Homemade blueberry vinegar dresses a salad of romaine, goat cheese and fresh blueberries (photo © Wild Blueberries).

[1] Our personal go-to: a hot fudge sundae (photo © Lauri Patterson | iStock Photo).

[2] Fried onion rings with a mayonnaise-based dipping sauce (photo © QVC).

[3] A bacon cheeseburger that also has a layer of onion rings. Don’t forget the fries (photo © Smokey Bones)!

May 11th is National Eat What You Want Day, a day that sets diets aside for a indulgence with no regrets.

Whether you love donuts or fast food, chips and dip or creamy Fettucine Alfredo, today is your day to gratify those desires without feeling guilty.

Most nutritionists agree that, rather than try to repress your desire for not-good-for-you foods, having a treat every now and then helps to prevent gorging when the determination to eat right wears off.

The secret, they say, is small portion sizes.

That means one donut, maybe two; but not a baker’s dozen.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF NATIONAL EAT WHAT YOU WANT DAY

Eat What You Want Day was actually created by herbalists Thomas & Ruth Roy of Wellcat.

They made up 80 holidays, most unrelated to food (e.g., Happy Mew Year For Cats Day, Satisfied Staying Single Day and For Pete’s Sake Day).
 
 
15 GUILTY FOODS FOR NATIONAL EAT WHAT YOU WANT DAY

So how are you going to indulge? Here’s our list of 15 candidates for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

We’re thinking waffles for breakfast, a bacon cheeseburger with onion rings and fries for lunch, and if we still have room for dinner, mac and cheese.

(Of course, sensible people will only splurge at one meal.)

 
Add your favorites to the list.

And enjoy your holiday.

Every shrimp lover has a favorite shrimp dish. Beyond the iconic shrimp cocktail and shrimp scampi, a few of our favorites are beer-battered shrimp, coconut shrimp, grilled shrimp, shrimp ceviche and shrimp and grits. Truth to tell, we wouldn’t turn any shrimp dish away, from the simplest to the most complex, the mildest to the most spicy.

For National Shrimp Day, May 10th, we tried something new: a shrimp baked potato (photo #1) that’s actually a riff on a New England seafood bake.

A seafood bake—a baked version of a seafood boil—has a combination of different fish and shellfish, corn, potatoes and sausages.

But to celebrate the day, we’re keeping it simple with just shrimp.

You can serve the shrimp potato as a first course or a side. We had it for lunch, with a large green salad topped with more shrimp and deviled eggs.

And for starters: a Bloody Mary cocktail with—you guessed it—a boiled shrimp garnish.

Thanks to the Idaho Potato Commission and to Stephen Toevs, Director of Culinary Development at Marriott International Luxury Brands, who developed this delicious recipe.
 
 
RECIPE: NEW ENGLAND SHRIMP BAKE BAKED POTATO

This recipe is for one serving (one potato). Scale it up accordingly.

Ingredients For The Pickled Red Onions

You may want to make a double batch of these. They’re delicious on just about anything.

 
Ingredients For The New England Shrimp “Bake”

 
 
Preparation

1. MAKE the pickled onions. You need to do this at least a day in advance, but can do it several days in advance.

Combine the vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Place the onion slices in a container and pour the pickling liquid over then. Let cool, then refrigerate overnight.

2. CLEAN the potato under cold running water and pat dry. Cover it with 1 teaspoon avocado oil, and sprinkle it with salt and pepper.

Smoke the potato over hickory wood chips for 15 minutes (we used a smoker bag), then wrap in aluminum foil and finish on the grill at 400°F until tender, about 1 hour. Set aside and keep warm.

Here’s more about cooking potatoes on a grill.

3. TOSS the shrimp in a large bowl with the remaining 1 teaspoon of avocado oil and the Old Bay seasoning. Place the shrimp on the 400°F grill along with the link of linguiça, the ear of corn, the shrimp and the lemon half.

Grill the shrimp for 4 minutes, grill the corn for 8 minutes and grill the linguiça for 10 minutes, turning as necessary. Grill the lemon half, cut side down, until charred.

4. CUT the sausage into slices and cut the corn off the cob. In a small bowl, mix the chopped parsley with Greek yogurt.

5. ASSEMBLE: Split the potato open lengthwise and hollow out a trench. Spread the parsley-yogurt mixture on the inside. Fill the trench with the shrimp, corn and linguiça.

Garnish with the pickled red onion and fresh herbs. Serve with the grilled lemon half.

NOTE RE CHARRED LEMONS: The heat from grilling the lemons releases more juice, and gives the juice more depth and complexity. The acidity is brighter and less sour. You can use the juice, which has a bit of char flavor, in other recipes: in vinaigrettes and cocktails, over vegetables and seafood, etc.
 
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*You can cut down on expenses by using frozen shrimp, but you’ll lose the glamour of the tail.

†Old Bay Seasoning Recipe: If you don’t have Old Bay Seasoning make this copycat recipe: Combine and grind the following spices in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle: 1 tablespoon celery salt, 3 whole bay leaves, 3/4 teaspoon brown mustard seeds, 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, 10 allspice berries, 10 whole cloves and 1/2 teaspoon paprika.

Now owned by McCormick, Old Bay Seasoning was introduced to Baltimore in 1939 by an emigrant from Nazi Germany, Gustav Brunn, a spice dealer. Ironically, he was fired from McCormick after two days, upon discovery that he was Jewish. He started the Baltimore Spice Company, and combined 18 herbs and spices into what he called Delightful Brand Shrimp and Crab Seasoning. He renamed the product after the Old Bay Line, a passenger ship line that sailed Chesapeake Bay; and marketed the usage beyond shrimp and crab, “For Seafood, Poultry, Salads, Meats.” Here’s more of the story.

‡Linguiça (Lin-GWEE-suh) is a pork sausage heavily spiced with chiles, garlic, paprika; and often, cinnamon, cumin and oregano. There are many variations, but classic linguiça is a coarse, country sausage, often smoked. The Portuguese community of Gloucester, Massachusetts introduced the style to the greater New England area. Rich and spicy, it is also delicious on pasta, pizza, salads, sandwiches and soups.

[1] Baked potato stuffed with shrimp, sausage and corn, New England style (photo © National Potato Commission).

[2] For the best presentation, use shrimp with tails (photo © Fulton Fish Market).

[3] Linguiça, a spicy Portuguese sausage. There’s more about linguiça in the footnote below (photo © Gourmet Food Store).

[4] Old Bay Seasoning is a popular blend of 18 herbs and spices, produced by McCormick & Company. Here’s a recipe to make a simplified version (photo © Chili Pepper Madness).

[5] Russet potatoes, also known as baking potatoes. Check out the different types of potatoes (photo © Good Eggs).

[6] A charred lemon atop grilled chicken (photo © The Fillmore Room | New York City [now closed]).