Host An Unforgettable Book Club Party

If you’ve never tried tahini cookies before, now is the time. Tahini is a vegan paste of ground sesame seeds similar in consistency to raw peanut butter. The tahini gives these cookies a rich, unique flavor. I’ll be surprised if you aren’t hooked!

Freshly made pitot or pita bread to stuff with your favorite meats and/or vegetables is easy to prepare and so much better than the blah tasting pita pockets available at the grocery store. The pocket is created by the steam that puffs the dough up during cooking. Pitot also stores well in the refrigerator or freezer.

Israeli Salad is made with cucumbers, tomatoes, bell pepper, fresh herbs, romaine lettuce and whatever other goodies you want to add. This recipe includes feta cheese and pine nuts. It’s topped off with a delicious lemon and olive oil dressing.

Falafel (fa’lafel) is a Middle-Eastern dish of deep fried chickpea balls. The chickpeas are mashed and seasoned then fried to golden brown. Falafel is often served stuffed into pita bread with fresh vegetables or with a dipping sauce.

An exotic Greek dessert filled with layers of paper-thin phyllo sheets, walnuts, almonds, honey, cinnamon and butter.

A delightful Pakistani and Indian dish that can be served with just about everything.

Roasted chicken with a spicy tomato yogurt sauce.

This spicy appetizer is from Aleppo, Syria. This recipe was adapted from Secrets of Healthy Middle Eastern Cuisine by Sanaa Abourezk.

Kanafeh is a creamy, rich Middle Eastern dessert made with shredded phyllo and two cheeses. A sweet syrup of orange blossom water, lemon juice and pinch of saffron is poured over the warm kanafeh, followed by a sprinkling of pistachios.

Khubz, the Arabic Flatbread or pita bread, is a staple in Middle Eastern diets. It is traditionally cooked in a brick oven, but can be baked in a very hot modern oven.