Playing With Pita

I've been known to say, "I was made for the kitchen." Maybe that is the reason that even during the time I set aside for vacation from baking people's orders this Christmas season, I somehow couldn't stay out of the kitchen.

One day I decided it was time to try making falafel pita. Everything was going to be from scratch, even down to the tahini to make a garlicky sauce.

First to be made was the tahini and tahini sauce. Since our freezer contains a surplus of sesame seeds from bread experiments, I went on a hunt for sesame recipes. Thus tahini, a paste made from grinding, you guessed it, sesame seeds. I felt like a pro smashing and mincing garlic, tasting, and altering the sauce recipe.

I made the falafel right before the meal. Normally deep fried in patties or small balls, this yummy bean and spice mixture makes a great meat substitute. My recipe came from a health magazine, so I simply fried it in an oiled pan. Talking to my well traveled cousin, I found out that this food is commonly served in Egypt.

Though the falafel and tahini sauce were both easy and enjoyable to make, the most fun, hands down, was the pita. Knowing pita has a bad reputation among home bakers for being flat and uncooperative, I searched my favorite blog for some tips. Sure enough, they had the answer. The secret - baking on a cooling rack!

Here we go. Flat-as-a-pancake dough going into the oven.

Three minutes later: Flying saucers!

Falafel pita with tahini sauce and all the fixings.

Ready to take a bite?