Recipe courtesy of Raffi Krikorian, Snaubar Restaurant

Ingredients:

• 3 large eggplants
• Tahini (sesame-seed paste)  3/4 cup  175 ml
• lemon juice  1/2 cup  125 ml
• garlic, minced or pressed  2 tsp  10 ml
• cumin  1 tsp   5 ml
• pinch of cayenne
• salt  1 tsp  5 ml

Optional garnishes

• 6 or 8 black olives, chopped
• thin layer of olive oil
• chopped parsley

Directions:

You can prepare the eggplant in two ways: For the first, broil or grill the eggplants, turning often, until the skin is blackened and blistered and the meat is tender, for about 20 or 30 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes and then peel the skin off. For the second method, bake the whole eggplants in a 350°F (175°C) oven for about 1 hour or until the meat is tender. To reduce baking time, you can cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and place them skin-side down on a baking sheet. Cool eggplants for about 10 minutes, then peel or cut them lengthwise and scoop out the meat. Squeeze the cooked eggplant meat to release excess liquid. Purée the eggplant and the remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor. Transfer to serving dish and garnish. Serve with pita  wedges, radishes and green onions. Makes 3 to 4 cups.