Mangia

This is retro and wonderful, and nothing at all like the flavored gelatin molds with fruit that you ate as a child. A refreshing mix of fruit teas and fresh berries, it is as pretty as can be and delicious as part of a summer buffet. Just the conversation it generates makes it worth trying!

Besides being a great dip and spread,Hummus also makes a tasty stuffed pita sandwich, with the addition of cucumber, red onion, and tomato slices.

The addition of yogurt sets this baba ghanoush apart and makes it Mangia's. As anyone who loves eggplant knows, this is a wonderful dip for wedges of pita or for vegetables. It is also very successful served as an accompaniment to lamb or chicken. We roast the eggplants over the gas burner on the stove top. If you'd rather not do that, you can roast them in the oven. We prefer the charred flavor that only comes when you use the open flame.

Eddie is one of the chefs at Mangia, and one day, out of the blue, he whipped this up. It is sensational as a dip for artichokes or as a sauce for roasted turkey or pork.

Fresh garlic is pungent and sharp. Roasted garlic is just the opposite sweet and mellow in flavor, silky in texture. Because it has a more subtle flavor, it becomes a lot more cooperative as an ingredient. We think it is a must in some of our sauces and salad dressing. We swirl it into soups as a finishing touch. It's even great smeared on bread.