Pity-Me-Pita-Chips

While I know pita and hummus are not Jewish foods, I can't explain why I have always associated this particular snack with Judaism.  It's actually much more Middle Eastern than anything else.  Pita is a an Arabic flat bread popular in the Middle East and areas of the Mediterranean.  And lately it has become one of my favorite snacks.  So I thought I'd pick this food for this film, because honestly it seems like my food associations with these films have become tenuous at best.

The following is a simple, easy, and exceedingly yummy way to make homemade pita chips.






Pity-Me-For-Eating-Too-Many-Pita-Chips

You'll Need:
Kosher Sea Salt
Garlic Salt
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Olive Oil Spray
At least two loaves of Pita Bread (I prefer Joseph's Whole Wheat)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slice the bread in half and then into small triangles, much as you would a pizza.
3. Line a baking sheet with tine foil and then arrange the triangles of pita across the sheet.
4. Lightly spray the olive oil over the pita bread so that it is evenly coated, and then drizzle the remaining oil over the bread.  Try to make sure each slice has a little oil on it, but not too much is needed.
5. Liberally sprinkle the chips with garlic salt and kosher salt.  Yes, this is a lot a salt.  But that's what makes it great!  The amount is entirely to taste.
6. Bake the chips for about 7-10 minutes, or until golden and slightly brown around the edges.  If the entire chip is browned, it will taste burned.  Feel free to rotate the pan to make sure the chips bake evenly.
7. Take the chips out of the oven and enjoy!

These chips can be eaten alone, but are also great with hummus and other dips.  They're also not horrible for you, if you get the whole wheat bread and are stingy with the oil.  I've yet to try this with cinnamon and sugar or perhaps Parmesan cheese, but I will!  Of course, every time I think about making changes, I end up going for the recipe.  It's hard to mess with perfection.

Green Goddess Dip with Veggies

In It Happened One Night, Clark Gable eats a lot of carrots.  There's a legend that Bugs Bunny's character was inspired by Gable's wisecracking, carrot munching scenes in this movie.  Unfortunately, I absolutely hate carrots.  With a passion.  I hate their smell, their taste, the way they are abnormally orange...apparently I used to spit them back out at my parents as a child.

Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert in It Happened One Night

My way around it?  I made my favorite Green Goddess Dip and surrounded it with veggies (yes, even carrots).  It's pretty easy to make, but you do need a blender or food processor of some kind.  This recipe is loosely based on Rachel Ray's Groovy Green Goddess Dip.

Green Goddess Dip
You'll need:
2 ripe avocados
1(2-ounce) can anchovies fillets, drained and chopped
1/2 a medium sized red onion, diced
1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

4 tbsps fresh chives, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped tarragon leaves
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup lite sour cream
1/2 lite cream cheese
Some Black pepper and salt, to taste

Blend all the above ingredients until smooth (I used my blender). You can add more sour cream or cream cheese based on taste.  Thin out the dip with olive oil to make a salad dressing.  And for a different taste use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and cream cheese (suggestion from my guests!).

This dip goes great with assorted veggies and pita chips but I also really enjoyed it on a burger.  Try it and see for yourself!