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RED PEPPER & WALNUT MUHAMMARA SPREAD is a staple of Middle Eastern cuisine, but for whatever reason isn't as well known as other spreads from the region like hummus or baba ghanoush. It's not similar to either of those spreads in flavor, but I feel confident that if you're in the hummus club, you'll like this dish as well. Ground red peppers are blended together with some walnuts and bread crumbs, then seasoned with pomegranate molasses and a few tasty herbs and spices, making a perfect hearty condiment when served with some nice bread. I'll be sneaking in a few tricks from the classic preparation of romesco sauce too, to make this version truly original. The simple ingredient list here allows the flavors of each to shine through, and although those flavors might sound a bit adventurous, this dish is quite easy to like, even for picky eaters.

Our focus this week is definitely my CYPRIOT LEMON-CORIANDER CHICKEN. Why is it "my" chicken dish? Because it doesn't technically exist in this form, but I'm not just making things up on a whim over here. There's a classic dish in Cyprus called afelia, which involves pork marinated with lots of coriander seeds and braised in red wine. It's a fine dish, no doubt, but it's a touch heavy and a touch simplistic for this menu. But could we translate the soul of the dish into a warming braised chicken dish? We absolutely can. Tender light and dark meat (we need both), marinated with a very healthy dose of coriander seeds and then braised in an excellent homemade chicken stock along with garlic, lemon, and olive oil. The coriander perfumes the chicken just right, and the lemon keeps things bright while the olive oil ensures things are nice and rich. We need just one more thing to make this feel complete, and that'll be some zippy sumac-marinated onions to go on top after the chicken comes out of your oven. If you're into warming chicken dishes but want something that's just unique enough, this is your dish.

Chicken and rice is a classic for a reason, and I'm not one to fight that. While I thought about doing "plain" rice for about 17 seconds for this week's menu, I think we can do some rice that's worthy enough in its own right, while still being comfortable as a "supporting actor" to the star of the menu. The rice I have in mind is a bit of a mashup of a few different classic rices from the region, so we're just going to call it MIDDLE EASTERN "GREEN" RICE. The "base" is nicely seasoned basmati rice, but it's the finish that's the really special part. I'll be finishing this with a gigantic handful of various fine-chopped fresh herbs, turning the rice bright green, then accentuating the herby rice with sauteed chickpeas and roasted onions to keep things grounded, and a touch of currants for a sweet-tart contrast. This rice is fully worthy of being its own meatless entree, but it'll shine even more as an accompaniment to our star this week.

We're missing exactly one thing to make this meal complete, and that is something cool and creamy. Some CHILLED CUCUMBER-YOGURT SALAD should fix that right up. This dish is simple, but that's the whole point. I'll salt the cucumbers to concentrate their flavor and make sure things don't get too watery, then dress those with a garlic-yogurt sauce, and finish things off with some fresh cherry tomatoes and a touch of lime. Cool, refreshing, and great with the other menu items this week.

Ever had halva? I won't go on about it, but it's what should be the dessert for this menu. It's super popular and all that, but I don't want to make it, and... (shhhh, don't tell anyone this next part)... I've never had fantastic halva. Maybe fantastic halva exists, but one dessert that is fantastic is SURPRISINGLY GREAT TAHINI BROWNIES. Excellent dark Belgian chocolate makes the base for these brownies, and then in a big nod to halva I'll be swirling in some sweet tahini and sprinkling some coarse sea salt on top. Some brownie variations are weird, and I do admit that this one sounds weird, but let me tell you: dark chocolate and sesame are a wonderful flavor pairing, especially in desserts like this. These brownies keep the theme alive all the way through dessert, and are... surprisingly great.