Many consider the best part of Thanksgiving to be the side dishes, which is why I don’t understand why they are often as boring and bland as the turkey itself. Creamed green beans? Gelatinous cranberries?
If only we turn to the dips of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine for our Thanksgivings, Novembers would be a lot better. Could you imagine a platter of hummus and labneh in place of dry stuffing?
Nili in Brooklyn is a popular little café and coffee shop from the Miss Ada team with great pastries and lunch options. But in the fridge off the corner of the café, you can find prepared food including a plastic container of their ethereal baba ganoush.
This smoked eggplant dip, which is served with some truly fluffy pita bread, is unlike any others I’ve tried. The eggplant is creamy and smooth – perfect for dipping or eating with a fork. The smoke is muted here, but it’s replaced with the addition of a ginger aioli which provides a pleasant tang and finishes with a sweet heat. The dip is topped off with the requisite za’atar seasoning.
Baba ganoush is not what most think of as a Thanksgiving side dish, but the ginger was reminiscent of warming fall spices. And if every Thanksgiving holiday table could have a serving of this dish, everybody would be a convert, I guarantee it. Price: $8
| NILI |
| 360 Smith Street (between 1st Place and 2nd Place), Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn (929) 295-0606 |
| nilibk.com |
