In Nice, France, they call this crêpe socca. The crêpes are made from chickpea flour, which can be found in Santa Fe at Whole Foods Market, La Mañtanita Coop Food Market and a few other stores.

Chickpea crêpes are served hot with plenty of freshly ground black pepper and sometimes lots of grated Parmesan cheese. Sortun likes to use cumin in them because she believes it pairs beautifully with chickpeas.

These crêpes aren't as thin as French crêpes, but are thinner than American breakfast pancakes — about 1/8-inch thick. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, they are delicious. You can make the crêpes ahead of time and warm them in the oven with the cheese and oil just before serving.

CHICKPEA CREPES
(Makes six 8-inch crêpes)

1-1/2 cups chickpea flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1-1/2 cups water
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil plus about 3 tablespoons for cooking and drizzling
4 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the chickpea flour, salt, pepper and cumin. Whisk to combine. Slowly whisk in the water and continue whisking until it forms a batter. You may see some small lumps that will dissolve while the crêpes are cooking, but whisk the mixture until it is as smooth as possible.

Whisk in the 1/4 cup olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the cheese, and let the mixture sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes.

Using an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium high heat, heat 1 teaspoon of oil and add a little less than 1/2 cup of the batter to the pan, swirling the pan so the batter evenly coats the bottom of the pan to the edges. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the batter crisps around the edges and the crêpe flips easily without breaking. It needs to cook a bit longer than most pancakes or crêpes because the chickpea flour is dense. Make sure the first side is a little brown, and then flip and cook the other side for 2 to 3 minutes.

Place the crêpes in a single layer on a heavy baking sheet, the smoother side facing up.

Repeat the crêpe-making process until the batter is gone. If you use a smaller skillet, you may make more chickpea crêpes.

Sprinkle each crêpe with a little of the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan and drizzle less than a teaspoon of olive oil over each. Bake for about 4 minutes until the edges crisp up and the cheese melts. Cut each crêpe into 4 to 6 wedges and serve immediately with more freshly ground pepper.



Emily Swantner says this carrot dish, which Ana Sortun calls Carrot Purée, is known as houriya in Arabic.

Sortun says she learned about the Egyptian spice mix called dukkah when she worked with Claudia Roden, a chef who grew up in Egypt but now lives in London, who was delivering a lecture on Middle Eastern food at Boston University. The two added coconut to the spice and nut mixture, offering a twist on the more traditional version.

Dukkah is incredibly versatile, Sortun says. It can be eaten as a bread condiment along with olive oil, but it's also delicious on seared sea scallops and duck or in a salad of raw fennel and orange. Dukkah is also fantastic in the summer sprinkled on sliced tomatoes.

If you buy ready-to-use harissa, Swantner says, taste it before adding it to the carrot purée. If it's not chile-hot, add any pure red chile pepper powder, to taste.'

CARROT PUREE AND EGYPTIAN SPICE MIX WITH NUTS
AND OLIVE OIL
(Serves 8)

For the Carrot Purée:
2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch lengths
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for dipping
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
4 teaspoons harissa*
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan over high heat, cover the carrots with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the carrots and return them to the saucepan. Cook for 30 seconds over medium heat to thoroughly dry them. Remove the carrots from the heat and pulse them in a food processor for a very few seconds. You should have a coarsely ground carrot purée that has rough pieces throughout.

Stir in the olive oil, vinegar, harissa, cumin and ginger. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.



Ana Sortun says harissa is a North African condiment or chile paste that gives a little zip to a dish. Use it as a cocktail sauce or whisk it into broths or soups with as heavy a hand as you like.

However, what Emily Swantner calls her "faux harissa" is the recipe offered here. She says she has friends who are addicted to this paste.

If you don't want to make your own, you can buy ready-made harissa at The Spanish Table, 109 N. Guadalupe St. or Ziggy's International Market,1003 Pen Road (in the shopping center that houses Tiny's Restaurant & Lounge and Susan's Fine Wine & Spirits).

FAUX HARISSA

1-1/2 cups Asian chile-garlic sauce
1 tablespoon garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 tablespoon dried mint
1 medium bunch cilantro, washed and dried
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Additional extra-virgin olive oil as needed

Process to a paste the first eight ingredients in a food processor fitted with a steel blade.

Store in a glass jar and cover with a thin film of extra-virgin olive oil.

Harissa may be stored in the refrigerator for two to three months. Cover with a light film of extra-virgin olive oil after each use.

DUKKAH
(Egyptian Spice Mix with Nuts and Olive Oil)

1/2 cup blanched almonds
3 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup unsweetened dried shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a medium skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds until golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer the almonds to a work surface to cook, and then finely chop them.

Put the coriander and cumin seeds in the same skillet and toast, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer the seeds to a spice grinder and allow them to cool completely before coarsely grinding.

In a medium bowl, combine the almonds with the ground spices.

Put the sesame seeds in the skillet and toast them over medium heat, stirring until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the spice grinder.

Toast the coconut in the skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the coconut to the grinder and let it cool completely.

Grind the sesame seeds and coconut to a coarse powder. Combine with the almond and spice mixture and season with salt and pepper.


To serve: Serve the dukkah and carrot purée in separate bowls with the chickpea crêpes.