Open Sesame: 45 Sweet & Savory Recipes for Tahini & All Things Sesame

Get creative with these 45 recipes—each with a unique sesame twist—in this stylish, palate-pleasing Middle Eastern cookbook with global inspirations.

Like a little black dress, tahini can seamlessly transition from day to night, from savory to sweet. Reimagine how tahini can fit into your everyday repertoire with all the style and whimsy from the host of the James Beard Award-nominated Your Last Meal podcast Rachel Belle. 

This creamy, nutty ingredient is more than just a cult condiment du jour: 

• It's an allergy-friendly nut substitute!
• Replaces dairy in vegan dishes! 
• Full of heart-healthy fats, plant-based protein, and chock-full of essential vitamins!
• Adds a roasty-toasty, elevated flavor to many desserts!

Sprinkle some sesame sparkle into your life with recipes that Isaac Mizrahi calls "slightly insane" but "irresistible," including:

• Everything-Including-the-Bagel Salad
• Falafel-Spiced Tahini Deviled Eggs with Crispy Chickpeas
• Chocolate Miso Whoopie Pies with Tahini Cream
• and, of course, Ethereally Creamy Israeli-Style Hummus (now available in traditional, golden, and hot pink!)

This inventive cookbook puts a global twist on a Middle Eastern staple—with a robust (and surprising) dessert section to please even the most jaded tahiniphile.

Rachel Belle is the creator and host of Your Last Meal podcast, a James Beard Award finalist, and host of The Nosh with Rachel Belle, a food-themed TV show on Seattle's Cascade PBS. She spent twenty years as a broadcast journalist, winning the national Edward R Murrow Award for news radio feature reporting; was named Seattle's Best FM Radio Personality by Seattle Weekly; and did a bunch of food writing for many publications that no longer exist (loved you, Lucky Peach!) Rachel is an enthusiastic home cook and cookbook recipe tester who especially loves cooking in campervans and over campfires. She doesn't believe in blueberry bagels and pets every single cat she sees. Her relatives claim to have invented both the tube top and the bagel dog. She lives in Seattle, Washington.