If you too judge a dip by whether you'd like to bathe in it, then this one's a victor.

Muhammara (emphasize the 'ham' but pronounce it 'hum,' make the 'r' sound like a 'd', and just have faith) comes from Aleppo, Syria--home to the gently hot, but also fruity, semi-dried pepper that's never absent from my spice carousel.

So when it goes for a twirl with roasted red peppers, walnuts, breadcrumbs, pomegranate molasses, and sundry others while your pita or lavash or naan or focaccia or baguette or arepa or crescent rolls (immaterial) pep up in the oven?

Just be sure to use a bowl big enough to accommodate you and Archimedes.

Muhammara

Serves 4-6

3 roasted red peppers, deskinned, deseeded, and patted dried
3/4 cup walnuts, lightly toasted
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs, lightly toasted (I used some aging whole wheat pita)
2 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses
juice of one small lemon
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. Aleppo pepper (or cayenne or red pepper flakes)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil, maybe more
Italian parsley and/or fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Combine all ingredients up to the olive oil in a food processor (holding back a few walnuts for garnish) and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides and encouraging a team mentality.

Slowly stream in the olive oil until you achieve a bathable consistency. Taste and adjust for flavor or Scoville level.

Gussy it up with walnut pieces and a flurry of parsley and/or mint.