Open Sesame

Easy Creamy Toasted Sesame Sauce for Rice, Pasta or Salad, etc.

A great recipe for a very simple and versatile sauce!


Mayonnaise- ½  cup. Use homemade or store bought. I prefer Trader Joe’s Real Mayo
Toasted Sesame Oil-20 Drops
Lemon Juice ½ -1 fresh whole lemon squeezed without pits
Soy Sauce-1 teaspoon
Tahini-2 teaspoons
Chili Powder –1/4 teaspoon

Add all ingredients together and stir.
Add a small amount of water to thin if necessary.
Adjust amounts of ingredients to suite your fancy.


Remember to sample on the rice, pasta, salad, etc. you will be serving this sauce on before serving to adjust for seasonings and consistency.

Open Sesame

Honestly, I’ve lost track of just how many times I have been asked by friends and clients who are impressed with my passionate commitment i.e. obsession with great food, and who are dying to know which products I recommend and how I cook with them at home for my daughter and myself. They know and yes, I unashamedly admit, that I have eaten my way through many gourmet stores, excitedly tasting samples of breads, oils, jams, fruits, etc. painstakingly cut and, more times than not, minced up (due to their cost), skewered with tiny toothpicks and waiting to be popped into my waiting mouth. Yum.

With enthusiasm that rivals that of the actual act of eating, I shyly confess that I love the thrill of the hunt—the satisfaction of sniffing out and discovering these tasty treasures strategically placed around my local gourmet food store. I have allowed myself to “feast” on these mini examples of delectible artisanal goods we are blessed with in the Bay Area guilt-free because, as you might have guessed -- I have on many occasions happily emptied my pockets (much to my former husband’s dismay) and freely purchased the many intriguing products lining the shelves with, do I need really need to say- total disregard for their price or practical use. I know one day I invent or discover a recipe that demands the cream of anchovy with toasted hazelnut spread I have keep in my cupboard for the last 3 years.

Furthermore, I confess that I indulge my food hunting instincts in less than---well---noble surroundings.

Recently, on another rainy February day, I left my house on a quest for toothpaste and hair detangler (a clever pretense in retrospect) I “surprised” myself by inexplicable drawn to what seemed at the time the uninhabited hinterlands of the new CVS (formerly Long’s Drugstore) at the shopping mall at 51st and Broadway. There I stood in the back area of the store near the paper goods feeling lost and lonely when suddenly, I felt strangely excited.

“Yes, yes, I said to myself, I have had felt this heady feeling before- it’s that tingling, that energy that courses through my body when the foodie bloodhound in me picks up the scent of a gourmet treat tantalizing near. But how, I asked myself, could this be happening in of all places-- CVS??”

Knowing myself I knew better than to try fight  “the feeling” off I went with my umbrella happily wagging behind me, hot on the trail of something I knew deep in the pit of my stomach, just had to be special.

Surrendering fully, I completely stopped thinking and let my “nose” lead the way. Past the hot curlers, aisles of cleaning products, colorful work-out clothing I trotted when suddenly I felt a chill run up and down my spine. My ears perked up, my heart was pounding and my nose twitched ever so slightly.

I turned the corner and found hidden in the deep recesses of this utilitarian and somewhat sterile store a veritable treasure trove of interesting food!

As they say in France, Who nous???

Down an eerily empty aisle of neatly displayed groceries I flew, discovering shelf after shelf of unexpected goodies including some exciting ethnic offerings. I did a quick overview tour and then settled down to slowly peruse my thrilling new found food cache.

Almost immediately the “stop shopping” ping pong match began to take place in my head-- and images of my overflowing cupboards full of strange condiments and weirdly shaped stale pasta that I couldn’t encourage even my best friends to sample came rushing into my brain. Quickly I countered—“Okay, okay, I’ll just look” brilliantly adding, “I know I have less than an hour because I had to pick up my daughter at 2:50 from school”.  Just enough time to look but not do significant damage to my quickly shrinking bank account.

Feeling strong and responsible, I calmly regained my composure, took a deep breath and allowed myself to plunge head first into my self-appointed task. Painstakingly I attempted to examine and to memorize each and every item on the shelves of the entire food section just in case I might need it  in the future—didn’t I see a recipe last week that called for a particular kind of mustard—smoked—the Bulgarian variety?

Suddenly a bottle seemed to leap off the shelf and into my waiting hands. No, not a jar of strange and probably inedible mustard, but , oh joy, a bottle of toasted sesame oil! Not just sesame oil, the toasted version!!!!

Could it be the good stuff?

I glanced up and down both sides of the aisle to make sure I wasn’t being noticed as I quietly screwed the top off. Glancing around once again I used my impeccably clean fingernail to illegally pry the little white seal from the top of the bottle. After all, I consider it was my duty as a chef to sniff for freshness a product that can easily be flavorless or worse, rancid. All this sneaky stuff was worth it--I was rewarded with an aroma I know and love so very much—sinfully rich, wonderfully nutty and deeply exotic. Once, again, I inhaled deeply. No mistake. My work was done. I tightened the cap, added it to my basket, let out a quite “yip” I was sure no one would hear and quickly padded my way to the nearest register.

Post Script: A store clerk who had been stocking the shelves one aisle over stared as I passed by. I ignored her, held my head high and headed to my car to pick up my daughter and then home to make one of my favorite recipes.

Chef’s Note: Although I enjoyed this product, for best results please considered purchasing Eden Select Toasted Sesame Oil. It is of the highest quality and well worth a special trip to the Berkeley Bowl. You can also purchase online at www.edenfoods.com