I made this vegan parmesan focaccia recipe for a couple of dedicated carnivores on a Saturday afternoon a couple of weekends ago while we were killing time before a concert (and killing a bottle of meaty Spanish red). Served with olives on the side, it was a perfect accompaniment for bad jokes and general BS about our exploits over the last three decades. The loaf lasted just about as long as the wine, which is exactly how you want it. More

I think of tapenade in somewhat the same way that I think about pesto. Both are fairly simple to make -- you just combine a bunch of interesting ingredients in a food processor and let them mingle with eachother. Another similarity is the richness of the the flavours, flavours so rich in fact that you might be a little put off by their intensity and unfamiliarity the first time you taste them. Foods that start out being too intense to love often become my favourites with repeated tasting. More