After I hit the record button for the last time of the day I’ll sit down and eat my creation, hungry and death staring the mess I’m about to clean up. Here’s the truth though: I don’t always enjoy eating the dish I just got done filming. When I’m making these dishes, I thinking about it, I’m looking at it, I’m smelling the smells over and over again and by the time it’s ready, I feel like I’ve already experienced the dish. I’ll eat it though and I’ll recognize it tastes good, but in that moment I’m no longer craving it. This is also part of the reason why I enjoy watching people eat my food more than me actually eating it.And don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful to have something to eat at all in the first place–I’m blessed to be somebody to have this not so much of a problem. These dishes are the product of me doing my favorite thing in the world as my career and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Though there is one type of dish I will always enjoy eating after a long day of filming, and it’s the stewy, slow-cooked dishes usually eaten with rice. They’re homey and comforting, and since most of the time put into the dish is setting it aside and waiting for it to cook, I’ll be excited to eat it by the end.I was stuck on what dish to film on this day. I’ll usually make dishes that I think would stand out and look cool but today I asked myself–what am I craving? I decided to make this delicious eggplant stewed in a garlicky, spicy tomato sauce. It’s something I’ve made before but just as an appetizer for private dinners I’ve done. I wanted to turn it into a meal though, so I went with some shawarma-spiced crispy chickpeas to make it more satisfying but also introduce some texture to the soft eggplant. Okay, that’s an idea–but it’s missing something. Tahini–it brings some creaminess into the dish that contrasts the acidic, spicy tomato sauce. Perfection. Every bite of this was a full experience that hit every note you look for in a dish.