Recipes Red Pepper and Walnut Dip with Fennel Spears Be the first to rate & review! Muhammara, a Middle Eastern dip with a spicy kick, is traditionally served with pita bread or roasted meats, but Chris Hanna likes it with the crunch of fennel. By Chris Hanna Chris Hanna Chris Hanna is an award-winning winemaker and President of Hanna Winery in Sonoma County, California. She wrote The Winemaker Cooks: Menus, Parties, and Pairings, which was a 2011 IACP finalist for Best American Cookbook. Her recipes have been featured in Saveur, Imbibe, The Tasting Panel, and others.Experience: Chris Hanna grew up in the Sonoma countryside learning how to grow fruits and vegetables and raise chickens on 12 acres of land that would eventually inspire her father to turn their family hobby of winemaking into Hanna Winery. She took over management of the family business in 1993, directing the winery's growth and cultivating a national reputation for award-winning wines. Chris had also become known as a consummate host with a talent for cooking, so much so that Food & Wine featured her recipes for a piece on outdoor entertaining. This gave Chris the idea to write a cookbook using the casual lifestyle and bounty of fresh seasonal produce of wine country as the backdrop.In addition to running Hanna Winery, Chris teaches at Santa Rosa Junior College as an adjunct professor in the Wine Studies department. She has also held several nonprofit board positions, including President of the Sonoma County Vintners, Board Chair of Sonoma Academy, and Chairperson for the Sonoma County Showcase and Auction, a popular food and wine event.Education: Chris graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Creative Writing from Manhattanville College. Chris also did postgraduate work in business, viticulture, and enology. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on February 6, 2017 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Ngoc Minh Ngo Total Time: 25 mins Yield: 2 cups Ingredients 3 medium red bell peppers 3/4 cup walnuts (3 ounces) 1/4 cup crushed whole-wheat crackers 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 tablespoon chopped parsley Fennel bulbs, cored and cut in wedges Directions Light a grill. Grill the red bell peppers over moderately high heat, turning with tongs, until they're blackened all over. Transfer the charred peppers to a bowl and let them cool completely. Peel the peppers and discard the skins, seeds and cores. Coarsely chop the peppers. In a food processor, combine the peppers, walnuts, crushed crackers, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, cumin and Aleppo pepper and process until fairly smooth. With the machine on, add the 1 tablespoon of olive oil and process until creamy. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with the parsley. Serve the dip with the fennel wedges. Make Ahead The Red Pepper and Walnut Dip can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 2 days. Rate it Print