So Much More Than a Bagel Topping

Outside of lemon-poppy seed muffins and poppy seed bagels (oh, those ubiquitous office breakast staples!), the tiny black seeds of the poppy flower are often overlooked in American cuisine. In this month's Saveur, Gabriella Gershenson writes beautifully about how the nutty, dense seeds are used by the cupful in Italy and Eastern Europe.

The article is accompanied by a recipe for her grandfather's mak pirog, a yeasted rolled dough from the Czech Republic filled with poppy seeds ground to release their flavor: "sweet and vaguely floral, but dark, too, with hints of earth and nuts." And if "less is more" describes your culinary philosophy, no worries -- there's also a recipe for tagliatelle with poppy seeds and prosciutto that makes the most of a spoonful or two.

Flower Power - Saveur