Hummus

Hummus is delicious and easy to make yourself. However, you will have your work cut out for you in the blending department (unless you have a food processor of sorts). 

I started with dried chick peas: SUPER cheap, something like $1/pound. Some say soak overnight, some say simmer. I didn't do it this time but I read a Nigella tip: make a paste of 1 tsp salt, 1tsp baking soda, and 1 tb of flour and add it to the chick peas. Soak overnight, then boil and simmer for 30 minutes...voila! tender chick peas.

You don't really need a recipe so just go by your flavor preferences. I used about 1/4 cup tahini for each 2 cups of chick peas, mix that in with garlic paste, salt, lemon juice, pepper, sundry herbs, and of course olive oil. blend well!  top with a little more oil and some red pepper..eat some with homemade crackers: toast some old bread in the oven with oil, pepper, and herbs. hummus hooray!

Here's the recipe I went from, it's out of the Silver Palate cookbook ( a specialty food store that used to be in the Upper West Side (I think West).

Hummus Bi Tahini

4 cups garbanzos (chick peas), drained (but you can hydrate your own)

1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste..available in many groceries/on curry hill

1/3 cup warm water

1/3 olive oil

juice of 2-3 lemons

4+ garlic cloves

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp ground cumin

freshly ground black pepper

process tahini, garbanzos, water, oil, lemon juice (anyway you like..food processor is prime)

add spices and alter to your wishes