Artsy Fartsy

On Saturday (remember back then when it was sunny and warm?) we had a wonderful late afternoon of sitting on the deck with friends and enjoying the homemade hummus I had just whipped up in my food processor. I know some of you are rolling your eyes, but seriously, if you love hummus, you need to try making it yourself. I found the recipe in this month’s Cooks Illustrated magazine. It requires simple and inexpensive ingredients and I made it in about two and a half minutes. The most exotic ingredient is Tahini which is a sesame paste that’s very much like peanut butter, and can be found in almost any grocery store. I bought mine at Stop & Shop in the natural foods section. It comes in a container the size of a jar of peanuts and should cost less than $5. Go find it, then make this hummus and die happy.

Restaurant-Style Hummus
from Cooks Illustrated May/June 2008

I added a bit more water than the original recipe suggested (1/4 cup) because I like a softer texture to my hummus. With 1/4 cup of water the hummus was still tasty, but it was dry and more of the consistency of paste.  You can decide what texture you like your humus and alter your water accordingly.

3 tablespoons lemon juice (or the juice from two lemons)
1/4 - 1/2 cup water (see note above)
6 tablespoons Tahini
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 14-oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
pinch of cayenne

1. Combine the lemon juice and water in one small bowl (or measuring cup). Combine the Tahini and olive oil in another small bowl (or measuring cup).
2. Process the chickpeas, garlic, salt, cumin, and cayenne in a food processor until almost fully ground, about 15 seconds. Scrape down the bowl, then with the machine running, pour in the lemon-water mixture and process for one minute. Scrape down the bowl again, then with the machine running, pour in the Tahini-oil mixture and process for another minute.
3. Transfer mixture to a bowl, cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes to let flavors blend. Then eat the whole bowl yourself, or be nice and share it with friends. It’s perfect with my new favorite chips, Tostitos gold corn chips. Mmmmm….

It would be nice if I had a picture of the hummus to share, but I was too busy shoveling it into my mouth to stop and take a picture.  Yes, it was that good.