Hummus

As I was getting ready to start writing this, I realized that I didn't have any good opening pictures. Normally, I'll have some sort of plate up in mind when I'm making something for the blog. I'll be tossing around ideas all day at work about what I'm going to make and how I want to present it. This time, it was far different. I really wasn't planning on taking any pics at all. My only intention was just to make my lunch for work.

As much as I enjoy hummus, I was never that inclined to do a post on it. Let's face it, to make hummus, you throw some chickpeas and other stuff in a food processor and blend away. Not a whole lot of magic going on there. But, like that underrated indie movie that ends up winning all the big awards, it's the subtle little nuances that make hummus a special treat.

For me, hummus is something I love to indulge in. It's not even the great taste or the limitless ways to flavor it that sell me on it. The whole act of eating it is a treat unto itself. You tear a piece of warm bread off, dip, and enjoy.

Because I enjoy this so much, I tend not to make it for lunch at work because I like to take my time with it. At the job, it's eat now, taste later. Sometimes, though, it's good to have a nice treat during those 8 hours or more of hell.

I'm not giving out a recipe on this for numerous reasons. The first time I made hummus, I used a recipe. That was also the last time I used a recipe to make this. It's not that tough, and it really comes down to trial and error. You're gonna have to play around with it to get it where you like it. To be fair, here is a place to start if you want look for a recipe.

I start my hummus with canned chickpeas. You can go the fresh route and soak them overnight if you'd like. I'm pretty impatient though. If you go with the canned stuff, you gotta rinse them off good. I don't trust that brine they keep it in.

If you don't use chickpeas often, or at all, you might notice a translucent skin falling off a few of the peas as you are rinsing them. That's perfectly ok. Here's a closer look.

(side-note: Notice the kitty bowl in the pic? I really need to examine these pics better!) There's a bit of debate about the skin. Some people say lose the skin, some say leave it. From my searches on this topic, I feel that most westerners leave the skin on. It seemed like most people from everywhere else said lose the skin. To me, it's not a big deal to leave the skin on. If you want your hummus as smooth as silk, you have to peel them. There's no debating that.

The next thing you need is Tahini. To me, it ain't hummus until you add the tahini. It should look something like this:

Tahini is just ground sesame seeds. Nothing more, nothing less. For me, it just adds that extra "Umph!".

I buy all the stuff I need for this at a market in my local little India. I recommend you do the same. The jar I bought of tahini was about 4 bucks. I saw a smaller bottle at Ralph's for 11 dollars! What the fuck is that all about! So please, don't get reamed by the big markets! And don't be scared of the little culture-specific markets either. You can find some great things there.

This time around, roasted garlic was going to be the main flavor of the hummus. I also added some red onion to it and a touch of ancho chili powder. Then the usual cast of characters went in: Salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon juice and tahini.

Once everything is in the processor, this is what you do:

You use your finger, or any other appendage, and turn the machine on. Sometimes, when no one else is in the house, I might use that appendage that only a man has to turn the machine on. Don't freak out about it, I always keep those clorox bleach wipes around just for these special occasions.

If you keep the skins on, your hummus will look something like this:

It has a much smoother mouth-feel than how it looks there.

Honestly, the flavors worked well this batch. The garlic and chili balanced well together, along with enough lemon juice to brighten it all up. Everyone that tried it seemed to like it. I gave some to a few of my coworkers, and they all dug it.

On that last note, a quick story about my coworkers. I left a few of them some hummus and one round of naan to kill off during their lunch. When they finished their break, they said they didn't kill it all off and left me a little bread and hummus. Cool, right? That piece of bread they left was about 1 square inch big! Really guys?!?! Just kill it off next time, ok?

Then again, I appreciate the thought. :)

J. Miller