Recipe: Hummus

I learned to make Hummus from Ellen's daughter Karen, who has a penchant for Mediterranean cuisine.  It's an easy recipe to make, but it's also easy to screw up.  When I did my grocery shopping yesterday, I couldn't find an essential ingredient for hummus: tahini sauce.  This afternoon I visited a store which specialized in Mediterranean foodstuffs, and naturally there were several brands of tahini.  I chose one and two hours later my hummus was ready to eat.  In short, it was perfect.  Here's the recipe.



2 16 ounce cans of Garbanzo Beans (AKA Chick Peas)
4 Tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice
2-3 Garlic Cloves
½ Cup Tahini Sauce
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

When you shop, buy three (3) cans of Garbanzo Beans, not just two.  One can is held in reserve in case the hummus gets too garlicky for your taste, or you thin it out too much and want a thicker consistency.

• Open 2 cans of  Garbanzo Beans and drain them, reserving the liquor in a measuring cup or similar vessel.
• Juice the lemons and peel the garlic cloves.
• Combine lemon juice, garlic cloves, olive oil, and about ½ cup of the Garbanzo Bean liquor in the bowl of the food processor.
• Put the cover on the food processor and lock it down.  If you fail to do this, you'll have a mess.
• Turn the food processor on high and run it until the ingredients are very thoroughly combined, about three minutes.  This mixture will look kind of frothy and foamy.
• Add the tahini sauce to the food processor and blend it in, again making sure that it's all combined nicely.
• Add the Garbanzo beans. I usually turn the processor on and slowly add one can, then add some Garbanzo Bean liquor until the mixture smooths out.  Add the second can and repeat the procedure, adding liquor until the consistency looks smooth.  This gives the hummus a nice texture.

Note that the order of the ingredients is important.  Combine the lemon, garlic, and olive oil first, then add the tahini, and then finally add the Garbanzo beans.

Taste test the hummus and see what you think.  If it has too much garlic, drain the liquor from the third can of Garbanzo Beans and add about half the can; blend it in well and taste it again.  You can also add lemon juice or olive oil to taste, being careful to add a little at a time.

Serve this in a bowl with sliced vegetables and pita bread for dipping.