On Feb 21, 1:57*pm, "Felice" > wrote:
> Here's my first attempt. It seemed basic, and I guess it is, so it turned
> tasty but a bit in the bland side.
>
> 2 cups chickpeas (dried and cooked until soft)
> 1/2 cup well-stirred Al Wahdi tahini, from Lebanon
> 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
> 2 good-sized garlic cloves
> juice of 1 lemon
> a bunch of salt and some white pepper
>
> I added quite a but of olive oil to keep it moving in the processor (it
> wouldn't budge in the blender, and was THAT a nasty job scraping it out and
> transferring it). I've seen a number of other suggestions -- lemon zest,
> chili powder, cumin, paprika -- but decided to go basic the first time
> around. Middle Eastern is not my forte.
>
> So can anyone help me jazz it up a bit?
>
> Felice

Cumin is one of the secret ingredients. I'd go with another clove or
two of garlic. Basic hummus is a pretty mild paste. Salt for that
much of a mix would be around 1 teaspoon. Just enough to keep it from
being blah.

I'll use hummus in a sandwich with tomato and lettuce I don't see
what the hooha is about roasted red peppers or 40-spice.

I admit to not using that much oil. Water, pot likker from the beans,
even yogurt are all good for thinning it.

My favorite recipe calls for adding the lemon, tahini, garlic and
spices first, then adding the peas slowly until you get the
consistency you like, then adding whichever liquid you chose (or a
mix) and add that until it's right, alternating with the rest of the
peas.

I'll admit, none has ever tasted as good as the hummus we had in a
small cafe in Rafidia. The chickpeas tasted almost toasted.

maxine in ri