Hummus

I've made this recipe twice now, once just for myself and again for our holiday party. Some of our guests were shocked that I had made hummus from scratch; they said they never would have thought to make it. Well, the secret is out: homemade hummus is way better than store-bought, and it's incredibly easy to make. You basically just throw everything in the food processor and whirr it together until it's light and fluffy. My Cuisinart is miniature, so I blended in two batches.

This is a great traditional hummus recipe to use as a foundation, but you could easily add some other flavors by adding roasted red bell pepper, basil, or olives. I'll definitely try a red pepper variation next time!



By Mark Bittman, from The Best Recipes in the World

Makes 8 or more servings.

Ingredients:

2 cups drained well-cooked or canned chickpeas, liquid reserved
1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste), optional, with some of its oil
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus oil for drizzling
2 cloves garlic, peeled, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon ground cumin or paprika, or to taste, plus a sprinkling for garnish
Juice of 1 lemon, plus more as needed
Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Put everything except the parsley in a food processor and begin to process; add the chickpea liquid or water as needed to allow the machine to produce a smooth puree.

Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve, drizzled with the olive oil and sprinkled with a bit more cumin or paprika and some parsley.