Actually Good Homemade Hummus

Hummus isn’t something you can really wing, which is something I’ve learned repeatedly the hard way. I made hummus today and religiously followed instructions and it turned out great. The older I get the more I hate being told what to do, so it felt like a small victory over my ego.

Anyways, the pandemic rages on, Bernie dropped out of the race today, our tiny new dog BooBoo (obviously I named him) chewed up my headphones and also the window blinds today (and acted guilty but not repentant) and I tried to do many things today but found myself staring into space for several hours, until I realized I was ultimately just bored & tired of my own boring thoughts. (Ha time to get some new ones!) So many people are struggling so much in the world it feels sort of gross to even admit that I have the luxury of being bored right now, but that doesn’t make it less true. 

To be perfectly honest, being bored feels good. The past few years everything has felt like it keeps getting faster and faster, with no end in sight. Work and work and work and work some more and when I could be doing nothing I always end up doing something or going to a birthday party or whatever. I never have the opportunity to get bored.  

I feel like a kid.

I feel like it’s 1996 or some other similarly inoffensive year.

We talk to the neighbors over the fence. Jakey bought me sidewalk chalk so I can draw stars and planets and “RIP JOHN PRINE” up our walkway. We clean together, and sweep the floor, take the tiny dog on long walks late at night. Blooming tree shadows sweep over the empty streets that are still dimly lit with the same ancient, buzzing orange lights—I find them comforting. I am relearning what it means to sit with myself, what it’s like to face the question of who I really am when stripped of most of the things I “do.” I don’t want to take it lightly but I don’t want to take it heavy either. It’s good to be still.

I made my hummus from dried chickpeas because I have a lot of time right now & also because I like to overachieve. I tripled this recipe because why make one cup of hummus when you could make six cups of hummus. I felt that the proportions were good, the ideal middle ground of hummus (not too beany, not too zingy) so you can adjust as you see fit.

Anyways.

May you be safe.

May you be well.

May you be happy.

May you live with ease.

Actually Good Homemade Hummus via inspiredtaste.net

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas or 1 1/2 cups (250 grams) cooked chickpeas

1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice (1 large lemon)

1/4 cup (60 ml) well-stirred tahini

1 small garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt to taste

2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 ml) water

Dash ground paprika or sumac, for serving

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the tahini and lemon juice and process for 1 minute, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl then process for 30 seconds more. This extra time helps “whip” or “cream” the tahini, making the hummus smooth and creamy.

Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the whipped tahini and lemon juice. Process for 30 seconds, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl then process another 30 seconds or until well blended. Open, drain, and rinse the chickpeas. Add half of the chickpeas to the food processor and process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl, then add remaining chickpeas and process until thick and quite smooth; 1 to 2 minutes.

Most likely the hummus will be too thick or still have tiny bits of chickpea. To fix this, with the food processor turned on, slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water until you reach the perfect consistency.

Taste for salt and adjust as needed. Serve hummus with a drizzle of olive oil and dash of paprika. Store homemade hummus in an airtight container and refrigerate up to one week.

April 08, 2020