During the summer months, there seems to be a low on the amount of culinary exploration that happens at my house. Now that the air has turned colder and the leaves are changing, I'm certain that will be changing soon.
A co-worker of mine recently had a old copy of Cooks Illustrated and she showed me a recipe for hummus. Being a big fan of Middle Eastern food, I had to try it. I have made it twice so far and each time the hummus came out rich and creamy. The keys: use the correct ingredients and build an emulsion with the beans and the tahini/olive oil.
3 tablespoons lemon juice (juice from 1 or 2 lemons)
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons tahini
1 14 oz. can of garbanzos or chick peas, drained and rinsed
(I used Bushes Beans, C.I. recommended Goya, but they did not have that brand in my supermarket)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine lemon juice and water. In another bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil and tahini. Set aside.
In a food processor, add the beans, garlic, salt, cumin and cayenne pepper. Process beans for around 15 seconds or until they are a course grind. Scrape down the sides of the food processor bowl. With the food processor running, drizzle in the water/lemon juice mixture through the shoot of the food processor. Let the mixture combine for around 1 minute. Stop the food processor and scrape down the sides. start the food processor again and drizzle in the olive oil/tahini mixture. Run the food processor until the mixture is smooth, around 15 seconds.
Transfer mixture to a serving bowl and cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer. Serve drizzled with olive oil and warm pita bread.
