The Hummus Habit

When my friend Julie recently referred to her favorite hummus as Crack Hummus, I thought, "Touché pretty lady, touché." Now, I know I shouldn't make light of a drug problem, yet I can't help but wonder if beneath my hankerin' for hummus there lies a hardcore habit in the making...one I'm not quite ready to quit.

And never one to hummus alone, I called my Tart and she ran right over. After handing the baby to her hub of course. We would NEVER hummus in front of a child.

In lieu of our usual recipe, we decided to take it up a notch and googled 'best hummus ever'. The first recipe from Epi-log on epicurious.com was originally created by Mitchell Davis and then adapted by Melissa Clark. We messed with the measurements and halved it in an effort to keep our craving under control.

Crack Hummus

slightly adapted by the Tarts

(printable recipe)

1/2 tsp. cumin seed

1 garlic clove

1 15 oz. can chick peas, drained

1/3 cup tahini

juice of one lemon

pinch of chili powder

* approx. 1/4 cup olive oil

sea salt to taste

black pepper to taste

Toast cumin seed in a skillet over medium-low heat, until dark. Be careful not to burn. Transfer to a mortar and pestle or a Mexican molcajete and pound into a powder. Add garlic and pound until they become a paste. Scrape into food processor or blender along with chick peas, tahini, lemon juice and chili powder and pulse or blend. Add oil in a stream until well mixed.

*I actually let the oil stream straight from the bottle until it has the consistency I prefer. If you'd like it more exact, start with 1/4 cup and then add more oil if need be.

Next, add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl, lightly drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with more chili powder or paprika and serve with your choice of carrots, cucumber slices or pita...

...and enjoy. We sure did.

Well friends, until we crack again...