Classic Hummus

When Suzie and I decided to have a Mediterranean theme for our celebration dinner, I knew that I wanted to make homemade hummus for an appetizer. I first tried fresh hummus when I was in college working at a coffee and wine bar. The owner was Lebanese, and every day she brought over several fresh servings of hummus for us to sell to patrons. One bite of Mrs. Cerone's hummus and I was hooked. There were several nights when I would take a plate home after work for my dinner. Just pita, carrots, and fresh hummus.

Since college I have tried several hummus recipes, and while few can compare to Mrs. Cerone's, this one comes awefully close. I found this recipe on Food & Wine's website and I've made some changes to spice it up a bit. This hummus is best served with pita chips or carrot sticks either as an appetizer or throw in some cheese and fruit for a light meal.

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Classic Hummus


Ingredients
1 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained with 1 tablespoon of liquid reserved
2 large garlic cloves, pressed
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup tahini
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika, plus more for garnish
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions
Combine the chickpeas with the liquid, garlic, lemon juice, tahini in a food processor.

Puree until it makes a chunky paste.

 Scrape down the sides and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, paprika, cumin and salt.

Puree until smooth.

Place on a plate or in a bowl and sprinkle with paprika and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil.

 Serve with pita chips or carrot and celery sticks.

Our appetizer spread for the dinner party: Cheese, hummus, eggplant dip (recipe coming tomorrow) and pita chips. Yum!

Source: Adapted from Food & Wine