Thursday, July 05, 2007

On the pleasures of food

I just saw Ratatouille with my daughter....and loved it. Probably more than she did. It's all about the philosophy of food--which I've been trying for ages to explain to my students--but it really translates to a philosophy of life. Which is: if it makes you happy, it's worth it. It's worth every moment it takes and every dime it costs to create. Happiness is worth the effort.

Which is really how I've always felt about food. I love to cook...because I love good food. For the most part, I won't eat junk food--potato chips, prepared dips (hence my Sabra disgust!), store-bought cookies, etc. etc. If it's worth it to eat it, it's worth it to prepare it.....right.

SO. Here is my painstakingly slow--but oh-so-worth-it--recipe for hummus. It takes ALL DAY. But oh MAN is it good. And good for you. Eat it with red peppers and fresh little organic plum tomatoes....maybe on a rye crisp if you're really feeling decadent.

I based the recipe on Paula Wohlfert's.

Hummus:

1 1/2 C dried chick peas
1 tsp sea salt
3 garlic cloves, peeled
3/4 C tahini (quality matters.....I like Roland; my least favorite is Arrow Mills)
1/2 C lemon juice
1 tsp cayenne

Rinse the chick peas to remove the clods of earth that like to disguise themselves as beans. If you don't you'll regret it. Then cover the beans with water, put in a pan, and boil, covered, for THREE WHOLE HOURS, or until your place is hot and steamy and you're bored out of your mind. Be careful to keep checking to make sure your water hasn't boiled off; burnt garbanzo beans are the worst.

After the beans are soft, scoop off 1/2 C of the water and reserve for later. Then rinse the beans in cold water and remove the skins. This will take a lot of time and will probably cause your neck to cramp. Watch your beans diminish by half.

Now you're ready to make hummus.

Press the garlic cloves through a press into a food processor. Add the sea salt, the cayenne, and the tahini, and whiz until blended. Add the lemon juice and whiz again. The stuff will emulsify into a very nifty-looking white, thickened sauce. Add the 1/2 C reserved bean-water, and process until completely smooth. Add the beans. Whiz until smooth.

You're done! There's no substitute for hummus made from dried (rather than canned) beans. It's worth all the effort.

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