My dear husband woke me up with coffee in bed last Wednesday and the words, “Time to wake
up! Time to go to work!” I cannot tell you the last time I heard those
words, but I am guessing 1987.
We were
living in Abu Dhabi and I was working for a publishing company/advertising
agency called Apex Publishing. We did
the artwork for print ads, glossy four-color annual reports, published the
British Club magazine, among other jobs. It was a tiny enterprise with a sales manager, a couple of salesmen, one
accountant (who also answered the phones), one art director and one editor,
which was me.
Or perhaps it was
1988. Still in Abu Dhabi but I had
changed jobs and was working at the InterContinental Hotel as public relations
officer. Yep, that, friends, was the last
time I was paid for work. (But it was
also the time I discovered the joys of hummus.)
For the last two Wednesdays I
have been volunteering at the gift shop in the Community Service Association’s
facility in Maadi and it is great fun! I
get to rearrange the merchandise (local craft items made by charities and
non-government agencies to raise money for their programs), chat with all the
shoppers and run the cash register, which is really a money drawer with a tiny
key, and a computer with an Excel file. If you know me, you know what my favorite part of that job is.
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| Check it out! My desk with computer and my very own ID badge. |
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| Isn't it a lovely little shop?! |
Anyway, back to Abu Dhabi and hummus - the final part of the
three part series, Middle East Meal, which started with
shish tawook and
tabouli. I was saving the best for last
because hummus has been one of my favorite things to eat for 25 years. It's not hard so anyone can make it.
Ingredients
12 oz or 340g dried chickpeas
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon flakey sea salt (plus more to taste)
3 large cloves garlic, peeled
1/3 cup or 80ml tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/3 cup or 80ml extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for
serving)
4 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
Method
Either soak your chickpeas overnight or, in a metal or
heat-resistant bowl, cover them with twice their depth of boiling water and
then cover the bowl with a plate to keep the heat in. Let them soak for at least one hour.
After either soaking method, drain the water and put the
chickpeas in a pot with fresh water and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and simmer for about 1 1/2
hours or until the chickpeas are tender.
If you want really smooth hummus, you can gently squeeze the
chickpeas and remove the thin skins. If
I have some time on my hands and something good to watch on television, I do
this because it is a tedious, mindless task that goes perfectly with some Ellen
or perhaps a rerun of Friends, and it will get you the smoothest hummus
possible.
If you can’t be bothered, as I can’t most of the time, drain your chickpeas, reserving a few to garnish the serving bowl, and put them into a bowl deep enough for a hand blender to work without spewing the bowl contents all over you and the kitchen. (Or you can use a food processor, if you prefer.)
Add in 1 teaspoon of flakey sea salt, your garlic, tahini,
olive oil, lemon juice and about a half cup of water.
Using the hand blender, mix until you get a nice smooth paste.
Add a little more water if necessary. Taste the hummus and add more salt if it needs it.
This should be served in a shallow bowl with an indention in
the hummus for some extra olive oil.
Scatter the reserved chickpeas about.
(As you can see from the photos, I forgot this step.) Serve with some fresh Lebanese
flatbread. (Or even crudités like
carrots, broccoli or cauliflower to dip.)
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| Sorry about the shadows! |
