Hummus among us...

I was fortunate enough to have a very diverse upbringing. My great-grandparents immigrated over from Lebanon before my Jidi was born and the Lebanese traditions, food, culture, and even what we called our grandparents (Jidi and Sitti) have been a huge part of my life. Some of my favorite memories are the time that I spent in the kitchen with my Sitti, learning how to make all of my favorite Lebanese dishes. 

I was raised in the Orthodox faith and each year, my hometown church holds an annual dinner that features the cuisines that my siblings and I all grew up with. This year is the 76th Annual celebration and will feature all of my childhood favorites: Kibba, Stuffed Grape Leaves, Roos and Yakhnee (Rice with Meat and Green Beans in a Tomato Sauce), Salad and Baklawa. While I won't get to be at home to enjoy the food and festivities, in honor of the annual dinner, I'd like to share one of my favorite Middle Eastern recipes-- hummus.

See, the thing is, you just can't go wrong with hummus. Whether serving as an appetizer at a dinner party, making it for a potluck dish or taking it to work for someone's birthday, I actually don't know if I have ever met a person who doesn't like hummus! The best thing about it is that you can make it your own. I prefer mine with a bit more tahini and a definitely more lemon juice. So, the lesson here is...feel free to use the guidelines below, but remember to make your own adjustments as necessary.

Hummus

-2 cans chickpeas, drained

-2-3 tbsp. minced garlic

-1/2 c. tahini

-1/3 c. olive oil

-1/4 c. lemon juice

-Dash of kosher salt

-Dash of pepper

Combine the chickpeas, garlic and tahini in a food processor. While it’s pureeing, add equal parts of olive oil and lemon juice through the top thing on the food processor until it reaches a smooth consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.