Please pass the hummus

I’ve been making hummus most every weekend since Christmas. It started out innocently enough with a little extra time at home around the holiday and this wish to cook more recipes from my growing cookbook collection. I settled on Jerusalem because it was already out for the amazing chocolate krantz cake that I made for our Christmas morning breakfast. (You can see how it turned out here and here.) A few page turns later, I was planning out a feast with more dishes than we could handle.

Wintertime is my favorite time to immerse myself in cooking projects. On a cold grey day, a warm kitchen seems like the perfect antidote to winter. In years past, I have pursued handmade breads, coaxed from bubbling starters. Sprouting greens and fermenting vegetables have also kept me busy through the winter months. But this year, cooking through the delicious recipes from Jerusalem seems to be my project.

As it seems to go around here, Sunday finds me in the kitchen with at least two too many recipes on the go. We’ve had meatballs, spiked with pinenuts and a tahini sauce, every rice dish listed, from the Iranian preparation, flecked with herbs, barberries and pistachios, to the rice and pasta recipe which won Blaise over. My fridge is well stocked with Persian cucumbers, parsley and mint for all manner of chopped salads. And I’ve become comfortable enough with the yogurt and tahini sauces that I strike out on my own, depending on my mood.

But no matter what I am making, I always set out a bowl of chickpeas to soak overnight. The recipe for basic hummus was an instant hit. This is not the hummus that I’ve grown accustom to at the grocery stores. This version is so creamy and smooth with just the right amount of fresh lemon juice to perk up the flavors. And when the hummus is freshly made, there is nothing quite like it.

We’ve been adding hummus and warm pita to our weekend snack bar, pairing it with fresh salad for a light lunch or serving a dollop of it alongside roasted cauliflower. We haven’t gone wrong so far. I hope you’ll give it a try

Hummus

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Adapted from Jerusalem

1 ¼ cups dried chickpeas
1 tsp baking soda
¾ cup tahini paste
6 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
6 ½ tbsp ice-cold water
Salt, to taste

The night before, place the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them with plenty of water. Be generous with the water.

The next day, drain the chickpeas and place in a medium saucepan, along with the baking soda and plenty of water. Bring to a boil and continue to cook at a medium-high setting. Skim off any foam or skins that float to the surface. Cooking time for the chickpeas will vary depending on the variety, freshness and soaking time. Start checking for doneness around 20 minutes, they should be quite tender and crushed easily between your fingers.

Once done, drain the chickpeas and rinse away any skins that remain. Place in a food processor and mix until a thick paste forms. With the machine still running, add the tahini, lemon juice and about 1 ½ teaspoons of salt. Slowly add in the ice water and continue mixing for about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust any flavors to your preference.

Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl and allow to rest for about 30 minutes before serving, covered with plastic wrap. Refrigerate any unused hummus and bring to room temperature before serving. Keeps well for about three days.