Chick peas....
They're delicious right?
You've have probably had this versatile bean in at least two forms. Number one is probably hummus.
I love this Mediterranean dip for lots of things-dipping pita and raw veggies, on chicken or instead of mayonnaise on a sandwich. Hummus is protein rich which is perfect with a fiber kicking veggie.
But as good as hummus is which brand or type should you choose? That is part of my current dilemma.
Nothing is better than homemade hummus. As easy as it is I do not make it often enough. Every time I do I have massive quantities to give away to grateful college kids. A good/bad thing about hummus is that it doesn't last long. Good- no preservatives, bad-short shelf life.
In England I bought this stuff all the time at the Tescos and Whole Foods but it would only last 2 days and since my house blender was useless I had to be speedy with eating.
Here it can be a little difficult. When I must do store bought I like Tribe hummus. It has no preservatives and honestly has the nicest taste especially the Roasted Garlic variety. Now they even come in portable snack packs that are convenient and keep you hummus fresher. And they we are on sale.
But the one grocery store on the way home doesn't have Tribe Hummus. I had carrots, got mini bell peppers...and a different type of hummus.
Athenos. O-M-YUCK! Maybe it was the container I bought but it was disgusting! It had no flavor and tasted like the hummus in London that was 2 days older than it should have been...a.ka. rancid. I sometimes buy Athenos feta so this wouldn't be different right? nope. I hope you have better luck but I'm never buying this again.
As this weekend was my Philadelphia Birthday weekend I got to go to my favorite grocery store! So on the rare Summer occasion I make it to the Whole Foods in Philadelphia I buy this hummus:
Helen's Pure Foods hummus. It's all natural, locally made and really delicious. It is also significantly cheaper than the other store bought hummus (including Atheno's.) Sold.
But what is better convenience or homemade?
What do you think?
I love my homemade hummus but I don't get to make it often. Do you have a favorite hummus recipe?
Do you add black beans, garlic, or even tahini
(ground sesame seeds?)
Love,
The College Cuisiner
I've been living in the Middle East since I graduated from college (about a year) during which I have been religiously following your blog. Obviously, I had to chime in here.
ReplyDeleteAll my friends start out with the same basic recipe:
Chickpeas, freshly cooked and drained, about 2 cups
Tahini, about 1/4 to 1/2 cup
Juice from a lemon or two
About two cloves of fresh crushed garlic
Salt and water to taste
(this amount makes about 4-6 servings and will stay good in the fridge for about a week)
They just grind it all up, and there ya go! Everybody has their own special add-ins: white vinegar or ground pepper gives it a bit of a kick, sun-dried tomatoes make it a little richer, olive oil drizzled over the top brings out the flavors.
Somehow their hummus always came out better than mine, and so I asked around. Here is their secret: It's all in the quality of your tahini!
In the US, I think it would definitely be worth it to go to a Middle Eastern specialty grocery store and find some high quality tahini. Al-Jamal came highly recommended and is white with a red top and a picture of a camel on it, Karawan is also a great brand that comes with a blue top and label with a picture of a bird. Palestinian brands are the best in the world but sometimes difficult to find in the US because of all the political nonsense. Lebanese and Israeli brands are common, but of a much lower quality.
When you get your jug (its huge, but they last about a year in the refrigerator once opened) make sure to stir it really well (my friends all swear by turning the jug upside-down and hitting the bottom like a drum as they rotate it clockwise) as otherwise you get an uneven mixture with all the oil looking stuff at the top and all the thick paste at the bottom.
And now that I've written a book about tahini, I'm gonna get back to work. Enjoy!
Wow thanks so much!That explains all my Palestinian Territories views!
DeleteYour recipe is identical to mine but it must be the tahini. When I was in England I couldn't believe how much better certain food was. Well now that you you completely just answered the question, I hope everyone reads your recipe!
My step family is from Syria - so we have lots of homemade hummus and pitas and I LOVE them but it is a bit of work to pull out the blender - so I do love that you can buy it easily in the store. I want to try some with other beans since that is becoming more popular too!
ReplyDeleteI know it is something about getting all the chickpeas mashed properly that always becomes time consuming. I bet you are used to delicious homemade hummus! My mom loves adding black beans to hers. It gives it a subtle flavor and less calories apparently.
DeleteMiddle east groceries is a grocery store that offer their products online, it making it simple to get those hard to find ingredients with low price.
ReplyDelete