In fact, I'm only starting to learn to cook. I've always enjoyed good food and experimenting with different tastes and favors. I've been lucky in my life to have found women that not only can cook, but love to cook; and have been introduced to a world of favors because of them. I've eaten everything from a fiery red borcht to a Chopped challenge dish.
However you start one little fire in the kitchen and it takes forever and a day for the women in your life to trust you around flames again. However that's not stopped me from making a few things.
The history of hummus goes back to at least the 1200’s but undoubtedly its true origins are lost in the mists of time. The Greeks, Arabs and Jewish people all claim it as their own and to this day chickpeas are very common throughout the Middle East. In Arabic for example, the word for “chickpea” and “hummus” are the same.
I liked that idea of starting with something historic and simple, something that connected me to the past.
This simple little mix of chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) sesame paste or Tahini (more on that in a bit) garlic, salt and olive oil is naturally high in unsaturated fats, low in carbohydrates and a fairly good source of protein and fiber.
It’s also a dish that you can add things to change the flavor but the basic recipe stays the same. So with that in mind, I thought I would try to make a simple hummus as one of my foray's into the kitchen.[i] My only problem is that I didn’t have Tahini. If you think that your hummus has a slightly bitter and nutty taste, that’s due to the Tahini. Some even refer to it as the glue in your hummus, holding all the flavors together.
Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds which seems simple enough however the sesame seeds are usually hulled and toasted. Although just to make things fun; they can also be unhulled, raw, sprouted, or used in their natural form. Each method will give a different taste and texture to the paste. A search in the local grocery stores turned up nothing. So to the internet we go!
I found that Tahini ain’t cheap. Although you can store it in a refrigerator for up to six months it seemed doubtful that I would use all in that time frame. Tahini however can be used to flavor meat, in salad dressings, and in a variety of vegan dishes. The nice nutty flavor can even be used on ice cream.
So making my own Tahini seemed
possible, but also a waste of time, I’m simply not ready to explore that option
yet.
Luckily you can make a classic
hummus without the glue. Although I like
the nutty taste I figured a smooth creamy peanut butter would do the trick. I added enough to make it creamy but honestly could not tell you if that was one Tablespoon or three that was used in the final dish.
So I made hummus and I didn’t burn down the kitchen. I didn’t poison myself. My final result was not that much different than a classic hummus. It could have been a little smoother, and I used store bought minced garlic instead of adding garlic cloves; so the hummus I made didn’t have as much of that wonderful garlicky taste I enjoy. Still though, I was happy with it. Generally I'll eat it as a spread on homemade bread; or as a dip for raw carrots and crackers smiling the whole time.
Maybe, just maybe this kitchen stuff wasn’t that bad. Maybe, just maybe, I would look into buying a good Tahini; or eventually making some of my own.
Overall one of my first foray into the kitchen had been a success. I was going to grow my own food, learn to prepare and cook some of it and not die or burn the house down in the attempt. It was the start of a long steep climb I knew…but one I could do.
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| I promise you, it's better than it looks! |
I also found some recipes that I could use hummus in. I would need guinea pigs but that story would have to be told later.
Who knows...a farmer's cheese might be next and I might get to that today. It seems simple enough.
[i] I used this recipe but added about 2 or 3 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter to the mix. https://www.thewholesomedish.com/simple-hummus-without-tahini/
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