Famous Hummus

Last night we went out to dinner with our friends Jeff and Donna. We went to the Jerusalem Restaurant that serves the most delicious fried tomatoes and eggplant with lemon and garlic...ever. The taste cannot be duplicated at home and believe me, I have tried. I could eat just that for dinner...

But we did have an assortment of appetizers and kebabs to round out the dinner. Everything was very good.

Jeff claims that his family says his hummus is "the best" and it is as good (or better than) the one we ate at the restaurant. He promptly rattled off the ingredients for the recipe and I quickly wrote it all down. I tried it out at home and it is, indeed, very good. Heat up the pita bread before serving and add some olives before serving.

Jeff's Famous Hummus

1 can chickpeas (19 oz.), drained and rinsed, with 1/2 cup liquid reserved

1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)

* Put everything in a blender or food processor and whizz it together. To serve, top the hummus with a drizzle of olive oil and a few drops of hot sauce.