I’ve noticed several different brands of hummus in stores recently, and tried a few. This inspired me to pull out my old Hummus recipe. Making it is very easy, and I think it is more flavorful, being as it’s fresh.

Hummus is made from garbanzo beans, which are also known as chick peas. You can buy them in a bag and cook them, or buy two 16 ounce cans, which is what I usually do.

Drain the beans but keep about 1/2 cup of the liquid. Put the beans in a blender and add the 1/2 cup liquid. It will become a smooth paste soon enough. Add 1/2 cup tahini paste, the juice of one lemon, and two cloves of garlic. Blend well, then put in a bowl. On top drizzle a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with paprika.

I like to spread this on bread but the traditional way to eat it is to dip pieces of bread into it, or vegetables of various types. Last week I got some spicy black bean chips from the natural foods section of our local grocery store, and ate those with hummus as a dip. That’s what I call good food.