Hummus

Preparation

1. Pour chickpeas into food processor.
2. Add sesame paste, garlic, lemon juice and salt.
3. Blend in food processor, adding water slowly until desired thickness—a dip-like consistency—is reached.
4. Chill in refrigerator 1 hour before serving. Arrange on a plate with warm pita bread, if desired.

Like me, you probably accustomed to buying the elements to an Israeli salad course−hummus, tahini, charif, Turkish and Israeli salads and all the rest−already prepared. There’s nothing wrong with that, but if you have the time, you can make some of them fresh with these authentic Middle Eastern recipes, courtesy of my sister-in-law Chanie. They’ve been passed down straight from her Iraqi grandmother to her mother, to her, to me and now to you.

Serve on a flat plate and use the back of a spoon in a circular motion to smooth out the hummus. Top with a few dashes of sumac or paprika or za’atar and drizzle with olive oil.