Hummus is served in Lebanon with a medley of different dishes some cold, some hot. Those dishes are called mezza. The word is a derivative from the verb to sip since mezza is eaten while sipping on a drink in this case Arak, Lebanon’s national drink. Hummus is served plain and then topped with flavoring, like paprika, cayenne, chopped mint or parsley mint. Copious amounts of extra virgin olive oil are drizzled on and bread is plentiful. A vegetable platter is always served with mezza. The platter may include a variety of vegetables and herbs, like cucumber, tomato, scallions, mint, green pepper, hot pepper among others along with a big bowl of olives, green and black…………
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked garbanzo beans
¼ cup sesame tahini
¼ cup - ½ cup cooking liquid
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves
In a food processor add garlic, garbanzos, salt and lemon zest. Process the mixture until smooth. Add tahini, lemon juice and ¼ cup of liquid. Run processor until hummus turns whitish and creamy. Adjust taste if needed by adding salt and lemon juice. If too thick add more liquid and run processor until incorporated. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve with pita bread, pita chips, vegetables and herbs.
Tips: Soak overnight; ¾ cup of dry garbanzos with ¼ tsp. of baking soda and 6 cups of water. Next day, rinse garbanzos very well and cook uncovered on medium heat with 4 cups of water. Skim foam that forms on top then cover and cook for about an hour until garbanzos start to break down. Garbanzos should be covered with water at all times, so you may have to add more water to the pot. When fully cooked, strain garbanzos and reserve cooking fluid. Cool garbanzos down and process.You may use canned garbanzo beans, but it is worth it to cook your own, you will get a creamier tastier hummus.
