Basic Hummus

I now realise, after all this time, that there seems to be a trend in my life. That being a set of opposite extremes that run parallel with each other. In other words, for every horrendous loss there seems to be an exciting new gain. For each tear I shed in distress there is another one that cried for joy. It makes me feel quite scatty. It makes me feel a little bit cray. One minute I am smiling so wide that feel like my face might actually explode, and the next I have my head buried on my mother’s shoulder. But today I was thinking, perhaps these really exciting things in my life are like gifts from the universe, so I don’t completely lose my shizzle when the bad times hit? You know, so it doesn’t feel like absolutely everything is terrible. Just some things. And that thought alone might actually be enough to scrape through.

Anyway if you were wondering why I had gone AWOL, that’s what I’ve been doing. I’ve been winning and losing at the same time. Crying and laughing. And skating. 

Sarah’s Basic Hummus

This recipe is from my dear friend Sarah who is often there through all the laughing and crying. I realise that there are a million and one ways to make hummus but this one, in my opinion, is perfect. Sarah’s advice is to source good quality dried chickpeas, blend while the ingredients are all still warm, and to use way more tahini than usual. She also recommends using a fair amount of hot water to lighten the mixture. The end result is lightest fluffiest hummus that is also ridiculously flavoursome. It is worth the ‘hassle’ of having to soak chickpeas over night. This makes enough hummus to feed the whole neighbourhood. Halve the amounts if you want to make a smaller batch.

• 250g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
• 3/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• juice from 1 lemon
• few big pinches of salt
• hot water for desired consistency (I think I ended up using about 1 cup)

1. Place the rinsed drained chickpeas in a pot with plenty of fresh water.
2. Bring to the boil and lower heat. Simmer for about 40 mins or until chickpeas are cooked through completely. This will vary batch to batch.
3. Drain the chickpeas and place in mixing bowl with the rest of the ingredients, minus the hot water.
4. Using an immersion blender blend the mixture until smooth. Gradually add the water and blend until you have a light fluffy texture.
5. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.