Sometimes you feel like a nut...

I know, I know. My first post in several months and it's in no way an update on my family. I've decided this blog is going to be part family history and part therapy. I think this entry hits on both. Two things dominate Palmer-Christianson family culture -- religion and food. Today you're getting the latter.

If I had to choose my top 3 favorite foods, nuts would make the list. I've never met a nut I didn't like, especially roasted ones. I'll eat them any way I can get them -- plain, in baked goods, on top of salads or yogurt in ice cream and chocolates, etc. Especially appealing to the nut lover is any mixture of ground nuts, like say....PEANUT BUTTER. Right now I could eat a whole jar of (salmonella-free) peanut butter, but that's because I've been denied. Leif is allergic to nuts and I'm an asthmatic. This lovely combination necessitates that I do not eat nuts when I'm pregnant or nursing. I'll eat a few almonds here and there and maybe a pecan in a weak moment, but peanuts are a definite "no, no." I don't need my children developing asthma or more nut allergies.

Today I turned to hummus to ease the pain. Hummus (my hummus anyway) includes olive oil, lemon juice, garbanzo beans, garlic, spices, and tahini. Tahini is the magic word here. It's a paste of ground sesame seeds that has the same consistency and nutty flavor reminiscent of peanut butter. I want to eat the hummus by the spoonful, but we're trying to fit back into our clothes by the time the baby turns one. Don't imagine that last sentence said by Gollum.

My first great experience with hummus was in Germany at the home of my Hebrew friend Chen. Her mother pulled hot pita from the oven, and along with avocado and tomato topped toast, we ate creamy, rich hummus and pita for breakfast. Later in the Middle East, I would have the almost sweet, newly made hummus they served with uberfresh, melt-in-your-mouth soft pita, the likes of which I haven't had anywhere else. I like to make my own hummus because it's thick and fresh tasting, and of course lower in fat than what you buy at the store.

You can serve hummus the traditional way with pita or tortillas, or you can use it as a dip. I love using it as a spread in veggie sandwiches or in a grilled chicken sandwich with sundried tomatoes. Sometimes I just roast tomatoes (in the oven, for 20 - 40 min at 400 degrees with olive oil and salt -- please slice the tomatoes first) till they're condensed and caramelized. Then I make a hummus and tomato sandwich on crusty bread. Oh dear, I can see that I really need a separate food blog. Anyway, hummus, it's what's on the menu. Homemade is a thousand times better than storebought, so try it. It's not hard -- you don't have to chop or cook a thing.

Creamy Hummus

3/4 cup water
1/2 cup tahini
6 garlic cloves
6 tablespoons FRESH lemon juice
1 TBS olive oil
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 (19 oz) cans garbanzo beans, drained -- be careful that you don't buy the 15 oz, if you do, just decrease all ingredients slightly or you will have a less thick hummus

Blend first 3 ingredients on low in food processor. Add remining ingredients and blend till smooth. For a nice presentation, place the hummus in a serving dish and drizzle with olive oil and dust with paprika.