Hummus

Soak the chickpeas in cool clean water (about 4 cups) overnight. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and put them in a medium saucepan filled with 4 cups clean water. Add the baking soda and heat to boiling. Turn down the heat and gently simmer the chickpeas until very tender. Remove from the heat and drain reserving the cooking liquid. Once cooled, remove the loose skins from the chickpeas.

In a food processor, blend the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and salt until smooth. Set aside a handful of chickpeas and add the rest to the food processor. Process until completely smooth. Add a little cooking liquid to thin the hummus if necessary. Check the seasonings adding lemon juice or salt if needed.

Top with a drizzle of good quality olive oil and the reserved chickpeas. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce. Add a dash of paprika and serve with chips, pita wedges or vegetables.

Recipe adapted from David Lebovitz.