Since I’m a vegetarian, I figured I should include a recipe for the vegetarian staple food: hummus.

Ingredients

* 4 garlic cloves, minced and then mashed

* 2 15-oz cans of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed

* 2/3 cup of tahini (roasted, not raw)

* 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

* 1/2 cup water

* 1/4 cup olive oil

* 1/2 teaspoon of salt

* Pine nuts (toasted) and parsley (chopped) for garnish

Method

1 In a food processor, combine the mashed garlic, garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, 1/2 cup water, and olive oil. Process until smooth. Add salt, starting at a half a teaspoon, to taste.

2 Spoon into serving dish and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley.

3 Serve with crackers, raw dip vegetables such as carrots or celery, or with pita bread. You can cut the pita bread into thin triangles, brush with olive oil and toast for 10 minutes in a 400°F oven to make pita chips with which to serve the hummus.

Makes about 3 cups.

Variations: for a Greek-style hummus, up the lemon juice to 1/2 cup and add oregano (fresh is best, but dried works, also) to taste. Adding great timesin and/or honey can make for good eats as well.