This week’s lunch was inspired by a meal I had last weekend at a mediterranean establishment in Fort Greene, where I was helpfully reminded that hummus is delicious when eaten with your hands, bedouin-style, assisted by yeasty triangles of pita.
I wanted to try making the hummus from scratch. My last attempt, in college, produced a pasty suspension of whole chickpeas that turned barbie-pink when I neglected it in the fridge. This time, I followed a different recipe, which advised using canned chickpeas rather than dry and blending “longer than you think you need to” — about 5 minutes. I added slightly more lemon and garlic than was called for. I think it was at least as good as any brand of hummus on the BDS list.
For the topping, I briefly sautéed chopped romano beans in oil, harrisa and a generous shake of alleppo pepper. I arranged these over my hummus alongside some Persian sour pickles and a float of harissa-infused olive oil.
I microwaved this lunch for 30 seconds at the office to bring it to room temperature. The beans were crunchy, their natural sweetness amplified by intensely spicy harrisa and pepper. The sour pickles were a salty interlude. The hummus, scooped up on white pita bread, was rich, garlicky, and almost buttery. Pools of appealingly orange oil collected in the hummus-void.
It felt vaguely rebellious to eat with my hands at work — a moment of primitive sensuality in my mechanized workday.
This looks delicious but I'll be honest I don't know what the BDS list is
I ate this and can vouch. Pickles in hummus unexpected delights