HUMMUS WITH BRETT BUDDE GARLIC

Hummus is a middle eastern dip made with chickpeas and tahini, which is sesame paste. The first time I made hummus, it was not great. Raw garlic: too harsh. Luckily my dear then-roommate Brett Budde clued me in to 'roasting' garlic on a stovetop.

Hummus is much easier to make with an immersion blender, which I highly recommend buying if you like making soups and, well, hummus. But you can use a traditional blender as well.

These seasonings make a hummus that I find tasty. You can adjust the amount of garlic, lemon, parsley, and tahini to your taste. Don't try to skimp on the oil though: any less and your hummus will be dry.

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 plump cloves garlic, with skin still on
2 cups chickpeas (if dried, soak overnight and cook until tender)
1/2 cup tahini
Half a lemon
Small handful flat-leaf parsley (optional)
Salt to taste

1. In a small pan, gently simmer the oil and garlic cloves for about 10 minutes, until soft and just beginning to brown, turning as needed to cook thoroughly.

2. Meanwhile, juice the lemon. Roughly chop the parsley into large pieces. Drain the chickpeas into a strainer and rinse thoroughly.

3. When garlic is done, take the pan off the heat. Reserve the oil. When garlic is cool enough to handle, remove the hard stem end and the skin.

4. Get out your traditional blender, or a sturdy bowl if using an immersion blender. Add the lemon juice and reserved oil first, then the tahini, parsley, garlic, and chickpeas.

5. Begin blending, pausing frequently to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. Because hummus is fairly dry, air pockets tend to form around the blade - if you're really struggling, add a small amount of water.

6. Blend until you like the texture - some like it rough, I like it smooth. Then add salt to taste (1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon is nice) and blend it in.

Serve as a dip for raw vegetables and chips, or make sandwiches. The traditional Middle Eastern hummus sandwich in a pita bread has lettuce, onion, tomato, cucumbers, and more tahini on top. Dust with cayenne pepper for some New Haven style. Or make a hippie sandwich on brown bread with thinly sliced red peppers, carrots, and of course, some sprouts.