Hummus

Several years ago, I worked for a Lebanese restaurant in Florida that had THE best Lebanese food I have ever eaten. To this day I have not found a better place for the scrumptious Middle Eastern fare. This is not the exact recipe from the restaurant, but a decent replica. Trust me, it is always a hit. Now that I make it fairly often, I pretty much just throw all the ingredients together. I just made it tonight for an Academy Awards® party tomorrow, and have tried to measure everything out as well as possible. If you enjoy more sesame flavor or more garlic, feel free to experiment.

HUMMUS

1 can chick peas
1 hefty tsp. tahini
2 cloves garlic
4 tblsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1 tblsp. plain yoghurt (preferably Greek)
1 tblsp. + 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
dash cumin
cayenne (optional)
Pine nuts & olive oil (optional)

Combine chick peas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt, yoghurt, and 1 tblsp. olive oil in food processor and purée until nice and smooth. Place in attractive dish and sprinkle with olive oil and cayenne. If desired, sauté pine nuts in olive oil and sprinkle on top of hummus. Be careful not to burn them. Eat with warmed pita points.