I know it's not technically baked but.....HUMMUS!

B and I were in Israel for a week at the end of August.  It was my first trip and it was absolutely amazing!  The food, the sights, the people, the culture....did I mention the food?!

One of the (many) culinary highlights of the trip was the hummus.  Honestly, it is worlds different than the stuff you buy off the shelves in the grocery stores here in the states!  It's much paler in color, and smoother in consistency, and the flavor....oh, the flavor....I can't even begin to describe!  We didn't get enough hummus while we were there (I know, it's hard to believe, but I was obsessed!), despite me telling people that in the seven days we were in Israel I ate at least 50 pitas with some sort of hummus or tahini.  I might be slightly over exaggerating, but I'm not entirely sure that it's not the truth.

So it was amazing that a few days after we got back from Israel, I saw a link on my Facebook feed titled "The Secret to the Creamiest, Dreamiest Hummus."  And even more fitting, it was a recipe from an Israeli guy who has a hummus restaurant in Philly, which B has tried and said was the closest to the hummus you can get over in Israel while here in the states.

And I knew I had to make it.  Now if only I could find good, fresh, authentic pita bread here to eat with it....guess that'll be up on the list of things I'll be needing to bake soon....(I served mine with pita chips and pieces of flour tortilla, but mainly because I forgot to buy pita at the grocery store, each of the three times I was there today).

Israeli-Style Hummus
Found on Bon Appetit, originally from Michael Solomonov

Ingredients:

1 cup dried chickpeas
2 tsp baking soda, divided
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/3 cup (or more) fresh lemon juice
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more
2/3 cup tahini
1/4 tsp (or more) ground cumin -- I despise hate cumin, so I left this out.  Next time I might up the lemon/garlic/salt mixture a little for a little extra flavor
Olive oil, paprika, and fresh parsley for serving

Directions:

Place chickpeas and 1 tsp baking soda in a medium bowl.
Add cold water to cover by 2 inches.
Cover and let sit at room temperature until chickpeas have doubled in size, 8-12 hours.
Drain and rinse (I didn't rinse them....oops).

Combine soaked chickpeas and remaining 1 tsp baking soda in a large saucepan.
Add cold water to cover by at least 2 inches.
Bring to a boil, skimming surface as needed.
Reduce heat to medium-low and partially cover.
Simmer until chickpeas are tender and really falling apart, about 45-60 minutes.
Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, process the garlic, lemon juice, and 1 tsp salt in a food processor until coarsely purred.
Let sit 10 minutes to allow the garlic to mellow.

Strain the garlic mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing on solids to release as much liquid as possible.
Discard the solids.
Return the liquid to the food processor.
Add tahini and pulse to combine.
With the motor running, add 1/4 cup ice water by the Tablespoonful and process (it may seize up at first) until the mixture is very smooth, pale, and thick.
Add chickpeas (and cumin, if using) and process, occasionally scraping down sides, until mixture is extremely smooth, about 4 minutes.
Then with more water, if you prefer.
Taste and season with more salt/lemon juice/cumin, if desired.

Spoon hummus into a shallow bowl, making a well in the center.
Drizzle liberally with oil, and top as desired (my preference is paprika and fresh parsley).