Epicurean Hedonist

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Hummus - Fresh and flavorful

Hummus:

This is the basic recipe that I personally start with.

The traditional recipes use ½ cup to 1 cup olive oil and no liquid from the can.

1 can of chick-peas (also called garbanzo beans)

¼ cup liquid from the chickpeas (save it all, but start with ¼ cup)

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup dried parsley

1 ½ Tablespoons tahini (or peanut butter)

1 Tablespoon garlic

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup olive oil

#1. Drain chickpeas and set aside the liquid from the can.

#2. Put all remaining ingredients into a blender or food processor.

#3. Add the first ¼ cup of liquid from the chickpeas.

#4. Blend for 3 to 5 minutes until thoroughly mixed and smooth.

#5. While you are blending everything together, if it is too thick;

add more of the liquid that you saved from the can. If it is still too

thick, then start adding more olive oil or tap water.

(I use a blender, and it needs to be a bit thinner for the blender

to work, but I like hummus a touch thinner and fluffier for serving).

It is that easy! And that good!

Now comes the fun part. And I am all about fun and flavor.

You gotta add garlic!

Start with a few cloves and see if you like it. Start with a little, because you can always add more if you need to. It is hard to take it out once you put too much in. (Not impossible, just add more of all the other ingredients.)

I personally do a Garlic overkill cause I love “way too much” garlic.

Now, a lot of people use fresh garlic due to the better taste, or you can use the powdered garlic. Basically use what you have in your kitchen; and what you are accustomed to.

Do not be afraid to experiment!

Since it seems that everyone is now on a diet, make the hummus with NO oil. Before everyone panics and flames me about no oil… no, no, really… try it!

You will have to add more liquid, but the calories that you save will really astound you!

Let’s do the math!

100 calories in 1 Tablespoon of oil.

200 calories in 1 ounce of oil.

My recipe calls for ¼ cup of oil…

¼ cup is 2 ounces or 400 calories!

The original recipes that call for 1 cup of oil… savings of 1,600 calories!

Your hummus will be lighter and fluffy instead of heavy with oil.

OMG has anyone tried to find tahini (like peanut butter but made with sesame seeds) in America? If you do find it they want way too much money. Luckily we have a mid-eastern market here in Fort Wayne, Indiana at the corner of Lake and North Anthony, which has tahini for $2.99 for a 16ounce jar. If you use a lot of tahini it is best to go buy a jar of tahini (um, well duh?) But seriously, if you do not use a lot of tahini and you only going to make one batch of hummus, then substitute peanut butter instead. Now here is when the cheaper peanut butter is better because it will not have any sugars. But whatever brand peanut butter you have on hand will work perfectly. Tahini or peanut butter will take the “raw bite” out of the hummus. If you want to, make the hummus without the tahini and taste it, it has a “raw bite” you just can’t explain, kind of bitter maybe? Now add the tahini or peanut butter and mix it real good. Now taste the hummus and it will be nice and “smooth”, or maybe I can use the word “mellow”?

Try adding your favorite spices. If you are unsure of what is good, then make a batch of hummus as the recipe calls for, and divide it into many different bowls. Then add small amounts of all different kinds of seasoning to each bowl. Mix it, let it stand for a few minutes to soak up the spices, and then try it and see which you like. I would make all sorts of different flavored hummus and take it to the Campus Scouts meetings and see which one everyone liked. Do not get your feelings hurt if nobody likes a particular flavor. You gotta try them to see which one you and your friends/family like! Try adding these different spices and see which ones you think are good. I would love to hear your comments:

Hot red pepper (either the fine ground or the flakes! Use a little and go from there)

Chipolte (oooooh how trendy and smoky)

Liquid smoke (just a touch)

Cumin (don’t have cumin? Add taco seasoning right out of the envelope)

Green, red, or golden curry (just yummy if you want some spicy heat)

Mrs. Dash – Pappa Dash – Baby Dash (in place of the salt? No way! Use with the salt)

Aaloo Bhaji (my personal favorite)

Ginger, Turmeric, or Chili Powder

Cilantro (instead of the parsley)

Now, we have all seen hummus in the stores sell for $5 for about 8 ounces…

A can of Garbanzo beans should cost about $1. And everything else should be cheap. . And you will make about 2 cups of hummus with this basic recipe! And you know there is no added BHT or that other yucky chemical stuff the stores put in. Fresh hummus is good in the fridge for about 3 or 4 days and is good in the freezer for about 1 month!

Hey? Did I mention that you can use a can of pinto beans or navy beans in place of the garbanzo beans? So basically hummus is just a fabulous bean dip! Serve hummus with pita chips, celery stalks, tortilla chips, bagels crisps, corn chips…

Fresh and flavorful hummus!

Experiment and Enjoy!

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Albert and Pete Duncan

Ambrose

Bob Duncan

Bruce Price

Charlie Mays

Chester Duncan

Dora Duncan

Dora and Rinehart

Regen Duncan (second from right) Esaw Duncan (farthest right)

Esaw and Regan Duncan

Frankie Duncan

Frankie Duncan and Sarah Current

Fred and Myrtle Duncan with Sarah and 2 boys?

Fred Duncan

Fred Duncan on porch

Mamie (Sarah Price)

Mamie (Sarah Price) and Teresa Bigler

William Marshal Duncan and his lovely wife Sarah Jane Simmons

Marthy Mays

Martha and Matilda Brewer

Pearl and Martha

Martha Mays

Priscella Moriah (Granny) Pierce

Unkown

Fred Duncan (second from left)

Fred, Myrtle, Stanley, Martha, Sarah (holding unknown baby) unknown standing behind Sarah, Charlie Mays, unknown standing beside Charlie, and unknown child in front.

Myrtle and Fred Duncan

Myrtle Duncan, unknown, Martha and Charlie Mays, Beverly and Dody Mays

Ordra Duncan with 2 unknown boys

Ordra Duncan

Ordra Duncan with 5 unknown boys

Ordra Duncan

Ordra Duncan with unknown boys

Possibly Ordra Duncan

Sarah (Mammy) Pierce

Sarah Current with Chester Duncan and possibly Stanley Duncan

Sarah Current and Matilda Brewer

Maude Juanita (Susie) Price possibly with David Current

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Falafels

Falafels are a vegetarian “hush puppy” made from chick peas.

I alter the original recipe so much, but they turn out just as fabulous

#1. You are supposed to soak chickpeas (garbonzo beans) for 24 hours then rinse and cook for a few hours like pinto beans? Ain’t gonna happen. Open a can and you are good to go

#2. Pour the can in the bowl, along with the juice. The original recipe says no juice, but they stoopid.

#3. Mash each bean with a fork, do not bother with a food processor because the clean up of the food processor is more hassle that mashing each bean separately with a fork.

#4. Add one medium sized onion, which you finely diced. Big pieces are ok if you like hushpuppys with big pieces of onions in them.

#5. Add 2 or 3 Tablespoons of something green. Either parsley or cilantro, the batter should be kinda green.

#6. Add the spices... this is where it gets fun. Supposed to be 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon cumin and 1 teaspoon turmeric.... I do not have all that shit, so I use a big tablespoon of TACO seasoning right out of the envelope!

#7. Add a tablespoon of minced garlic. Fresh is always better, but of course I use dehydrated.

#7.5 And because I love garlic I use 2 Tablespoons!

#8. If you use taco seasoning, do not add extra salt. If you use the coriander, cumin, and turmeric add maybe 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

#9. Mix everything together.

#10 The recipe says to add 2 Tablespoon flour. I like using "white cornbread mix" that has the flour, cornmeal, and baking powders already mixed in. I add what it takes to make the mix thick like hushpuppies.

#11. Let it all sit a few minutes while you check your email or check Facebook. This lets the cornmeal soak up the chickpea liquid that you poured in from the can.

#12 Check it. If too thick add water. If too thin add more cornmeal mix.

#13. Scoop it out with a tablespoon. Then ball it up like a hushpuppy but then sorta flatten it like a hamburger.

#14. The original recipe says to deep fry them. You will not be able to reuse the oil! It will be very strong flavored like garlic and cumin.... So I pan fry them. I do not waste oil, and they are just as crispy.

#15. Then the cooked disks are ready to serve in a pita with lettuce and cucumber sauce.

Of course, I never have pitas or cucumber sauce so I eat mine by themselves.

If you want to serve them on a hoagie bun, you leave them round and fry them, a vegan sub, you can do the tomato sauce on them and they are fabulous. Not vegan? Add mozzarella cheese!

There ya go! Falafels.

Hey! Did I mention that instead of chickpeas, you can use a can of pinto beans, or any type of canned beans you have? If you make the patties bigger, you can serve them on a hamburger bun just like a hamburger! Make sure you play with different spices and most of all ENJOY!

Here are 37 more photos. I am sorry about the duplicates. But I so easily forget which ones I already have posted. Again, if you have any information about these photos, please contact me at DavidCurrent@yahoo.com and tell me! I thank you so much! Cheers, David