Hummus, Hamos, Houmous, Hommos, Hommus, Hummos, Hummous, Humus!

WHEW! Hey, gotta cover all bases! There are so many versions of this recipe here and elsewhere, but none just like this one, which I found in "The Best International Recipe" cookbook by Cook's Illustrated. Outstanding balance of flavors. C.I. points out the benefit of rubbing the skins off of the chickpeas/garbanzo beans with a kitchen towel: a far smoother hummus! I'm seriously stunned by how much better this makes it. Also, substituting half of the olive oil in the average recipe with water allows the flavors of all other ingredients to shine and not be overpowered by the olive oil. I used sumac, paprika, cilantro, olive oil and cumin as garnishes in the photographed batch, but you can use more chili powder, parsley, pine nuts or black olives. Serve with pita chips.

• Ready In: 5 mins
• Yields: 1 1/2 cups (approximately)

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1⁄4 cup tahini
• 1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1⁄4 cup water
• 3  tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1  teaspoon  minced garlic or 1  teaspoon garlic paste
• 3⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1  pinch kashmiri chili powder (the former is a bit milder) or 1  pinch cayenne (the former is a bit milder)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  sumac (to garnish)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin (to garnish)

Directions

1. After draining the chickpeas well, put them all in a clean, large, cotton (non-terry) kitchen towel. Very gently rub the chickpeas to loosen their skins. Open the towel and discard all skins.
2. Process all ingredients except for the garnishes in a food processor or blender until smooth, about 40 seconds. You may need to stop and occasionally scrape down the sides of the vessel.
3. Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.
4. To serve, remove from fridge, garnish with your selections, and serve with toasted pita chips.