The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hummus for all
Popular spread inspires countless tasty spinoffs.
Jason Hill toyed with the idea of putting hummus on Wisteria’s menu as he was preparing to open his popular Inman Park restaurant nearly 20 years ago.
“The girl I was dating loved hummus, and I used to make it for her at home,” he remembers. He saw its potential as a shareable starter. But he wasn’t sure how the Middle Eastern mainstay would fit with the restaurant’s refined Southern theme. So he tried swapping black-eyed peas for the chickpeas, and replacing the pita with sweet potato chips, pickled okra spears, and other house-brined local vegetables. Black-Eyed Pea Hummus remains a signature appetizer to this day.
That was before hummus became a grocery staple. Sabra, the Israeli dip company, joined forces with PepsiCo in 2008 and flooded supermarkets with plastic tubs filled with pre-made hummus in flavors from classic to sun-dried tomato to “taco inspired.” Sales skyrocketed, farmers raced to plant more chickpeas, and competitors jostled their way into refrigerator cases with their own versions.
High in protein and fiber with a mild, creamy taste that’s easy to digest and offends no one, hummus is that rare food that accommodates virtually every demographic and special diet: kid-friendly, nutfree, gluten-free, lactose-intolerant, vegan, kosher.
Even the store-bought stuff is good for you and welcome to have around for snacking by even the most discerning gourmet. Still, there’s no match for the velvetysmooth handmade hummus served in restaurants like the Olive Bistro, the Mediterranean stalwart with locations in Midtown and Vinings; and Aziza, the modern Israeli restaurant on Atlanta’s Westside.
It’s not hard to make at home. And there’s no better time to give it a try than while holed up as we ride out the coronavirus pandemic. All you need is a pot, a food processor or high-powered blender, and a few inexpensive staples. I was already up to my elbows in hummus experiments just as the city began shutting down, and I’ve found the process a calming distraction and the results gratifying.
For the most basic hummus, I followed the instructions by the New York chef Einat Admony in her 2019 homage to her roots: “Shuk: From Market to Table, the Heart of Israeli Home Cooking” (Artisan, $35). I made batches of Wisteria’s Black-Eyed Pea Hummus, along with other creative versions that caught my eye in the latest crop of cookbooks: one with roasted beets topped with the spiced nut and seed topping called dukkah; one with frozen peas and sunflower seed butter; and one with black chickpeas and preserved lemons that aroused my curiosity enough to order the main ingredients online.
I’ve eaten them as a snack with pita and carrot sticks, and as an entree topped with spiced ground lamb as is customary in the Middle East. I’ve packed up extras to hand to neighbors while keeping our social distance.
We’ve included as many of those recipes as will fit in this space, and there are more online. And if all you’ve got is a plastic tub of the pre-made stuff ?
Take a tip from Joe Yonan, food editor of The Washington Post, author of the subject of today’s cookbook review, “Cool Beans,” and self-described hummu-phile:
“Take it out of the fridge and bring it to room temperature, or microwave it a few seconds to take the chill off. Whisk in a little water so it’s not so sludgy, swoosh it in the center of a plate, and drizzle it with some good olive oil. It will taste so much better.”