Barebunned Contessa

My husband is, I admit, a little weird. He comes up with new titles for the Food Network shows. Instead of Everyday Italian, he calls it Everyday Cleavage, because Giada is always showing hers off. Instead of Barefoot Contessa, he calls it Barebunned Contessa, and I have no idea the reason behind that one. Anyway, I'm not the biggest fan of Ina Garten's show, but her cookbook called The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook is awesome! (Thanks again, Paul, for the awesome Christmas gift---I have used it often throughout the year!)  If you're a hummus fan, here's the easiest and tastiest recipe:

makes 2 cups

2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

4 garlic cloves, minced (I like lots of garlic, so I usually use 5 or 6!)

1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)

6 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)

2 Tbsp water or liquid from the chickpeas

8 dashes Tabasco sauce

Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until the hummus is coarsely pureed. Taste for seasoning and served chilled or at room temperature. 

ps. I'm sure a blender would do the trick if you do not have a food processor.

Enjoy! OH! and if you want to make your own pita chips, just brush olive oil onto pitas, cut into wedges, sprinkle with cayenne pepper and back on a baking sheet at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, or so.