Hummus is a traditional Middle Eastern dish that is a great alternative to the same old dip. Though there are variations to the recipe, (like with most any dish) hummus is typically made with chickpeas, olive oil, garlic and lemon. In 2010, Guinness World Records found the largest dish of hummus ever made in the world in Lebanon. Prepared by 300 cooks in the village of al-Fanar near Beruit, the dish weighed 22,994 pounds and used eight tons of boiled chickpeas, two tons of lemon juice, 154 pounds of olive oil and two tons of tahini.
You won’t need that much, though this recipe is sure to please a crowd:
Yield:
Makes about 4 cups
Time: 45 minutes or less.
Ingredients
4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
Two 1-pound 3-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2/3 cup well-stirred tahini
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1/2 cup olive oil, or to taste
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted lightly
On a cutting board mince and mash the garlic to a paste with the salt. In a food processor purée the chickpeas with the garlic paste, the tahini, the lemon juice, 1/4 cup of the oil, and 1/2 cup water, scraping down the sides, until the hummus is smooth and add salt to taste. Add water, if necessary, to thin the hummus to the desired consistency and transfer the hummus to a bowl. In the food processor, cleaned, purée the remaining 1/4 cup oil with the parsley until the oil is bright green and the parsley is minced transfer the parsley oil to a
small jar. The hummus and the parsley oil may be made 3 days in advance and kept covered and chilled. Divide the hummus between shallow serving dishes and smooth the tops. Drizzle the hummus with the parsley oil and sprinkle it with the pine nuts. Serve the hummus with pita chips or crudités
Recipe courtesy of http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Hummus-101577