Summer foods in Ankara, Vol. 2: Hummus

We're now in day three of Ramazan, which means I feel slightly guilty doing so many kitchen experiments that I can't take in to share with coworkers. A good number of people here aren't fasting, but for those who are, groups of drummers take it upon themselves to drive the streets at about 2:30 am every day, kindly waking up all those who wish to breakfast before the fast actually begins at approximately 4:00 am. Fortunately, they come no nearer than two blocks from my house, which means that I can hear the drums if I'm already awake, but the sound definitely doesn't wake me up.

But anyway, in this obstreperous heat I was in search of more delicious cold foods on which to snack. Looking around again in my kitchen, I saw a bag of chickpeas and immediately thought yes, hummus.

Hummus is one of the few Middle Eastern foods I was exposed to before coming to Turkey, and I probably saw it more often in the USA than I have here. It's more of an Arabic food than Turkish, but it's surprisingly easy to make. It requires the following ingredients

• Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• Sesame tahini (which you can find at normal supermarkets in Columbia, MO--but not in Seward, NE)
• garlic
• lemon juice
• salt
• other spices (I like to add cumin and a bit of red pepper for a nice kick)

You can find lots of variants for hummus all over the internet, and the great thing about this spread is that it's very individualistic. You can add ingredients, adjust ratios, and mix it to various creaminess levels depending on your taste, but it's nearly impossible to ruin.

My ratio is 16 ounces of chickpeas with 2 tablespoons of tahini and one clove of garlic, and everything else to taste. Mix it all in a blender, add lemon juice and salt to taste, and if it's too thick or lumpy additional liquid will make it creamier.

I like to eat hummus with everything- bread, pita chips, carrots, cucumbers, olives... if it looks like it belongs on a Mediterranean plate it probably tastes good with hummus. I even like to make hummus sandwiches, with hummus, lettuce, and olives.

A Spanish friend swung by the apartment a couple of hours after I'd finished making this, and I asked him to sample the hummus. Ten minutes later half the bowl was gone. This signifies success in my book. A perfectly refreshing and healthy snack for these unbearably hot days when even thinking about turning on the stove makes me sweat. If you haven't tried hummus before, I highly recommend it. If you are stuck on store-bought hummus, I highly recommend making it yourself because you can adjust it to make your own perfect hummus and it's super easy.

As the Turkish like to say anytime food is on the table: Afiyet olsun. (Bon appetit!)