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Tag: hummus

  • Black Tepary Bean Hummus: A Sonoran Desert Recipe

    Black Tepary Bean Hummus: A Sonoran Desert Recipe

    Nick and I will have been in Tucson for a little over two months by the time I publish this post. While I often mention what I’ve done and where I’ve been, and, of course, what I eat, I try to keep things that are really important to me private. Sometimes, I leave Nick out. Not because I don’t want to share about him, but I believe I honor our life together by not sharing it with everyone. I also feel that way about my friendships. Sometimes, I post about them, but in this day and age of oversharing, I don’t want to share everything.

    Citrus growing at Mission Gardens

    But, oddly, kismet–happenstance–luck happened before Nick, and I arrived in the Sonoran Desert. Thus, I believe this warrants a blog post. 

    Unbeknownst to me, Kim, the former food editor for the now-defunct Cottage Living, which published from 2004 to 2008, and I worked together on a series of stories in Napa Valley. We became friendly as journalists and media relations people do. You spend hours – sometimes, days working beside journalists, helping keep clients on message, ensuring control over what your client may or may not say and in general, guiding both with helpful information. On one such venture, Kim stayed with me in San Francisco once, and another time, when I first got sober, she stayed with me in West Hollywood while she was on her memoir tour for Trail of Crumbs. Admittedly, I was a bit of a mess – my world imploded. I realized that those whom I thought cared about me – indeed, said they loved me – had thrown me to the wolves, in front of an oncoming train, under a bus and facing an avalanche.  

    Kim and me in her Tucson backyard

    Kim moved to Alaska with her then-new husband. When Kim said to me about moving to Anchorage, I replied, “They don’t even grow basil there!” (They do, but that’s not the point I was making. Luckily, she laughed.)  I floundered about until I met Nick and continued to be a fish out of water until – truthfully, until we decided to move to Southern Arizona.

    We didn’t stay in touch except maybe with our social media posts. In September, she posts something about moving to Tucson – and I reply, “No way! We are moving there too!” As a couple, they have been together for 15 years, almost as long as I’ve been sober. Nick and I bought a home in a developing neighborhood about 7 miles south of the entrance to Saguaro National Park. Our commutes to the grocery store and shopping pass through undulating mountain ranges and saguaros – desert sentinels, really – standing as tall as a four-story building. 

    We’ve spent time together now – the four of us eating magnificent meals cooked by Kim overlooking the Tucson Valley basin from her new home with Neil. If the desert can bring a longtime friend into the fold, perhaps it’s the Sonoran Desert telling us that this is home. 

    Tepary beans are native to the Sonoran Desert, which extends into Mexico from Arizona. It’s been cultivated by the indigenous peoples for more than 4,000 years and is drought-resistant, owing to its prevalence in the region’s foodways. When cooked, it’s sweet, if not a little sugary, a bit nutty too and stays firm.  I bought these at Mission Gardens, a four-acre agricultural museum that showcases the heirloom crops grown in the Sonoran Desert for thousands of years. 

    Black bean tepary hummus with cotija cheese

    Black Tepary Bean Hummus 

    This version keeps the ingredients minimal, so you will find a sugariness. It has a deeper, more complex flavor than chickpea hummus and a gorgeous dark color that photographs beautifully.

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ cups dried tepary beans
    • 2 tablespoons tahini
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    • 1–2 cloves garlic, minced
    • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon salt, more to taste
    • ¼ cup of  cold water (to thin)
    • A pinch of chiltepin or red pepper flakes
    • A drizzle of chile oil
    • A squeeze of lime instead of lemon

    Instructions

    1. To begin, soak the tepary beans for at least 24 hours. They take a very long time to cook. I have found that they need at least 10 hours on the stove at a gentle simmer. I also add salt, pepper, a garlic clove and a bay to the water. Keep testing a bean or two until soft. 
    2. In a food processor, combine the tepary beans, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and salt.
    3. Add ¼ cup of cold water at a time until the smooth texture to your liking. Tepary beans make hummus thicker, so continue adding a little water until the desired consistency is reached. Adjust seasoning as needed. 
    4. Add more salt, lemon or garlic as needed. If you’re using chiltepin or chile oil, add it now.
    5. Spoon into a serving bowl, drizzle with more olive oil and finish with your optional Tucson flourish.
    Paddle cactus at Mission Gardens

    LEFTOVERS

    LOCAL

    Café Maggie, according to Tucson Foodie, a popular Fourth Avenue spot known for coffee, sandwiches, and a collegial atmosphere, has closed after an equipment failure and ongoing financial strain.

    REGIONAL

    KTAR News reported that Michelin Guides will now cover the Southwest. It will include Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah. 

    NATIONAL

    The James Beard Foundation announced new criteria for its 2026 Awards, placing greater emphasis on community impact, wage transparency, and equitable workplace culture. While culinary excellence remains central, nominees will now be required to show documented commitments to fair labor practices. 
    Bon Appétit did a beautiful story on Tucson. I wish I had the chance to write it. Bummed.

  • Hummus: A Recipe from Manhattan to Indy

    Making your own Middle Eastern dip tastes better than store bought.

    After a year and a half of living in our second and newest Indy neighborhood, Nick and I had our neighbors, a couple, for a repast of small bites. He made the cocktails and I served a wheat-free pizza (gluten-free store bought), Buffalo wings, a charcuterie and cheese board with Norwegian crispbread and GF crackers and hummus. 

    While sipping on her New Zealand Sauvignon blanc, washing down the cracker topped with the Middle Eastern dip, Tricia commented, “Everything is delicious, but I need your recipe for the hummus. It’s really good!” 

    I’ve been making the chickpea and tahini dip for close to 30 years now, long before its ubiquity in the refrigerator section of the grocery store. I discovered it at Yaffa Cafe, an East Village eatery which opened in the early eighties but closed in 2014. It was an eclectic spot in an area growing with creativity. Then, I ate as a vegan and this was one of the few restaurants that I could afford that offered meat and dairy free dishes. It also expanded my horizons with food. I wasn’t stuck with eating rice and beans anymore. I discovered Mediterranean foods.

    In order to make this delicious item, I would walk a few blocks to a natural grocery store called Commodities in Tribeca. (I saw Blondie’s Chris Stein and the late John F. Kennedy, Jr. there). Housed in a massive cast-iron building, I found freshly ground nut butters like peanut, almond and sesame (tahini) by the pound and also lots of meat substitutes like seitan and tofu. Going there for groceries felt like heaven, although it wasn’t inexpensive by any stretch. I relegated my purchases to specific items. 

    The only special thing I needed was a food processor. Unless you’re into hand grinding things into a paste with a molcajete, it’s a must have. A NYC boyfriend had one which he never used.  Purchased by his parents when he moved to Manhattan, it was an unwieldy contraption that was as heavy as a cement brick. And that is how I started making this hummus. 

    During my time in New York, I made the bean spread for every party at the loft I lived in with two roommates. We served guacamole, crackers, chips and sliced baguettes and sangria nearly every weekend. 

    While I would say taking a trip to Manhattan and eating Middle Eastern food on the Lower East Side would be divine, staying home can be just as fun. 

    While I started with the Silver Palate cookbook recipe, I adapted it to suit my tastes over the years. Add roasted vegetables such as red peppers or carrots if you like. Pop them in as you hit pulse or blend on the machine. For a bit of fun, make a traditional pesto, omitting the nuts. Or leave them in and stir in before serving for a swirl of color and flavor. 

    Manhattan to Indy Hummus

    • 1 can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • Juice of half a lemon. Remove seeds. (I can see someone saying, “Do I remove the seeds?”) 
    • 1/2 cup of tahini. (Make sure you stir the oil and paste if separated.)
    • 1 cup of water (You will use this to slowly drizzle, thinning out the hummus, giving it a smoother consistency.) 
    • A couple of glugs of extra virgin olive oil
    • A pinch of salt (adjust to taste)
    • Dusting of hot paprika (optional, for garnish)
    • Flaky sea salt like Maldon’s (optional, for garnish)

    How to make: 

    • In a food processor or blender, combine the chickpeas, minced garlic, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, and salt. Process the mixture until smooth. If it seems too thick, add water (¼ cup at a time) until you reach the desired consistency. If you add too much liquid, add more tahini.
    • Taste the hummus and adjust the seasoning by adding more salt or lemon juice if needed. Transfer the hummus to a bowl. Finish with a little olive oil on top and sprinkle with hot paprika and salt for added flavor and presentation.
    • Refrigerate any leftovers. When serving again, add tahini and/or water to freshen up.

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