Wanted: Good Hummus, $$$ Reward

Detective Case Journal #24601 

Yesterday, Jimmy 'The Snake' Skibowski got handed 25-life thanks to my big lead. The station was pretty quiet so Sarge gave me the day, and for once I decided to take it.

Now I've never been one to relax for all that long, so I went over to Mel's diner to grab a bite with the boys.

Mel's been losing it since his old lady left. He started making this hummus platter and Susie gave us one to try. After one bite I nearly drank my weight in water. It was dry, grainy, and just not good eats. Good thing it was on the house. You could also build a house out of it.

This got me sleuthing for good hummus; one that was everything I wanted it to be - garlicky, smooth, good chickpea flavor, and just the right moisture content.

Me Va Me's. What made theirs so good? I got the owner into interrogation on unpaid parking tickets but he wasn't talking. One thing was clear, he had a soft spot for the joint. After a little carefully placed flattery, he finally slipped up. The secret, as I suspected, was all in the blender.

- 1 large can of chickpeas (approx. 2 cups, retain the liquid)

- Juice of 1 lemon

- 3 or 4 cloves of garlic (roasted, if you like)

- 1/4 - 1/3 cup of tahini

- 1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

- Sea salt to taste

- Olive oil

- Paprika

* In a blender, combine the lemon juice and tahini until smooth and frothy

* Add the garlic cloves, pinch of salt and continue to blend

* Add the chickpeas, about 1/3 at a time - try to get as few skins in as possible

* Drizzle with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, add the sour cream, and continue to blend

* If the hummus is dry, add a little bit of the chickpea liquid/oil until the consistency is smooth and moist

* Sprinkle with paprika and drizzle with olive oil for serving

I could now get my first good night's sleep in a month, knowing that I had done my part to help get bad hummus off the streets and the good stuff into the recipe books, where it belongs. Sorry Mel, stick to the liver and onions.