Ultimate Hummus

Original recipe by: Leslie Brenner

Thrillingly velvety, airy and fluffy, a properly made hummus bears little resemblance to the supermarket stuff; it’s one of the best things you can eat in the universe. Seriously, it might well be one of my desert island foods. This recipe, which requires overnight (or at least 8 hours) of soaking dried chickpeas, builds on those by Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook in Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking and Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi in Jerusalem: a Cookbook. The texture of great hummus suffers a bit in the refrigerator, so it's best to leave it out at room temperature, as long as you're going to serve it within a few hours. If you need to make it in advance, store it in the fridge and let it come to room temperature at least a half hour before you serve it.

Its soul-mate is freshly-baked pita.

Makes about 3 1/2 cups.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried chickpeas

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1/4 cup fres…