Hummus-Maker

A friend once told me that she used to keep a list of the various roles/traits/quirks/etc. that help to define her. I liked the idea the moment I heard it, perhaps because I feel that I have so many, widely-varied aspects to my identity. Keeping a tally of them seemed a novel task. I slowly began making my own list, noting an assortment of facets that I think are part of my personality. "Robot-creator" and "Imaginer of monsters" made it to the list, as did "Cranberry juice drinker," "Lover of low tide," and "Tag-sale scavenger." When Autumn rolled around, I was reminded that I am also an "Acorn Cruncher" and a "Soup Maker." When my son was born, I added "Stroller-pusher" and other such Mama-jobs to the list. But one of the very first things that made it to my list was "Hummus-Maker."

For years, I have been proud of the hummus connoctions that have come out of my kitchen. Years ago, hummus was the dish that I would undoubtedly bring to every gathering and party. People came to expect it. I was the hummus girl. It was one of the things I made sans recipe. I'd pull out all the ingredients but leave all the measuring cups and spoons neatly in their proper drawers. Hummus required no measuring. It was all a matter of taste and experimentation. After giving the chickpea-tahini-lemon-garlic mixture a quick whirl around the food processor, I'd take the first taste. Did it need more lemon? I'd squeeze in a bit more. More tahini? Another spoonful would be added. Salt and olive oil would be sprinkled as needed.

So, when we decided to try out edamame hummus as our recipe of the week, I was excited. I thought little about the fact that (in my kitchen, at least) hummus and recipes are not friends. So, I measured out all the ingredients, pureed them together, and tasted. Hmmmm. The verdict? Well, it was fine, probably better than fine to most people. But, for me, I wanted more. More lemon. More tahini. More salt. Now, there is nothing wrong with improvising and tweaking a recipe. But, I felt that to preserve the integrity of this blog's purpose, I ought not meddle with the recipe to the point that it wasn't even close to the original. So, I left it alone, feeling a twinge of remorse over the fact that this hummus could have been so much more.

To be fair, it did grow on me over the next few days. But, I still feel a desire to pull out a can of chickpeas, cast off the measuring utensils, and create a free-form hummus with no limitations.

I am, afterall, a hummus-maker.