Apartment lust and some tasty dip

In effort to continue our healthy eating I made Barefoot Contessa hummus.

It is delicious.




Ingredients

• 4 garlic cloves (way too much for me, I stick with 2 cloves)
• 2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
• 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 2 tablespoons water or liquid from the chickpeas
• 8 dashes hot sauce

Turn on the food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop the garlic down the feed tube; process until it's minced. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and process until the hummus is coarsely pureed. If too thick slowly add in olive oil or more water, one tablespoon at a time. Taste, for seasoning, and serve chilled or at room temperature. Done.

I got to thinking about the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, and I did some research. This is what I found, her 1920s one-bedroom duplex with a double-height living room and magnificent leaded glass window in Manhattan. What more can I say, it is perfect and I want it.

"I walked in the front door and saw that window and turned to the real estate agent and said, 'I'll take it.' It was basically that quick."

"For me, it's a little like your food. If you start with a few good ingredients, like those sofas, you can't go wrong."

 "I like one set of regular china, one set of good china, and that's it. I still have my wedding china from 40 years ago. Ginori, white with a gold rim. It's simple, and it makes food look good."

"We did a really streamlined kitchen with a cooktop, an under-the-counter refrigerator and freezer, a dishwasher, huge drawers. In a funny way, I actually like a smaller kitchen. It's much more efficient. I tend to like things spare anyway. I can't stand clutter."

"I like to keep it simple. Really, I'm a modernist at heart. I like clean lines and clean colors."