HUMMUS and ESB

Articles in this Topic Discussions in this Topic

Mar 31, 2002

I saw this quote the other day and thought I'd share it will all of you "good beer" drinkers.

"There is an ancient Celtic axiom that says 'Good people drink good beer.' Which is true, then as now. Just look around you in any public barroom and you will quickly see: Bad people drink bad beer. Think about it."

-- Hunter S. Thompson

Today let's eat a little healthier. I have a twofold purpose for changing my diet. First, my doctor told me to lose weight and let's face it I'm not going to stop drinking beer! Second, I have a new job as a health promoter touting the benefits of good nutrition and exercise. In other words, eat healthier and get up and move. So I'm only doing my job when I suggest you eat more veggies and keep drinking good beer.

The recipe is for hummus a great Middle Eastern side dish or dip, I found this recipe on an American Heart Association web site called Delicious Decisions. Check it out if you want to eat a little healthier, it can't hurt!

Hummus has a nutty like flavor especially if you add the tahini, a sesame seed paste. So a good beer to pair with it would be Fuller's ESB (Extra Special Bitter). Fuller's beers have an excellent record. Fuller's have won the Beer of the Year award five times in the CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) Champion Beer of Britain competition. The ESB has been voted Best Strong Ale seven times .This British ale tends to be maltier and less hoppy than American ESB's. Fuller's ESB is reddish brown in color, moderately carbonated with a nice rich head. The aroma comes through with a good balance of British hops and a faint nuttiness. Rich malt flavor is balanced well with spicy hop bitterness. This is a strong beer with an a.b.v. in the bottle of 5.9%. It's a strong beer but very drinkable.

HUMMUS
Serves 8

19-ounce can chick-peas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 medium lemons)

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 cup water

2 cloves garlic or 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Water (optional)

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

In a blender or food processor, combine chick-peas, lemon juice, tahini, 1/4 cup water, garlic, oil, cumin, salt, cayenne, and pepper. Process, scraping sides occasionally, until mixture is a smooth paste. If mixture is too thick, add more water, a few drops at a time. Stir in parsley.