Hummus Bi Tahini

Serve this Middle-Eastern chick-pea and sesame spread as a dip with torn pieces of hot pita bread or as a component of a cold lunch or appetizer plate.

4 cups (about 2~ cans) garbanzos (chick-peas), drained ½ cup tahini (sesame paste)*
½ cup warm water
½ cup best-quality olive oil
juice of  2 or 3 lemons
4 or more garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground cuminseed
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Combine chick-peas, tahini, warm water, olive oil and juice of 1 lemon in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until smooth and creamy, pausing once or twice to scrape down sides of the bowl with a spatula.
2. Add garlic, salt, cumin seed and pepper to taste, and process to blend. Taste and correct seasoning if necessary. Add more lemon juice to taste. Scrape into a storage container, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
I quart

*available at specialty food shops