Israeli Hummus

I'm a huge hummus fan, so when I was in Wichita over Thanksgiving break I had to try the hummus at Bella Luna Cafe.  They claim to have the best in the world.  Now we all know that's not true, I'm sure that there's some pretty good hummus being made all the time in the middle east and elsewhere, but it was some really good stuff.  I usually make a middle of the road hummus, a little spicy with cumin and cilantro but otherwise fairly plain.  So when I came across this Israel Hummus recipe from Michael Solomonov I knew just by reading it that it would be the best in the world (or at least in my world).

Chef Solomonov visited hummus parlors all over Israel in search of the best hummus and came up with this version.  You start with dried chickpeas soaked overnight in baking soda then cooked with garlic cloves till tender.  The usual ingredients - tahini, lemon, cumin & oil are added while it's pureed.  You then take a portion of the tahini and blend in lemon juice and seasonings.  This is swirled over the hummus just before serving.  A garnish of whole chickpeas and paprika is tossed over top.  The cooking technique and layering of ingredients brings this hummus to a whole different level.  The recipe is too long to print here, but if anyone is interested I can email to you.  Well worth the time.