What I Ate For Dinner

Hummus is about as delightful a condiment as man has yet devised. Rich and creamy, with texture and a great flavor combination running the gamut from bitter to salty and back again, it's a keeper for sure. Today, I'm providing hummus with some noble company on a hors d'oeuvres plate that could be served before dinner or at any gathering where full-flavored light bites are in style.

This sort of a plate really allows a cook/host to show off his or her toothsome imagination: what sorts of foods do you think consolidate great tastes on top of wonderful textures and still combine well with others? Lots of things I've omitted would work in this context: olives certainly would, as would any number of other hams, sausages and the like, or other cheeses. I've also done this with small crabapples for some sweetness, and figs, too. What's fun about putting these together is that even wildly expensive stuff--like prosciutto ($22/pound)--can amble on in, since you only need a modest sliver. To serve, I recommend a cutting board, since they can usually accommodate all your favorites in a single grazing range.

If I were a restaurateur, I would call this something pretentious and expensive-sounding, like "deconstructed amuse bouche," since the whole idea is that these are simple, single-bite mixtures of potent flavor and handsome appearance (amuse bouche), but without the fussiness of individually presented portions (deconstructed). Whatever you call it, just aim for great stuff that combines well with everything else on the board; that way, you really can't go wrong.

Also, this is easy! You only have to actually make the hummus. And here's how:

1. If you're using canned chickpeas/garbanzo beans, skip this step. Boil the raw beans until softened, about 35-45 minutes for three cups.
2. Put beans in a food processor (ideally), or a blender if you don't have a food processor. Add in olive oil (good stuff, since it's a main ingredient), lemon juice, salt and pepper, and the roasted garlic paste.
3. Blend, reseasoning as needed. Add balsamic near the end.
4. The hummus is done when it still has some texture, but has become creamy throughout. Taste: you want the salt and citrus to articulate themselves. Finish up with fresh herbs--rosemary works well, as do thyme and basil.

Everything here is to taste, so make sure to dip a crust of bread in often as you blend.

Now, as I said above, you can plate this up with all sorts of good stuff. Toast points or pita, or some other vehicle to mobilize the hummus is of course a must. Thereafter, I've added three wonderful cured Italian meats: Coppa, a lean, peppery number, pancetta, a fatty cured bacon, and prosciutto. I think of this as Italian sashimi.

Then, we've got some goat cheese, tamari almonds, honey and a few cloves of roasted garlic. The possibilities for combining these should occupy the next hour or so of your life. Combinations may well include wine or a cocktail--kir royale would add a festive note (as it always seems to).

Again, this should be a fun thing to put together since you can pull together whatever it is that you love to eat. I've provided a few suggestions here, but have fun experimenting.