[Sca-cooks] Hummus, was cooking for a vigil

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

Hummus is the Arabic word for chickpeas. That's it. Chickpeas. It 
does not imply anything else. Except, i guess, to non Arabic speakers.

Now, if one actually means hummus bi tahini, i have yet to find an 
SCA period dish that is truly like the modern Syrian/Lebanese dish of 
which so many people are fond.

Below are three recipes: one has hummus and tahini and is nothing 
like the modern dip; two follow, one with tahini and no 
hummus/chickpeas; and one with hummus/chickpeas and no tahini. One is 
a sauce and the other doesn't say how it is meant to be consumed.

===

1. This one includes both hummus and tahini but is clearly NOT a dip/spread.

Hummus Kasa
Chickpea Blanket

ORIGINAL RECIPE:
Take chickpeas and pound them fine after boiling them. Then take 
vinegar, oil, tahineh, pepper, atraf tib (mixed spices), mint, 
parsley, dry thyme, [pounded] walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds and 
pistachios, cinnamon, toasted caraway, dry coriander, salt and 
[minced] salted lemons and olives. Stir it *and roll it out flat, and 
leave it overnight and serve it.* (emphasis mine)

--- Kitab Wasf al-Atima al-Mutada
(The Book of the Description of Familiar Foods)
an anonymous 13th-century Egyptian cookbook
translated by Charles Perry, in Medieval Arab Cookery, p. 383

Kiri provided a very altered version to try to make it like the 
modern dish. But if one follows the original directions, one will 
have a rather thin, somewhat dry, highly textured, and tasty dish, 
quite unlike the fluid modern hummus bi tahini.

===

2. Here's a period recipe for a tahini and walnut puree that contains 
no hummus/chickpeas.

Sals Abyad
White Sauce

ORIGINAL RECIPE:
Walnuts, garlic, pepper, Chinese cinnamon, white mustard, tahineh and 
lemon juice.
--- Kitab Wasf al-At'ima al-Mu'tada
(Book of the Description of Familiar Foods)
translated by Charles Perry, in Medieval Arab Cookery, p. 389

Yes, that is all it says, so preparation directions are conjectural; 
however, it is a sauce, so i have assumed it has a somewhat more 
fluid character.

MY VERSION:
1/2 pound walnuts
several cloves garlic, smashed or pressed
3/4 tsp ground black or white pepper
3/4 tsp powdered cassia cinnamon
2 tsp to 1 Tb yellow mustard powder, according to taste
1/2 tsp salt (not called for, but improves the flavor)
2 cups sesame tahini (Sahadi brand is nice)
- - - dense sesame paste doesn't work as well
juice from 2 lemons
water as needed
more lemon juice as needed

1. Heat walnuts in 350 F. oven or a dry skillet on the stove, but do 
not toast; then rub to remove skins while still warm.
2. Grind skinned walnuts finely.
3. Mix together garlic, pepper, cinnamon, mustard, and walnuts.
4. Stir seasoned walnuts into tahini.
5. Stir in lemon juice and water until the consistency of a sauce.
6. Let stand several hours or overnight for flavors to develop.
7. Shortly before serving add more water as needed and more fresh 
lemon juice, a bit at a time, to get the appropriate consistency.

Note: This turns purple if the walnuts are not skinned.

Based on a number of other SCA period Arabic language recipes, i 
suspect it was used as a sauce for fish. It is also delicious on 
vegetables; and modernly i have cheated and used it as a dip.

===

3. And here's a period recipe for chickpea puree that contains no tahini:

Hummus bi-Zinjibil
Chickpeas with Ginger

ORIGINAL
Cook the chickpeas in water, then mash them in a mortar to make a 
puree. Push the puree through a sieve for wheat, unless it is already 
fine enough, in which case this step is not necessary. Mix it then 
with wine vinegar, the pulp of pickled lemons, and cinnamon, pepper, 
ginger, parsley of the best quality, mint, and rue that have all been 
chopped and placed on the surface of a serving dish [zubdiyya]. 
Finally pour over a generous amount of oil of good quality

--- Kanz al-Fawa'id fi Tanwi' al-Mawa'id
(The Treasure-Trove of Delicious Things for the Diversification of 
the Table's Dishes)
anonymous Mamluk Egypt - between 1250-1517, probably 14th c.
translated by Lilia Zaouali, in "Medieval Cuisine of the Islamic World", p. 65.

How this Hummus was eaten was not specified.

MY VERSION

one 1-lb can chickpeas
1/4 c. white or red wine vinegar [see Note 1]
the pulp of 2 Moroccan salted lemons (or to taste - you may prefer less)
- - - [see Note 2 for substitution]
1/2 tsp powdered cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground black or white pepper
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
[adjust spices to taste]
3 Tb. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 Tb. finely chopped mint
1/4 cup high quality extra-virgin olive oil or cold-pressed sesame 
oil (i used a bit more)
additional high quality extra-virgin olive oil or sesame oil for garnish
[do NOT use dark roasted sesame oil - that's Far East Asian]

1. Drain canned chickpeas well.
2. Remove skins by hand: gently rub chickpeas between your hands and 
discard the skins. You don't have to be perfectionist - a few getting 
through is OK.
3. Puree the skinned chickpeas.
4. Mix puree with wine vinegar, the pulp of salted lemons, and 
cinnamon, pepper, ginger. Adjust flavor.
Note: Flavor will develop if this is not eaten immediately and is 
allowed to sit for a while.
5. To serve, reserve some chopped parsley and mint; then sprinkle 
most of chopped herbs over the surface of the serving dish [zubdiyya].
6. Put puree in center.
7. Sprinkle with the reserved herbs.
8. Top with a generous amount of oil - high quality, really green, 
extra-virgin olive oil will look and taste very nice - and high 
quality cold-pressed golden sesame oil will taste lovely as well.

Note 1: Including some champagne and/or sherry vinegar would taste 
nice, although neither would be historically accurate.
Note 2: If you didn't make your own salted lemons, here's a quick substitute:
Wash well, then quarter (preferably organic) lemons. Put lemons in a 
small sauce pan and cover with much *non-iodized* salt and just 
enough lemon juice or water to start dissolving the salt - more juice 
will come out of the lemons as they cook. Simmer, stirring 
occasionally, until the lemon peels are just translucent. If this is 
too dry add a bit more lemon juice or water - this should NOT burn or 
even caramelize at all.

===

Since modern pita is not much like period bread, i serve lavash which 
is VERY like period ruqaq, and with some modern Persian and Afghan 
breads. The latter are not necessarily like period breads, but they 
seem quite close, after reading the large number of bread recipes in 
ibn Sayyar's 10th c. compendium. Plus they are a pleasant change from 
the same-old same-old dull boring pita. There's a lot more to ancient 
and modern Near and Middle Eastern bakers' repertoires than pita!

-- 
Urtatim [that's err-tah-TEEM]
the persona formerly known as Anahita