When I was in college, my good friend and neighbor was from Jordan. He loved to cook and one of my very favorites was his Hummus and made from scratch Pitas. Hummus is very traditional and is made with only a bit of garlic (not 9 cloves - even 3 is pushing it) lemon juice, tahini and some of the liquid from the can. No cumin, no anything else.. just chickpeas. It is, however, easily adapted to any taste - including Westernized versions, flavor it up or add what you want. I think if you don't want to buy tahini (not cheap and unless you eat alot of hummus, could be wasteful), then don't! If you want to add cumin, then DO! Celebrate diversity and palates of a wide variety of flavor. I would never dream of putting in 9 cloves of garlic, but thats just me. When I plate my hummus, I drizzle olive oil on the top, sprinkle with a touch of paprika and serve with not just pita, but also a nice assortment of thinly sliced veggies cut on a diagonal... try carrots, cucumber, massively big black olives or even wedges of tomato straight from the garden. Just enjoy it.. it's healthy, it's easy and very satisfying. HINT: Try warming your chickpeas and broth in a saucepan until they are just at a simmer. They will break down easier in your food processor and you will get a creamier, more flavorful dish. Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment here. I love everything you say. And next time, I'm going to simmer the chickpeas first. PJH

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