Hummus, Brown Butter Krispie Treats, Apps That Are Not Tiktok

Good morning from our home gym to yours. Just came back from the supermarket -- I consider it a small victory that we made it six days without going out for food. No flour, no toilet paper, no tofu (?), but they did have Pringles, which I believe will compensate for a lot. Yesterday I went for two walks because the weather was so nice; had a call with some old coworkers; and tried to create the perfect hummus. And I'm hesitant to even announce this because I fear it won't stick, but after dinner (a huge empty-the-fridge salad with crispy, spicy chickpeas) we queued up episode 3 of The Wire. I've watched the series already -- and Andy has seen it twice -- but we figured why not use this time to introduce the girls to the best show in television history??? Here is today's Pantry, Project, Purpose...

Pantry: Hummus

One of the best things about working with the Cup of Jo team these past two years is that the office is in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, which means that lunch is way more exciting than it is when I'm seven-minute-ing an egg at home. And at least a few times a month, I hit the legendary Middle Eastern market Sahadi's for their hummus, grabbing an extra large container to bring home to the burbs. Smooth, slightly lemony, creamy-to-the-point-of-pourable, it is beyond superior to any storebought version in our neck of the woods, and I've turned my family into a bunch of addicts. I've tried to recreate it several times, but my kids, particularly Abby, are ruthless in their criticism. Too thick. Too garlicky. Too this, too that, too whatever. Finally, yesterday I made two members of the family stand next to me and advise while I whirled my cooked Rancho Gordo garbanzo beans in the food processor. I started with a basic Ottolenghi recipe just for framework, then made my tweaks from there. Creamier, they cried. Saltier! Why can't I taste the lemon? Then, finally: Stop! It's perfect! Unfortunately I wasn't measuring, but here is the basic idea. Be sure to make it alongside your most discerning critic.

Feel-your-way Hummus

Makes about 4 cups.

3 cups cooked garbanzo beans (from about 1 1/4 dried)

1/2 cup tahini

1 large garlic clove, smashed

juice from one decent size lemon (about 1/3 cup)

kosher salt

Add chickpeas to a food processor bowl and pulse until rough and pasty. Add tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and 1/3 cup ice cold water. Process until smooth, adding more salt and lemon juice until it tastes right and more water until it reaches desired consistency. We like it super smooth so I probably ended up adding more than a half cup of water.

Serve on a platter drizzled with good olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt and paprika.

To turn it into dinner, serve with a platter of roasted vegetables and pita.

Project: Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

This classic Smitten Kitchen treat goes out to all my quarantine friends who can't find flour or yeast. I haven't officially checked, but I'm guessing there isn't a run on marshmallows and Rice Krispies at the moment? We haven't made them in so long, but we're down to our last bag of flour, so I see them in our near future. (Picture forthcoming!) What's remarkable about these is just how much better they are than the ones you make from the back-of-the-box instructions -- and that's hard to do with a recipe that iconic.

Purpose: Apps That Aren't Tiktok

I asked Abby to recommend something she's doing that helps her feel connected to her friends (besides Tiktok and FaceTime) and she suggested the following game apps: Photo Roulette, Psych, Anagrams on Game Pigeon. I can vouch for Psych. That was a favorite Thanksgiving game for the whole family last year -- adults and kids.

Stay safe. Stay home.

The goal of the Project, Pantry, Purpose series to keep us sane, distracted, and connected. Please continue to comment below with suggestions for recipes, projects (for kids and adults), good deeds, donation ideas, stories, movies, games, puzzles. Or just tell me how you’re doing, what your daily routine is, and how DALS can help you or people in your community. You can also email me directly at jenny@dinneralovestory.com.