Creamy Garlic Hummus Tahinied with Screaming Females

A few weeks ago I read the book Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall. The book profiles some of the worlds greatest athletes and what their secrets are for performing at such a high level. One section of the book profiles what these athletes eat (the suggestion is that in order to be a good athlete one should "eat like a poor person"). Scott Jurek, a prolific ultra marathoner in the US, eats hummus during his races over 59 miles. This got me thinking, if it works for him why not try it out myself. I made a big batch of hummus and took it with me on my next long run. It worked.

Creamy Garlic Hummus
(printable version)

-1 can of chickpeas
-1/3 cup tahini
-Juice from 1 lemon
-5 cloves garlic, crushed
-1/2 tsp sea salt
-3 Tbsp olive oil
-2 Tbsp water
-pinch of cayenne

1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and set aside.

2. Combine the tahini with lemon juice and blend in a food processor (or blender) until frothy. This step is imperative for making a creamy hummus, creaming these ingredients before adding the chickpeas.

3. Add garlic, salt and olive oil to tahini. Blend.

4. Combine remaining ingredients in food processor. Blend until smooth. Serve with toasted pita, sandwiches, chips or vegetables.

I am a little late to the The Screaming Females party. After all, the New Jersey band made lots of noise last year with Power Move, their third album (and first on Don Giovanni Records). But being fashionably late to parties is my forte. Hey, at least I showed. The Screaming Females new EP, Singles, was released in February. "Arm over Arm" and "Zoo of Death" can both be found on this EP ("Bell" is from Power Move). The band will be embarking on a US tour in May.