First post & my favorite hummus recipe

I've decided to dork out and create a food blog. I spend enough time on Tastespotting nowadays that I catch myself writing posts in my head as I'm cooking or deciding what the best way to photograph my cooking would be.

Besides doing this, I am a design student at Carnegie Mellon University and I've discovered that if I'm frustrated and tired of working on visual projects, the only thing I can do to clear my mind is cook.

I cook a lot.

So here is my first post— a recipe for a variation on Hummus. Hummus has always been one of my favorite foods, since I was a little kid. Everyone has their version. Since I have a citrus allergy, I use white wine vinegar in place of lemon juice, and I think it works out pretty well.
I enjoyed some here with the crusty bread I baked yesterday.


Makes a good amount. (I'm not one for exact measurements)
Ingredients:
2 cans chickpeas, drained (organic, if you can find them)
2-3 tbs. tahini
extra virgin olive oil
white wine or champagne vinegar, a few splashes
a small handful cilantro
5 or 6 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper to taste
smoked paprika, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor— either grate or press garlic cloves so you don't get lumps. This recipe is super flexible, so I usually just start out with a small amount of olive oil and vinegar and keep adding things until it is the consistency I like. Process until smooth and fluffy.

I've found that I love the flavor of fresh cilantro in this, and you'll end up with a green-flecked hummus that's so much nicer than the beige stuff you get from the store.