Recipe: Sweet and Savory Middle Eastern Hummus

Sweet and Savory Middle Eastern Hummus

Happy & Healthy Cooking,

Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills

• blend :

  to stir together two or more ingredients until just combined; blending is a gentler process than mixing.

• plate :

  to arrange food beautifully on a plate or platter or in a bowl.

• season :

  to add flavor to food with spices, herbs, and salt.

• simmer :

  to cook a food gently, usually in a liquid, until softened.

• toast :

  to brown and crisp food in a heated skillet or oven, or in a toaster.

What is Hummus?

• Hummus (HUM-moohs or HUM-muhs) is the Arabic word for "chickpeas." It is a dip or spread made from chickpeas that originated in the Middle East. The first written record we have of hummus is in a 13th-century Syrian cookbook. 
• You make classic hummus by boiling dried chickpeas and mashing them with garlic, lemon juice, salt, olive oil, and tahini, a paste made from sesame seeds. You can also use canned chickpeas. In the Middle East, they might eat hummus on bread with a meal, dip their pita in it for an appetizer, or serve it with eggplant, falafel, or grilled meat. You can also dip chips into hummus or spread it on crackers or a flatbread, like pita.

Let's Learn About Egypt

Ancient Egypt

• Ancient Egypt dates back to around 3150 BCE.
• Both Egyptian men and women wore makeup. If their eye paint was green, it was made from copper, and if it was black, it was made from lead. Egyptians thought makeup could magically provide healing! 
• Egyptians believed in preparing for the afterlife, and by preserving the dead person's body through mummification, their soul would live forever. If you were to unwrap a mummy's bandages in a straight line, they would be as long as a mile! 
• More than 700 hieroglyphs made up the Egyptian alphabet! 
• Ancient Egyptians had over 2,000 gods! Each deity had different responsibilities and required worship so that life could be kept in balance. 
• Cats were sacred, and Egyptians believed having a cat in their household would bring good luck!  
• Love playing board games with your pals? So did the Ancient Egyptians! One popular game, 'Senet,' was played in Egypt for over 2,000 years! To play, they would throw sticks, like we throw dice, to move their game piece on the board.
• The Ancient Egyptians invented many things we still use today, such as paper, pens, locks with keys, and, believe it or not, toothpaste! 

Modern Egypt

• The country of Egypt is officially known as the Arab Republic of Egypt. Arabic is the official language, but additional languages, such as English and French, are also understood by many.
• The population of Egypt is over 102.6 million, and its total area is 390,121 square miles.
• Cairo is the capital city and also has the largest population. Other major cities include Alexandria and Giza.
• On the borders of Egypt are the Gaza Strip, Israel, Libya, Sudan, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Red Sea.
• The Sinai Peninsula in Egypt spans both the African and Asian continents.
• Egypt is an arid country. The Sahara and the Libyan Desert make up most of Egypt's area.
• Egypt experiences many types of natural hazards, including droughts, earthquakes, flash floods, landslides, windstorms, dust storms, and sandstorms.
• Egypt's Nile River is the longest in Africa and possibly the world, although the Amazon may be slightly longer.
• The Great Pyramid of Giza, built in the 26th century BCE, is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and is still in reasonably good shape, considering it is about 4,600 years old!
• Football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Egypt. Other popular sports include tennis and squash (like racquetball).
• Egyptians primarily eat legumes and vegetables, although those who live on the coast may include seafood in their diet. When people eat meat, they often grill lamb and beef and boil chicken, duck, and squab (young pigeon) to add to soups and stews. Bread and cheese are staple foods, and pita bread is a common local favorite. Baklava and basbousa are two favorite syrup-soaked desserts. Baklava is a layered phyllo dough and nut pastry, and basbousa is a semolina cake.

What's It Like to Be a Kid in Egypt?

• School is free for kids from 6 to 15 years old. In addition to subjects like reading and writing, kids may also have a religious education, with Muslim and Christian students learning separately. 
• Kids may participate in soccer, tennis, squash (like handball), and wrestling.  
• The Sham Ennessim (or Sham al-Nassim) festival is a national holiday that celebrates the beginning of Spring and is held on Easter Monday. Families spend the whole day outside picnicking and visiting public gardens, zoos, and other places.
• Kids may eat a popular food for breakfast or dinner called "ful medames," a stew with fava beans, also considered a national dish. "Koshari," another national dish, is a main course made with pasta, rice, lentils, and a spicy tomato sauce, topped with fried onions. For snacks, kids may eat almonds, pistachios, grapes, raisins, dates, cucumbers, pita, and cheese. Sweet treats include "Oumm Ali" (mother of Ali), a national dessert of Egypt similar to a rice pudding, consisting of bread or pastry (often phyllo) mixed with coconut, cinnamon, pistachios, and raisins with milk poured over and baked.