Cross-Cultural Exchange: Hummus

Well, for awhile now I have noticed they seel garbanzo beans (or chickpeas) and have been pondering making hummus. Finally, today, with the help of About.com 's Middle Eastern cooking section, I found a really super easy roasted garlic hummus. I just made it and introduced it to my Salve friends, explaining that this is what they eat in Iraq (the only real cultural reference they have to that part of the world). The funny this is how I made it---Salve style. I hand-picked oregano and limes from friends house. Bought the beans and olive oil in the super market in our nearest city(not cheap) and then took it to my friends house were we grinded it with a stone. If you are from SA-town or Austin its possible you have seen these stone looking bowl things in a Mexican resturant as decoration. Well, they also serve a cooking/cultural purpose too--to grind things like herbs, etc. So after grinding which took about 2 seconds I fried up some tortillas (in lieu of pita bread) and introduced it. It was a hit! My two friends and I finished that bowl off in less than 3 minutes. So, needless to say I will be making more! Cultural exchange can be very yummy...even when its really not even my cultural I was exchanging. ha

On a side note tho, I have made what they call "Mexican tacos" popular here and they love the term "Pico de Gallo"...they call it something else. I am going to be introducing Gorditas here soon.