Highs Hummus with Pita Crisps

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   TO MAKE THE HUMMUS: Combine the chickpeas, garlic, cayenne pepper, cumin, paprika, salt, lemon juice, and tahini in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade.

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   Add just enough olive oil through the feed tube to get the mixture turning, usually about 2 tablespoons.

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   (Too much oil at the beginning will prevent the finer pieces of chickpea from grinding smoothly, creating a coarse blend.)

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   Scrape down the sides.

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   Run the processor until the chickpeas are ground completely.

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   Once the mixture is smooth, slowly add up to 4 tablespoons more olive oil to achieve a silky consistency.

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   The folks at Highs say, Run your machine a long time.

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   We almost whip it.

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   I let the machine run for another 3 minutes or so.

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    Spoon the hummus into a serving bowl; set aside.

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    TO MAKE THE PITA CRISPS: Preheat the oven to 350F.

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    With a knife, slit open the pitas along their edges and pull each apart into 2 rounds.

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    With a pastry brush, lightly paint both sides of each pita half with olive oil.

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    Sprinkle both sides with salt and cut each round into 8 wedges.

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    Lay the pita wedges in a single layer on baking sheets.

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    Bake until light golden brown and crisp, about 10 minutes.

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    To serve, drizzle olive oil over the hummus and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

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    Accompany with pita crisps, Greek olives, and chopped fresh tomatoes.

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    Tahini is made by pulverizing sesame seeds into a paste with a consistency similar to peanut butter.

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    Many regular grocery stores stock tahini, so ask for help if you cant easily find it yourself, or try stores that specialize in Middle Eastern food.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.