Saturday, Apr. 10, 2010 - 4:03 p.m.
Chick Peas- an inconvenient truth
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how long can i keep chick peas once they're soaked? what should I look for when buying them dried? I've found some are good and sometimes they just never go soft no matter how long i cook em
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ha ha after you soak them 12 hrs try to get at them asap.. if not, refrigerated you can probably save them 2-3 days but sooner is better than later, If you keep soaked CP moist and at room temperature- they will sprout. that's ok too its your sigh of freshness..
buying dried,, watch for grades.. and country of origin.. smaller ones are harder to work with and tend to be woodier to eat // premium grade large are well worth the money= bulk food stores tend to carry small, woody crappy grades, seek out Indian / Iranian grocery stores and ask for the best grade..
never salt CP cooking water, or any pulse water sodium hardens the protein..
after the CP are cooked and barely cooled, pop the meat out of the skin between your fingers or use a popsicle stick . discard the skins This takes a while but the results are way way worth it= premium CP paste without any of the lumber
especially of you are making humus..
the secret of humus is uniform smoothness .. mouth feel of the occasional CP gravel will turn off the mashed potato crowd forever= vegetarians do not need any more fucking >> fibre -
we need more protein access
a super strong food processor will convert rougher CPs into a uniform slurry, hand mashing or a suckie little blender cannot do this
..also,, do you add tahini ?? if not you should,.. it makes it rich and smooth..
if you plan to store humus, cover the surface with a thin film of vegetable oil to act as an airproof seal..
decorative vegetable garnish is essential. as nobody really enjoys beige paste...
live a little
