Tag Archives: The Naked Label

Taste Experiences of 2014

My list of memorable taste experiences was compiled by the end of 2014 and I am only managing to publish after the new year…perhaps I had too much fun over the holidays if that is even possible, a good way to start the year

The best sweet potatoes ever: I converted to eating sweet potatoes on a regular basis upon the discovery of the recipe in the Ottolenghi cookbook. Here is the recipe http://www.vivianlaw.ca/tag/best-ever-sweet-potato-recipe/

Pistachio Zeppole at Buca Yorkville: I had never heard of a roman donut until I ate this divine one at Buca. Looked like a bagel, but light and airy filled with delicious pistachio cream and cherries topped with candied pistachios. www.buca.ca 

Scones at Harvey Nichols: Clotted cream is a favourite food of mine and the clotted cream met a special scone this fall at Harvey Nics.

Duck tacos and duck confit wings at Dailo/Lo Pan: Chef Nick Liu has some very creative asian dishes at his restaurant Dailo and bar above, Lo Pan. Loved the duck tacos and duck confit wings http://dailoto.com/ 

Ciccoria: is Italian for dandelion greens and I only learned to appreciate them this summer when I ate them sauteed and drenched in olive oil at a local restaurant in Tuscany.

Party Hummus: the best hummus recipe yet by Briana Santoro of the Naked Label www.thenakedlabel.com who I met on a beach to start 2014.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi inspired sushi at Yasu: the movie was an inspiration in 2012 , so imagine our delight in a delicious dining experience along those dreams of sushi in Toronto http://yasu-sushibar.com/

Coconut Shrimp at the Halekulani: the coconut shrimp served at House Without a Key in Waikiki are the best ever time and time again

 

 

Recipe: Party Hummus by the Naked Label

Hummus is a snack I like to enjoy occasionally. There are many opinions on what needs to go into hummus to make it great. I posted a highly purist version without tahini a couple years ago. It took me a while to get to this recipe, as I have tested and absorbed so many hummus recipes over the years. I met the creator of this amazing hummus recipe, Briana Santoro by chance in Antigua early this year. She is a nutrition expert who has compiled a great cookbook Get Naked in The Kitchen with nutrition education, healthy recipes  and most importantly the book has my endorsement for great taste! Briana’s video here and others on her site are fun and highly educational:

http://thenakedlabel.com/blog/2014/03/24/best-hummus-recipe/

I watched this video a while ago and finally got around to making the hummus from memory today. It is so delicious I had to write this up right away and call it party hummus! Briana shares some secret ingredients in the video above. This is my version, hopefully I recalled her secret ingredients correctly (watch her video to know for sure) and I’ll add my chickpea and hummus strategies .

I stock only dry beans in my kitchen, as canned beans seem to give me digestive issues, and beans you cook yourself have better taste and texture. Chickpeas can be a bit tricky sometimes to get the right tenderness without losing the skins. Soaking overnight with baking soda really improves the cooking time and texture of chickpeas. In addition, the technique of blending the tahini with lemon juice first makes an extra smooth hummus in my experience.

Party Hummus from theNakedLabel.com

Soak 1 cup of dry chickpeas in a large bowl of water and 1 tsp of baking soda overnight or for 8 hours plus.

Rinse chickpeas, place in a large pot, and cover with plenty of water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook chickpeas until tender, 20-60 minutes or more, depending on your chickpeas. Rinse chickpeas, set aside.

3 tablespoons tahini

juice of one lemon

juice of one orange

1-2 cloves garlic, chopped

3 cups cooked chickpeas

1 tablespoon olive oil

1-2 tablespoons tamari

cumin and paprika to taste

salt and pepper to taste

In a food processor, blend together tahini with orange and lemon juice. Add garlic, chickpeas, olive oil and tamari process until smooth. Season with cumin, paprika, salt and pepper, process until combined. Adjust seasoning to your taste, enjoy the hummus with crackers, veggies, or anything else you like for yourself or a party!