I generally agree that (most) beans are not the worse for having been canned. Canned beans are certainly a great ingredient to have on hand at all times, but last week I tried something new. I’m an instant convert and will never willingly go back, even to my favorite organic brands and middle eastern imports.

Whole Foods Markets carries frozen cooked organic garbanzo beans (chick peas or ceci beans, etc). They are quite simply a different animal! Trader Joe’s used to carry frozen green garbanzo beans too, which were interesting, but alas, no longer. I’ve looked in the area’s Mideastern markets, and though there are several brands of frozen favas there are no garbaznos.

These beans make far and away the best hummus I’ve ever made (and I am justifiable proud of my hummus). I brought some to an Israeli coworker who is a self-professed hummus freak and she raved. She told me that there is a saying in Israel – “You make hummus with love or you don’t make it.” I like that! It might just be my new motto.

The Jewish Daily Forward (a newspaper that goes back to the late 19th century and is now online) is currently doing a series on the proliferation of  many-flavored hummuses on the market. I agree with one of their tasters who said that these new hybrids might be good spreads, but they’re not hummus.  Here’s some of the hummus section at Trader Joe’s today.

To say that my granddaughter Loves hummus would be a gross understatement. Click on the photo of her below to see the “sales jingle” she wrote. She wants me to go into the hummus business; she just might have something.  By the way, even though in the photo she is helping me get ready for her birthday party that is not cake frosting she is so gleefully licking off her finger.  YUP! – it’s hummus.