Bob Blumer | the SURREAL gOURMET
Cooking questions? Ask the Surreal Gourmet at TasteTalk.

toasting ellen

Help TV's first lesbian come out of the kitchen with some homemade
hummus and some pita luvin'.

if you are a self-respecting, open-minded habitant of Planet Television, the most important culinary decision you'll be making this week is what to snack on while watching Ellen's coming out episode. A brief review of the recent hoopla should provide plenty of inspiration ... Instead of clamming up, which would have been the shellfish thing to do, Ellen used her mussel to get her way with the network -- which proves that for a professional ham, she's no chicken, despite her obvious beef with the opposite sex. Although there's nothing fishy or foul about her intentions, the issue has been on the front burner for far too long, bringing supporters and critics close to the boiling point. While the debate simmered, the real-life Ellen was grilled, battered, burned, roasted and toasted. By now, I'm sure she's also a bit steamed. After considering all of the options, I suggest that we give the chick some peas. HUMMIN' HUMMUS (Serves 6) Ingredients 2 cups cooked chickpeas (a k a garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed 1/4 cup lemon juice 2-4 garlic cloves, very finely minced 1/3 cup tahini 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup olive oil Use a food processor to blend ingredients. Serve with toasted pita bread. Le Secret: Blend until very smooth. The Adventure Club: Soak dried chickpeas overnight, then boil them in salted water for 1 hour -- or until soft (the time will depend on their age and quality). Music To Come Out By: I had a sneak preview of k.d. lang's new album at her manager's office last week (she makes a cameo on Ellen's show in case you are looking for the link here). Not only is it my favorite k.d. album of all time, but I suspect that every groovy lounge in town will be spinning it non-stop. Save your pennies for the mid-June release. Remember, you heard it here first. April 30, 1997 A R C H I V E S Drunken Shrimp Creole plus: Jalepeno Corn Bread (04/23/97) Earth Day Stir-fry (04/16/97) The Classic Martini (04/09/97) Glazed Italian chicken -- pronto (04/02/97) "Faux" Food (03/26/97) The Surreal Gourmet archive

The Surreal Gourmet's Web Site is located at http://surrealgourmet.com.
Bookmark: http://www.salonmagazine.com/food/surrealgourmet.html