breath is food is body

may the universe never abuse food.

breath is food,

the body eats food, 

this body rests on breath.

breath rests on the body,

food is resting on food.

the one who knows this

becomes rich in food and great in fame.

Taittiriya Upanishad 11.7

CS Baba Chai

 

Lita and I love to go to Crestone, which is my new dream hometown.  We have some friends there and our beautiful brother, CS, spends a lot of time at the ashram there, devoted to the Divine Mother.  On our last visit, we spent a morning with him spent in song, prayer, love and chai.  Chai is one of my favorite teas, but CS made his extra special.  I know there are some boxed chais you can get in the store that take just moments to throw together, but the ritual, attention, and love of preparation go a long way in both taste and energy.

Here is his recipe word for word with some of my notes in italics: 

CS Baba Chai

Soak the following herbs for at least an hour (you can also soak them overnight or not at all...according to your taste.)  I like to heat all the herbs once they're added and let them sit for a while.  The amounts of the ingredients can vary according to taste, but this is how I make it for about 6 cups of chai.

- 4 inches of ginger (remove the skin and crush ginger using a mortar and pestle)

- About a dozen cardamom seeds (crush using a mortar and pestle) cardamom seeds for chai are taken from green cardamom pods which you can find in most groceries.

- About a dozen black peppercorns (crush using a mortar and pestle)

- 3-4 Cinnamon Sticks

- 6 cloves

Fill the pot with water (6 cups) and add all of the above.  Heat just before a boiling point and let sit for as long as you want.

Once you're ready to add the tea, bring the herbs to a boil and add some organic sugar (as much as you like.)  Then, once the herbs are boiling, add black tea of your choice (amount your choice.) (I would use two or three bags of darjeeling.)  Boil tea with the herbs for about 5 minutes.  Add milk and bring just to a boil.  Once it boils with the milk, remove from the heat and strain.  

Oh yeah, and say lots of Om Namah Shivayas while preparing!

If you prefer honey as a sweetener, it is best to put it in at the end when the tea is no longer boiling, so as not to lose the healthful properties of the honey.  Also, if you are using raw milk, you do not want to bring the milk to a boil, but rather add it to the hot brew at the end, let set for a minute or two and then strain.  For a vegan chai, use coconut milk from the carton.

(the great redeeming mantra for self-realization - Om Namah Shivaya!)

A little information on this holy mantra from various sources...

Namaḥ Śivāya is the most holy name of God Śiva, recorded at the very center of the Vedas and elaborated in the Śaiva Agamas. 

One translation is "adoration for Shiva," or,  "I bow to Shiva." Shiva is the supreme reality, the inner Self. It  is the name given to consciousness that dwells in all. 

According to Hindu mythology there are three Gods who run this creation. Brahma - who creates the universe, Vishnu - who preserves the Universe and Shiva- who in the end destroys the universe. Among the three deities, Shiva, though considered as destroyer, also symbolizes the the inner self which remains intact even after everything ends. 

In this mantra the chanter (one who repeats the mantra) bows to Shiva- his true self. 

 

Na is the Lord's concealing grace, Ma is the world, Śi stands for Śiva, Va is His revealing grace, Ya is the soul. The five elements, too, are embodied in this ancient formula for invocation. Na is earth, Ma is water, Śi is fire, Vā is air, and Ya is ether, or Ākāśa. Many are its meanings.

Namaḥ Śivaya has such power, the mere intonation of these syllables reaps its own reward in salvaging the soul from bondage of the treacherous instinctive mind and the steel bands of a perfected externalized intellect. Namaḥ Śivāya quells the instinct, cuts through the steel bands and turns this intellect within and on itself, to face itself and see its ignorance. Sages declare that mantra is life, that mantra is action, that mantra is love and that the repetition of mantra, japa, bursts forth wisdom from within.

The holy Natchintanai proclaims, "Namaḥ Śivāya is in truth both Āgama and Veda. Namah Śivāya represents all mantras and tantras. Namaḥ Śivaya is our souls, our bodies and possessions. Namaḥ Śivāya has become our sure protection."

This mantra has no direct translation. The sounds relate directly to the principles which govern each of the first five chakras on the spine...Earth, water, fire, air, ether. Notice that this does not refer to the chakras themselves which have a different set of seed sounds, but rather, the principles which govern those chakras in their place. A very rough, non-literal translation could be something like, 'Om and salutations to that which I am capable of becoming.' This mantra will start one out on the path of subtle development of spiritual attainments. It is the beginning on the path of Siddha Yoga, or the Yoga of Perfection of the Divine Vehicle."

"Na" refers to the Gross Body (annamayakosa), "Ma" refers to the Pranic Body (pranamayakosa), "Shi" or "Chi" refers to the Mental Body (manonmayakosa), "Va" refers to the Intellectual Body (vignanamayakosa) and "Ya" refers to the Blissful Body (anandamayakosa) and "OM" or the "silence" beyond these syllables refers to the Soul or Life within.

OM/AUM: The three parts of Om (A-U-M) encompass the three states of waking, dreaming, deep sleep, the three levels of gross, subtle, causal, and the three levels of conscious, unconscious, subconscious, as well as the three universal processes of coming, being, and going. Absolute silence beyond the three levels is the silence after AUM. It also refers to Tripura, the one who live in the "three cities" as in Mahamrityunjaya Mantra, as well as the light referred to in Gayatri Mantra.

Namah/Namaha: Adoration, homage, respect. Nothing is mine (as an individual person); everything is thine (as the Absolute Reality). The three levels of Om, the three worlds of gross, subtle, and causal, along with the three states of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep states of consciousness, as well as the three levels of conscious, unconscious, and subconscious themselves are "not mine" as the true properties of who I really am. Truly, "nothing is mine." Rather, everything, all of these triads is "thine" or the "other" as the Absolute Reality.

Shivaya/Shiva: That Absolute Reality that is the ground out of which the others emerge. It is that "ink," so to speak, that is not separate from the many forms which may appear to manifest or be created from that ink. In the Realization of this, one comes to see that he or she is one and the same with the Absolute Reality. The Mahavakyas, the great utterances, are seen to be true. Shiva (the static or ground) and Shakti (the active or creative) are seen to be one and the same. She (Shakti), while one with Shiva is realized in direct experience as the one in the three worlds (Tripura) outlined in Om.

Digestive Tea

I am sitting here drinking an Ayurvedic Digestive Tea after eating a big bowl of Pinto Bean Mole (chocolate beans).  Thank God for Mexican-Indian breakfasts.

This is an easy and delicious digestive aid to drink after any meal:

2 cups boiling water

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

break up the seeds with a mortar and pestle and then pour in a tea pot with the water.  Allow to steep for 10 minutes and strain (or use one of those clever pots with the mesh basket).

This aids digestion for vata, pitta, and kapha in all seasons.

an Ayurvedic night cap

Most people are familiar with Yoga, the Vedic science of self-realization that depends on a well-functioning body and mind.  It is spiritual integration through self-transcendence.  Most people think only of the physical postures, though there are many branches of yoga.

Ayurveda is the sister Vedic science of healing for body and mind; a psychosomatic integration through comprehensive health care.  I am studying Ayurveda in books and I hope to study officially as soon as possible, but for now I've been reading and experimenting with Ayurvedic cooking.  One of the lovely aspects of an Ayurvedic diet is to drink warm goat's milk after dinner or just before bed.  Dairy is used as a prelude to some Ayurvedic cleansing therapies, to accumulate energy in one area prior to cleansing.  It gives grounding, mass, sweetness, and usually coolness to meals.  It is excellent for those seeking calm and grounding.  Drinking warmed, spiced raw goat milk is good for calming the nerves and relieving insomnia. 

We take:

- 1 cup raw goat milk

- 1 teaspoon ghee

- 1 teaspoon of spices

warm the ingredients in a pan but not very hot, so as not to kill the healing properties of the raw milk.

The different spice recipes vary, but can include just one or a combination of the following:  coriander, cardamom, dry ginger, cloves, caraway, or nutmeg.  

You can look up the different spices in Ayurvedic references to learn about their qualities.  I really like the new book that came out: Healing Spices by Debora Yost. 

One of the best Ayurveda reference books I have found is A Life of Balance by Maya Tiwari.  Lita recently found another wonderful reference at the library:  Body Renewal:  The Lost Art of Self-Repair by Jay Glaser.  I have many others to recommend if you are interested.  Sleep peacefully, friends.

raw goat milk

I am truly blessed to have a job on this farm.  I believe one of the most important things in life is nourishment; to have a healthy body and mind so that we can reach our full potential and work towards our highest self.  And so good, whole, organic food and clean water is priceless.  I am fortunate enough to be in an environment with an abundance of such nourishment.  At the farm, we grow beautiful organic vegetables and herbs, and also have free-range organic eggs, grass-fed humane meats, and delicious raw goat milk at our fingertips.  We also interact with all these beautiful plants and animals every day, and witness and experience first-hand the cycle of life and the gifts we all exchange.  Melanie said to me the other day that really, we are the goat's babies.  They allow us to care for them and drink their milk.

The goats here are well-loved, and this week has been full of the excitement of birth.  I got to watch many goats have their babies, and each one was a miracle.  And already we have an abundance of delicious, fresh milk.

Lita started reading up on goat milk.  I always knew it was wonderful, but I didn't know how wonderful.  I want to share this information from a site that outlines it well.  (here)

According to the Journal of American Medicine, "Goat's milk is the most complete food known." It contains vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, trace elements, enzymes, protein, and fatty acids that are utilized by your body with ease. In fact, your body can digest goat's milk in just 20 minutes. It takes 2-3 hours to digest cow's milk. 

• Goat's milk is less allergic - It does not contain the complex protein that stimulate allergic reactions to cow's milk.)
• Goat's milk does not suppress the immune system.
• Goat's milk is easier to digest than cow's milk (An old statistic showed that goat's milk will digest in a baby's stomach in twenty minutes, whereas pasturized cow's milk takes eight hours.  The difference is in the structure of the milk.)
• Goat's milk has more buffering capacity than over the counter antacids. (The USDA and Prairie View A&M University in Texas have confirmed that goat's milk has more acid-buffering capacity than cow's milk, soy infant formula, and nonprescription antacid drugs.)
• Goat's milk alkalinizes the digestive system.  It actually contains an alkaline ash, and it does not produce acid in the intestinal system.  Goat's milk helps to increase the pH of the blood stream because it is the dairy product highest in the amino acid L-glutamine.  L-glutamine is an alkalinizing amino acid, often recommended by nutritionists.

Pg. 148 - "The Makers Diet"

• Goat's milk contains twice the healthful medium-chain fatty acids, such as capric and caprylic acids, which are highly antimicrobial. (They actually killed the bacteria used to test for the presence of antibiotics in cow's milk!)
• Goat's milk does not product mucus; it does not stimulate a defense response from the human immune system.
• Goat's milk is a rich source of the trace mineral selenium, a necessary nutrient, however, for its immune modulation and antioxidant properties.

Pg 149 "The Maker's Diet"

Lactose Intolerant?

• Easier digestion allows the lactose to pass through the intestines more rapidly, not giving it time to ferment or cause an osmotic imbalance.
• Goat's milk also contains 7% less lactose than cow milk.
• Additionally, most lactose intolerant people have found that they can tolerate goat's milk and goat milk products.

Goat's Milk Soothes the Digestive Tract

• Goat's milk has long been used and recommended as an aid in the treatment of ulcers due to its more effective acid buffering capacity.
• Children on goat's milk have been observed to sleep through the night and remain more satisfied between meals.

Mother Nature is very Clever

• Natural milk contains many bioactive components, which serve to retard the growth of harmful organisms, and to protect the health of the person consuming them. Goat's milk contains the same important bioactive components as mother's milk.

Medicinal properties of goat milk

The importance of feeding of infants with goat milk has been recognized since ancient days. In developed countries like U.S and South Africa, the goat milk is specifically marketed for the infants. The milk allergy problem common in infants fed with cow milk is rarely encountered when replaced with goat milk and it plays an important role in the formulation of infant formula. This is a proof of the medicinal property of goat milk.

The symptoms like gastrointestinal disturbances, vomiting, colic, diarrhea, constipation and respiratory problems can be eliminated when goat milk is fed to the infants. The reason cited for the relief in respiratory problems when fed with goat milk can be attributed to the structure of casein micelle of the goat milk. Pasteurized goat milk is well tolerated by the infants with gastro-intestinal or respiratory symptoms. Fermented goat milk products are ideal for the persons allergic to cow milk.

The goat milk is naturally homogenized. It forms a soft curd when compared to cow milk and hence helps in easy digestion and absorption. Regular intake of goat milk significantly improves the body weight gain, improved mineralization of skeleton, increased blood serum vitamin, mineral and hemoglobin levels. These points are considered advantageous when compared to consumption of human milk.

The other medicinal property of goat milk is higher concentration of medium chain fatty acids which play an important role in imparting unique health benefits in mal-absorption syndrome, steatorrhoea, chyluria, hyperlipoproteinaemia and during conditions of cystic fibrosis, gall stones and childhood epilepsy. The medium chain fatty acids minimize cholesterol deposition in the arteries, aid in dissolving cholesterol and gallstones and significantly contribute to normal growth of infants.

better than ranch

One of the craziest food habits we've adopted is buying salad dressing in bottles.  It is usually loaded with sodium and thickeners, artificial coloring, and preservatives.  It is expensive, and creates more garbage.  And all we need to make salad dressing is usually already in our fridge or cupboards!  I make a number of different salad dressings.  Lita's step-dad asked me to come up with a substitute for ranch so this is my latest dressing...

- 1 tub of fage Greek yogurt (I prefer the original whole milk but there is also 2% or fat free)

* for a vegan option use a block of firm tofu

- 2 cloves raw garlic

- 2 Tbsp fresh herbs (cilantro is my favorite but dill or parsley would also be delicious)

- 1/4 cup lime juice or lemon juice

- 1/4 cup Bragg's apple cider vinegar

- 1/2 cup EVOO

- 1/2 cup water

- 1/4 tsp salt

- fresh ground pepper

- 1/4 tsp chipotle powder

- dash of cumin

- 1/4 tsp paprika

- 1/4 tsp ground mustard

- 1 - 2 Tbsp honey or agave

Put it all in a blender and you have "better than ranch."

Chocolate Beans

This is one of my very best recipes that has developed over the last year and it is really easy.  Perhaps my masterpiece?  Please give it a try and tell me what you think!

- 2 cups dry pinto beans soaked overnight, drained and rinsed well

- 1 butternut squash cubed

- 1 sweet onion diced

- 1 tsp salt

- 3 heaping Tbsp plain cacao powder

- 1 to 2 tsp chipotle powder depending on how hot you like your spice (or 2 dried chipotles)

- pinch of cinnamon

Put all the ingredients in a crock pot and mix well.  Cover with water and cook on high for 6 to 8 hours so the beans are very soft.

Buen Provecho!

Chokola'j - to drink chocolate together

We stumbled on this amazing little sipping chocolate place in Santa Fe with Jafari last month which has really inspired us.  We found it unintentionally, thinking that we were looking for an herb store.  It was so magical - we walked in almost in a dream state and sat down and ordered three different varieties of sipping chocolate. It was pure Mayan medicine and love.

Real cacao is good for everything - especially your heart.  It is also full of magnesium, which is one reason why we crave it during our moon time.  Lita and I have been making this delicious Mexican hot chocolate drink...

1 cup boiling water

1 heaping spoon organic cacao

1 teaspoon agave syrup

pinch of cinnamon

pinch of chipotle 

1 star anise

How beautiful that a culture had a word especially for drinking chocolate together:  Chokola'j

I started eating bison this year.  It all started with an article Lita picked up on how bison are restoring the plains, as cattle have destroyed our grasslands (and much more).  It made me realize how awesome bison are and we had our first bison burger in Santa Fe with our brother, Jafari at the Cowgirl Cafe.  It was incredible.  Leaner than beef and feels so good in your body.  Raising bison is one of the best thing big-time ranchers can do for this land.  Their hooves restore specific grass species that have been disappearing.  They don't need extra feed, so no heavy equipment or soy fields or corn fields, and they are never pumped with hormones or antibiotics.  They are the perfect North American solution to our disgusting, earth-destroying meat habit.  Well, that and to cut down meat consumption and buy from small, organic farms, yes?  I know, we know.

You can check out this Smithsonian article on bison here.

I've been making bison burgers and bison chili, and it got me to thinking of all the ground beef recipes that were popular while I was growing up and how I could honor them (and still honor my body).  So today I dragged my sick-ass up out of bed and Lita helped me prepare food for the week and this was one of the creations:

Bison  Stuffed Peppers

1 lb ground bison

6 bell peppers

1 sweet onion diced

6 garlic cloves minced

3 T EVOO

1 large can crushed tomatoes with basil

1 container of cottage cheese or ricotta

1 small container of pitted black kalamata olives (chopped or left whole)

2 cups cooked quinoa, cous cous, or rice

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp salt

fresh ground pepper

cumin and cayenne to taste

crumbled feta for topping (or sharp cheddar, blue cheese, goat cheese...)

Cut the tops off the peppers, pull out the core, and put them on a baking tray  in the oven at 375 for about 20 minutes

Saute the onions and garlic in EVOO and add  the bison  - cook until browned. In a large bowl, mix the bison mixture with the rest of the ingredients except for the feta

Stuff the peppers with the mixture and bake for about a half an hour.  The peppers should be soft but not mushy.  
Remove from oven, let sit for 10 minutes, sprinkle with feta, and serve.

Other things you may want to add... green peas, fresh chopped basil, artichoke hearts, or kidney beans

Finally we have photos!  I have been wanting to put them up for all posts, but we're staying with our friend Brad and Brad's dishes are ugly (sorry Brad!) so we had to wait to find some good thrift store treasures.  I'll try to go back and add photos to the older posts as I make the dishes again.

The Mother

I really love kombucha.
It is so easy, but I do recognize it is one of those things people have a hard time keeping up on.  If you don't have it in you to take care of a really simple living organism, like a goldfish, it might not be your thing.  But when you consider that you pay 4 to 5 dollars for a single serving bottle from a store that is now pasteurized (losing the health benefits of fermentation), it is really appealing to have a gallon of home-made kombucha for the price of 7 tea bags and a cup of organic sugar, even if you have to care for the mother.
We have this beautiful SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) from our friend, Erik, in Hawaii.  I've gotten a few of them over the years and this one is by far the strongest and creates the nicest babies.
I think they are so beautiful.  They remind me of a sea creature, or a full moon...

It takes just a few minutes to prepare:

- Boil one gallon of water (or enough to fill whatever glass container you will let it ferment in)

- Add 7 teabags or the equivalent of loose tea and let it brew for about 20 minutes (tea should be any combination of black, green, white, or oolong)

- Remove the bags and stir in 1 cup of organic sugar

- Let the tea fall to room temperature, pour it into a glass container and add the mother (stringy side down) and 1 cup of kombucha from the last batch.  I've also heard you can use apple cider vinegar (natural, with the culture still intact like Bragg's) if you don't have enough reserved kombucha.

- cover the container with a clean cloth and rubber band and let it sit in the kitchen for about10 days.  You could let it sit much longer - it will get more sour the longer it ferments as the scoby breaks down the sugar and makes the tannins, antioxidants, and the poly-phenols in the tea more bioavailable.  Kombucha contains multiple species of yeast and bacteria along with the organic acids, active enzymes, amino acids, and polyphenols produced by these microbes.  After the process, there is only about 5mg of caffeine per serving.

- Remove the mother and prepare a new batch, or you can put her in a jar; cover her with kombucha, and put it in the fridge (with a lid) until you are ready to start a new batch.  The cool temperature in the refrigerator will stop the fermentation process.  She will now have a new scoby baby attached to the top of her, which you can gently separate, with your fingers and either pass it on to a friend or put it in the compost.

I like to use those huge pickle jars.  They are only about 7 dollars, and if you go to buy a large glass container, you will probably spend closer to 20.  Plus you get pickles.  (yum)
If you want to flavor kombucha, most recipes will suggest that you do it after the fermentation is over and you've removed the mother, because some ingredients may affect her potency.  I have made a few batches with chai tea bags, and had no problem.  They were my favorite so far, although Lita wants to work on a rootbeer flavor, which I'm sure is going to win.

If anyone wants a mother, I can send it!

the master cold remedy

I have been so sick.

I started a new job two weeks ago and part of it is being a nanny.  First of all, it is the best job ever.  And second, it has the perk of gaining a very strong immune system from working with children. 

So I've been thinking a lot about cold remedies.  Our sad western system of taking pills to cure symptoms which in turn damage your organs and extend your healing process just doesn't cut it.  And the common cold is our most common complaint!  There are a few things I do each day to feel better.  I do a steam using oregano in boiling water with a towel over my head.  I use the neti pot morning and night.  And I put eucalyptus oil under my nose, on my throat, and chest.  All these things help.  But the thing that makes me feel the best is my honey vinegar tea.  Almost all the Ancient Egyptian medicine recipes involve honey.  Honey is a perfect medicine.  It is antibacterial, good for dressing wounds, moisturizing skin, works better than over the counter cough syrup, prevents tooth decay, regulates intestinal function, contains antioxidants, and is used to treat a number of chronic diseases.  And it tastes like candy.  Of course, the honey you buy should be raw and unfiltered, and it should be local.  Local honey also helps us build up tolerance to local allergens.

The recipe is simple.

A cup of boiling water that you let fall to about 98 - 101 degrees (body temp)

about a tablespoon or more of honey

a tablespoon of natural apple cider vinegar (unfiltered, still has the mother culture, like Bragg's)

juice from 1/4 lemon

It works every time.

salsa verde de Angelica

During our stay in Chihuahua with our dear friends, Ramón and Angelica, we got to experience the joy and tastebud explosions of authentic Mexican sauces.  Chile Colorado, chipotle, salsa verde...  Angelica spoiled us.  She is a beautiful Mexican medicine woman who taught me a lot about food, herbs, and healing.  La brujita. 

Salsa Verde is an important breakfast staple for me and really easy.  Angelica shared her recipe with love.

- 7 jalapenos

- 1 tomato

- 1 sweet onion cut in half

- 1 sweet bell pepper (for mild) or 1 poblano pepper (for medium)

- 1 head of garlic

- 1 half a bunch of cilantro

- 1/2 - 1 tsp salt

- Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar to taste

There are three ways to roast the vegetables.  You can put them all on tinfoil on a gas or charcoal grill (this is my favorite way) and roast them until they are soft and a little blackened.  Or you can put them all on a cast iron skillet on the stove top.  Or you can put them in a roasting pan and put them in the oven at 400 for about a half an hour or until they are blacking and browning.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.  Then peel the onion and garlic and pull the stems off the peppers, and put everything in the food processor with the salt and cilantro.  I just wash the cilantro and put it all in there - stems and all.

Pulse the mixture while adding vinegar to taste.  I like mine with a lot of vinegar and usually put in about a half a cup or more.  We store it in a glass mason jar.  If you like it hotter, try different pepper varieties.  It is very flexible.

Angelica would take the finished mixture and saute it in a pan with a little olive oil before storing it in the jar, so you can experiment with how that changes the flavor as well.

Last night we mixed the salsa with greek yogurt to make a sauce for dipping quesadillas.

¡Viva México!

finally, hummus

I've been making hummus since I was 17.  I started with canned chik peas and lemon juice from a plastic lemon.  Eventually I got the fresh cooked chik peas down and realized that fresh lemons are important.  But still in 14 years, I was never fully satisfied with the turnout.  It was never creamy like in Middle Eastern restaurants.

Ashlita and I were on our way to Ala' Al-Deen in Victorville, CA for dinner a few months ago.  This is the best restaurant in the area and they have the best hummus and baba ganoush I've ever had.  Lita told me I should ask for tips.  The family who owns the restaurant is from Jordan and people come from LA and Orange County to eat at their little place in the High Desert.  We had a delicious meal of stuffed, marinated grape leaves, falafel, hummus, tabouleh, and baba.  Before leaving I asked the kind man in the kitchen to please share his secret to making the hummus so creamy.  The simplicity of his answer thrilled me.  You put a teaspoon of baking soda into the pot of chik peas while they boil.  This makes every one of those little skins come off the peas, and that is what makes real hummus so creamy.

Here is my recipe:

   2 cups dried chik peas

   1 tsp baking soda

   1/2 - 2/3 cup tahini

   juice from 2 lemons

   1 - 3 cloves fresh garlic (to taste)

   1 - 1 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)

   2 - 3 tbsp of reserved water from cooking chik peas

Soak the chik peas over night.  Drain and rinse well and put in a big pot with plenty of water and the baking soda.  Cook for 90 min - 2 hours until they are very soft and the skins are coming off easily.

Reserve a half cup of the water and then drain the peas and rinse well.  Put them back in the pot and fill with cold water.  Use a big slotted spoon to start pulling out the skins.  If you keep stirring the chik peas, skins will keep coming off and floating to the top.  Do this until you've gotten as many as you can.  Drain the chik peas and put them in a food processor with the rest of the ingredients.  It will blend very slowly.  If it is too thick, you can add a little of the reserved cooking water.  A little goes a long way, so add it slowly.

You can top it in the bowl with extra virgin olive oil and a shake of paprika and a bit of parsley for presentation.

And of course, there are a million delicious things you can add to your hummus if you want to make different flavors.  Some of my favorites are chipotle powder, fresh basil, or sun-dried tomatoes.

Finally, hummus.