Hummus is one of those foods that I had never thought of making on my own, until one day I did, I was shocked at how quickly it came together. Other than causing me to purchase tahini, which I really had no other use for, hummus is simple. Average hummus is simple. Ok hummus is simple. But you can do better too. Chickpeas, tahini, lemon, oil, water, garlic, salt, processor. That's all you need. Garlic hummus is one thing, roasted garlic hummus is entirely another. The garlic flavor is milder, nuttier, and more distributed throughout the hummus. There aren't tiny bits of garlic throughout, rather some of the creamy goodness is chickpeas and some of the creamy goodness is garlic, and the flavor is deep and rich and integrated. This is just better. Garlic. First, roast your garlic. I'm making a little over two cups of hummus and using 5 small heads of garlic. This is a lot. Use less, unless you love garlic. My garlic is old. My garlic is not bad, but it's not super fresh either. So my garlic has green sprouts. Some people argue strongly that you need to remove these because they're bitter. Some people say that you need to remove these because they're tough. I don't listen to those people, but if you're particularly sensitive to this, go ahead and remove any green sprouts. Otherwise, just use your garlic. Cut into each head to expose all the cloves, spritz with olive oil and either place in a tiny covered container or wrap with alumnum foil. Roast at 400 for an hour or so until the cloves are brown and soft and sweet and nutty. Set aside to cool. I know, you're saying to yourself, "That's a lot of wasted garlic!" To which I say no. We don't waste garlic. You're looking at a woman with a freezer full of bread ends and mushroom stems and brown bananas. Pick your garlic ends out of their papery shell and freeze them. They'll be a bit milder when they're defrosted but still perfect for mincing into whatever dish you're making. Chapter Two: Chickpeas. Either you've soaked and cooked some chickpeas or you've opened a can or box of garbanzos. I like these because I don't have to worry about the can...and if you're not worried about cans, I suggest you don't Google and go on your merry way eating out of cans without the bat of an eye. We have too much to worry about. Peel your chickpeas. This is tedious, sure, but so is eating gritty hummus. Peeling one chickpea is fun. By the 50th chickpea it's not so much. Pinch it between your forefinger and thumb and shoot it into a bowl, retaining the skin between your fingers. Make gun noises. Until that gets old. Rub a handful between two open palms and separate the skins from the chickpeas. Fill a bowl with water and chickpeas. Assault the chickpeas underwater to loosen the skins and then skim the surface of the water for floating skins. There are several ways to do this. I promise it's worth it. I think naked chickpeas look like tiny turkeys. Picture a turkey on the scale of a Lego minifig. If your Lego men and women have a kitchen, a chickpea would be their turkey. Now you're almost done. Chickpeas and garlic go into a food processor or your little as-seen-on-tv chopper or your million-dollar blender. Add your garlic. This is an impossible to photograph process, because your hands will be sticky with garlic. First, make sure your garlic is cool enough to touch. Then squeeze it out of it's papery shell into your food processor. This is fairly icky, but it's worth it. Give that a whir in the processor. Here's a secret...a lot like my carrot secret... I don't love tahini. As much as I love peanut butter and sunflower seed butter, I don't love tahini. I also don't want my hummus to taste like peanut butter or sesame paste. So I don't use as much tahini as the other recipes in the world call for. It's ok. If you love tahini, you could add more of that and less olive oil. It's on you. A quarter cup of tahnini and a quarter cup of olive oil is a good start. The juice of a lemon. Give that a whir together until it's all incorporated. Now season. Salt. Cayenne. Maybe some onion powder. Chives. Whatever pleases you. I hold to my belief that onion powder is an entirely different food than onion. Onion powder has an ability to pull a dish together much in the way that salt lets you taste it. But lots of "real" cooks out there tell us that if we're using dried spices we aren't really cooking. Don't listen. This is really cooking. Ok, no heat, but still. Preparing. Either way, start light, especially on salt, and build. Give it a whir and ask yourself if it needs more. Give it another whir. At this point, if you're like me, you have delicious, smooth hummus that's a bit too thick. Water time.  Add a couple tablespoons and whir. How's it doing now? Ok, add another tablespoon. What's it like? Keep going until you have super smooth creamy hummus in the thickness you prefer. I like it pretty thin, but not runny. It thickens and the flavor intensifies a bit as it sits in the fridge.

 This recipe is cross-posted at SaturdaysMouse.com where I’m working on making food out of food.

Creamy Roasted Garlic Hummus Ingredients

• 4 small cloves garlic
• 1.5 cups cooked or canned chickpeas
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup (plus a spritz) olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon (more to taste) salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 2-3 tablespoons (1 lemon) lemon juice
• 2-4 tablespoons water

Instructions To roast garlic: Preheat oven to 400. Slice ends off heads of garlic to expose cloves. Spritz with olive oil. Roast in small dish with a lid or wrapped in aluminum foil for an hour until brown and soft. Set garlic aside to cool. Peel chickpeas either by shooting them out from between thumb and forefinger, rubbing between hands or another method. Discard skins. Add chickpeas to food processor, fancy blender or little chopper. Squeeze garlic in. Blend until chopped finely. Add olive oil and tahini. Blend. Add salt, lemon and cayenne. Blend more. Add water by the tablespoon, blending in between until desired consistency. If using cooked dried chickpeas, use cooking liquid instead. Serve cold or room temperature. Details

• Prep time: 10 mins
• Cook time: 1 hour
• Total time: 1 hour 10 mins
• Yield: 2 cups

  Dozens of states are working on legislation that would require labeling of food containing Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). Groups like Food and Water Watch are working to make such a labeling law a reality. The risks of GMO foods are unclear, in large part because the research so far conducted has been inadequate in scope, duration, and independence, because the vast majority of the research has been conducted or funded by companies selling GMO crops. These companies use their patent rights to limit independent research on their products. Please take action by signing the Food and Water Watch petition demanding labeling of GMO foods in Pennsylvania.

Coffee with the Co-op

Head over to your local coffee shop this spring and learn more about the Co-op.  During the next two months we’ll be at area coffee shops on the weekend to hang out and talk about our favorite topic – the South Philly Food Co-op!  Want to know what all of the buzz is about? Come on down to one of these events to meet member-owners and get your questions answered while supporting some of our favorite local coffee shops. Become a member-owner at a Coffee with the Co-op event, and we'll send you home with a free South Philly Food Co-op mug! All events are from 9am to 1pm Locations: Sat. Mar 23:    Red Hook Coffee and Tea 765 S. Fourth St. Sat. Apr 6:      Benna's Cafe 1236 S. Eighth St. Black N Brew 1523 E. Passyunk Ave. Sat. Apr 13:    B2 1500 E. Passyunk Ave. Milk and Honey Cafe 518 S. Fourth St. Sat. Apr 27:    Plenty 1710 E. Passyunk Ave. Ultimo Newbold 1900 S. 15th St. Sun. Apr 28:   Ultimo Grad Hospital 2149 Catherine St. Sat. May 4:      Black N Brew 1523 E. Passyunk Ave. Sat. May 11:   Shot Tower Coffee 542 Christian St. *** JUST ADDED*** Sat. May 18: Breezy's Cafe, 2011 Reed St. (In addition to getting an awesome Co-op mug, anyone who becomes a Co-op member at Breezy's will receive a FREE coffee and vegan cookie!) TBD:   Artisan Boulanger Patissier - we are working to reschedule this one in their new space!

Queen Village Art Center and South Philly Food Co-op are teaming up to bring you a FREE Arts and Crafts Happy Hour open to the public. Casual drop-in workshops will give Happy Hour attendees the opportunity to try their hands at painting, printing, sewing, collage and other cool crafts. Materials will be provided and wine and cheese will be served throughout.

When: March 22, 2013 from 7pm-9pm Where: Queen Village Art Center, 514 Bainbridge Street Cost: FREE (RSVP on Facebook to let us know you're coming!) For event and Art Center details visit phillyartcenter.com

Chard Over Cheetos: Fostering Healthy Food Choices in an Era of Junk

A panel discussion with: Kenji Tabery, Healthy Corner Store Initiative, The Food Trust Charles Matthews, Rebel Ventures, Urban Nutrition Initiative (to be confirmed) Tia McDonald, Vetri Foundation for Children Thursday, March 28, 2013 6:00-7:30 p.m. South Philadelphia Branch of the Free Library, Broad and Morris Streets FREE TO ATTEND! ****PLEASE CLICK HERE TO RSVP ONLINE**** Experience National Nutrition Month at the Free Library of Philadelphia! In an age where more than two-thirds of the nation is overweight or obese, type-2 “adult onset” diabetes is striking children, and health care costs are skyrocketing, the need to develop healthy eating habits in our communities is more urgent than ever. But spreading the gospel of health and wellness is an uphill battle, especially when the areas most at risk are places where healthy food choices are most inaccessible. Despite the challenges, there is progress being made towards a healthier reality for many Philadelphia neighborhoods, especially when it comes to kids. In honor of National Nutrition Month, the South Philly Food Co-op and the Free Library of Philadelphia are pleased to welcome a panel of experienced game changes to highlight some of the innovative efforts from across the city to make the healthy choice the easy choice. We hope you’ll join us as we hear from a few of the amazing folks that are out on the street making healthy food choices available to everyone. We’ll hear from Kenji Tabery, program manager from the Food Trust’s Healthy Corner Store Initiative, which is leading the nation in its efforts to bring fresh food to corner stores in underserved neighborhoods. From the Vetri Foundation for Children, which is turning the lunchroom from a junk food gym into a real deal dining room, Chef Tia McDonald will give us her perspective on helping kids eat great, five days a week. Fresh food is so hot the kids are doing it too – we’ll also be joined by Charles Matthews, a 10th grader from West Philadelphia who is working to run Rebel Ventures, a business venture of Penn’s Urban Nutrition Initiative, producing homemade granola bars to sell to fellow students. The Co-op is very excited to hear from this great group and we hope that you’ll join us to explore the challenges and rewards of switching Cheetos for chard! Rebellious refreshments will be served.

Come join us for a great Second Saturday on the Avenue on Saturday, March 9th.  Get loose after a stressful week with an hour long Vinyasa class at Wake Up Yoga from 4-5 pm.  Follow it up with a drink or two at The Bottle Shop from 5-7 pm. Come to one or both events, or even make a day of it! Start your afternoon by wandering down Passyunk Avenue to check out some of our great Shop South Philly partners.  Bring that poster you’ve always wanted to frame over to Frame Fatale, get a trim at Fringe Salon or a treatment at South Philadelphia Community Acupuncture.  Explore the Second Saturday art openings, sales, music and complimentary refreshments on offer this month. At 4 pm stop in to Wake Up Yoga, 1839 E. Passyunk Ave to Detox in an hour long Vinyasa class with Laura Edoff.  Get out of your head and into your body as you sink into a series of poses that will stretch your muscles and enhance circulation.  You don’t need to already be flexible and fit, just give yourself an hour to dissolve anxiety and stress.  Contributions at this donate-what-you-can class will benefit the South Philly Food Co-op. From 5-7 pm head next door to The Bottle Shop, 1837 E. Passyunk Ave for for our Re-Tox event.  It's the weekend!  We’ll be hanging out and drinking some of the great brews in their wide selection, which includes local and gluten free - and a free tasting from Three Heads Brewery.  Hang with some of your favorite Co-op members, learn more about us, even become a member yourself!  Check out the snacks and the daily sandwich specials. Still haven’t had enough Passyunk Avenue love?  There’s plenty of fabulous restaurants and night life to choose from, but it’s a Saturday night so make a reservation ahead of time.  

Lately, I've just been sticking cranberries into everything I cook. I really miss fruit this winter, and I got tired of apples pretty early on. You could make this without the cranberries, but then I'd have nothing to contribute to the literature, because there already is a perfect recipe for English muffins. I've been trying to do this for a while. I hinted at it 14 months ago (!) It turns out that everyone uses the same recipe anyway, and it's Alton Brown's. "My" recipe is *so* Alton Brown's that I'm not going to post it at the end, really, this is someone else's work. The only changes I made were: 1. Cranberries! 2. Earth Balance instead of shortening 3. Equal parts whole wheat and AP flour When I say everyone uses Alton Brown's recipe, I mean that most of the first page of Google hits on "English Muffin Recipe" is either that version or something based on that version. I mean that when I searched for video guidance on making English muffins, the most useful video is based on Alton Brown's recipe. Also, I've made English muffins not using Alton Brown's recipe and they were less than awesome. These, however, are awesome, so let's do it this way. I made five muffins using the aforementioned recipe, cut in half. Really, I should have made four muffins using that much dough, and so my muffins are not perfectly round, but otherwise, it's a win. This recipe involves special equipment - English muffin rings. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="240"] Four of these are "English Muffin Rings" and one is an off-label use of my largest biscuit cutter.[/caption] Sure, you don't have that. Who does? I do, because I finally gave in and bought them ($4.99) after trying to create my own rings out of aluminum foil. They did not hold up. If you're open to various muffin sizes, you can use biscuit cutters or any other sort of ring you have floating around in your cabinet. The internet says that you can open both sides of a tuna can and use that in lieu of actual rings, but I don't eat cans of tuna and I don't believe a can of cat food can ever truly be clean enough to eat out of. The other thing that held me back, even though I first read this recipe a year and a half ago, was dry milk. That's not something I keep around, in fact it's not something I've ever purchased. It's something I was served disolved into lukewarm water the 1990s during a foreign exchange trip to Europe and I've not held it in high regard since. Also, it's pricey. But after wrestling with other recipes, it was the way to go. I mentioned a video based on the same recipe - I took some tips from that as well and it's pretty well done so if you're making these for the first time, why not check it out? I don't know this person, it's just a useful video. Let's do this then. Remember, I cut my recipe in half and tried to get five muffins out of it, but I think you can get a solid 8 out of a full recipe or 4 out of a half. These freeze great, but I do fork-split them first. It's water (divided), flour, yeast, Earth Balance (instead of shortening, but your fat of choice), sugar, salt, and nonfat dry milk. The original recipe is all white flour, but half AP and half whole wheat still gives you a nice texture. Chewy. Crisp on the bottom. Not too heavy. Also, dried cranberries. I added a third of a cup for a half batch. Oh yeah, also cornmeal. This is why I don't usually try to set everything out ahead of time. I'm going to forget something. And some oil (not pictured). I used safflower, but whatever you like. First thing, melt that margarine. Hot water, margarine (shortening, whatever) salt, sugar and dry milk go into a bowl and get a whisking. Do this first so it has a chance to cool. Then get your yeast going. Warmish water (body temp), a pinch of sugar or drop of honey and your yeast. Mix a bit and let it froth. Once your milk/margarine mix is coolish and your yeast is frothy, sift your flour in and mix it all together. Hold off on the cranberries for now. Mix well, cover your dough and set it to rise in the nice warm spot in your house where you set things to rise. Let it go for an hour. Alton Brown says half, but I like an hour. It all depends on the temperature anyway. It didn't quite double, but it loosened up and got airy. It's a pretty sticky dough. Fold in your cranberries. Preheat your griddle and your muffin rings on med-low. Add a smidgen of oil to each ring - maybe a tablespoon total among your four (in my case five) rings. Sprinkle the griddle with cornmeal inside each ring. Divide your dough among your rings. Alton Brown advises using two scoops with a #20 ice cream scoop. I don't know about you, but I haven't had my ice cream scoop calibrated recently. Do what you will. Notice how mine aren't quite full? This is why you should use four rings. Cover with a cookie sheet or other flat piece of metal. Let them cook six minutes (you'll hear them sizzling) then remove the cookie sheet and flip the muffins. Another 5-6 six minutes and you have English muffins. Cool on a baking rack. And split with a fork. They're good as is, but better toasted. And buttered. The cranberry goodness would go well with some orange marmelade, if you have that handy. I did not. Seal them up in something airtight or split and freeze. The whole thing takes less than an hour and a half, so homemade English muffins aren't a serious chore, but English muffins you've already made and set aside for later, those are fantastic. This is cross-posted at SaturdaysMouse.com where I’m working on making food out of food.

It's time to put your money where your mouth is, Philly foodies. On Wed., Feb. 27, at 7 p.m. at The Wishing Well (767 S. Ninth St.), round up a team of your best gourmands and test your knowledge of all things comestible and potable at the South Philly Food Co-op's Food Quizzo. The event is FREE to attend. Questions will be "sourced" from some of the finest culinary minds in the Philly dining and food-blogging scene, and will be grouped in three categories:

1. Philly Focused
2. At Home Cooking
3. Nutrition and History

Question contributors thusfar  include:

• Janeane Tolomeo from philly-ism.com
• Thaddeus from PhillyPhoodie.com
• Martin Brown, co-owner of Little Baby's Ice Cream
• Marcos Espinoza aka Fidel Gastro
• Albert Lee, aka Mr. Philadelphia, Independence Visitors Center
• Tara Nurin, food and beer writer
• Adam Erace, City Paper
• Bryant Simon, What is Your Food Worth
• Amin Bitar, Bitar's
• Drew Lazor

JUST ADDED:

• Barry's Homebrew
• Daniel Berlin, Owner and Pickle Packer at the Bongo Zeptobrewery
• Garces Trading Company
• Beth Kaufman, Healthy Fare
• Fair Food
• The Avenue Delicatessen from co-op members Laura Frangiosa and Josh Skaroff
• Jill Weber, Jet Wine Bar and Rex 1516
• Passyunk Post
• Trey Popp, Philadelphia Magazine

And we continue to add  tongue-teasers from food industry folks every day. (Want to submit your own questions? Email questions about food — any question — along with the answer, to Leigh Goldenberg, Chair, Programs and Events Committee, South Philly Food Co-op. Ideally, your question will fit into one of three categories: Philly Focused, At Home Cooking, or Nutrition and History. If you are so inclined, provide 2-3 alternative (but incorrect) answers, that would help our quiz master. We'll read your name and affiliation along with the question at Quizzo.) There will, of course, be prizes for the winning teams. But as if that's not exciting enough, all Co-op members will get their 15% Shop South Philly discount on food and drinks purchased at the Wishing Well that night. And anyone who joins The Co-op that evening will get the discount, too. See you there! Discover more about the benefits of  member ownership, learn about our next very important milestone, meet a member or, if you're now convinced, join the co-op.  

As part of a series of conversations about food, ethics, and sustainability, Mark Bittman, acclaimed food writer for the New York Times, brings his insights to Philadelphia to address this question. Mr. Bittman will be speaking at the Congregation Rodeph Shalom (615 North Broad Street) on March 13th at 7:30. The South Philadelphia Food Co-op hosted Temple Professor Bryant Simon last month for a discussion in this series. We publicized Mr. Bittman's lecture on Facebook,  but it is receiving more and more attention. RSVP now since space is expected to fill up quickly. Check out the event here: What is your food worth? 

File this in "supporting local businesses!" (While also dining at some great places.) Feast on a 3-course prix fixe lunch and/or dinner at 21 award-winning East Passyunk restaurants for either $15, $25 or $35. From low key BYOBs to elegant candlelight dining, East Passyunk Restaurant Week boasts a diversity of dining experiences and cuisines that offers something for everyone. Come hungry! For a full list of restaurants, menus and reservations, go to www.eastpassyunkrestaurantweek.com. Tell your friends you plan on going by RSVPing at their Facebook page. And if you happen to get to chat with one of the owners of these fine establishments, let them know that you saw information about them on the South Philly Food Co-op's website and ask whether they'd like to be part of our Shop South Philly Program. (It can't hurt to ask!)