Tahina

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw sesame tahini
• 2 cloves garlic, completely crushed into a paste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Juice of 3 lemons
• Optional garnishes: extra virgin olive oil, sumac, paprika, toasted pine nuts, parsley, olives

Directions

If your tahini has a layer of oil on top, stir it thoroughly until it is even again, then scoop 1 cup into a generously sized bowl. Add the garlic, salt, cumin and lemon juice, and mix them into the tahini. Beat in cold water with some energy, adding about 1/4 cup at a time, until the sauce turns silky and creamy. As it comes together, it will become paler, smoother and looser to stir. You will likely use around 3/4 cup water in all. Taste, then fine-tune with additional salt, lemon juice or cumin if it needs it. To serve tahina in the classic style, spread it in a wide, shallow bowl, make a swoop through the surface with the back of a spoon, and finish with any of the garnishes listed above.