A Little Something

Here's something for your Oscar party. This is delicious and nutritious, a good protein source.

HUMMUS WITH TOASTED PINE NUTS, CUMIN SEEDS, AND PARSLEY OIL
This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
1/4 cup packed fresh flat-leafed parsley sprigs plus 2 to 3 additional sprigs
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
two 19-ounce cans chick-peas
4 garlic cloves
2/3 cup well-stirred tahini
2/3 cup water
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
Accompaniment: spiced pita toasts

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a blender or small food processor purée 1/4 cup parsley with 1/4 cup oil. Pour mixture through a fine sieve set over a bowl, pressing hard on solids, and discard solids.

In a small baking pan toast pine nuts and cumin seeds, stirring occasionally, until nuts are golden, about 10 minutes.

In a colander rinse and drain chick-peas and in a food processor purée 1/2 cup with garlic until garlic is finely minced. Add tahini, water, lemon juice, salt, remaining chick-peas, and remaining 1/2 cup olive oil and purée until smooth. Recipe may be prepared up to this point 3 days ahead. Keep hummus and parsley oil chilled, covered, and pine nuts and cumin seeds in an airtight container at room temperature. Bring parsley oil to room temperature before using.

Strip leaves from additional parsley sprigs. Divide hummus between 2 shallow dishes and smooth tops. Drizzle hummus with parsley oil and sprinkle with parsley, pine nuts, and cumin seeds.

Serve hummus with pita toasts. Recipe follows.

Makes about 4 cups.

4 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 cup olive oil
6 (6-inch) pitas with pockets

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a dry small heavy skillet toast seeds over moderate heat, shaking skillet, until fragrant, about 1 minute, and cool. In an electric coffee/spice grinder finely grind seeds and salt with paprika and in a bowl stir together with oil.

Split each pita into 2 rounds and brush rough sides with cumin oil. Cut each round into 8 wedges and arrange, rough sides up, on 2 large baking sheets. Bake wedges and arrange, rough sides up, on 2 large baking sheets. Bake wedges in upper and lower thirds of the oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden brown and crisp, about 8 minutes total. Cool pita toasts on racks. Pita toasts keep 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

You can serve these with everything from spinach artichoke dip to hummous. Stored in the freezer, they'll keep indefinitely.