If you use dried chickpeas, soak them in four cups water overnight. They should be crunchy but edible (and tasty) when done, something you might put in a salad. You can do this a few days ahead of time and put them in the refrigerator, draining them just before you make the hummus.

You can also get concentrated pomegranate juice, which is of ketchup consistency. Instead of a quarter cup, use an eighth cup of concentrated juice and an eighth cup of water.

When processing it in the food processor, keep going until it is really smooth, almost fluffy. In my food processor, I need to do it in three batches. I can try to do two batches, but one of them always ends up making a mess.

For presentation and added flavor, sprinkle servings with olive oil and either paprika or cayenne pepper. You might even garnish with a few black olives or olive slices.

Serve with tortilla chips, tortillas, bread, or with California tabouleh. I enjoy it on an open-faced olive-oil-fried sourdough bread sandwich, with tomatoes and feta cheese.

It can be frozen, though you’ll want to heat it up before eating it rather than just letting it thaw.