Yesterday morning, we packed up half of the kitchen and headed to the Union Square Greenmarket to do a cooking demo/promotion for our lovely new cookbook.

The demo went swimmingly — we cooked a delicious eggplant pasta recipe from the book three times in row, and served samples to 300 people (a record for us!).  Fact: Nothing garners a crowd like the aroma of sauteed garlic.

After the event, we came home and used our leftover ingredients to cook the eggplant pasta a fourth time for friends joining us for dinner.  We’re now pretty good at the recipe, so it’s too bad we’re suffering a bit of post-traumatic stress over the idea of it.  In all likelihood, we’ll be frantically chopping eggplants in our dreams for the next few weeks.

So hopefully you understand why we’re not blogging the pasta, despite the fact that it’s incredible fall dish that everyone should make.  Also, we forgot the camera and have no pictures.  (Quick shameless self-promotion:  If you would like the recipe, it’s in the book).

Now, for the main blogging event: pesto hummus — the appetizer to our eggplant pasta supper last night.  We decided to make this dip simply because it utilized ingredients that we had hanging out in our fridge and cabinets.  We were completely shocked by the delightful flavors that resulted.  We scraped the bowl completely clean, and I had even scraped the food processor clean earlier in the afternoon while making the dip.  Though it’s called a pesto hummus, there’s no tahini — so this really ends up tasting more like a pesto bean dip.  We recommend it for any party, to spread on sandwiches, or just for snacking with carrots and crackers.

This recipe should really be adjusted to taste, so please use our recipe as a guideline to create your own delicious masterpiece!

Ingredients (serves 8-10):
2 16-oz. cans chickpeas (drained, liquid reserved)
1 cup packed basil leaves
1/2 clove garlic, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 tsp soy sauce
juice of 1 1/2 lemons
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Combine chickpeas, garlic and basil in the food processor.  Pulse several times.  Add olive oil, vinegar, soy sauce and lemon juice, and pulse (you can add more of these ingredients or less, to taste).  Add reserved chickpea liquid and continue process until mixture is desired consistency (we aimed for the consistency of hummus).  Season with salt and pepper, and serve with raw veggies, crackers, or spread over bread.

After not having tortellini for maybe 10 years, I have them on the brain.  It’s kind of like when you learn a word, and then see it everywhere.  I rediscovered tortellini, and now I see and crave them constantly.  (Me:  What?  Has our local grocery store been selling tortellini all this time and I never noticed?!  Alex:  Yes.)

Alex is currently studying the brain for his Brain and Behavior class, yet he has been usless in helping me to determine why I cannot get enough tortellini.  Perhaps it is because his primary study tool is this video?

In any case, it seems as though the only cure for tortellini brain is more tortellini.  We conjured up this soup recently, and it has served as a sufficient antidote for about a week (though I can feel the urges kicking in again: flashes of tortellini, visions of pasta, etc.).  The recipe is adapted from one in Eating Well magazine.  The original recipe uses ravioli and suggests tortellini as an alternative.  I don’t just suggest it; I strongly urge it.   We made some other tweaks, and our version is posted below.

Enjoy, and don’t blame us if you catch the tortellini brain.  I hear it’s contagious.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 28-ounce can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp dried basil
1 9 oz. package fresh tortellini
2 cups zucchini, dices
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Heat oil over medium-high heat large soup pot.  Add onions, and cook for about two minutes until glistening.  Add peppers and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes until onions and peppers are soft.  Stir in crushed red pepper, then add tomatoes, broth and basil and bring to a simmer.  Let simmer for about 15 minutes.  Add tortellini and cook for 3 to 5 minutes less than package instructions.  Add zucchini and cook until it is tender, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, then serve.