Illustration by Marcelina Jagielka
There is something about certain foods that mark them as reliable. Whether it is that they are simple to make, easy to resource, or short on preparation time, here are the foods that I turn to for comfort, ease, and because they guarantee a good meal. I know I can depend on them, wherever I am.
Reliable fixtures have helped me through the instability of moving to London for an internship, getting settled in a new place and adapting to a new way of working. Just under a year ago, they helped me transition to living in Oxford. For me, these are hummus and baba ganoush.
I found an excellent deli in Camberwell Green which did baba ganoush. It was perfectly stringy, with a healthy drizzle of olive oil, and topped with pomegranate seeds. The only problem was that it was far too small! Round the corner from where I was staying was a Turkish supermarket, which was a source of fresh bread and decent hummus.
I am always slightly wary of buying hummus from supermarkets, as it is often heavily processed, and not the silky-smooth dip it is meant to be. But this one wasn’t a bad substitute for the real thing, and it tided me over until I purchased the best hummus I have found in the whole of the UK.
From my accommodation near Elephant and Castle, I would make a weekly trip to Marble Arch, and to the wonderful Green Valley supermarket. This is a must-visit for any discerning consumer of Middle Eastern food. It stocks the best za’atar, and its deli counter offers fresh fattoush and tabbouleh salads, along with kibbeh and falafel. I would often get a tub of salad to go, accompanied by some fresh falafel, and sit in Hyde Park enjoying my feast.
But the hummus is truly the star of the show. It resides in an enormous platter, ready to be scooped into tubs to take home and relish. This is hummus at its best: lemony, garlicky, smooth, and endlessly moreish. It deserves to be piled into pitta, plunged into with crudités or (don’t judge me) just eaten with a spoon. It reminds me of home, of being told by my Tata that my hummus is neither lemony nor garlicky enough – that it is thick and stiff, and requires more ice-cold water.
This is the hummus we should all strive for. It is the hummus of my dreams.
Wherever I go, I always seek out these foods. I can never go wrong with fresh vegetables, bread and good hummus or baba ganoush.