what's the deal with tahini?

sometimes when i talk about making hummus to my friends, family, coworkers, and pretty well anyone that will listen to me, i often bring up the ingredient tahini. sometimes, these lovely people i'm talking with don't have the foggiest idea what that is. so, here you have it:

tahini is a 5:1 ratio of toasted sesame seeds and oil (preferably a good-for-you one, like extra virgin olive oil, hemp oil, etc.) blended up in a food processor. toast the seeds first in a 350F oven or in a dry frying pan. once seeds look like they're toasting (but haven't got too brown), toss them and the oil into the food processor, and process away! you're looking for a slightly runnier version of smooth peanut butter. mega easy, mega delish, mega necessary for dips, sandwiches, and all sorts of things you might not have thought of (but i will, and will include them in the recipes to follow)

for beginners/busy people: you can also buy tahini in most grocery/health food stores, if you're looking for the quick way around getting your hands on some. consider buying it in bulk whenever available so you have as much (or little) as you need. it keeps for months like peanut butter (even the home-made versions), so don't worry about it spoiling too quickly. i like to keep mine in the fridge so it stays just a touch fresher.