Mediterranean cuisine: A recipe

You say “to-may-toe” and I say “to-mah-toe”, you say “po-tay-toe” and I say “po-tah-toe”…..so, garbanzo beans and chickpeas are also pronounced differently, but are the same ingredient, being one of the staples of Mediterranean cuisine. For example, socca is very popular and nutrious, and is made from chickpea flour – served hot and topped with pepper, eaten with your fingers-type snack – a real Nice specialty!

In keeping with Mediterranean cuisine, a friend of mine gave me the following recipe using chickpeas/garbanzo beans, and it was easy, quick, and tasted great, not to mention that I need all the help I can get, in lacking the cooking gene:

Ingredients: (for 2 people)
- A jar of cooked chickpeas
- 1-2 leeks
- garlic
- olive oil
- rosemary
- pasta or rice
1. Saute the chopped up leeks (white part only) in a large pain with olive oil
2. Add crushed garlic and some chopped rosemary
3. When the leeks are soft and yellowed, add the chickpeas (drain and save liquid before)
4. With a fork, mash 1/2 of the chickpeas in the pan, so they become pasty and keep mixing
so that the flavors combine well. If it seems dry, add some of the liquid from the drained chickpeas)
5. Serve over cooked pasta or rice

Et voila – un vrai délice!