Garnish:
paprika, cayenne, sumac or za'atar.
chopped parsley, cilantro or dill.
roasted pine nuts or whole cooked chickpeas

1. Put the raw chickpeas in a bowl with 1 tsp baking soda and 1 tbsp salt. Cover with water and let them soak at room temperature overnight.
2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, then place them in a pot add 2 garlic cloves, the onion, and the bay leaves, and cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil, then simmer until chick peas are very soft (about two hours), add more water if necessary.
3. In the meantime, place the lemon juice and the garlic in a chopper/blender and puree the mixture.   Whisk the tahini into the lemon / garlic puree.
4. When the chick peas are nice and soft, throw out the onion and the bay leaves. Put the chick peas in a high speed blender and pulse that until you get a creamy mixture. Pour it into a mixing bowl and whisk in the prepared tahini. This will usually last in your fridge for up to a week.
5. When serving, make sure you drizzle some EVOO and add some toppings of your choice.