Anyone that knows our chef, nutritionist, and “recipewriter extraordinaire” Brandon McDearis understands that he is a big fan of hummus. In fact, even people that do not know him very well can easily discern his love of the chickpea puree. If you follow the nutrition section of the magazine on a regular basis, you may realize that we have featured several of his hummus recipes over the years. I, too, love hummus so much that I scratched the scheduled Vege Vietnamese Pho recipe for April when Brandon’s Sweet Potato Hummus recipe appeared in my inbox. If you do not already realize it, I make all of the recipes we feature in the magazine and usually shoot the pictures for them as well. I thought that Brandon’s Guacamole Hummus recipe was one that could not be topped— I was wrong! This month’s Sweet Potato Hummus recipe is easily my favorite.
You might also have discerned that I research and write many of the recipe sidebars. I love researching and learning about unique and little-known facts about food. Now, being a person who believes all things happen for a reason, I was not the least bit surprised that when I started researching the history of hummus, I discovered a movie about it! The movie, the recipe appearing in my inbox at the time it did, and the wild and crazy state of our Presidential primaries, made it clear to me that the sidebar to our recipe this month should be about the movie, “Make Hummus Not War”. The movie itself is based on a culinary war among Middle Eastern nations as to who can claim rights as the creator of hummus. Director Trevor Graham decided to make the movie when the “war” reached legal status and through his movie raises the question, “could a regional love of hummus be the recipe for peace in the Middle East?” To me, it’s a reminder that our political opinions can be best discussed face-to-face over a healthy meal rather than on Facebook where the human connection is lost and we “speak” in ways we wouldn’t normally in real life.
I base a lot of my thoughts about online discussions of politics, or sports, or gun control, for that matter, on my experience in the military. You might not believe it but, the Marine Corps was the most diverse work (or college for that matter) environment I have ever experienced. To this day, I truly miss the diversity I experienced in the Marines. What I learned is that no matter how far apart people were in beliefs the shared challenge of overcoming extreme difficulties always brought people together and formed an unbreakable bond of brotherhood while leaving our political beliefs intact. That is one of the reasons I love GORUCK. Founded by veterans, GORUCK is an endurance event that has been graduating fearless men and women to its ranks since September 2010. The GORUCK Tough, the original challenge event, is a 10-12 hour event covering 15-20 miles. Shorter, more accessible events are offered as well. A special feature in our “Mud, Fun & Obstacles” issue is our women’s columnist Carolina Camaro Hurant’s article, “The Ladies of GORUCK”. Be sure to read it and learn about the team spirit being fostered through GORUCK.
While GORUCK is not actually a race but, a team building exercise, events like the Spartan Race continue to challenge men and women with great events. You can read about all of the great obstacle races and color runs this issue— our 6th Annual “Mud, Fun, & Obstacles” issue. Many events offer individual and team challenges. I love the team aspect of obstacle course racing which reminds me of my first event back in the late 80’s. Like typical road races and triathlons, these special types of events are not only raising money for important charities but, they are also inspiring people to lead fitter and healthier lives. For many, that means getting off the couch for the first time. For some, like Janet Barry, a former Division 1 Track and Cross Country athlete, it meant rekindling her competitive spirit after four grueling years of running in college. Be sure to read our feature on Janet and learn about her inspiring story to re-ignite her passion for fitness.
While some of us may never take that leap into obstacle course racing and come face to face with a daunting pit of mud, this time of year still poses a challenge for runners and triathletes. As I write this, I’m watching pollen being blown off the pine trees by my window. Yes, it’s allergy season here in North Caroline but, we have got you covered. Be sure to read Diana Palka’s “Three Tips for Running with Allergies” column for some insight on how not to let allergies derail your training.
Inspire. Perform. Endure.
Joe Nuss
