Cedar’s Pita Chips (plain flavored): Oh, boy! Are these things shitty! Imagine the thinnest chip physically possible. And then take away it’s flavor. And then try dragging that chip through a thick hummus. Did I mention that all the “chips” are broken up in the bag? These things are useless. Actually, maybe you can add milk and make a cereal out of it.

ChewFood grade: D-

Stacy’s Pita Chips (”Simply Naked” flavored): Awesome. The right amount of salt. Giant whole squares of crispy goodness. And they are uber thick - almost as thick as a book of matches. I also recommend the “Texarkana Hot” flavor - those things are spicy (the real kind of spicy, not the lame “spicy” that most brands make for white people’s sensitive taste buds).

ChewFood grade: A

Kettle Brand Pita Chips (”Salt Kissed” flavored): Apparently to the Kettle Brand people, “kissed” means “made out with tongues”. They were so salty that after a handful of chips, my tongue was swollen and numb. I thought that was especially weird for Kettle, whose potato chips are the best (Chedder Beer being my favorite). I wrote to them and told them this and they sent me two coupons for free bags of Kettle Brand Chips.

ChewFood grade: C+

Healthier hummus

Makes about a cup and a half of hummus - enough to last me for or a week or two. I pretty much just eyeball everything for this recipe now. It’s pretty hard to eff up hummus. I pan fry the garlic because it’s faster than roasting.

• One 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• Juice from half a lemon
• One teaspoon of Hungarian paprika (you can substitute regular paprika with a dash of cayenne)
• Small handful of flat leaf parsley
• Two tablespoons (less or more depending on your taste) of tahini - if you don’t want to shell out the bones for tahini, Alton Brown uses peanut butter
• Six cloves of garlic
• Three or four tablespoons olive oil

Pan fry garlic in olive oil over medium heat until soft and brown (about five minutes). Set aside to cool. Once cool, throw everything in the food processor (including the garlic infused olive oil) and whiz. If too thick, add more olive oil and/or water to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper or more fresh lemon juice. Serve with crudité or pita chips. Use instead of mayo on sandwiches and tuna salads.

Health: This is pretty good for you even though it’s high in (good) fat. Eat in moderation.

Cost: Cheap. $1.10 for about ten to twelve servings.

Cost breakdown:
chickpeas $.75
lemon $.25
paprika $.10 ($3 a tin)
parsley $.25 ($1.99 a bunch)
tahini $.50 ($5 a jar)
garlic $.25