“Joel Luks Jacobs, make hummus,” dad says in an authoritative imperative, using a guttural and rough sounding “h.”

Very Fiddler on the Roof-like of him.

No please or thank you. He used my full name. That’s when you know your family means business.

They like their hummus, well, my hummus, and that means I have to keep a seemingly bottomless supply coming. And there is nothing like the traditional: Chickpeas, tahini, cumin, olive oil, salt, pepper, and a touch of sumac berries, parsley and more olive oil. Thats my basic.

Sometimes I vary with paprika, curry, fenugreek or whatever happens to be at arms-lenght, but essentially, it is still a somewhat conventional hummus.

Messing beyond that is risky business in my family with threat of being temporarily abolished from any culinary activities, that’s until the next meal. So, when I found myself without chickpeas, I had to do something.

The only beans left were white beans, which could pass for chickpeas. But rather than trying to make them be something they are not, I used a slightly different technique.

So now for something completely different.

I grabbed whatever goes with white beans and mushed it up into a white truffle white bean hummus with mushrooms and thyme.

• 1 1/2 cups sliced white mushrooms
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
• 1/4 cup white wine, the kind you would drink
• 1 tablespoon Earthy Balance vegan butter
• One 8 oz can of white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon white truffle oil
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Clean the mushrooms really well with a towel or brush. It is a travesty to use water as they will absorb it. Chop them finely.

Snowy white button mushrooms work beautifully, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand

Saute the shallots on medium heat on a tablespoon of olive oil for 5 minutes until translucent and slightly caramelized. Toss in the garlic, cook for a minute, then the mushrooms. Attempt a professional-style flamboyant flicks of the wrist. Once cooked, season with salt, pepper and half of the thyme. Deglaze with the wine and cook down. Add in the butter, melt and set aside.

Tossing a bit of butter always helps with a little creaminess. Vegan butter that is.

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and process still smooth. Garnish with a little more thyme, black pepper, a drizzle of white truffle oil and serve with crostini, veggies, or whatever floats your foodie boat.

Pick a gorgeous white bowl, toss in some fresh thyme, black pepper and a drizzle of white truffle oil

It was a hit. So I remained in the kitchen for the remainder of my visit.

I am trying to still figure out if it was a good thing. For me that is.

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