Cortona Cafe Unveils Black Eyed Pea Hummus

As many people hopefully know, Cortona Cafe has recently added black-eyed pea hummus to the menu which appears to be a hit with the majority of the regular customers. The alluring dish is made by culinary artist Kristi Brown-Wokoma and has quickly become one of the more popular items on the menu. It's a shift from the more traditional hummus made of chickpeas and more healthy (CK). Given the lack of healthy food options in the neighborhood, we're glad to have a protein rich new option for customers.

It's important to note that Kristi Brown-Wokoma is a long time Central District resident which falls in line with Cortona's mission to buy and sell products that come from the neighborhood. If you haven't tried our black-eyed pea hummus yet, check out a quick Q&A with Kristi as she talks about why she created the dish and hopefully it will encourage you to come on in and try it.

When did you first start thinking of making black-eyed pea hummus? What led you to want to tinker with that recipe?

Several years ago when I worked the lunch line at Kingfish Cafe, I was trying to impress my chef, Tracey McRae, and I thought that the black eye peas would be a perfect mix between traditional soul food cooking and the fresh Northwest cuisine.

Are there any advantages of using black-eyed peas over garbanzo beans?

Black eyed peas have a richness which isn't present in the garbanzo beans. Both are extremely rich in protein, but the black eyes peas seems to have a more complicated flavor that holds up perfectly to the other ingredients.

What type of reactions have you gotten from people who have tried it? Even people who might be skeptical at first?

I have hummus stalkers, people call me from all over the country, hitting me up on my social networks and seeking me out at events just to get me to make them hummus! I have gotten very familiar with the ways of my skeptics, they scrounge their nose up, say how much they hate black eye peas, but I am committed to making people believers! So I can get a little persuasive to get them to at least try it.

How long have you been working professionally as a culinary artist?

I have worked in the culinary industry for 20 years, mostly in catering, but have had a very varied experiences within this industry and wouldn't trade it for the world.

As a resident of the C.D. is it nice knowing that a local cafe is supporting one of your creations?

Oh my goodness yes! It has been a pleasure to work alongside Jason and Foxy to make my dream of retailing hummus a reality. I appreciate their hard work, and look forward to seeking out more ways to be a part of the community!