Who knew Hummus was so hilarious and historical?

Who knew that hummus formed a complete protein when eaten with bread?  Well, certainly not me.  Then again I just found this bit of information on the internet.  Maybe I shouldn't believe the internet.  Afterall, I get paid to write things that go on the internet and we all know I'm mad.  Don't believe me? Well, I just got stuck in a jacket because I somehow managed to zip it up horribly wrong.  I had to wriggle out of it like it was an overly snug sweater.  So maybe I shouldn't be trusted.  And maybe the internet should be trusted even less.

Then again, if hummus and bread are a complete protein that could explain why I've been craving it.  I do not always have the most healthy diet in the world and my body could very well be demanding I feed it proteins, nice healthy complete ones.  Maybe I just need fiber.  Maybe I'm just hungry.  Who knows?

Believe me when I say that I will not be worried about all those crazy words like mono-unsaturates and poly-unsaturates.  And all the other "nutritional" things they throw at you.  I'm not really eating it because I think it's healthy.  And besides that I'll be content with the fact that hummus is high in iron and vitamin C, for that ever troublesome case of land-based scurvy.  (See my earlier opinions on scurvy and broccoli here).

But really, I'm just going to enjoy my hummus with the knowledge that it is a food that the infamous Saladin himself may have eaten.  The ingredients have been consumed in many variations for many years from India all the way to Spain.  Though maybe I shouldn't go into it's history because apparently that's not a safe topic either.  Don't believe me?  Check out the war over hummus.  In reality, hummus is an ancient dish whose history is a bit cloudy.  The earliest recipe for a food similar to hummus appears in a 13th c. cookbook from Cairo.  But it was probably eaten in similar forms for hundreds of years before that.

Hummus is really just the Arabic word for chickpea, which is also known as garbanzo in Spanish.  This one small bean of many aliases was introduced to Western Europe by at least the time of the Romans.  It is believed that the Phoenicians were responsible for this introduction though there is also debate over this fact.  Maybe I like chickpeas (and hummus) because I am secretly a Phoenician.  My reasons for entertaining this fantasy belong in another post.  Maybe I like chickpeas because they have been causing culinary chaos since the thirteenth century and now are the cause of political struggles.  I may have a thing for rebellious foods.  Or maybe I just like them because I like the way they taste.

The reason why I like hummus will probably always remain a mystery, but now you and I know a few more random facts about hummus and it's history.  Unless you are a genius or food enthusiast and already knew all these things; it's possible.  Either way, go enjoy hummus for all it's glorious history and hilarious upheaval. 

Welcome to the Madder Hatter blog

Hello, I am the Madder Hatter.  If you have stumbled across this blog perhaps you are thinking I must be mad to have chosen such a silly name.  Perhaps you suspect that I plan to celebrate my very merry un-birthday 364 days of the year.  Perhaps you are simply wondering what the purpose of this blog is altogether.  Well, in the words of the Mad Hatter himself, "I shall elucidate".

Let me start with the name.  I find the Mad Hatter to be a lovable character.  He is crazy and funny in his own unique way from his top hat to his absurd tea parties attended by his silly animal companions.  I suppose the real question is whether I am mad enough to take a form of his name.  

By all conventional ways of reckoning I am indeed mad.  Probably more so than most people.  First of all I am a Medievalist.  That is, I study the Middle Ages.  My love and knowledge of the Middle Ages colors the way I see the world and is the source of many of my strange ideas about it, including my views on technology, which is magic of course.  I have had the fleeting moment of doubt about my sanity.  Some days I think to myself that the world is a truly mad place and it really isn't me that is mad after all.  Truth is, the world is mad and so am I.

Now, most people who find themselves burdened by a love of the Middle Ages would take up its study as a hobby.  I am not most people.  I studied it in undergrad and decided that this was not enough.  So I went and completed an MA degree in Medieval Studies.  Upon it's completion I found myself largely, and unsurprisingly, unemployable.  So I did the most ridiculous thing imaginable and went to work for a technological company as an online researcher.  Yes, I, the girl who believes that the internet is magic, I now work for an internet company.  If this string of oddities and blatant incongruity is not enough to convince you that I am mad, then I can provide a handful of my close friends who will vouch for all the quirks in character that are requisite for such a title. 

As to Madder in particular, it is not meant to be the comparative form of mad.  It is meant to specifically refer to the color madder, a type of red, though it could, of course, work on both levels of meaning.  The color red has its own fascinating history that dates back to antiquity.  Although it is not my favorite color I chose to be associated with red because I am a proud member of a group of Scarlet Women.  The Scarlet Women are some of the most amazing people in existence, but they are part of another story.

So that is where the Madder Hatter came from.  Now all that remains is to explain the purpose of this blog.  Wait, you expect me to actually know that?  Well, I imagine it will end up being a reflection of my life, a random collection of incongruous ideas and events.  But who knows really.  This is just the start of the adventure and there is no telling where it will lead.     

Perhaps I should end with a quote.
The Mad Hatter: "Have I gone mad?"
Alice: "I'm afraid so.  You're entirely bonkers.  But I'll tell you a secret.  All the best people are."

So, I'm in good company.  And now that I have come to the end, I'll stop.