Falafel – The Opposite of How These Will Make You Feel

Unlike most of America’s other favorite fast foods, falafel is rarely attempted at home, which is a shame, since it’s very simple to do, and even a relative novice like me can get some very decent results. One word of warning: you do need to know you’re going to have a craving for this a full day before you actually want to eat it.

Whipping up a batch of these after a late night at the bar is not going to work, since soaking the dry beans overnight is a crucial step. While you can use canned beans for this, word on the street is not to do it. Those are cooked, and apparently just aren’t as good.

As you’ll see, you don’t really need a deep fryer to do this, as they pan-fry quite nicely, but the model you see me using has some advantages. In addition to being less messy, a small fryer lets you achieve the precise temperature, which means your food crisps up perfectly, while absorbing virtually none of the fat. People have done studies, measuring the oil before-and-after frying, and when done properly, it’s remarkable how little oil is used.

No matter what method you use to cook yours, I think you’ll be surprised how close this is to your favorite falafel stand, assuming they used the exact ingredients and amounts I did, which may not be the case. So, be sure to taste and adjust until you get it just right. I really hope you get this try very soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 12 falafel balls:

1 cup dried garbanzo beans aka chickpeas

1/2 yellow onion, diced

4 cloves minced garlic

1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley

1 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 rounded tablespoon flour

2 tsp lemon juice

- Fry at 350°F for about 5 minutes or until browned and crispy

How to Make Tahini Sauce with Too Much Garlic

This was supposed to be a simple tahini sauce video for teasing our upcoming falafel episode, but it turned into a demonstration on how not to adjust a recipe. Usually this delicious Middle Eastern condiment has just a touch of garlic, if any, for whatever reason I was in a garlicky mood, and decided to put in some extra… all at once.

This is a classic rookie move, and usually a recipe for disaster, pun intended. If you’re going to significantly increase the amount of an ingredient, you can’t just dump it all in and cross your fingers. You have to add it little by little, tasting as you go, otherwise you’ll end up like me; the proud owner of a perfectly fine garlic sauce.

There’s nothing wrong with garlic sauce, unless you really wanted tahini sauce.  The good news is, my mistake shouldn’t affect you in the least. The technique is very simple, and every ingredient is “to taste.” So, please use the ingredient amounts below as a guide, and then add more of whatever until you have it exactly how you want it.

Once you get the formula down, you’ll be enjoying one of the world’s great cold sauces. Perfect with everything from steamed vegetables to grilled meats, and of course, homemade falafel. So, stay tuned for that, and in the meantime, I hope you get this delicious tahini sauce a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 1 cup of tahini sauce:

1/2 cup tahini (pure sesame seed paste)

1 clove finely crushed garlic (I used 4 cloves in the video,  but you probably shouldn’t)

pinch of salt

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil, optional (most classic recipes do not include)

enough warm water to achieve the desired consistency (this sauce is usually very thin)

Farinata – Why Didn’t You Wish for This Sooner!

The third best part of this job, after the fame and fortune, is learning about unique, new foods; and this farinata video is a perfect example! Until it was requested by a Vlad Kiperman (if that is his real name), I had no idea this tasty, and dead simple recipe even existed. It’s so good, I’m kind of sad the discovery came so late in life.

Farinata is nothing more than a simple garbanzo bean flour batter, which is spiked with olive oil and salt, and baked in a very hot oven. The surface gets crusty, the edges get crispy, and yet the inside stays moist and sort of creamy. The texture is easy to explain, but the taste, not so much.

This is so simple and subtly flavored that it’s a kind of hard to describe. You may be familiar with the taste of garbanzo (aka chickpeas) in things like hummus and falafel, but here it’s not combined with other strongly flavored ingredients, and so you’re getting pure, un-cut bean. It’s going to be easier for me if you just make it and taste for yourself.

Like I said in the video, if you’ve never made this before, you should probably try a plain version to get an idea of what this stuff is all about, but after that, the sky's the limit. The options for add-ons to the batter, as well as potential toppings are virtually limitless. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Pan Note: I know many will ask, so I’ll just say it now; yes, you can use any oven-safe 10-inch pan to make this, but I have a tough time believing it will come out as wonderfully textured as it would if you use a cast-iron skillet. Putting the batter into a smoking hot pan seems to be one of the big keys here.

Ingredients for 6 portions (one 10-inch cast iron pan):

2 cups lukewarm water

1 1/2 cups garbanzo bean flour (aka chickpea flour)

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt (about 1 tsp fine table salt)

1/2 tsp finely minced rosemary leaves, optional

5 tbsp olive oil, divided (use 3 tablespoons for the batter, and 2 tablespoons for the pan)

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Gluten-Free and Loving It

By the way, since this is made from a legume-based flour, farinata is 100% gluten-free, which should make a small, but very passionate group of foodwishers happy. My usually modus operandi when it comes to such requests and questions is a referral to Allrecipe.com’s impressive, and extensive gluten-free recipe collection, or one of my many talented GF food blogger friends. 

Speaking of which, Shauna and Danny from Gluten-Free Girl (the Beyonce and Jay-Z of GF bloggers), have a new cookbook out called, Gluten-Free Girl Every Day. If you happen to swing that way, check it out. The recipes sound wonderful, the photos are gorgeous, and the book’s getting rave reviews.

Lambage Rolls! Lamb & Rice Stuffed Cabbage Leaves with Almonds and Currants

My love of cabbage rolls is deep and unconditional. I almost always make the same version, based on my Aunt Angela’s famous recipe, but once in a while, just for the hell of it, I’ll use lamb instead of beef. 

I love lamb burgers and lamb meatballs, so it’s no surprise that I love lamb-stuffed cabbage rolls, and I’m happy to report that these particular “lambage” rolls were the best non-beef version yet!

I remembered a middle-eastern restaurant Michele and I used to frequent, which served a lamb meatball stewed with tomatoes and spices, and served over a rice pilaf studded with almonds and currants. I really loved that dish and tried to incorporate those elements into these cabbage rolls.

I loved the results. Big, bold flavors, yet not too heavy, and like all cabbage rolls, these were very, very comforting. I used a pretty lean grind for the lamb, but ideally the butcher will give you something close to a 80/20 lean-to-fat ratio.

As far as the rest of the stuff, you’re on your own, and as usual I’ll ignore most of the “can I leave out the [insert delicious, totally necessary ingredient here]” questions. You are the boss of your cabbage rolls, so act like it. Anyway, I hope you share my love of cabbage rolls, and if you do, I really hope you give this version a try. Enjoy!

Makes 8 Lambage Rolls

1 lb ground lamb

1 cup rice

1/4 cup butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cayenne

pinch dried oregano

1/4 cup packed Italian parsley

1 tbsp dried currants

2 tbsp sliced almonds

1 cup tomato puree

3 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 onion sliced

1 head cabbage

salt and pepper to taste

feta and parsley to garnish, optional

View the complete recipe