New Toy

Ah, falafel: I can't think of any other deep-fried dish I'd make in a sweaty Japanese August. Luckily, they don't take long to deep-fry, so the time in front of the pot of hot oil can be kept to a minimum.

More importantly, today was the first day that I used the new falafel mold that I picked up in Fairfax this summer. It worked like a charm and made the shaping of the little balls much easier. I've always used by hands to squish the falafel mixture into balls, a messy process (but also kind of satisfying and fun). This new gizmo, though, lets you sculpt perfect little flattened patties--and it's a snap to spring them out of the mold and get them into the hot oil safely.

The falafel recipe I use has become my staple. It's taken from The Foods of Israel Today by Joan Nathan. Sadly, I don't own this book, but I did find the recipe on Epicurious. I really can't improve upon it: it really is a fantastic recipe. I usually cut the recipe in half and make 10 balls, enough for two sandwiches and a few extra pieces for the girls.

A few tips: make sure you add plenty of flour. If you don't, the falafel balls will disintegrate when they hit the hot oil. I made this mistake the first time, and it was a sad, sad mess in the pot. And don't skimp on the time in the fridge, as all that time sitting really improves the flavor. Lastly, don't try this recipe with canned chickpeas! We did that once and the results were AWFUL. The falafel didn't get crispy at all--a huge disappointment.

Tonight I tried slicing the pita differently. I usually just lop off a bit of pita and start stuffing. Today, though, I attempted to recreate the sandwiches served at Amsterdam Falafelshop, a really great place in Adams Morgan in DC. They slice the pita lengthwise, nearly down to the bottom and then run the pita through a toaster before plopping the falafel balls in. It worked pretty well, although one of the sandwiches ruptured pretty early on. Guess I should've wrapped it in waxed paper like they do at Amsterdam.

Toppings were simple tonight: just baba ghanouj, a cherry tomato and cucumber salad, and tahini dressing. Served with some chips and Coke, it was pretty damn great.