the falafel experience: are you experienced?

you know when people call in to radio shows, how sometimes they say, "hi this is johnny x., long time listener, first time caller..."? well that is how i've always felt about falafel. i've loved it for as long as i can remember, but have never tried my hand at actually making it. sure, there were a few hapless stints with dry mix from the box, but they paled so in comparison to the cheap and delicious wares from saad's or mama's, that i'd always just say "ahh, forget it, i'd rather spend 3 bucks on the real thing." sigh...how often i have bowed to the false god of convenience.

but today, with warm spring sunlight flooding the kitchen, ryan and i made falafel from scratch, and it was an experience worth repeating. there are a number of steps, but it's as easy as chopping some vegetables and using your food processor, i mean it.

the falafel experience: cobbled together from vegan with a vengeance (p. 98) and an old minimalist recipe from mark bittman

- in your handy dandy food processor, pulse 2 cups chickpeas (you can use canned ones, or dried ones that were soaked overnight - i used a little of both) with a tablespoon of bread crumbs and another table spoon or two of flour. you want to achieve a crumbly texture but NOT a puree. never a puree with falafel.

- then throw in a chopped onion, a few minced cloves of garlic, and a massive handful of italian parsley (the kind with the broad, flat leaves). also at this point, also add one teaspoon sea salt, a teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and heavy pinches of ground coriander and cumin. you can certainly use pre-ground spices but i highly recommend toasting and grinding your own.

++ how to ++ take some cumin and coriander seeds and throw them in a dry pan over a high flame. keep your pretty eye on them so they don't burn. toss the pan around occasionally, and toast them until they are fragrant. if shit starts popping, immediately turn the flame off! let the seeeds cool for a moment, then, pulverize into oblivian with a mortar & pestle. this mix is gonna smell incredibly good so close your eyes, breathe deeply, and pretend you're in a spice market somewhere exotic, like bangkok or bombay.

- okay, back to the contents of your food processor. pulse everything (chickpea mixture, onions & garlic, spices, salt and parsley) until it is well combined, but again, NOT pureed.



- with a spatula, scrape your falafel mix out and transfer to a ceramic bowl. refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. this helps the mix stay together once you attempt to drown it in hot oil.

- you can use a deep fryer here, but man those things are a pain in the ass. instead, i suggest filling a small-ish non-stick pan 1/2 way up with vegetable oil. get it hot. bittman suggests 350 degrees F. if you don't have a thermometer (or just don't bother with all that), let the oil get pretty damn hot, then toss a piece of batter in it. if it sinks to the bottom, bubbles gather around it, and it quickly rises back to the surface, it's ready!!

- with your hands, shape the falafel mix into balls - whatever sized balls you prefer (no snickering!!). throw them into the oil, and don't touch them for 5 minutes. after that time elapses, flip each one over carefully with tongs. you will almost faint with delight when you see the transformation:

- you will probably have to do it in two batches. drain the done falafel balls on a paper towel and then assemble a crazy sandwich in a pita. to ours, we added tahini sauce (basically, tahini + water + lemon juice), homemade hummus, fresh spinach, carrots, tomatoes, sprouts, and hot sauce. oh my god! falafel is literally the perfect vegan food: a complete protein AND deep fried. suck it, crappy falafel mix from the box!


love,
emily

cookies they smudge

Last week I attended what was supposed to be a small, homey get together. The anti-rager, I kept calling it, the kind of party where the "partying" consists of sitting around cozily and lazily, listening to records, wearing sweaters, drinking vegan-nog, recapping your holiday gifts (regiving your unwanted gifts, perhaps?) and, yes, eating cookies, some vegan, others, not so much:


It was still the holidays back then, and I suppose it is now, because I certainly am still eating cookies. Unlike my sister's fancy day-tracker, I know the time of year by the telltale culinaria (winter = baking, summer = juicing, autumn/spring = salads!). Suffice to say, the party soon dropped the anti and was just a rager, but never fear, the cookies still were eaten and compliments were heartily passed around.

So as to arrive fashionably and foodily late, I decide to whip up a batch of Sparkled Ginger Cookies from Vegan with a Vengeance before heading over, one of my favorite cookbooks and a simple, tried and true recipe at that. I was extra excited to make this recipe because Em and I each received Silpats for Christmas, something I've been wanting for a long time, but was never really sure if I wanted to drop $25 at Foster's on just one item. Silpats are amazing because they transform our shoddy, kinda busted cookie trays into non-stick producers of moist, chewy and golden victuals. Unfortunately, due to my desire to get every last dish done in the 10-12 minutes the cookies were to bake, I didn't really check or rotate the trays as I should have, and a whole dozen burned to little flat pancakes of sadness. However, the two trays on the top tier of the oven must have had a bit more moxy, as they turned out reasonably well and definitely edible. See:

Later, at the party, I was lamenting the loss of those poor dead cookies and how much it sucks to throw any food away, especially something you just got done making. A nice lady told me that with the Silpat, you should reduce your baking time, or at the very least, check in on your goods about 5 minutes before the recipe says to. So, now I'll have to try again, and again, and again and maybe again after that. Just because the holiday season is winding down doesn't mean i can't continue to enjoy cookies! Cookies for all I say! Moist, delicious, well baked cookies for all!

Sparkled Ginger Cookies
makes 2 dozen cookies

4 tablespoons turbinado or demerrara sugar (regular sugar works well but coarse is best and most sparkly)
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup soy milk
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two cookie sheets. Place the turbinado sugar in a small bowl. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. In a separate large mixing bowl, mix together the oil, molasses, soy milk, sugar, and vanilla. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and combine well. Roll into 1-inch balls, flatten into a 1 1/2-inch-diameter disk, press the cookie tops into the turbinado sugar and place 1 inch apart sugar side up on a prepared cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes, let cool on cookie sheets for 3 to 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.