Falafel ain't awful! (ingredient, italian, sandwich, freezer)

[DawnMTL]

Originally Posted by Gorges

Falafel is one of my favorite things to make for a party or pot luck. I use the following recipe for the falafel and usually double the recipe and make them a small appetizer size. Also, I just pan fry them in enough oil to coat the pan and then flip, no deep frying.

Sean's Falafel and Cucumber Sauce Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Thank you for that link. I read through some of the comments and several people said that they baked them instead. I want to try that; I've never made falafel -- although I love it -- and I'm not a fryer (or a friar! ). So yesterday I got the ingredients that I was missing and I'll try to make them this week.

As for the tzatziki, I bought that already-made.

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by DawnMTL

Well, if you ever fly into Ottawa again and plan to stick around a bit, let me know. I'll buy you a falafel lunch!



Falafel and awful do rhyme, the way I say it.

Funny thing about Shari's Berries and Mary/Merry/Marry. (The first two sound identical to me.) My oldest friend's name is Charlotte. We call her Char. (Sounds like shaar.) Her sister is Cheryl. We call her Cher. (Sounds like sherr.) Their sister-in-law's name is Shari. We call her Shar. (Sounds like sharr.) When the three of them are all at the same event: Char, Cher, Shar. It's quite hilarious.

I had a falafel burger last time I was up over the 49th (Hastings County). Pretty good.

Funny with the names. Similarly, my mother is Charlotte and my oldest sister is Sharon. To my late father, they were Char and Shar.

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by sheena12

MQ, I was thinking the very same thing! They sound NOTHING alike to me, with the East Coast accent that I will forever have. (no, not a stereotypical Brooklyn or Queens accent, but that's for another thread)


The only thing similar to me about the two words "Falafel" and "awful" is the last syllable "fel/ful" which sound identical to me.

"Felafel" is said "Fuh-Lah-ful" where as "awful" is said "AWE-ful" - after all, there is a "W" in the word, so I do not pronounce it "offle".

However it is said, I love the stuff, and I eat it once or twice a month.

Interestingly, growing up in the suburbs of NYC, in the 60s and 70s, I never had falafel.
It was not until I attended college at the culinary Mecca (no pun nor disparagement against the Middle East or Central Massachusetts intended) that is Worcester MA, that I even tried it.

Now it's common place, and I am glad about that. I often shop at a Lebanese market here in OH, for Middle Eastern specialtie
Honestly, I have made it my self, and I have used imported mixes, and I taste no difference. So, usually, I just by a mix recommended at the deli. "Near East" is probably the most accessible, and to me, it's fine. The foriegn mixes are more flavorful and definitely spicier.

My suspicion is that many restaurants use mixes. Good ones, but mixes none the less. I am sure that someone's middle eastern great grandma does it better - but then that is true of any regional or ethnic food.

A good felafel sandwich or wrap, depends so much upon the vegetables, seasoning, and bread in which it is served.

Felafel does not pretend to be a hamburger or a meatball.

It is what it is - a fried, well seasoned croquette made with chickpeas and seasoning. You don't need to deep fry it. And it's pretty healthy and as American, and easy to find as pizza or hot dogs.

Neither was "invented" in North America.

I first had it visiting vegetarian friends who were at Rutgers, so that would have been around '78 or '79. When I started working in the city, I got it from food carts long before I stopped eating meat. I just liked it. In pita, with lettuce, tomato, onion, white sauce and a little hot sauce.

[DawnMTL]

Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801

Funny with the names. Similarly, my mother is Charlotte and my oldest sister is Sharon. To my late father, they were Char and Shar.

You get it! I was afraid that my story wasn't going to translate well, but you got it!

[DawnMTL]

Originally Posted by DawnMTL

Thank you for that link. I read through some of the comments and several people said that they baked them instead. I want to try that; I've never made falafel -- although I love it -- and I'm not a fryer (or a friar! ). So yesterday I got the ingredients that I was missing and I'll try to make them this week.

As for the tzatziki, I bought that already-made.

Well, there's no time like the present and we're having a bit of an ice storm so... I made them this morning. Delicious!!! My can of chick peas was 19 oz (instead of 15 oz) so I probably should have used a bit more oil and/or another egg (or half an egg) but, whatever, they're delicious! I know what I'm having for dinner! Thank you again, Gorges, for that link.

[CrowGirl]

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 egg
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup dry bread crumbs
oil for frying
*
1 (6 ounce) container plain yogurt
1/2 cucumber - peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon mayonnaise

In a large bowl mash chickpeas until thick and pasty; don't use a blender, as the consistency will be too thin. In a blender, process onion, parsley and garlic until smooth. Stir into mashed chickpeas.

In a small bowl combine egg, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, cayenne, lemon juice and baking powder. Stir into chickpea mixture along with olive oil. Slowly add bread crumbs until mixture is not sticky but will hold together; add more or less bread crumbs, as needed. Form 8 balls and then flatten into patties.
Heat 1 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry patties in hot oil until brown on both sides.

In a small bowl combine yogurt, cucumber, dill, salt, pepper and mayonnaise. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

To bake: Preheat the oven at 400 degrees F. Spray the baking sheet and then the falafels with vegetable oil cooking spray. Bake 10 minutes, flip and spray again, then another 10 minutes. Then broil each side for 2 minutes.

[abeeraad]

Originally Posted by Debsi

I ate and loved them before I knew they were beans. Of course, I love beans anyway.

Here, I fixed it in photoshop. I was just being lazy.

Attachment 195623

Falafel are made from chickpeas, and you should try them with "Tahini sauce" or what we call in Lebanon "Tarator".

[Debsi]

Originally Posted by abeeraad

Falafel are made from chickpeas, and you should try them with "Tahini sauce" or what we call in Lebanon "Tarator".

I have tried them with tahini before. I live in an area with many middle eastern restaurants, including Lebanese. I prefer them with tzatziki though.

[K12144]

Originally Posted by Debsi

My mom would never forgive me for my poor grammar in the thread title, but I couldn't help myself.

Pfft. MY mom might reserve non-forgiveness for something along the lines of "Falafel ain't fal-awful!"


On a serious note, this reminds me that I keep thinking I need to make some one of these days.

Originally Posted by TabulaRasa

Pretty close to rhyming in this Midwestern dialect. We pronounce "awful" distinctly differently than many, if not most, east coast regional dialects do. Here, it's basically a homophone with "offal."

Wait... so how do they pronounce "awful" in other places??? (Besides people like the Bostonians and thereabout, who I suppose would say "Oh-aw-ful")

Wait, reading further... I pronounce "awful" and "offal" the same-- awe + full. Other people in the Midwest don't? Who??? Nobody I know.

Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801

Yes, I have heard that.

I remember being on the phone with a person in the Midwest once and she gave me a name of someone named Don something to call. I asked how Don spelled his last name, and she said "Don is a 'she'." I realized she was saying "Dawn".

We pronounce the "w" here. We even like to put it in words like "tawk" and "cawfee".

Language is almost as much fun as food!

Yes, my mom had a British coworker who once said Bob called. My mom, confused: "Bob who?"
Coworker: "Not Bob, Bob!"
My mom: "Who is Bob??"
Coworker: "No, BOB!"

You know. Barb (as in, short for Barbara). (My mom later got her a stuffed sheep and attached a sign: "Hi, my name is Baaaaahb.")

[silibran]

Oh my goodness! I’d forgotten about falafel. I’ve made it from a mix, but never from scratch. I like those fried patties! I know you can put them in pitas, but I liked them fried with eggs.