Calabrian Heat and Ethnic Cravings

  Last week marked the second study trip of my university studies. We spent a week in Calabria viewing pasta, beer,and honey productions, to name a few. Even though I had an excellent time and loved being able to swim in the Mediterranean, my lasting memory of this place will always be that of heat. There has been such a dearth of spice in my neck of the woods that I almost forgot the taste sensation entirely. Fear not! Between hot peppers, sun burn, throbbing bug bites, and swollen bruises, I got the hot, hot heat back in my life. As a side note, being in the South made my desire for ethnic food even stronger, so I made falafel tonight. Recipe to follow.

Calabria

150 year old orange grove 

Mulberries!

Unfiltered honey

Dairy farm

Artichokes in bloom

Vineyard view

Licorice root

Just some donkeys, livin the dream

     Make-shift Falafel 

     To make these tasty lil pucks of joy, start by soaking your chick peas overnight. After they have soaked, add them to a blender or food processor. Saute the garlic and ginger in oil and add to the machine. Add the herbs and spices. Pulse everything together into a coarse mixture. Add in two tablespoons of water if the mixture is too loose. Pour the crumb into a bowl and add the onions and flour and mix by hand. Let this mixture chill for an hour to set up a bit before frying on a medium-low heat. Fry until well browned and season with salt immediately after frying.

     I served mine on multi-grain focaccia smeared with ricotta. After I added some carrots and cucumber, I was ready to smash my face into the plate. I ate both of these sandwiches and it was a mistake. A delicious mistake.

Recipe

Adapted from the blog Tomato Blues

1 c chick peas, soaked overnight 

1 small onion, finely diced

5 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tsp ginger root, minced

1/2 c loosely packed parsley, chopped

1/4 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tbsp flour

salt and pepper to taste

oil for frying