Tuesday, March 29, 2011

A Cooking Adventure!

My day got off to a rather rough and downtrodden start, but it shaped up to be a great one by the early afternoon. I'll list the reasons fairly quick (as that's not what this post is about, but I feel the need to share):

1. Ran into an old friend, had lunch, caught up.
2. FLEET FOXES ALBUM LEAKED (I still plan on buying it, though...it's a respect thing I hold for musicians I like)
3. Found out my Medieval Art & Architecture class is cancelled until next Thursday.
4. Went to Whole Foods, got to the checkout, paid, realized I forgot to buy something--I go back and get it, then the girl "rings it up" and tells me it's on them... as in... FREE. A glorious thing. (Mama didn't raise no fool...I got the fuck out of there once she said the magic word.)
5. Well, this didn't happen today...BUT...my brother is officially out of the Navy! Yay! I've barely seen him for any consistent time longer than 2 weeks during the last 4 years, so it's nice to have him home again.

With the good, however, also comes the bad. Or, not bad...just, frustrating...

1. I knew Carl Broemel was playing a solo show at Zanzabar last night (technically Everest, another great musical act, was headlining with Carl as an opener) and I wanted to go, but I didn't even bother looking into it since I was pretty sure Zanzabar has a strict 21+ policy. And I knew, I fucking knew that other members of MMJ would more than likely be there. Well, guess what? Not only were other members there, hell the entire band (save for Bo--the keyboardist) made an appearance. I mean...the world isn't about to end...it just sucks. I turn 21 really soon, and sometimes it feels like the universe just dangles things like this in front of me (I'm sure this happens to other folks, too, of course).

2. My cooking adventure. I have been wanting to eat falafel for about 3 weeks now, but my friends are all too worthless to like food outside the realm of chicken fingers and hamburgers (okay, that's a bit of a stretch...but they definitely don't have an appetite for things too "exotic"...and I guess mediterranean food falls in that category). So...riding on my happiness high, I decided to cook it myself. I'm an avid fan of allrecipes.com, so much so that I signed up for their daily recipe--that I normally never look at; and yesterday, on Meatless Monday, the featured recipe was baked falafel. It was a sign from the universe that this was meant to happen. I took the recipe, went to ValuMarket and then eventually Whole Foods, gathering all the ingredients to make the falafel.
Jesus...you can tell I'm an artist because I set this up like a classroom still life...

Then, once I made it home...IT. TOOK. FOREVER. TO. MAKE. Oh my God. I am not exaggerating. Not to mention, the recipe (I actually ended up using this one) calls for the use of a blender* and a food processor* (*see, things I don't own). Did that stop me? Why, of course it didn't! Because I'm a stubborn dumbass, and I wanted to see-through my project. The photos that follow are from the "culinary adventure"...
(starting above) Here I was...a solid 45 minutes in...still chopping up fresh parsley, garlic, and an onion. And mashing chick peas with just about any kitchen utensil I can find (since, apparently, I don't own one of those wire smash things--I could have sworn I did!!)

After using primitive methods to mash them together, they turned out decent...rather clumpy, instead of pureed together...but they can't all be winners, ya know...?

Oh yeah, and I couldn't find tzatziki sauce anywhere...so I had to make it, too. Once again, sans blender/anything helpful (I had a hand blender, but it didn't do shit). It was also gross cutting up a cucumber, just because I think they are so nasty...but I still like tzatziki sauce for some reason!

Annnd...3 HOURS LATER here is the finished product. It made WAY too much for one person (or two, or three)--but that is a tragedy you face frequently when living alone/cooking for one. I would normally try to pawn some off on friends, but, well...I already mentioned all that business...

The saddest part of all (brace yourself)? I spent, as I mentioned, 3 HOURS (!!!) making this...and how did it turn out? Actually, quite good. It tasted like falafel and tzatziki sauce...it was good... And I spent so long cooking it (plus I had barely eaten today), that by the time I finished...I didn't want it anymore. I ate, maybe, a third of what you see on that last plate and just called it a night. Sigh... :(

Final Verdict: For future reference...it's not worth it. I'd rather lug myself down the road to one of the mediterranean restaurants that line Bardstown Rd. and eat alone than go through all that trouble again.

3 comments:

  1. I didn't know you wanted to try falafel! Next time you are down here we will go to House of Kabob in Nashville. They have amazing falafel and my dad knows Kurdish so we get a discount.

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  2. Also a grocery store near my house sells falafel mix and you just add water and fry it. LOL

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  3. Hey man...I've had falafel...and I love it, I just wanted to try cooking it. AND I LOOKED FOR FALAFEL MIX AND COULDN'T FIND ANY!!!!!!! >:(

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