Far East & Africa
That morning cup of java can jump-start the day. But did you know that when the Ethiopians first discovered coffee, they didn't drink it, they chewed it for the caffeine buzz? Try a kola nut and feel a cold wind blast through your cheeks instead. Buy a banana flower for a supper salad that isn't Caesar's. It all carries you away to the other side of the world.
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Teff - a gluten-free grain - 3 Feb 2010
If you are gluten intolerant, one bread you can eat is injera, the Ethiopian flatbread made with flour ground from teff. This ancient and tiny grain grown in the Ethiopian highlands is gluten free. read more...
Injera - what is it and how to make it? - 3 Feb 2010
Injera, like Indian parathas and naan, is not just bread. It's cutlery. It's a pan liner. It's a plate. Tear off a strip, sweep it through the stew in the common bowl and bring the food to your mouth. At least, that's what you do if you're a skilled Ethiopian. If you're me, you're one fragile step away from a dry cleaner's bill... read more...
Habesha Ethiopian Market - 23 Sep 2009
Habesha Ethiopian Market is one of those groceries where you can eat once you've shopped. In the heart of Little Ethiopia, it's bang opposite Etete, the popular Ethiopian restaurant. But you can eat here, in their cafe section. read more...
Daily Spices - one of my favorite markets - 26 Aug 2009
What a lovely crew runs Daily Spices! It's a bright little store a little further out beyond Merrifield's H Mart, filled with sunlight and Indian groceries. Go there often enough and it's worth joining their loyalty scheme. read more...
Delhi Bazaar - 22 Jul 2009
This grocery isn't shy. It describes itself as 'The Ultimate Grocery Store', which is a challenge, given it's bang next door to Grand Mart. read more...
Alternatives to pita bread - 1 Jul 2009
Looking for an alternative to pita? There are plenty. read more...
Fish: Pomegranate Shrimp - 29 Apr 2009
Monica Bhide's dish cooks in just 15 minutes. Don’t overcook the shrimp, she cautions, or they will become rubbery. But that's the only thing you need to watch to succeed with this easy entree. read more...
Monica Bhide - not just an Indian cookbook writer - 29 Apr 2009
If you've ever signed up for an online cooking course with Egullet, if you have cooked an Indian recipe from Spice of Life, if you have taken a cooking class in Indian cookery at a private house in an area served by the Dunloring metro station, you will probably have come under the influence of Monica Bhide. read more...
Indian & Sri Lankan markets - 29 Apr 2009
The cooking of the Indian sub-continent can seem complex. Lists of ingredients are often lengthy. But once you have them in stock, recipes are as simple as any other national cuisine. Find them at these markets, take any questions with you and ask for advice. You'll find store owners enthusiastic about helping. read more...
Halalco - 25 Nov 2008
While some of us may back off from offal (though both Joe Palma at Westend Bistro and Amy Brandwein at fyve report their sweetbreads are moving off the menu), those who like a good steak and kidney pie can find the necessary lambs' kidneys at Halalco. If that sounds like a forkful too far, choose the Halal duck. This Halal supermarket is like a holiday to somewhere south of the Bosphorus. read more...
Shri Krishna Grocery - 24 Sep 2008
Seductive, calming Indian music plays inside this modest market. So when you stop in front of a display of karhai bowls - wok-like pans that some say gave 'curry' its name - you sense that with a simple purchase of just one small one you'll turn out perfect Indian meals. read more...
Spices in bulk - 19 Aug 2008
Christine, a recent Washington arrival from San Francisco, wanted to know where to find spices and herbs in bulk cheaply. Not at Whole Foods, for a start. Healthway, featured at the top of the page, has a wide range. But she did her own researches and came up with these answers, which she generously passes on. read more...
Spice Lanka - one of my favorite markets - 12 Aug 2008
There is a huge difference, says Chandra Malalasekara, between Indian food and the food of Sri Lanka. It's mainly in the spices. "Totally different," he says. He's the Sri Lankan owner of Spice Lanka, so he should know. read more...
South African groceries - 7 Jul 2008
South African ex-pats or enthusiasts miss their Rooibos tea, their All Gold cans of Seville oranges and figs, their special chutneys. read more...
Far East & Africa food web sites - 29 Apr 2008
Pooja Spices, Pizza Plus & Hot Stuff Foods - 6 Apr 2008
Ranjan and Gita Chhibber are such an accommodating pair of shopkeepers that they keep adding services to support their customers. Hot Stuff Foods is the newest extra they're offering, hot foods to go or eat in. But they started Pooja's Spices, named for their daughter and for the Indian word for 'to pray', 21 years ago, to sell hard-to-find ingredients to the Washington area's growing Indian community. Ranjan had been working in New York selling Indian appliances. His travels brought him to the Washington area, "And I thought, I like this area better." read more...
Fish: Fish Mappas - 4 Apr 2008
The flavor of this Indian fish recipe from Nilesh Singhvi, chef of The Bombay Club, is layered with different spices but its heat level is mellowed by coconut milk. Reduce it even further, if you wish, by cutting back on the chilis. read more...
Nilesh Singhvi - Chef of The Bombay Club - 31 Mar 2008
Bombay Club executive chef Nilesh Singhvi has cooked for Margaret Thatcher, George H.W. Bush and Bill Gates. But with its pale, saffron-colored walls, dark wood, palm fronds and Indian-style chandelier suspended from an ornate recessed ceiling, the Bombay Club it probably wouldn't come as much of a shock to spot the ghost of Rudyard Kipling or Graham Greene tucking into a curry in the corner. read more...
Afghan eateries - 17 Mar 2008
There aren't too many places in the area to find an Afghan menu. But it's not as hard as you might imagine. read more...
Extras: Tandoori Marinade - 7 Jan 2008
When Ricky Moore was the chef at IndeBleu, this was his recipe for Tandoori Marinade. It's a healthy way to add zip to fish, chicken, steak or chops without too many extra calories. read more...
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