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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Rice - the long and the short of it - 21 Jul 2010
There are around 10,000 varieties of rice, though only some half dozen reach general stores. Which is best for what? Rice unraveled. read more...
Lentils & dhals unravelled - 25 Mar 2010
We're at the point, as Michael Pollan keeps reminding us, where raising meat is becoming unsustainable and depriving the rest of the world of food. Across the Mediterranean region, through the Middle East on to India, local cooks use grains and pulses for much of their protein.
We should learn from this - they're delicious, and cheap. But which dhals are which? And which lentils, pulses and dhals are best for which dish? read more...
Dried fruits & nuts - 25 Mar 2010
In this fruitless mid-season before local strawberries and raspberries show up, when all that's on offer are bananas, oranges with the texture of Kleenex and apples you just don't want another bite out of, think about dried fruits. Soak them overnight in anything from weak tea to diluted fresh orange juice, and buy a mix of whatever catches your interest from figs and apricots to golden raisins, cranberries and dried apple slices. A bowlful makes a delicious breakfast. And sprinkled with a liquor, and a crunch of toasted walnuts, and served with creme fraiche or thick Greek yogurt, you have an easy dinner party dessert. read more...
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...
It may be sacrilege to say so, but I did have a moment's wonder at Julie Powell dedicating a whole year to cooking out Julia Childs. Life is surely too short. But I admired her staying power. Most cookbooks contain only a handful of recipes you actually want to tackle - though heaven forfend that I should level this criticism towards Mastering the Art of French Cookery.Anyway, here's someone who really slackened my jaw. Meet Todd Wilbur, who spends his time to trying to recreate food made by the industrial giants. He wants to cook Krispy Kremes just like the factory. He wants to clone Big Macs, Yoo Hoo chocolate drinks, and dozens more junk foods, to taste just like the real (or unreal) McKoy.
Papaya and lime - natural partners
Chew On This: The FDA - eggs on its face
Hey, mixologists! An organic whisky's coming!
Two women to watch
Monster ice cubes
Jelly - the jewel-like vogue dessert
Jelly - the new old dessert
My favorite markets - Wagshal's Delicatessen
Supermarkets bring the farm in
Chew On This: The water diet!
Gluten - what is it?
Chestnut flour products for the gluten intolerant
Chew On This: Eat dark chocolate twice a week!
Pea Vichyssoise
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