Sri Lankan Cooking Class — Nov. 20th — NYC

 

cashew curry (photo by Susan Now)

I’m happy to announce that I’ll be offering a cooking class — An Introduction to Sri Lankan Cuisine — at the Indian Culinary Center in Manhattan on Friday, November 20th from 6-9:30 PM.

The Indian Culinary Center is run by Geethika Khanna, whom I met at the Curry Take-down this past summer in Brooklyn. She offers a wide range of classes on different aspects of Indian Cooking, and she has been nice enough to extend the invitation to me to share my skills and expertise on Sri Lankan food for this one-off class.

I will show you how to prepare a full, typical Sri Lankan meal including Rice, Chicken Curry, Paripu (Lentils stewed in coconut milk), pol sambol (a popular coconut-based condiment), Mallun (sauteed greens), and a spicy Sri Lankan salad. I will also show you how to make your own curry powder. Of course, at the end of the class, we will feast!

Registration for the class, which costs $75, is limited so please sign-up soon. You may register online at: http://www.indianculinarycenter.com/

The Indian Culinary Center  is located at 131 West, 23rd St. btw 6th and 7th Ave.

I look forward to seeing you there!

 

Murunga

I wanted to pass on this article by Tilak S. Fernando about Murunga, which is used in Sri Lankan cooking (especially very heaty dishes such as Chilaw Crab Curry). As it turns out, that’s not the only thing it’s good for:

Moringa ( Murunga) tree which grows wildly in Sri Lanka could be the ultimate answer to purify water, in an hour, for safe drinking, according to the latest research by British Scientists according to Dr. Geoff Folkard, attached to the University of Leicester.

According to this latest theory, the seeds of Moringa plant could be used in water purification, which has already opened up possibilities ensuring that all water supplies in developing countries, such as in Sri Lanka, could be made safe for drinking and cooking purposes.

Today 1.3 billion people in the developing world are compelled to use contaminated water for drinking and cooking purposes, and over six million children are believed to die every year from infections caused by unclean water. Moringa seed will, therefore, be regarded in the very near future as The remedy to reduce the incidence of waterborne diseases, which are on record as one of the main causes leading to high incidence of deaths in the developing world.

Moringa Oleifera is a tree which is also native to Northern India. The latest research, funded by the British Overseas Development Agency and the European Union, has established that the crushed seeds of Moringa is capable of attracting and sticking fast to bacteria and other viruses allowing them to be skimmed off or get trapped in filter beds.

In developed countries water authorities use chemicals such as Aluminium Sulphate to solidify impure particles, which are then removed at Treatment Works. In view of the scarcity of such chemicals, the latest discovery of Moringa tree, which is also known as the ” Drumstick Tree”, is a path breaking innovation to purify water in developing countries, at a cost of only a fraction of the conventional chemical treatment available today.

Empirical studies in Malawi have established that the cost of importing chemicals from South Africa for water treatment as of £400,000 per year, and in comparison with such exorbitant costs, use of the crushed seeds of Moringa plant is said to be extremely cost effective and equally effective as the chemical methods adopted. During the water treatment it has been discovered that crushed seeds produce positive charges like in magnets – attracting negative elements of bacteria and other toxic particles in the water.

Dr. Folkard has also pointed out other benefits of the Moringa tree to man. For example, its pods, leaves and seeds are highly nutritious and contain large amounts of Proteins and Vitamins A & C, Calcium and Iron. It is also an established fact, by scientists, that Moringa seeds could be processed to extract vegetable oil for other uses such as cooking, soap-making, cosmetics and also as a fuel for lamps. If one were to talk about extracted vegetable oil out of Moringa seeds it is pertinent to mention that the imported vegetable oils cost three times over the vegetable oils sold in Supermarkets in Britain.

Other spin-offs from the plant are said to be its leaves which can be used as fertiliser; powdered seeds are used to produce ointments to heal bacterial skin infections and as source of fuel and pulp for paper making. Knowingly or unknowingly or just by blindly following an ‘ old granny theory’, the Sri Lankan housewife uses Moringa leaves in cooking, as an absorbent agent of toxic elements in food, especially when shell fish are cooked.

The researchers who are dedicated to the project are campaigning with vigour to persuade governments and international agencies to promote planting of the moringa tree extensively. In this respect Sri Lanka’s fertile soil and the presence of Moringa tree in abundance will certainly go a long way in purifying water and it could be the ultimate answer for the Colombo canals, particularly the Beire Lake and the Dehiwala canal, which have been exposed recently in the press as polluted waterways which are rotting & stinking to high heaven !.

It is also relevant to mentioned that in addition to the benefit effects of a particular plant like the Moringa tree, the British scientists working with South American Tribes have discovered certain plants which could be used to process drugs to fight Malaria and prevent skin cancer. In this context, it is encouraging that possibilities abound in Sri Lanka to reach and identify certain plants to derive medicinal applications to cure various diseases, since the climatic conditions are similar to the countries in South America where such medicinal plants are found. In Sri Lanka Ayurvedic treatment is based on the use of various medicinal plants. However, there may be other medicinal plants awaiting identification which could open up possibilities for medical uses to treat many other ailments.

Dr. Monique Simmonds of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, England, one of the scientists who has been working with South American tribes, has been quoted as saying that the group of scientists who were involved in the research project was not prepared to divulge the names of the plants used by the tribes to treat fevers, especially Malaria, until drug companies signed contracts. This is to ensure that part of the profits from the sale of new drugs processed and manufactured by drug companies are remitted to enhance the qualify of life of those tribes in South America who are the pioneers in the discovery of medicinal properties of plants which grow wildly in their natural habitat.

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PS: Article is based on Research made by Clarence H. Fernando, Watford,UK.

 

http://www.moringatreeoflife.com/Page_2.html

Laal Maas (fiery goat curry from Rajasthan)

Ever on the hunt for something new, my eyes stumbled upon just such an ingredient while flipping through the pages of Curry Cuisine, my cookbook of the month. Though it’s become very fashionable of late, goat is something I’ve enjoyed for years—preferably Jamaican Curry Goat. It wasn’t the goat. But listed in the ingredients for this “fiery” curry was something I had never heard of, much less even knew existed—black cardamoms. Sure, I’ve used plenty of green cardamoms in my time, but black? This was something that demanded further research. First stop Wickipedia: “Black cardamom (also known as brown cardamom, elaichi, thảo quả and tsao-ko) is a plant in the family Zingiberaceae. Its seed pods have a strong, smoky, camphor-like flavor.” Interesting. Not really a substitute for green Indian cardamoms, the black variety are more used in Chinese and Vietnamese cooking in long-braised meat dishes. Laal Maas is just such a Rajasthani dish, so I had to try it.

 

black and green cardamoms

I got my goat at an Afro-Caribbean market for $2.99/lb. Why pay triple or quadruple at Whole Foods? This is goat, people. Maybe it’s exotic in the west, but this is everyman’s food throughout the rest of the world. Although the goat was frozen, when thawed it was bright red and already pre-cut in cubes with plenty of bone attached. (You know what that means—more flavor). Once again, the ingredients were pretty basic as far as Indian cooking goes, but with high cholesterol in the genes, I just could not get myself to use the 5 ounces of ghee, or clarified butter that the recipe called for. I cut about half that with some vegetable oil. I also omitted bay leaves, because I didn’t have any, but I’m not a big fan of bay leaves anyway. This recipe called for cinnamon leaves, too, another new ingredient.

Get your goat at an ethnic grocer

spiced yogurt

I was more than happy to use 30 dried red chilies as the recipe called for, but I found that maybe I should have used a few more as this was certainly not “the hottest dish in the chapter” as advertised (maybe they were referring to the food porn shot of the finished product). But, the dish was scrumptious, none-the-less, and paired with some brown basmathi rice; some lentils stewed in coconut milk (Sri Lankan style); and a salad, this was my meal for the day (and probably tomorrow and the next day).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

25-35 dried red chilies, stems removed                   6 green cardamom pods

1 1/2 tsp cloves                                                        5 black cardamom pods

5 1/2 oz. (150g) ghee or vegetable oil                     2 1/2 oz. (75g) garlic cloves, fine chop

9 oz. (250g) plain yogurt, whisked smooth             9 oz. (250g) onions, fine chop

2 tsp cumin seeds, roasted                                       2 1/2 lb (1kg) lamb or goat, cubed

1 1/2 tbsp ground coriander                                     3 cups lamb stock or water

1 tsp. red chili powder                                             2 tbsp cilantro leaves, fine chop

2 tsp. salt

3 cinnamon or bay leaves

 

Method:

1)    Set Aside 3 or 4 of the dried chilies for later use; soak the remainder in 1/2 cup water. Also set aside 4-6 cloves and 1 tbsp ghee.

2)    Mix yogurt with cumin seeds, ground coriander, chili powder, and salt in a bowl.

3)    Heat the rest of the ghee in a heavy pan. Add the remaining cloves, cinnamon leaves and green and black cardamoms. When they begin to crackle and change color, add the garlic. Saute for 2 minutes then add onions and cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until onions are golden brown.

4)    Add the meat and stir for 2-3 minutes. Drain the soaked red chilies and add to the pan. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Add the spiced yogurt and cook another 10-12 minutes.

5)    Add the stock or water and bring to a boil. Then cover pan, reduce heat and simmer until meat is tender (at least 2 hours). Adjust the seasoning; remove from heat and keep warm

6)    To temper the curry, heat the reserved ghee in a ladle or small pan and add the reserved cloves and chilies. Heat for 1-2 minutes before pouring over the lamb curry. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve.

 

Serves 4

 

 

Curry On A Sunday Afternoon

Jhinga (shrimp) curry

While everyone else is getting their playoffs on, I’m just back from some long trips, and the last thing I want to do is order a pizza or wings and vegetate in front of the baseball game. After all, I’ve been practically eating out for the last month and change and when I finally have a quiet day at home, relaxation to me means cooking. Cooking at home offers a whole universe of possibilities: you can eat exactly what you want, when you want. When you have everything you need in the cupboard, without having to make a trip to the market, that’s just an added bonus.

Well, I stocked up this week, and that 1 pound bag of jumbo Mexican white shrimp I picked at Trader Joe’s for $4.99 is looking rather good. Also, since I haven’t had a real curry in a while my taste buds are definitelty pointing in one direction. Not that my Sri Lankan shrimp curry is not the BOMB, but I want to try something new as well, so I flip through an old standard, Curry Cuisine (yes, the book! I still buy books or check them out from the library). I haven’t had Pakistani food in a minute, so I go to that chapter and lo and behold, there it is, Jhinga (Shrimp) curry.

Ingredients

1 1/4 lb (500 g) raw jumbo or tiger shrimp

3 tbsp sunflower oil

1 onion, chopped

1 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp ginger paste

1 medium tomato, peeled and finely chopped

8 oz. (225g) plain Greek-style yoghurt

1 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp ground coriander

salt

2 tbsp coarsely chopped green chilies

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

cilantro leaves to garnish

Check, check, check, check. I have everything or a close approximation, so it’s straight down to business. After 30 minutes of chopping, slicing and dicing, I have all the ingredients ready to go, and since cooking time for shrimp is quick, I have manifested a fragrant and spicy meal less than an hour after the idea popped into my head–spicy shrimp curry ala Pakistan with some brown rice, sauteed collard greens and a small salad to accompany it. Simple and thoroughly satisfying. Who said Asian cooking was complicated? The masalla (spice blend) of ginger, garlic, fried onions, tomato, yoghurt and spices is the base of many Indian/Pakistani dishes so once you have mastered an easy dish like this, the rest are not far behind.

 

Oh, the recipe! I almost forgot!:

1) Peel the shrimp leaving the tail section on. Wash, devein and set aside.

2) For the Masalla heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion, and fry until golden brown. Add the garlic and ginger pastes and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomato and yogurt and cook for a another few minutes, stirring and mashing up the tomato with a wooden spoon. Add the chili powder, black pepper, turmeric, cumin seeds, ground coriander, and salt to taste.

3) Add the shrimp and cook over moderatly high heat, stirring frequently for 4-5 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink. Make sure you don’t overcook them. Stir in the green chilies and chopped cilantro and serve hot garnished with Cilantro leaves.

{recipe courtesy of Mahmood Akbar from Curry Cuisine}

Postscript, Japan: Faux Food

Of course it helps to have a Japanese guide to help navigate through all the different types of eating establishments and menues you will come across in Japan, but it is not absolutely necessary for one reason: Plastic food.

The Japanese are big on pictures and faux food, and many places–from the most expensive to the most informal–will usually have a visual rendition of what is available on the menu. This feature, of course, makes ordering a snap as you can point to whatever it is you want. I got a big kick out of the plastic food items displayed outside of restuarants, and I thought you might too!

ebi (shrimp with panko breadcrumbs)

"stewed guts" (I guess that would be intestines or tripe)

Of course, some places, like this restaurant in Osaka, where the specialty is crabs, are into overstatement.

Food On The Road, Pt. 3: Japan

Any opportunity to visit one of my favorite eating destinations, the Land Of The Rising Sun, Japan, has my taste buds buzzing in anticipation of the epicurean delights that await at the tail end of that arduous 14-hour flight.  Even though Japanese food does not pack the spicy punch that Korean, Thai and Vietnamese food can, it does satisfy my taste for something clean, fresh, unique, and aesthetically pleasing. I appreciate the Japanese because they take their eating very seriously, for they realize that food is life itself, as well as art. Every meal I have ever had there is literally a feast for the senses that nourishes the spirit, and reaches for the sublime.

It has always been my good fortune to travel to Japan on (music) business, and Japanese hospitality being well-established, my hosts usually strive to fulfill my every craving and desire, and unquestioningly pick up the tab.  In the past this has included expensive and utterly indulgent meals of word-famous Kobe beef in Kobe; horse-meat sashimi (raw) in Tokyo; and Une (sea urchin) in Osaka. And while my hankering for the exotic usually fulfilled, it is the simple, everyday meals that I really appreciate the most.

The "Bullet"

This year’s Japanese excursion was fast and furious, and involved a lot of bouncing around—thankfully on the Shinkasen or legendary “bullet” train, which feels like it’s hovering on a cloud of air. We arrived in Tokyo and went straight to Gumma; then back to Tokyo; down to Newagaya (just outside Kyoto) for a couple days; on to Nagoya; and finally to the city where I feel most at home, Osaka.

pork stir-fry

My first Japanese meal in Gumma at a small informal eatery or Izakaya consisted of  asimple pork stir-fry with vegetables accompanied by a bowl of white rice and a side dish of Ramen noodles floating in a spicy broth and topped with a dollop of ground beef. After the forgettable airplane fare, this stuff hit the gastric G-spot. As much as the Japanese love their rice, noodles are also very much a dietary staple. In addition to the cheap and ubiquitous Ramen noodles, Japanese favor Udon, thick, flat wheat noodles, and Soba, which are rounder and made

ramen in a spicy broth

of  buckwheat. Eaten hot or cold, in broth or with a simple soy-based sauce, noodles make for a quick meal, meant to be slurped with gusto for maximum enjoyment.

yakiniku--one of my faves

Barbecuing appears to be a mainstay in most cultures, but the Japanese put their own classy twist on man’s primal penchant for grilling meat on an open fire. In addition to Yakitori, the small skewers of grilled meat that go down perfectly with a few beers, Yaki-niku is my personal favorite form of grilling. At a Yakiniku restaurant, the tables come equipped with small circular grills built right into the center. The waitress brings a tray of thinly sliced raw meats—usually beef, chicken, and pork, and sometimes vegetables and seafood—and it’s up to you to grab whatever you want and grill it up. Then you dip the cooked meats in a teriyaki-style sauce and enjoy. Accompaniments include a steaming pot of rice and sometimes even a pot of Japanese kare (curry) or kimchi to supplement the protein. The mouth-watering aroma of grilling meats and smoke coming off the grill all enhance this thoroughly enjoyable dining experience.

various yakitori

chicken wrapped in shiso (perilla) leaf yakitori

While American fast food has made serious incursions into Japanese culture, I believe that Japanese fast food will always reign supreme. I’m talking about the bento box, which is basically a small box or TV dinner-style tray with various compartments containing

bento box with mackerel

rice and small portions of different foods. You can get these bento boxes practically anywhere, and they require no heating up or special preparation—just pop the top and get down to business. I had several Bentos in Japan—usually at the train station, since they make a convenient and portable meal. The first featured cooked mackerel and various cabbages and pickle along with a generous portion of rice, and the second was a seafood extravaganza with a whole mini squid, oyster, fish, shrimp, and fish roe along with rice and some greens. Who would have thought that “fast” food could be healthy and good?

the seafood extravaganza bento bowl

Though I had hoped to try Suppon (turtle) or Fugu (the famed poisonous blow fish) this time around, our hectic schedule did not really allow it. My single-most favorite meal on this trip was not some exotic fare, however, but simple down-home cooking at a very homey establishment in Newagaya, the home-town of my host Gebo. Run by a mother and son, Tsuneyoshi, was no bigger than a wide hallway with a bar and some stools that separated us from the gracious proprieters. We tried practically everything on the menu including braised beef intestines, which melted in my mouth; pan-fried chicken; gyoza (or fried dumplings); shrimp tempura; sashimi (raw fish); and chicken teriyaki. Everything was prepared fresh right before our eyes, and served with a smile, and though the place was somewhat “rundown”—especially by Japanese standards—it was a diamond in the rough that I would gladly visit again.

braised beef intestines

Japanese style pan-fried chicken

gyoza ("potstickers")

So when it comes to Japanese food, sushi is just the tip of the iceberg.  In fact, having sushi in Japan is like having a burger in America. There are many places to get it and 99.9% of the time it’s going to be good. But when you venture out of the box or off the beaten path, you are bound to discover new tastes and experiences of which there is no shortage of in this tiny island nation.

sushi bowl

Food On The Road: Europe

In my other life, I’m like a troubadour, or travelling musician, bringing my sounds to foreign lands and making a cultural exchange with the new faces and places that I come across. This involves being in a different city every night, and encountering different languages and customs; new experiences; and, of course, a myriad of tastes, scents, and flavors. It’s a great way to see the world–taking back treasured experiences and leaving something of yourself behind. No matter which way you slice it, music and food to me are a most natural pairing, and ask most musicians why they love to travel, a good number will tell you it’s because they love to eat.

Although I’ve been going all over Europe for several years now, there are always new places to see. This time I had the pleasure of visiting a lot of towns and countries in which I have never stepped foot including The Hague, Netherlands; Ljubljliana, Slovenia;  Belgrade, Serbia; Budapest, Hungary, and Dublin, Ireland. After years of subsisting on sausages, cheese, and bread, it’s good to see that Europe’s menu has also diversified for the better thanks to an influx of immigrants from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Now that Indian curry is England’s official dish you can bypass the boiled potatoes and brussel sprouts in favor of more flavorful fare. You can also get a decent kebab or falafel, late night, in most European capitals. And who would have thought that the first time I ate french fries with a spicy peanut-butter satay sauce, would be in Amsterdam, where Indonesian food has made serious incursions into the mainstream. Of course, the spectre of the Golden Arches pops up even amidst the quiet countryside, but you have to take the bad with the good. When I look at food, I see the world, and then I come to the realization that its all about fusion.

One of the first lunches on my trip came from an organic eatery in The Hague. Unfortunately, I lost the restaurant’s business card, but it’s on Troonstraat, if I recall. Simple, wholesome, and good, this is fast food done correctly.

vegetarian empanada with chutney and a salad

In Amsterdam, where there is a wealth of culinary choices, I recommend the Indonesian food. Due to the former colonial ties there are plenty of Indonesians in Holland, so much so that sambal is a staple condiment here (not to mention the peanut-butter satay sauce with which the Dutch dowse their French fries). Unfortunately at 4 in the afternoon, we were in that akward space between lunch and dinner and not too many places were open, but we did find a Chinese restaurant that did a decent kung pao chicken (though it could have been a lot spicier!).

kung pao chicken

Germany is always a tough one. Breakfast uniformly consists of a variety of cold cuts, cheeses and of course, bread rolls, but thankfully the Germans also find their own food boring, and tend to patronize a whole host of new Thai, Vietnamese, Turkish, and Indian restaurants. Sometimes, though, it’s best not to offer any resistance, and just indulge in that greasy bratwurst with–what else–a bread roll and a dab of Senf (mustard).

bratwurst and bockwurst on the Reeperbahn in Hamburg

Berlin, however, is a different story. This is probably the cheapest city in Western Europe to eat, and they do have pretty much everything. Since Vietnamese is a favorite of mine, we found a really nice spot in Kreuzberg called To Loc (Wiener Strasse 61, 10999 Berlin). Unfortunately I was too busy enjoying my crispy Cantonese style duck that I forgot to take a picture!

On the edge, in the Balkans

For someone who has never been there, Eastern Europe makes for an exotic getaway. It’s somewhere between Le Grand Europe of yesteryear with its majestic architecture and stunning vistas and a “third world” country in need of some serious renewal and renovation. But there’s a certain charm in all the disrepair, and I sometimes wish that we could return to New York of the ’80s. Food wise, the meat and potatoes diet rules, but you can tell that these people benefitted from their proximity to eastern spice routes.  In Budapest, I had a deep fried potato bread topped with garlic, sour cream and chives for breakfast. Yum. You can also get a version topped with a bolonaise style meat sauce. For dinner, I had to make a special request for goulash, the only Hungarian dish I know. Slow cooked in wine, pepper, and paprika, the local spice of choice, the dish was the ultimate comfort food. Now if my friend Balazs would only send me the recipe!

Goulash in Budapest, Hungary

I think it’s very important to eat the local specialities, where ever you go. Chances are this food will be the freshest and the best. I remember once having langostinos at a festival in Salzburg, Austria. Bad move. We were nowhere near water, so those langostinos were obviously brought in from elsewhere. Everyone who ate them, including myself, ended up with food poisoning. This time when we played in Linz, Austria, I went for the trout, right out of the river Donau.

locally caught river trout in Linz, Austria

When we reached Dublin, I was more interested in getting a REAL pint of Guinness than food, but eventually my appetite got the best of me. My friend Ralph took us to a Korean place, Hop House (160 Parnell St., Dublin 1) for our first meal there, and I’ve got to say, this was the first meal on the whole trip that made me sweat. I asked for it extra spicy and that’s exactly what I got. In fact, I had to go for the kimchi to cool off a little.

kimchi in Dublin

Spicy seafood soup, korean style

Of course, you can’t leave Dublin without having a proper Irish breakfast, and after a whole tour of lunch meat and cheese on a roll for breakfast, I was ready for some eggs. Not only that, but you also get a rasher of thick, ham-like bacon (as opposed to our kind of thin bacon, which the Irish call streaky bacon); some amazing sausages, which practically melt in your mouth; fried tomatoes and mushrooms, toast, and blood pudding, which is basically coagulated blood made into a sausage patty. The hearty meal did not disappoint, but because I ate it at 1 in the afternoon, they had actually finished up all their blood pudding on the breakfast crowd. I had to drown my disappointment in some liquid Irish brown bread (or Guinness to you!).

eggs, bangers, beans, fried tomatoes and mushrooms

liquid Irish brown bread

These are just some of the highlights of food on the road: Europe. Did I mention I also had some great brick oven pizza in Slovenia, and probably the best Turkish food I’ve ever had in Hamburg at 4 in the morning (The place was called Gazi Antep Adana Urfa Kebap Salonu, Clemens-Schulz Str. 26, 20359 Hamburg). The eating and travelling is far from over. Join me next week as I journey to one of the preeminent eating destinations on the planet. Land of th Rising Sun–Japan.

Food On The Road: Cevapcici in the Balkans

I happen to be staying right now in the small town of Idrija in Slovenia, a picturesque Balkan enclave surrounded by mountains and evergreen forests where you know all your neighbors and never lock the front door at night. As this is my first time in this part of the world, and I came in with no expectations, I must say that I am pleasantly surprised. The people are friendly and affable; the climate in this alpine region is still sunny and warm in September (though I’m told this is another one of those global warming anomalies); and the food is not at all bland.

Last night, I had to try the local specialty, Cevapcici, which is casing-less sausage–usually made from pork or lamb–though the ones I had were made of veal. Though it’s slightly spiced with the seasoning of choice here–paprika–I had to introduce some crush, dried, bird’s eye peppers into the mix and a little local merlot for good measure (you can buy a decent bottle here for 2-3 Euros).

We grilled these little sausages along with onions, green peppers, and roasted garlic, and I also made an accompanying tabouli salad with chopped parsely (fresh from my friend’s back yard garden), tomatoes, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Simple to prepare, the cevapcici was ready when they acquired a nice char, and the results were fantastic.

Cevapcici obviously comes from the Middle East and India where I have had similar grilled meat (i.e. kofta kebabs), but the seasoning is subtle yet special. It’s probably due to the good-quality paprika which comes from this region in flavors ranging from sweet to spicy. My friend flinched when I poured a little local red wine over the marinating sausages, but I couldn’t resist because the lack of a casing allowed them to soak up more flavor. These are also pretty easy to make at home using any kind of ground meat–pork, lamb, or beef.

Staten Island: Part 2

If you caught Anthony Bourdain’s Outer Borough New York show last week, he visited New Asha Restaurant located at 322 Victory Boulevard in Tompkinsville, just a few blocks from the ferry. Unfortunately, his conversation was more about David Johanssen than the curry, though he did say  he liked the food here better than the food in Sri Lanka. I chuckled at that comment recalling how he hardly touched his food for the first few days when we were in Sri Lanka because he was sick at the time (see my old post), so I’m glad he actually got a chance to eat hoppers for the first time at New Asha. This was the first Sri Lankan spot that I ate at in SI and also one of the best. In addition to Sri Lankan specialties such as hoppers, string hoppers, and kothu roti, they also feature South Indian fare such as Dosa, which they do really well also. If you don’t know what to get or want to try it all, ask for a sampler and the lady behind the counter will load up your plate with a mound of rice and curries all for only $8. Like most of the other small Sri Lankan spots on the block, it’s not about the ambience, but the flavor, which is authentic and leaning toward the spicy. Next door, New Asha also owns a store that stocks all manner of Sri Lankan products.

If you live in the Apple, why not take  the short “cruise” on the Staten Island Ferry and check out an exotic island within an island. I guarantee you’ll be making many return voyages.

MD/DC/VA – Sri Lankan Food Bazaar this Sunday!

If you want to experience authentic Sri Lankan food, all made by home cooks, check out the Sri Lankan food bazaar this Sunday! I’ll be there sampling the goods myself.

ANNUAL SRI LANKAN FOOD BAZAAR -2009

Organized by the Washington Buddhist Vihara and

the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Washington D.C.

Venue :       Washington Buddhist Vihara

5017, 16^th Street NW, Washington D.C. 20011

Tele:           202 723 0773

Email:         mdsiri1@yahoo.com

Date :          Sunday, 06, September 2009

Time :         10.00 a.m. – 2.00 p.m.

Your contributions and participation at this event to raise funds for the Washington Buddhist Vihara  would be highly appreciated.

May the Triple Gem bless you!

Washington Buddhist Vihara

Embassy of Sri Lanka Washington DC

2148, Wyoming Avenue NW,

Washington DC 20008

Tel:   202 483 4025

Email: slembassy@Slembassyusa.org