On the Table: Chickpeas and Chilis

For the past few weeks, I have been on a mission to clean out the fridge, freezer, and cabinets.  I like to keep my kitchen well-stocked so that I have plenty of ingredients on hand for experimenting.  Recently, however, I have not only been running out of space, but also noticing that there are definitely some products that have been hanging around for a while.  I have been making a concerted effort to use them (even frozen and canned goods expire eventually!). 

I love making hummus from scratch, but it seems that I went a little overboard in terms of stockpiling ingredients; today I decided to find an alternative use for some of the chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) I had in the cabinet.  Whenever I visit the kabob restaurant down the street (I will post a review one day!), I love getting their chickpea dish, so I decided to experiment with leaving the chickpeas whole and cooking and seasoning them as a side dish.  The result was less Afghan and more Tex-Mex/Indian fusion, but it was delicious nonetheless! 

In preparing this dish, I managed to rid my fridge and cabinet of: a can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans; one small white onion; and some diced green chilis leftover from making (ironically) spicy hummus a while ago.

To prepare the chickpeas:

Small dice one small white onion.  Rough chop one large clove of garlic or three small cloves of garlic.  Drain a (15.5 oz) can of chickpeas.  To a large frying pan over medium heat, add enough canola oil to thinly coat the bottom of the pan (about 1-1.5 tablespoons). 

When the oil is warm, add the onions.  Stir frequently, and when the onions get tender, add the garlic.  Allow to cook for just a few minutes (you don't want the garlic to burn!), then add the chickpeas and half a cup of diced green chilis.  To the pan, add about 1.5 cups of stock (I used chicken stock since I had some in the fridge, but you can certainly use vegetable stock if you want to keep the recipe vegetarian or vegan); 1/4 teaspoon of cumin; 1/4 teaspoon of coriander; 1/8 teaspoon of ground ginger; 1 teaspoon of garam masala; and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.  Cover the pan, turn down the heat to low, and allow to cook for about one hour or until the chickpeas are tender but not mushy. 

Throughout the cooking time, you will want to check the chickpeas - you may need to add more stock (there needs to be enough liquid in the pan to keep the chickpeas from sticking and burning!).  When the chickpeas are cooked through, remove the lid, adjust the seasoning, and allow the liquid to cook down, if there is too much left in the pan.  Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Enjoy!

Off the Shelf: Costumes and Criticism

Over the weekend, I finished reading Ruth Reichl's Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise, and the speed with which I finished it is really a testament to the fact that I couldn't put it down.  I picked up the book thinking it would be a quick, fun read after finishing The Taste of Place, which was fairly dense and academic.  Well, Garlic and Sapphires was both quick and fun to read, but it turned out to be much more than that. 

Ruth Reichl was the restaurant critic at the New York Times for much of the 1990s, and went on to become the Editor in Chief of the now-defunct Gourmet magazine.  She also has written a number of books; Garlic and Sapphires focuses mainly on her tenure at the New York Times.  Reichl writes about the lengths to which she went to disguise herself while dining out, and the alter-egos she devised are impressively complex.  In addition to donning wigs and costumes, she developed back-stories and full personalities for herself.  These disguises allowed her to experience restaurants as "everywoman" would, since she almost invariably received significantly better food and better treatment when she was recognized at a restaurant.  Her experiences in a restaurant both as herself and incognita would inform her ultimate review. 

Costuming became more than just a way to do her job better, however, and in some ways the book becomes a sociological and psychological study.  In developing and living as different personalities, Reichl experiences firsthand the differing treatment that different types of people (women, specifically) receive from society at large.  Furthermore, it is fascinating the extent to which donning a costume allows her to express previously hidden aspects of her personality.  It seemed that wearing a disguise changed her behavior, almost without her having to consciously think about it.

Finally, the book reveals Reichl's inner (and in some cases external) struggle with her own profession.  At some points, she considered herself a sell-out for getting paid to eat in and write about extremely expensive restaurants, in a world where so few people can actually afford to eat in those types of establishments.  She also consciously focused on smaller restaurants and ethnic restaurants, in addition to the restaurants that she was "expected" to review, and this approach won her some critics.  Her use of disguises allowed her to experience restaurants as (most of) her readers would, and it seems that Reichl in some ways viewed herself as the "protector" of the everyman; she wanted to endorse restaurants at which everyone would be treated well and receive good food. 

The narrative in the book is interspersed with some of Reichl's restaurant reviews from the Times, along with her own recipes.  It is a joy to read, and gives an entertaining and informative look into the life of one of America's foremost arbiters of food.

(Used) Books, Books, Books: Coming up this Week!

For book (and cookbook!) lovers alike, this coming week is very exciting!  There are used book sales happening on both sides of the Potomac.  The Friends of the Arlington Public Library Book Sale runs from April 7-10 (Thursday - Sunday) and the Stone Ridge Book Sale in Bethesda runs from April 8-11 (Friday - Monday).  Check early if you are looking for must-haves, but both sales also offer great deals on their last days.  I am a huge fan of used books, and this week is a great time to stock up on some reading material (and cookbooks!)

You can find more information about the book sales here:

http://arlingtonvalib.blogspot.com/search/label/Friends%20Sale

http://www.stoneridgebooksale.org/

In the Neighborhood: Thai in Westover

In trying to decide where to eat this evening, I started craving something crunchy and spicy.  Spicy, like I wouldn't be able to taste anything for two days.  In retrospect, I think my mind may have been...exaggerating on that last point.  I'm glad my dinner wasn't that hot.  Anyway, given my fairly specific craving, I started thinking "duck" and "Thai."  Also, I wanted to try someplace new.  Crystal City and Columbia Pike both have some great Thai restaurants, but I was kind of just looking for a change of scenery (but without having to go too far!).  A little research led us to Thai Noy in Arlington's Westover neighborhood, and it turned out to be a fabulous choice.  The restaurant is tucked away in the same little shopping area as Lost Dog Cafe (also a great restaurant).  We dined early, so I think we beat the crowds.  There was parking available on the street, and the restaurant was only about a quarter full. 

Walking into the restaurant was incredibly relaxing.  The interior is cozy yet beautiful, and it was fairly quiet.  The menu is pretty extensive; it includes standards such as Pad Thai and a variety of curries, as well as some items that were new to me.  We ordered the crispy rolls as an appetizer, and they came out so quickly that I had to wonder about their freshness.  They were respectable though; they were nice and crunchy, and enough to take the edge off our hunger so we could enjoy our entrees.  I ordered the Duck Chu Chee (crispy! and spicy!) and my dining partner had the Wild Boar Basil.  The duck was delicious.  The fat had been nicely rendered and the skin was nice and crispy.  Most of the spice was in the sauce, and it was not nearly as hot as I had anticipated (or hoped?) - the spice was pleasant without being overwhelming, and could be controlled by varying the amount of sauce in each bite.  Overall, the dish really hit the spot.  The Wild Boar Basil was not nearly as exciting as the name would imply (it was pork, not boar), but delicious nonetheless.  The pork was a little overcooked (it was cut into thin stir-fry-style strips, which would be super easy to overcook), but overall the dish was delicious.  It had three chili peppers on the menu (the spiciest classification), but was not overwhelmingly spicy at all.  Both dishes did a very good job of using spice to enhance the flavor of the dish, rather than to mask it.  That being said, in the future I would consider asking them to amp up the spice just a little. 

Throughout the meal, people were coming in to get take-out orders, so I would image this place is pretty popular with people living in the neighborhood.  They are lucky to have it, and I definitely think it would be worth a trip back in the future!

In the Neighborhood: Beachy Bar Food in Crystal City

On a cold and dreary night (like last night), the flourescent frontage of Freddie's Beach Bar & Restaurant is a welcome sight.  The menu is much more extensive than most bar offerings (it offers pastas, salads, and full entrees in addition to the usual sandwiches, burgers, and appetizers), and the food is pretty decent.  Last night our party went fish-heavy.  I had a salmon burger; I was surprised that a bar offered a salmon burger, but it was good!  I also got some tastes of the fish and chips, which were respectable - the fish was flaky and the coating was crisp, with a salty bite, and the fries were the nice thick-but-not-too-thick kind.  Salt seems to have been a challenge for the restaurant (last time I went, I had fajitas that were so salty I was unable to finish the dish - and it is RARE for me not to clean my plate), but seasoning seems to have been less of an issue this time.  Plus, salt keeps you drinking, right?  Which brings us to the real reason to visit Freddie's - the drinks! 

They have a decent selection of beers and some wines, but the real treat is the cocktails.  They tend to be (a) very colorful and (b) very strong.  The Green Monkey was sweet, with just enough coconut flavor to be refreshing without being overwhelming; the Rum Rita was SOUR, but somehow irresistable!  In a welcome change from many bars, the cocktail menu actually lists the ingredients in each (cleverly-named) drink, so you know what you will be drinking. 

No matter whether you stop in for drinks or food, be sure to stick around for karaoke.  Some of the performers are pretty hardcore (is there a professional karaoke league anywhere?) and really good (one guy sounded just like Nathan Lane).  However, the crowd is very supportive, so even newbies are welcome to rock out!