Welcome to A standing reservation! Thanks for reserving your table. If you’ve found your way here via pure luck and haven’t already reserved your standing reservation, pencil yourself in the book and we’ll be sure to serve you up something good:
The market is buzzing. Butchers’ knives make contact with their wooden boards, the sound of the fishmonger’s scaler runs along plump fish bellies, haphazardly flinging shiny silvery scales into the alley. Across from the fishmonger, women buy nightgowns that look like they belong from an era of the past. A step further and khobez, a very thin type of flatbread typical of Morocco, is being stuffed with grilled meats, falafel, pickled turnip, and herbs; splashed with tahina and rolled quickly into paper, ready to be delivered to eager and hungry hands. I walk between a conversation that’s taking place between two market goers who are conveniently located at separate stalls across the market’s thin alley. “She gets the Queen Consort title just like Diana would have gotten,” I hear the man shout to the woman who is selling samosas at the stand across the way. And with that line, I’m reminded that we have, yet again, another bank holiday next week. The Coronation of Charles III and Camilla take place this Saturday, May 6, 2023 here in London. An event that already has the streets and homes decorated with small and large British flags flying about.
I have to say, I’m getting more into the London/British spirit. Meaning, I think I’m growing accustomed to grey days, rainy afternoons, a cuppa tea…I must admit, this all sounds a bit romanticized, but what’s a girl to do when she’s quite literally stuck in the darn place? So I’ve decided to, once again, give in to the romantic elements that London has to offer at the moment. The days are growing long, the trees have flowered and left their pink confetti in whimsical piles along the sidewalk, and from where I sit there’s a neighborhood cat enjoying the burst of sun before it hides behind a cloud. There’s a certain element about the sunshine that needs to be taken into account while living in London. That is that when the sun is out and shining without a cloud in the sky, you must listen to her call. The pubs even whisper sweet nothings into the air. Like sirens they call, “Come. Come and taste the same pints you’ve been drinking all year. They’ll taste sweeter. Colder. And you must drink 17 of them because…well, SUN!” It’s all a trick, you see. A trick to finally lure us out of our grey stupor. And as we wander our way to the nearest pub filled with other ghostly looking, vitamin D deficient patrons, we somehow all feel like the world is right again. You can see it on the looks of the faces around you. All soaking up every last drop of sunshine in an effort to preserve these sunny memories, afraid to open the weather application on our phones, fully aware that a long streak of grey days wait for us.
As the grey days approach us, I’ve decided its time to share my latest and greatest lunch that has had a hold on me over the past week. It’s been a week-long streak of falafel and a sort of Mediterranean slaw that includes loads of spicy gherkins. I hope that, by the end of this week, I’ll be coming out of this falafel streak so I figured it’s time to share the recipe with you as we close out this very addictive chapter. The other items in my fridge have seen hard times. I can almost hear the head of celery aimlessly talking out loud saying to the last florets of broccoli, “what’re you in for?” As if they’re doing hard time. I myself am turning into a sort of Mediterranean slaw. But, it feels necessary to pass this recipe on to you as it’s tried and true, tested and tweaked. Who knows when it will release its grip from me. Probably right down to the last chickpea.
My local grocery store is overflowing with falafel, tabbouleh, hummus with tahini, kibbeh, khobez flatbreads, and every imaginable spice you could ever wish for. Each week, without fail, I toss a package of their fresh made falafel into my cart, a treat and reward for carrying a weeks worth of groceries home. (I’m kicking myself for not investing in a pull cart by now - that’s coming soon enough; in the meantime 3 sets of 10 arm curls will do). I start to wonder, why do I never make falafel at home myself? A package of dried unopened chickpeas sits on the shelf, staring back at me confirming their sorrow for being left out of the kitchen parties. I pull them down from the third and second to last shelf in the pantry. It’s time, I say, to bring you out of retirement.
Herby falafels with a Mediterranean slaw*
These bright and herby falafel can be made with a mix of your favorite herbs like cilantro, parsley, mint, and dill. Or you can simply use one of your favorites. In the recipe below, I’ve chosen to use a mix of parsley and dill. The important thing is to use enough herbs so you get that beautiful green inside to the falafel. Same goes for the spices. Not a fan of cumin, don’t use it. Mix and match and enjoy the joys of falafel. This recipe calls for dried chickpeas as the texture holds up when frying. Although this is a recipe that takes a bit of forethought, I highly recommend using dried chickpeas. Just plan one day ahead and soak your chickpeas over night before beginning the process.
Ingredients
200g dried chickpeas
1 bunch of fresh parsley
5-10 sprigs of fresh dill
1/2 a yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 clove of garlic, smashed with the back of your knife
3 Tbsp chickpea flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander spice
1/2 tsp chili pepper
1-2 tsp salt (depending on the type of salt you use, adjust as needed)
Vegetable oil for frying (or another neutral oil)
Method
The night before you plan to make your falafel, put your chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Soak chickpeas overnight for at least 12-24 hours. The next morning, the chickpeas will have doubled in size. De-stem your herbs, roughly chop 1/2 an onion, and smash a clove of garlic. In a food processor or blender, blitz the chickpeas to the consistency of a finely chopped nut. Once the consistency is right, place the blitzed chickpeas into a separate bowl. Place your herbs, onion, and garlic into the food processor and blitz to the same consistency of the chickpeas. Once you’ve reached the same consistency, place into the same bowl as the chickpeas and lightly stir to incorporate. Add your spices, sesame seeds, chickpea flour and baking soda into the mixture and lightly stir to incorporate. Make sure you're not pressing too hard into the mixture while stirring; use a fluff and fold method to make sure all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Create golf ball sized falafels and place on a baking tray.
Heat a pot of vegetable oil to 165°C/330°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, test the oil by putting the end of a wooden spoon or chopstick into the oil; if the oil creates many little bubbles, then you are most likely ready to fry. Adjust the heat throughout the frying process. Fry your falafel balls for about 5 minutes, until golden and crispy. Serve with flatbread, hummus, and, what I’m coining here as, a Mediterranean slaw*.
Mediterranean slaw*
Chop lettuce, a mix of herbs (likely the herbs you’ve used in your falafel mixture), gherkins, olives, red onion, tomato, and cucumber. Season with olive oil, a splash of red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and oregano. Top with feta if you’re so inclined.
Until next time at a standing reservation…
With love & snacks,
Paige
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Need a happy moment?
Biscuit tea. Yes, you heard that right. This week I’m freelancing in an office which means lots of teas. Biscuit tea has been introduced to me by my British co-worker. It’s said to taste like a cup of tea right after you’ve dunked your biscuits into it. I picture it to taste a bit sweet kind of like a biscoff cookie? Tomorrow is the day I try this said tea and who knows, maybe I’ll become the Queen Consort of biscuit tea? To be continued…
My goodness this looks absolutely divine.