Suzy Eats

Falafel is a fried ball or patty of spiced garbanzo beans. It is one of the most popular dishes across the Mediterranean region. It is also a very common vegan dish. Once you try falafel from scratch, it will be very difficult to eat it from the box 🙂 TRUST ME. There is no substitute for falafel from scratch.

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces of dried garbanzo beans
• 1 cup fresh parsley (must be fresh)
• 8 garlic cloves minced
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds (optional)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons baking powder (added 15 minutes before frying)
• 3 teaspoons corn starch (added 15 minutes before frying)
• 8 ounces of water
• vegetable oil for frying

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It is a GORGEOUS day outside. I am so excited!!! I have waited soooo long to see the sun! We had a little tease the other day and now its back 🙂 YEAH!!! This weather reminded me of  my grandfather who loved to walk EVERYWHERE with my brothers and I when we were younger. AND THEN it hit me….my next blog entry was going to be about my grandfather and how he ate a SPOONFUL of honey each day as part of his “Mediterranean Diet”. I always wondered why he did it. I watched him take his spoon and dip it into the honey jar each morning before we would take our walks. Well 25 years later, I finally did my research and realized a spoonful of honey may support your health and not just your sweet tooth 🙂 In fact, there is a growing body of scientific evidence Read the rest of this entry »

Are you ready for our next GIVEAWAY??? Suzy Eats is giving away “The Middle Eastern Cookbook” by Maria Khalife. Maria is the editor of a culinary magazine, owner of a cooking school and producer of “Sofra Daimeh” a TV cooking show that is broadcasted in the Middle East and internationally.

This book has amazing recipes included that are simple to prepare with accessible and wholesome ingredients. LOVE IT 🙂 So what do you have to do to win???? MANDATORY ENTRY: You MUST comment what your favorite recipe Middle Eastern is below.

WANT TO EARN ADDITIONAL ENTRIES?

1. Follow @SuzyEats on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/suzyeats
2. Join SuzyEats on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/suzyeats

 GOOD LUCK EVERYONE 🙂 The giveaway ends on 4/29/11. It is open internationally.

Today’s Tuesday Toast is with Gourmet Gab or Gabriela. Her blog site is http://gourmetgab.wordpress.com/.  She is a journalism student at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School and aspires to be on the Food Network someday. She is passionate about food and loves traveling because it allows her to connect with people around the world through their culture, dining, and language.

Below she shares a recipe with us for Apple Cinnamon Toast Read the rest of this entry »

I HATE soaking rice before I cook it; yet, I know it is a necessary step to making the perfect basmati rice and other long grain rices. Soaking rice has been done for thousands of years in both Asian and Mediterranean cultures. I remember “the soaking rice” in both my mother and grandmother’s kitchens. But, I really never researched WHY it is done until now and decided to share it with all of you.

Rinsing and soaking are two completely different processes for rice cooking.

Rinsing is traditionally used for “cleaning” the rice. It is best used when the rice contains impurities such as talc, dirt, bugs, and polishing powders. Depending upon the country of origin, the rice may have heaps to no impurities. Some people rinse the rice in place of soaking, but many experts argue Read the rest of this entry »