Falafel: The One Word Solution to all the conflicts in the Middle East

[HabteSelassie]

Greetings in that Divine and Most Precious Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Greeks and Turks?
Arabs and Israelis?
Egyptians and Israelis?

Even Oriental and Eastern Orthodox?

How can we bridge all these gaps?

Our seemingly pan-love for falafel

Enjoy the falafel folks, and if we all mutually love this great food, maybe we can all in time learn to mutually love each other

stay blessed,
habte selassie

[KBN1]

While I don't consider falafel shawarma a particularly healthy meal, there is an amazing Turkish joint near my house and about once a month I cave in and have some falafel and love every bite of it.  I think you may be onto something here Habte. 

[HabteSelassie]

Greetings in that Divine and Most Precious Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

  I think you may be onto something here Habte. 

Its the Old Calendar extended version of the Apostles Fast, during which seasons I live on a alternating tandem of falafel and the more indigenous to Los Angeles beans & rice

Everyone I know from the Mediterranean loves falafel, including all my Oriental Orthodox folks (though Ethiopians and Indians eat samusa instead, falafel is not their thing) and I know the Greeks love it too!  Do the Spanish and Italian Catholics dig it as well I wonder?




stay blessed,
habte selassie

[HouseOfGod]

  Sweet idea

[LBK]

Or, if falafel ain't the answer, it would have to be a toss between yoghurt and coffee.  And possibly eggplant.

[rakovsky]

Or, if falafel ain't the answer, it would have to be a toss between yoghurt and coffee.  And possibly eggplant.

Indians used the peace pipe. How about hookah? If only world leaders would smoke peace pipes together.

The Indian peace pipes had lots of herbs mixed with the tobacco, which was unfiltered, and I think strong and thick too.

[primuspilus]

Falafel.....it does what the United Nations could not.

PP

[Orthodox11]

If you have ever asked anyone from the Balkans/Middle East for a coffee, you'll quickly realise that having something in common makes war, not peace.

[jmbejdl]

If you have ever asked anyone from the Balkans/Middle East for a coffee, you'll quickly realise that having something in common makes war, not peace.

Agreed. You'd almost certainly end up with violent arguments about who invented falafel and whose version is the most authentic. We get it with all sorts of similarly widespread foodstuffs - houmous and baclava to name two that spring to mind. Somewhere on this forum there must still be threads around from years back where SouthSerb99 and myself and a few others would (good naturedly and without any malice at all) accuse each other of having stolen food and drink from each other. It got down to etymology at times! Now we may have been (indeed were) joking but it was made all the funnier because of the sad truth that we are often divided by our commonalities even more than our differences. Phyletism truly is a tragic error.

James

[Asteriktos]

Look to the cookie...

[Carl Kraeff (Second Chance)]

When I lived in Istanbul, never had the pleasure of eating falafel. In my Macedono-Bulgarian family, I did enjoy, however, such "controversial" dishes as Baklava and Moussaka. We knew that neither were Bulgarian and could not care less about the claims of our Greek and Turkish friends. Now that I am in the Deep South and thus out of the cross-fire, I can say confidently, that baklava is one of world's greatest creations--but not the dry versions one encounters in Lebanese, Syrian and Greek shops. The best baklava is moist and sinfully sweet (much like the one that I make). As for moussaka, the Greek "palace" version that is the glory of Greeks from Constantinople, is very good and sophisticated. OTH, I also love the more rustic Turkish version that omits the bechamel sauce and is accompanied with plain yogurt. However, there are two purely Turkish dishes that is just as good as those two Middle Easter iconic dishes: Imam Bayildi and Doner Kebab (this one can be matched by the Bulgarian kebabchi and the Greek whole roast lamb). Now, would someone tell me please why this is in the Religious Topics section?

[Orthodox11]

Now, would someone tell me please why this is in the Religious Topics section?

Ask any person living in the UK and they'll tell you that the late night Doner Kebab (aka Gyros/Shawarma) is quite the ritual.

[J Michael]

Ohhhhhhhh.....falalfel!!!!!!!!!!

One of the things I miss most about Israel is the easy access to all manner of falalfel.  Nothing like a trip to Tel Aviv, and to wander around the central bus station trying to decide which of the multitudinous falafel stands to buy lunch or dinner or breakfast or snack from.  And they were *all* exceptional, some more than others.

Yum, yum, yum, yum, yummmmmmm!!  Cheap *and* healthy!!

And then there was the "Turkish", er, "Greek", er, "Israeli" coffee!!

[J Michael]

Now, would someone tell me please why this is in the Religious Topics section?

Ask any person living in the UK and they'll tell you that the late night Doner Kebab (aka Gyros/Shawarma) is quite the ritual.

Especially when you have a few pints of beer in you  !

[J Michael]

[thetraditionalfrog]

Falafel! Haven't had it in awhile though. When I lived in downtown Indianapolis, I used to stop by a Middle Eastern restaurant in the city market and get some. They had Falafel day every week. I'll have to stop in next time I'm downtown.

I also enjoy Gyros and baklava as well. Being part Serbian I love sarma, cevaps, and krofne.  I'll pass on the Šljivovica though, liquor doesn't settle well on my stomach.

Does anyone by chance have a good falafel recipe?

[yeshuaisiam]

Greetings in that Divine and Most Precious Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Greeks and Turks?
Arabs and Israelis?
Egyptians and Israelis?

Even Oriental and Eastern Orthodox?

How can we bridge all these gaps?

Our seemingly pan-love for falafel

Enjoy the falafel folks, and if we all mutually love this great food, maybe we can all in time learn to mutually love each other

stay blessed,
habte selassie

LOL, agree!

I'll never forget when at pascha a woman from Egypt gave me some falafel with some beef strips in a pita.  YUM.
Then she followed it up with a spoonful of tabuli.  Barf.

[Alpo]

I visited our one and only local ethnic market today. I've tried to boycott it because it seems to sell halal meat and I rather had my food without ritual slaughter but falafels and other vegan things almost convinced me to break my boycott.

[christian7777]

Or, if falafel ain't the answer, it would have to be a toss between yoghurt and coffee.  And possibly eggplant.

Yeah. 

[ialmisry]

If you have ever asked anyone from the Balkans/Middle East for a coffee, you'll quickly realise that having something in common makes war, not peace.

Agreed. You'd almost certainly end up with violent arguments about who invented falafel and whose version is the most authentic. We get it with all sorts of similarly widespread foodstuffs - houmous and baclava to name two that spring to mind. Somewhere on this forum there must still be threads around from years back where SouthSerb99 and myself and a few others would (good naturedly and without any malice at all) accuse each other of having stolen food and drink from each other. It got down to etymology at times! Now we may have been (indeed were) joking but it was made all the funnier because of the sad truth that we are often divided by our commonalities even more than our differences. Phyletism truly is a tragic error.

James

My old Arabic professor used to say "The zionists can keep the land. But leave us our food!": posters from Hillel house regularly advertised "Israeli food" like "fafafel, shwarma...."

I remember an old public service message "Race Relations: Where do we go from here?"  when it had an oriental man talk about how if we communicated we would see that we all want the same things for ourselves and our children, and we are not different.   He didn't seem to see that commonality as a source of strife.  Especially when people play as a zero-sum game.

[primuspilus]

You never did give me that falafel recipe you mentioned some time ago Isa.....

PP

[J Michael]

You never did give me that falafel recipe you mentioned some time ago Isa.....

PP

You're not a Zionist are you? 

[primuspilus]

You never did give me that falafel recipe you mentioned some time ago Isa.....

PP

You're not a Zionist are you? 

[HabteSelassie]

Greetings in that Divine and Most Precious Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann courted controversy today by claiming that falafel and other "jihadi foods" should be banned from school lunches in the United States. In an interview with local television station KSTP in Minneapolis, Bachmann explained that after visiting a local elementary school she was shocked to find that falafel - a fried vegetable patty popular in the Arab world - was being served as a option on the vegetarian menu.
Ostensibly in the studio to discuss her close race for reelection against Democratic challenger Jim Graves, Bachmann instead used the time to appeal for a nationwide movement against Arab cuisine.
Startled by the parochial nature of her statements, KSTP anchor Chris Johnson felt obliged to challenge her reasoning:
"I have to ask Ms. Bachmann, why is that a problem? I mean some children like the taste of falafel, what's wrong with that?"
"Chris, falafel is a gateway food," responded Bachmann, "It starts with falafel, then the kids move on to shawarma. After a while they say 'hey this tastes good, I wonder what else comes from Arabia?' "
"Before you know it our children are listening to Muslim music, reading the Koran, and plotting attacks against the homeland."
"We need to stop these terror cakes now, before they infiltrate any further."
God Hates Chick Peas
Bachmann stopped short of advocating a ban on all Arab food, saying that "responsible adults can probably use Arab food safely in moderation."
However, she made clear that she was frightened by the pace at which the cuisine has permeated the U.S.:
"I have a friend in Texas who has to homeschool her children because her local public school forces students to eat hummus. Its everywhere now. This is really scary stuff."
Bachmann then intimated that the widespread use of Arab foods in American schools could be the sign of a conspiracy that goes all the way to the
"I have no proof that President Obama is forcing our children to eat Arab and Middle Eastern food. But it would certainly fit the pattern."
Bachmann has a history of controversial statements regarding Islam and the role of Muslims in America.
She says her first priority upon returning to congress will be to introduce a bill protecting America's children from the dangers of Muslim cooking:
"We must ban falafel and other jihadi foods in schools before its too late."

Hello?  I am waiting for the strong Jewish lobbyists to express their outrage, does this crazy woman realize that Falafel is the prize of Jews and Egyptian Copts and even Greeks?  Haha, sometimes America is a funny place, sometimes its just plain ugly, in this instance its both

stay blessed,
habte selassie

[Agia Marina]

Greetings in that Divine and Most Precious Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann courted controversy today by claiming that falafel and other "jihadi foods" should be banned from school lunches in the United States. In an interview with local television station KSTP in Minneapolis, Bachmann explained that after visiting a local elementary school she was shocked to find that falafel - a fried vegetable patty popular in the Arab world - was being served as a option on the vegetarian menu.
Ostensibly in the studio to discuss her close race for reelection against Democratic challenger Jim Graves, Bachmann instead used the time to appeal for a nationwide movement against Arab cuisine.
Startled by the parochial nature of her statements, KSTP anchor Chris Johnson felt obliged to challenge her reasoning:
"I have to ask Ms. Bachmann, why is that a problem? I mean some children like the taste of falafel, what's wrong with that?"
"Chris, falafel is a gateway food," responded Bachmann, "It starts with falafel, then the kids move on to shawarma. After a while they say 'hey this tastes good, I wonder what else comes from Arabia?' "
"Before you know it our children are listening to Muslim music, reading the Koran, and plotting attacks against the homeland."
"We need to stop these terror cakes now, before they infiltrate any further."
God Hates Chick Peas
Bachmann stopped short of advocating a ban on all Arab food, saying that "responsible adults can probably use Arab food safely in moderation."
However, she made clear that she was frightened by the pace at which the cuisine has permeated the U.S.:
"I have a friend in Texas who has to homeschool her children because her local public school forces students to eat hummus. Its everywhere now. This is really scary stuff."
Bachmann then intimated that the widespread use of Arab foods in American schools could be the sign of a conspiracy that goes all the way to the
"I have no proof that President Obama is forcing our children to eat Arab and Middle Eastern food. But it would certainly fit the pattern."
Bachmann has a history of controversial statements regarding Islam and the role of Muslims in America.
She says her first priority upon returning to congress will be to introduce a bill protecting America's children from the dangers of Muslim cooking:
"We must ban falafel and other jihadi foods in schools before its too late."

Hello?  I am waiting for the strong Jewish lobbyists to express their outrage, does this crazy woman realize that Falafel is the prize of Jews and Egyptian Copts and even Greeks?  Haha, sometimes America is a funny place, sometimes its just plain ugly, in this instance its both

stay blessed,
habte selassie

Are you serious?  This, I'm sure, is satire.  Isn't it? 

[HabteSelassie]

Greetings in that Divine and Most Precious Name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Praise God you are right, I posted that from another forum and didn't double check, thank you for clarifying, and sorry for the mix up

My brother just had a baby this afternoon so I'm a bit on edge and yet overjoyed.

stay blessed,
habte selassie

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