With all the talk about holiday foods and traditions, I battle an odd conflict between Americna foods and comfort Ethiopian foods. As I can’t have my Dad’s caramels no matter how hard I imagine them, I suppose I might as well let you all know what are some of the strange new foods I’ve fallen in love with.
Gomen Salata: (Cabbage Salad)
This was first introduced to me by my teacher buddy slash Tigrigna tutor a couple of weeks ago. It’s pretty basic, but amazingly good. Chop cabbage. Squeeze a lime over. Sprinkle on some salt. When I am feeling ambitious I shred a carrot (I have a peeler that I just keep pealing) and then cut it up and add in or other veggies you find at market. I originally ate it with injera which was good, but sometimes I just eat it plain to keep starch out of a meal.
Shiro
Ethiopian friends laugh when I tell them this is my go to meal. They claim there is no nutritional benefit in shiro, but boy does it taste good. First chop an onion. Sautée in oil. After onion is soft add water. I usually add an overripe tomatoe that has been cut and mashed at the same time. Cover and wait for it to reboil. Add a large spoonful of shiro powder. Mix in. Turn down temperature. Stir occasionally. Add lots of garlic! This is amazing with injera or bread. If it cooks too hot and becomes thicker it’s name changes to tagamino. Ether way, if there are left overs, it goes amazing with scambled eggs for breakfast.
Silsi
This is not my favorite dish as it is usually very spicy, but I have started to develop the liking for it. In a pan sautee onions in lots of oil. Once hot and bubbling add burbary (hot chilly) to taste. Keep over flame so it stays nice and hot. Add chopped garlic and hot peppers and serve.
Silsi Bisaba (Silsi with Milk)
For those of you who know my eating habits, you know that soggy bread was always a huge NO-NO! in my otherwise unpicky appetite. I have given up this vendetta and now enjoy soggy things. One of my favorites is milk with silsi in it. The milk is fresh and silsi adds the perfect taste to it. Dipping pieces of injera is the only way to eat this. Though it takes awhile to soup up all the liquid, it’s delicious.
Fata (Mixed up goodness!)
This takes everything I love and mixes it together for perfection! First you rip up pieces of bread. Then add silsi, tomatoes, and yogurt. Mix it all together and eat with a spoon. Add salt for tasted. Yes it sounds disgusting. Yes I am not adequately describing it. But it’s so good. If you order it for som (fasting) instead of yogurt they will put peanutbutter, lettuce, onion and hot peppers. This is not my favorite. Yogurt, although different than American, is amazing!
So, while all of you are decorating sugar cookies, sipping hot chocolate, consuming large quantites of meat, or having caramels stick to the roof of your mouth, these are some of the foods I am enjoying. I will try to get some pictures up for you, though you may have to wait till next week when I am in Addis for IST (In Service Training).
Gomen Salata: (Cabbage Salad)
This was first introduced to me by my teacher buddy slash Tigrigna tutor a couple of weeks ago. It’s pretty basic, but amazingly good. Chop cabbage. Squeeze a lime over. Sprinkle on some salt. When I am feeling ambitious I shred a carrot (I have a peeler that I just keep pealing) and then cut it up and add in or other veggies you find at market. I originally ate it with injera which was good, but sometimes I just eat it plain to keep starch out of a meal.
Shiro
Ethiopian friends laugh when I tell them this is my go to meal. They claim there is no nutritional benefit in shiro, but boy does it taste good. First chop an onion. Sautée in oil. After onion is soft add water. I usually add an overripe tomatoe that has been cut and mashed at the same time. Cover and wait for it to reboil. Add a large spoonful of shiro powder. Mix in. Turn down temperature. Stir occasionally. Add lots of garlic! This is amazing with injera or bread. If it cooks too hot and becomes thicker it’s name changes to tagamino. Ether way, if there are left overs, it goes amazing with scambled eggs for breakfast.
Silsi
This is not my favorite dish as it is usually very spicy, but I have started to develop the liking for it. In a pan sautee onions in lots of oil. Once hot and bubbling add burbary (hot chilly) to taste. Keep over flame so it stays nice and hot. Add chopped garlic and hot peppers and serve.
Silsi Bisaba (Silsi with Milk)
For those of you who know my eating habits, you know that soggy bread was always a huge NO-NO! in my otherwise unpicky appetite. I have given up this vendetta and now enjoy soggy things. One of my favorites is milk with silsi in it. The milk is fresh and silsi adds the perfect taste to it. Dipping pieces of injera is the only way to eat this. Though it takes awhile to soup up all the liquid, it’s delicious.
Fata (Mixed up goodness!)
This takes everything I love and mixes it together for perfection! First you rip up pieces of bread. Then add silsi, tomatoes, and yogurt. Mix it all together and eat with a spoon. Add salt for tasted. Yes it sounds disgusting. Yes I am not adequately describing it. But it’s so good. If you order it for som (fasting) instead of yogurt they will put peanutbutter, lettuce, onion and hot peppers. This is not my favorite. Yogurt, although different than American, is amazing!
So, while all of you are decorating sugar cookies, sipping hot chocolate, consuming large quantites of meat, or having caramels stick to the roof of your mouth, these are some of the foods I am enjoying. I will try to get some pictures up for you, though you may have to wait till next week when I am in Addis for IST (In Service Training).
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