DAY 34: My "Indian kitchen"- BHEL PURI

BHEL PURI is a common Indian street food (chaat) whose main ingredient is BHEL MIX, made of puffed rice, lentils, gram four crackers and chickpea vermicelli.

This bag came from BOMBAY BAZAAR, 3140 S. Parker Rd.

Here's a version I made last night that was fantastic!  If you do try it, timing is everything.  Like cold cereal, if you don't eat it right after mixing it together, the BHEL turns soggy.  

You don't want soggy BHEL.

The recipe follows--

5 cups bhel mix

1/3 cup chopped boiled potatoes

1/3 cup diced tomatoes

3 tbs. minced jalapenos

8 tbs. tamarind date chutney

4 tbs. cilantro chutney

2 tbs. chopped cilantro

1 tsp. chaat masala 

juice of 1/2 lemon

Just mix it all together and eat it right away!

DAY 33: My "Korean" kitchen-YUBUCHOBAP from Maangchi.com

For a very easy, very tasty Korean snack, try YUBUCHOBAP, seasoned tofu pockets stuffed with rice.

This recipe can be found on www.maangchi.com

You can find the YUBUCHOBAP kit, rice seasoning and yellow pickled radish at 

M-MART, 2000 S. HAVANA

A MOST DELICIOUS SNACK!

addictive....

Yubuchobap (Seasoned tofu pockets stuffed with rice: 유부초밥)

DAY 32: my "not-so-Korean" kitchen--Kimchi stew

An experiment using bean threads, kimchi, savoy cabbage and shitaake mushrooms, all purchased at H-MART, 2751 S. Parker Rd.

the Mollie Katzen recipe I based it on--

www.molliekatzen.com/recipes/recipe.php?id=1022

DAY 31: PHO 75, next to M-MART, 2000 S. Havana

lunch--good.  cheap.

Cooking Silkworm Larvae in South Korea

DAY 30: More shopping at M-MART, 2000 S. Havana--Silkworm larvae, etc..

M-MART is a small Korean-Japanese market specializing more on foods specific to Korea.

packaged, prepared pickled stuffs way beyond kimchi..shelves of various kimchis (locally made?) canned stuffs, dried stuffs...fish, etc..some produce..

somewhat intimidating to the uninitiated..

  

I am unfamiliar with Korean food, so I had a lot of questions--which was a bit challenging as many items possessed a very little English on their labels and the English spoken by those working was very limited.  But, very interesting, needless to say, and I will research!

 A popular Korean street food, cans of silkworm larvae were on special

I found a website on Korean cooking that I like:

www.maangchi.com

It's a sort-of K-popish primer friendly to those who don't know a thing about Korean food.

The above items are for a recipe for "Seasoned tofu pockets stuffed with rice" or YUBUCHOBAP.  YUBUCHOBAP can be made from a ready-made kit, which are common in modern Korean and Japanese cooking.  In the photo is a YUBUCHOBAP kit, consisting of tofu pockets, seasoning and a vinegar based sauce.  The recipe from Maangchi calls for julienned pickled yellow radish, which is also in the photo.  On the left is a shaker of YASAI FUMI FURIKAKE (rice seasoning), that I will sprinkle on my finished YUBUCHOBAP.

DAY 29: shopping at M-MART, 2000 S. Havana--finding seeds for this year's Asian vegetable garden

I wasn't searching for garden seeds while at M-Mart, a smaller Korean/Japanese grocery store on S. Havana, but look what I found!  Aren't they beautiful?

As Spring approaches, that will be something else that I keep my eyes peeled for in Aurora--seeds for this year's garden.

DAY 28: Shopping at BOMBAY BAZAAR, 3140 S. Parker Rd., for Academy Awards snacks

BOMBAY BAZAAR, 3140 S. Parker Rd., is a great market for those seeking culinary specialties from all regions of India.  

One section of the store is devoted to coolers filled with frozen vegetables, breads, ready-to-cook meals and snacks.  Here you will also find paneer (fresh curd cheese) and Kulfi (ice cream) in an assortment of flavors.

Other areas are packed with boxed items of all kinds--mixes, spices, beauty products, toiletries, etc., and a HUGE selection of basmati rices, flours (gram!) and legumes. Large quantities of all are available..

 

 I came in search for an interesting alternative to popcorn for an Academy Awards party--NAMKEENS (fried, crunchy snack mixes made of a combination of varietal grams (legumes), peanuts, popped rices, toasted vermacelli, etc.)

 BOMBAY BAZAAR has isles and isles of namkeen offerings; most mild, many spicy (printed warnings).  They are very delicious and high in protein!  The mix on the plate is of a lentil flour pasta and MOOTH GRAM.

 A selection of what I purchased.  The DESI CHICKPEAS are actually not a chickpea at all, but it's own gram.  The owner, A Sikh from the Punjab region, told me that the skins of the desi chickpea are known to have beneficial qualities for diabetics--they help to balance blood sugar levels.

Bhel mix.  This is an interesting puffed rice mix that is often used in making "chaat"--Indian street food.  I'll be making "Bhel Puri" with it...

DAY 25: My "Somali" kitchen--Suqaar and eggs, served on Sourdough Lahooh (Somali flatbread) with sauteed mixed vegetables on the side

LAHOOH WITH SUQAAR AND EGGS:  A tomato beef sauce (I used ground beef) with baked eggs on top.

SOURDOUGH LAHOOH (SOMALI FLATBREAD):  Made with wheat flour, ground millet and corn meal.  A daily staple of the Somali diet and very similar to Ethiopian Injera bread, which is made of teff flour.

This recipe calls for whole millet; I ground mine, which I would recommend.

And, I would also add some salt to the batter.

SAUTEED MIXED VEGETABLES:  Shredded cabbage, potatoes, carrots, zucchini and yellow squash.

All recipes can be found on this good Somali cuisine website--

www.mysomalifood.com

quite delicious!

DAY 23: My kitchen with Russian pickled mushrooms

These are the mushrooms I bought at EUROPA GROCERY, 13728 E. Quincy Ave.

I am eating the ones one the left.  There's no English on the label, but the shop owner told me that they are wild picked.  They might be "slippery jacks", as they are very slimy.  They are also in a dill brine, not unlike dill pickles.  I've been putting them in sandwiches and on salads.  The others on the right are a varietal mix of wild picked mushrooms.

DAY 22: What Happened to the 2200 block of S. Havana?

From the street, driving past, this little strip mall looked promising.  But when we pulled up, got out of the car to investigate, most shops were out of business.

 still in business, but empty

 empty

 Korean nightclub, open from 8pm to 2am. It might still be in business...

Iraqi bread sounded exciting, but, alas, empty

DAH WON RICE CAKE BAKERY, 2222 S. Havana, was open, but looking in, there was very little on the shelves available.  I will probably go back for rice cakes.

DAY 21: ROYAL DELI FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, Chambers and Hampden

Well, I made it to ROYAL INTERNATIONAL CUISINE, but it's not a sit down restaurant anymore, it's a grocery store and deli.  

 What distinguishes ROYAL from the other Russian grocery stores I've been to in Aurora, is that it is a full deli, stocked with home made salads, meat and other dishes, and a full bakery with many cakes and sweet things that looked gooey and dangerous!  Again, everything made from scratch, on the premises.

I will be back to take photos and buy.  a lot. 

And eat. a lot.

DAY 20: From Russia: Pickled Wild Mushrooms at EUROPA GROCERY, 13728 E. Quincy Ave.

On day 15, my family and I had gone in search for a Russian restaurant called ROYAL INTERNATIONAL CUISINE, which had been replaced by another Pho(75). On that trip, I noticed a Russian grocery store called EUROPA.  I didn't stop then, but returned yesterday.

  

Like SOLOMON'S, on 1939 S. Havana, EUROPA has a fantastic array of Eastern European breads, sausages, dairy and imported prepared stuffs. I fell in love with the pickled mushrooms.

Four shelves filled with scores of varieties, many wild picked.

Cherry Creek Reservoir is right next door, so this is a great stop for gathering picnic stuffs before a hike!

I also asked one of the owners about ROYAL INTERNATIONAL CUISINE.  Apparently, they are still in business but moved to Chambers and Hampden...That's for tomorrow.

DAY 19: The Somali Experience at MAANDEEQ RESTAURANT AND CAFE, 1535 S. Havana St., #H

South Havana, from 1500 South down to S. Parker Rd., appears to be an epicenter for African and Korean food.  Having some "experience" with Korean food, I thought I'd start with the African options.  

Aurora has a multitude of Ethiopian restaurants and markets, but what it also has are Somalian and Nigerian establishments.

Described as a "meeting place for Somalian expats in search of the comforts of home", and a place for those "searching for a different eating experience", MAANDEEQ RESTAURANT AND CAFE was yesterday's restaurant of choice. 

 A shot of MAANDEEQ'S most lovely, eye-spinning decor--which leads one to believe that this must have been a Chinese restaurant in the past.  We loved the cultural pastiche.

 What was most memorable, by far, was the fact that my friend Tracey and I walked into a place inhabited entirely by Somali men.  We felt instantly that we had crossed a cultural threshold. The only other women in the restaurant were a pair, in head-to-toe traditional dress, sitting in the other room.

Our first waiter, young and very uncomfortable, couldn't speak English and approached our table, without a menu and with a one word question--"beef?"

After a moment or two of silence, he was soon replaced by another who brought menus, but whose English was still very limited.  Apparently, few of their customers are not Somali.

We asked him to bring what he thought we should try, as neither of us had ever had Somali food.  Take note of the prices--at the end of our meal, our bill was totalled in our waiter's head. I'm not sure how we were charged.

Again, there was a huge language barrier.

Our lunch began with a light cilantro broth with shredded carrots, turmeric and lemon

The spread was a spicy goat stew with a salad, a plate of greens and cabbage and a plate of "Ugaali Dish"--grits made of white hominy.  The bowl of "soup" is actually a sauce (similar to the broth, but richer) to be poured over the Ugaali.

A platter of vegetable rice followed.
After eating, we both ordered a sweet, spiced tea with milk--similar to chai and very delicious!

Overall, the food was very interesting and quite good. 
Pricewise? $26.00 for the both of us.

DAY 15: Searching in vain for "some of the best Russian food in the state" and settling for expensive, less-than-inspiring German food, out yonder, on the other side of 225, by Harbor Freight Tools and a Super Target: HELGA'S GERMAN RESTAURANT & DELI, 14197 E. EXPOSITION AVE.

Tonight I took in the miles to waaaaaaaaaaay distant Aurora with my husband, Stuart, and our 15-year-old daughter. Stuart literally hadn't eaten all day and our daughter is chronically fearful of consuming the unfamiliar, so I was apprehensive in suggesting Nigerian, Somalian, Korean or Filipino.  Instead, I thought a good Russian restaurant sounded perfect.  Culturally rich for me, dense and caloric for Stuart and not too "weird" for The Daughter.  

ROYAL INTERNATIONAL CUISINE, on 13736 E. Quincy, seemed perfect and has been described in print as "...serving some of the best Russian food in the state.."  We were, well, pretty excited.  However, when we got to 13736 E. Quincy, this is what greeted us instead:

    We were really disappointed--especially after travelling past the vast terrain of office complexes, malls and endless corporate retail boxes.  Apparently, I will have to call ahead next time, as this is the second time a restaurant I've been anticipating has been closed down!

Anyway, The Daughter will not do pho. no pho.  So, how to compromise??

Other Russian options that I found were not open tonight for dinner and another Eastern European restaurant, that I'm going to try, was too far away so we agreed that finding a GERMAN restaurant was a good option. 

 What we found was HELGA'S GERMAN RESTAURANT AND DELI, 14197 E. Exposition

 Looking not unlike a corporate "Mimi"s" or "Red Robin", Helga's does possess a rather impressive deli with shelves of colorful imported food stuffs.  I had every intention of purchasing a few things to take home after eating dinner, but....

fresh meat salad

 stuffs for purchase

our meal:

appetizer:  Pfalzer Pretzel for two--homemade pretzels (very good) with cheeses and German coldcuts

 oxtail soup

 Jager Schnitzel--breaded pork in a browned, mushroom gravy with fried onions; served with spaetzel and red cabbage

 Chicken Geschnetzeltes--chicken strips in a creamed, mushroom gravy; served on a bed of spaetzel with melted cheese and paprika sprinkles on top.  A bowl of red cabbage is served on the side.

Rouladen Pfalzischer Art--beef rolls stuffed with bacon and pickles, topped with a rich, brown gravy.  Potato croquettes and pan-fried spaetzel fill the plate.

We also ordered apple strudel and a Bavarian creme torte. Neither were particularly good and the blood in my brain soon left to my stomach, aiding in the massive task of digesting the 5,000+ calories that I had just consumed.

  

So, that being said, I forgot to take pictures of them.

Helga's is a very popular restaurant and was packed while we were there.  The service was fine--friendly, informative; and, I may have, maybe recommended it in my starving stage.  However, looking at these photos now as I shift my weight around in my chair, trying to find a comfortable spot, I would have to say that "no", I'm probably not going back.  This food is so damn rich and not so amazingly delicious for the price you end up paying--$$ or otherwise.  In fact, I ended up spending my Aurora budget for the week (not entirely Helga's fault!).    

There may be a few holes in my blog this week. I'll try to get to a few markets, at least. There are so many on S.Havana and S. Parker Rd.!!  I also drove past an Ethiopian market tonight on E. Exposition...