There are many kinds of comfort food: something sweet to treat your child; a slice of watermelon split right there in the field on the hottest late August day; the right tea when your aches have caught up to you, or a choice coffee when the day hasn’t yet.
Over the past few days I have been over-engaged with the stuff of the world, in control of things at work (and so, of course, they were in control of me), and out-of-control and out-of-sync with the hidden workings of my country, learning more than I really wanted to know… and certainly more than those in the shadows wanted to reveal.
So withdrawing from the chaos – hoping it would not follow me – I turned to the kitchen, for the late, light nourishment of ful medames, an Egyptian blend of fava and garbanzo beans that works for breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner. I discovered ful a few weeks ago at a Cambridge coffee shop, and after the first bite gobbled it down. My taste buds and body love this stuff equally, and it is so easy to make, it has become a frequent visitor to my table.
Where ful really shone was the day I made it, mouth watering, only to find the pita I had bought I had also consumed. A bean dish for dipping and no bread? It was the best with simple raw vegetables, as seen above — sweet onion, carrot, red or green bell pepper, cucumber, tomato. Delicious!
| Chop the onion fine as you like, and set to simmer til translucent or browned (if you like darker flavor) |
1 T 1 |
Olive oil Medium onion, chopped |
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| Drain beans, reserving liquid; smash a bit to desired consistency, then add to the simmering onion when ready, with liquid |
15 oz 15 oz 1 c |
Canned fava beans Canned garbanzos Reserved liquid and water |
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| You can also mash the beans in the pan, to see how the texture looks. Add everything else as things bubble away, and simmer, covered, over low heat while you prepare the vegetables.I garnish with a little cilantro, and drizzle with olive oil before serving. Bread is nice, but not required. |
½ 2 T 1 1 T 3 1 T 2 t 1+ |
Tomato, diced fine Tomato paste Lemon, juiced Olive oil Cloves garlic, crushed Tahini Cumin, ground Green chili, fine (opt) Salt, to taste Black pepper, to taste |
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