Mixed Review: Fantastic World Foods All Natural Falafel Mix
Ask anyone from Rhode Island about the most delicious falafel they've ever eaten, and they will surely get a dreamy, faraway look in their eyes and recall the best stuffed pita they've ever had—the one at East Side Pockets on Thayer Street in Providence. When I was in high school I went late in the afternoons, in between classes and play rehearsals. My order never changed: a falafel pocket with all the trimmings—hot sauce, hummus, lettuce, tomato, hot peppers, onions, pickles, tabouleh, tahini, and cucumber yogurt sauce.
I've lived in New York City for six years now, and I've sampled falafel far and wide. While there are certainly some terrific options (my favorite is Bedouin Tent on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn), nothing compares to East Side Pockets. Perhaps the memory of those crispy, delicately seasoned chickpea fritters has magnified in my mind over time. Perhaps all falafel tastes divine to a starving teenager at 4 p.m. All I know for sure is that I've never had anything more delicious.
Earlier this week I was struck by a fierce and unanticipated falafel craving. Since I'm nowhere near Providence, and since I happen to be in the middle of a healthy-eating phase (after writing a dessert cookbook, a month of salads and mineral water actually sounds appealing!), I decided to bake falafel at home. Most recipes call for a laundry list of ingredients, but Fantastic World Foods All Natural Falafel Mix ($2.99) promised crunchy, golden brown falafel in fewer than twenty minutes.
To make the falafel patties, all you have to do is add 1 1/4 cups of water to the mix, stir well, and allow the mixture to stand for 15 minutes. My falafel "dough" was an encouraging shade of toasted green, and smelled pleasingly of cumin and garlic.
Next, I formed the dough into balls (there was enough for 13) and placed them on a lightly greased baking sheet. I brushed the tops of the balls with olive oil and flattened them slightly. Then, they went under the broiler for about three minutes per side, until they were piping hot and the edges had a nice brown crust.
I plopped three falafel balls on a bed of greens, then topped them with a shower of feta and big scoop of plain yogurt flavored with fresh mint and cumin. The overall effect was quite impressive—a restaurant-quality Mediterranean salad, if I do say so myself.
The falafel tasted fresh and flavorful. The balls were a bit dense, but that's to be expected since they were healthfully baked instead of sinfully fried. The exterior was crunchy and toothsome, and gave way to a soft middle, flecked with parsley and flavored with a bit of lemon. They weren't as good as East Side Pockets, but I would definitely make Fantastic World Foods Falafel again for an easy, Middle Eastern-inspired weeknight meal.
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11 Comments:
I must say that your mention of East Side Pockets makes me so hungry. I worked in Providence for a couple of years and throught I wouldn't be able to live without that place when I came back to the NJ/NY area. Any chance I get to travel I95, I always plan to stop. That said, I've also tried the same home mix (so easy), and though they were good, the spices were a little heavy handed for my taste. I also baked/broiled, however; they might be better fried.
wendyweiss123 at 10:13AM on 08/14/09
Wow, that recommendation for East Side Pockets could not have come at a better time! I'm taking off for school in Providence in about two weeks, and I've been poking around to find serious eats in the area. I absolutely love falafel and was not looking forward to leaving the Middle-Eastern-food mecca of Queens. Thanks so much!
Any other great Providence spots I should check out?
teenagefoodie at 10:43AM on 08/14/09
I've been making my own from dried soaked chickpeas, and am really thrilled with the results... give it a shot!
Elizabelle at 10:44AM on 08/14/09
@teenagefoodie-
near Brown there is delicious and adorable "Moules et frites" --mussles and fries bistro--not super cheap, but a delightful treat. they prepare the mussles a million different ways- soo good.
veggieout at 10:58AM on 08/14/09
I like to make falafel from scratch, but when I'm in a hurry, don't want to haul out the food processor and want them NOW, these are pretty tasty.
The mix also great for camping trips. Just add water, then fry over your campfire. Yum.
CJ McD at 11:22AM on 08/14/09
Falafel, like pizza, is one of those foods a lot like sex. When it's good it's really good. And when it's bad, well, it's still kind of good!
Rhetor at 12:37PM on 08/14/09
I haven't had that mix since high school, when I would make it all the time. I recall it being spicy and very good. I also like making falafel from scratch, but considering that I rarely remember to plan a day ahead and soak, maybe I should pick this up again and see how it compares to my high school falafel memories.
tangledgray at 1:03PM on 08/14/09
I've tried these a couple times, and found them consistently "meh." not as good as fresh made falafel, but nowhere near as bad as the "casbah" boxed stuff we use at work, either. i'd give them a "C."
rasellers0 at 1:43PM on 08/14/09
mmm... my roommates and i lived on this stuff in college! i still get fierce cravings every now and then. i definitely (surprisingly) recommend baking them like you did over frying them, and don't ever forget the cucumber sauce (aka plain yogurt, garlic and cukes)!
aaaaand... i'm hungry.
punkrockmartha at 6:49PM on 08/14/09
Oh I loved East Side Pockets! I've tried to explain the obsession to my friends out here (Seattle) and they just can't understand my love. Nor do they understand Spike's. I miss them both so much. As well as Thayer St. I used to spend hours wandering in and out of all those awesome shops. Thanks for the nostalgia!
ssdf23 at 11:27AM on 08/15/09
@ssdf23: Spike's is gone! :( Sucks. I love ESP too, but in reality, the rest of the Thayer St. area is overpriced, mediocre eats. Sigh. Oh college. Not looking forward to being back that much.
Pammeh at 3:21AM on 08/16/09