Appreciation of food is not just relevant to the food you eat. It is relevant to the whole package… The surroundings. The company. The wait staff. Whether you have a stinky little carnie sitting at the next table. And of course the check… All of it. The culmination of these factors is called “dining”. And if you can enjoy all of these factors you should bend down on your hands and knees and thank me properly… Err, I mean thank the maker (biblical). Hallelujah.

I thought the falafel I had in Byron Bay recently was the standard. The new mother ship beacon to its hippy falafel eating sons and daughters. But seriously the falafel Jennee cooked last night got up, walked over to it, dropped it’s pants and actually defecated on it in public (did I just say that?).

This was an awesome dining experience. There was ambience (say it in your head like a wanker. Om-bee-yonc. You should be smiling at yourself right now. I am), the decore was amazing, the smell of flat bread in the oven filled the room and the meal was first class. Maybe only out-shone by our beautiful host, emanating, nay, oozing wit and charm. I could not have asked for anything more. Except maybe some left over for breakfast…

There was. And you best believe I ate that bad boy in my face. Garlic breath for the whole day!

What you need;
Kickass home made falafel
Shepherds salad
Hummus with olive oil and zaatar
Yoghurt spiked with garlic that I can still taste in the morning
Pickled chilli                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Flatbread

And, as an added bonus, here’s Jen’s recipe for falafel…

Falafel balls, not to be mistaken for fluffy balls. If you possess these you should probably get them waxed…

1 cup dried chickpeas- soaked overnight changing the water regularly

1 cup dried fava or broad beans (the same thing FYI)

1 onion

5 cloves garlic

Handful rocket and herbs of any sort

1 tablespoon each ground cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper

• Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until mix is like a dust
• Form mix into balls and fry in a lava filled pot, or a really hot frying pan
• Enjoy with garlic yoghurt and other ethnic treats…