Yet Another Triumphant Return and Ethiopian

Oh yeah me? I'm still here. I had to write a dissertation proposal, sit my general exam (passed! Whew!) and actually *gulp* get results so that I could start writing that dissertation, all while tentatively beginning the job search. I also got to go on a fun trip to Washington, D.C., to participate in the American Meteorological Society's Summer Policy Colloquium. I learned about all the different positions that scientists have in the government and their role in the policy process, and how policy applies to atmospheric science. Very interesting! I also had Ethiopian food for the first time, and now I've been obsessed with it ever since I got back. It's a really amazing cuisine for vegetarians and vegans because it's veggie heavy and many of those veggie dishes are hearty.

The vegetarian sampler at Das, in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. 

It turns out that I had had Ethiopian before Washington, D.C., though. I actually cooked it myself! Food & Wine magazine had an Ethiopian feature in November, 2012 and tasting the cabbage and carrots at Das I had an odd sense of deja vu... 

Tonight I recreated the cabbage and red lentil (misir wat) dishes from that original article, along with a quick injera recipe from another one of my favorite cooking magazines, Saveur. One thing to keep in mind with all of these recipes is that they take time - yes even the "quick" injera, which takes an hour or two (or four as the recipe calls for) but, hey, that's compared to three days. I think it is really worth it to get the cabbage to that perfectly soft, silky-but-not-mushy consistency which takes about 40 minutes of low heat. I made my own berbere spice blend this time - but I suggest you just work with whatever spices you have to make it spicy, warm and hearty.

The cheaty injera? It's hard to get the right consistency, and it doesn't have the right flavor. After adding some vinegar and baking soda I started to get the bubbles right, but it's got a nutty flavor from the whole wheat.  It's still a little gummy, too - maybe from the gluten (tef, the grain that authentic injera is made with, has no gluten in it). I am far from declaring victory - seems like there are no shortcuts where injera is concerned.