Why was my falafel awful?

[taxlady]

That's an easy one to answer. Amazon.com: corn grinder mill

Amazon has every thing.

Thanks Addie. I forgot about Amazon. I have checked before, but I searched for spice grinders and didn't find anything along the lines I wanted. Lots fewer choices on Amazon.ca and they cost a fair bit more.

 

[Addie]

Thanks Addie. I forgot about Amazon. I have checked before, but I searched for spice grinders and didn't find anything along the lines I wanted. Lots fewer choices on Amazon.ca and they cost a fair bit more.

I always forget (how could I? Shame on me!) that we have neighbors right next door in .ca Someday I will learn and remember. I apologize. Just blame it on old age. At my age, I blame every thing on old age. Only because I can get away with a lot that way.

 

[taxlady]

I always forget (how could I? Shame on me!) that we have neighbors right next door in .ca Someday I will learn and remember. I apologize. Just blame it on old age. At my age, I blame every thing on old age. Only because I can get away with a lot that way.

No apology needed. You gave me ideas of where to search and for better search terms.

 

[Roll_Bones]

That sounds like a very happy childhood memory.

It was Addie. I got my desire to cook from my father. Just like him, I am the cook in our house. I also do all the grocery shopping.
Now that we both (my wife and myself) have Steve's "grocery store" app, we should never be without.

Thanks Bones

I wonder where one would find a hand cranked grinder like that nowadays. I used to have a small one for grinding spices. It was da bomb. My ex got it.

Addie got it for us. The one pictured is exactly like my fathers, accept his was probably 100 years old. He got his from his mother.

Update: On facebook, there is a page for us old Miami people. It is here that I found the correct spelling and also a picture of the (boy-eat-toes).
They are actually "bollitos".
Made with ground, black eyed peas, garlic, hot pepper salt & pepper,

 

[Roll_Bones]

Update:
I ran across some dried chick peas in Ingles Grocery store yesterday. Made by Goya.
They were in the international isle.
This is why my wife could not find them. She only looked in the dried bean isle and would never ask anyone anything if her life depended on it.

So, I got em and no recipe. Off to Google unless someone has one handy.

I am going to make pita pockets with them and stuff the falafel, lettuce, tomato and cucumber dressing.
Any other ideas as to toppings?

Also. Does Panera bread make pita bread. The pita in the store seem hard and unappealing.

 

[Addie]

Have you ever considered making your own pita bread? You can buy frozen bread dough in the freezer section and roll out your own, then bake. Won't get them any fresher.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/pita-bread-recipe0.html

Skip the dough making part (you will already have your dough) and just follow the baking instructions.

 

[Roll_Bones]

Have you ever considered making your own pita bread? You can buy frozen bread dough in the freezer section and roll out your own, then bake. Won't get them any fresher.

Pita Bread Recipe : Food Network

Skip the dough making part (you will already have your dough) and just follow the baking instructions.

Not sure I understand?
I can buy pita bread dough? If yes, thats what I will do.
I don't want to make the dough.

 

[Addie]

Not sure I understand?
I can buy pita bread dough? If yes, thats what I will do.
I don't want to make the dough.

Yup! You will find it in the frozen foods department. You can use it for a lot of things. There are usually two loaves in the package. Thaw out one and keep the other one frozen until you need it. All pita is, is bread dough. Skip the part about making the dough. Go right to half way down the directions and start with the cutting the loaf into eight pieces and rolling out into a circle. Have your oven preheated to 450ºF.

 

[GotGarlic]

Not sure I understand?
I can buy pita bread dough? If yes, thats what I will do.
I don't want to make the dough.

You can also make the dough in a bread machine, if you have one. That's what I do and it turned out great.

 

[Mad Cook]

Hi, Django ( like Django Reinhardt, yeah?)!
First thing about making falafel. You can't use canned chickpeas, as they are cooked. You have to soak dried chickpeas overnight (8 hours) then blend them to a rough paste.Raw chickpeas, in other words. I'd also suggest blending the garlic and onion ( just a very little bit) with the chickpeas.
the spices wouldn't have made any difference. Oh, and no water, unless your chickpea mixture is very very dry. If so, add just a little!
Second point could be the temperature of the oil. I do not possess a thermometer, nor a deep fryer, so my test is do drop a tiny bit of the mixture in the oil before I start frying. If it bubbles and rises immediately to the surface, then it's ready . Remember that, as you add the falafel to the oil, the temperature will drop, so you must be vigilant. Don't poke the falafel about until you're certain they are semi-crisp on the outside; ie. if you start poking them before they're fried, they'll come apart.
Finally - keep trying. Yes, keep trying. I seem to remember I did exactly the same thing some 15 years ago, with the same results as you.
Don't be disheartened - cooking is experimenting until you get it right!

Cliveb has taken the words out of my mouth. You can't use canned chick peas to make falafel for the reasons he says. To be fair to you, I've recently come across a couple of recipes for falafel in magazines (one written by someone famous who ought to know better!) which listed canned chick peas in the ingredients so it's not surprising you fell into the trap.

Never mind. Write it down to experience and continue experimenting.

Welcome to DC, by the way. One of the reasons we're here is to help each other out when we get stuck with our cooking.

 

[Roll_Bones]

Yup! You will find it in the frozen foods department. You can use it for a lot of things. There are usually two loaves in the package. Thaw out one and keep the other one frozen until you need it. All pita is, is bread dough. Skip the part about making the dough. Go right to half way down the directions and start with the cutting the loaf into eight pieces and rolling out into a circle. Have your oven preheated to 450ºF.

So the dough is regular white bread dough or does it say "pita bread dough" on the package?
I buy the Bridgeford (3 loaf pack) ready frozen dough on occasion. Is this what you mean?
And I do have concern it may not be available in my area.

Thanks

 

[Addie]

So the dough is regular white bread dough or does it say "pita bread dough" on the package?
I buy the Bridgeford (3 loaf pack) ready frozen dough on occasion. Is this what you mean?
And I do have concern it may not be available in my area.

Thanks

That's it. Use the Bridgeford dough. Pita dough and bread dough same thing.

 

[Roll_Bones]

That's it. Use the Bridgeford dough. Pita dough and bread dough same thing.

So the dough makes it own pocket? Like true Indian pitas? Puff up like pillows?
Or do you just use the whole round? Like a taco shell or tortilla?

I want to stuff the pita's.

 

[Addie]

So the dough makes it own pocket? Like true Indian pitas? Puff up like pillows?
Or do you just use the whole round? Like a taco shell or tortilla?

I want to stuff the pita's.

Did you read any of the directions in the link I sent to you? It tells you how to cut the loaf of bread and how to roll them out. Yes, they do puff up. But read the second half of the link. Skip the part of making the dough. You only need to read on what to do once the dough is made. And you already will have the dough.

 

[Roll_Bones]

Did you read any of the directions in the link I sent to you? It tells you how to cut the loaf of bread and how to roll them out. Yes, they do puff up. But read the second half of the link. Skip the part of making the dough. You only need to read on what to do once the dough is made. And you already will have the dough.

You got me Addie!
I only skimmed the recipe in the link. I will read it thoroughly.
Appreciate the help.

 

[Mad Cook]

Update:
I ran across some dried chick peas in Ingles Grocery store yesterday. Made by Goya.
They were in the international isle.
This is why my wife could not find them. She only looked in the dried bean isle and would never ask anyone anything if her life depended on it.

So, I got em and no recipe. Off to Google unless someone has one handy.

I am going to make pita pockets with them and stuff the falafel, lettuce, tomato and cucumber dressing.
Any other ideas as to toppings?

Also. Does Panera bread make pita bread. The pita in the store seem hard and unappealing.

They are until you warm them