Traveling via Ethnic Groceries

peli peli houston south african food
While most of us will never have a chance to circumnavigate the globe, there ARE ways to experience the many cultures that exist in this beautiful world!  One way that Eric and I prefer is to visit ethnic groceries and restaurants that specialize in regional cuisines.  On a recent trip to Houston, we did just that.  We made a list, routed it out on Google Maps, and visited all of these locations in one weekend.

South Africa via Peli Peli Kitchen

Self-described as “South African inspired comfort food,” this is the fast-food version of their fine dining Peli Peli restaurants which began in Houston and are expanding throughout Texas.  The owners made headlines in 2016 by appearing on the CNBC reality show Restaurant Startup and more recently have reappeared due to sexual harassment allegations against executive chef Paul Friedman.  We were completely unaware of all this as we stepped into their Spring location.  We were met with SUPER friendly staff, colorful murals, and a simple but inventive menu.  Eric ordered the Peri Peri Chicken and I ordered the Curry Chicken.  The food was fresh, full of flavor, and the counter-serve model allowed us to add as much veggies as we wanted.  Finally, a place to get my cilantro fix!  Our only complaint was the price — $24 for two quick-serve lunch portions (water only and no sides) is a bit steep.

Asia via 99 Ranch Market

There are MANY options in Houston for Asian groceries, but this is certainly one of the best if you’re looking for a large variety in a clean environment.  It’s smaller than the giant Hong Kong Market in Houston’s Chinatown, but it’s SOOOO much cleaner and it focuses equally on other Asian cuisines.  Vietnamese, Cambodian, Korean, Japanese, Chinese — it’s all here!  The bakery seemed to be the most popular area, but we were most impressed with the meat selection and never-ending aisles of noodles.  I saw my first Pork Uterus and Silky Chicken (which looked like a baby dragon).

Japan via Seiwa Market

This is a small boutique grocery, focusing only on Japanese cuisine.  It is the perfect place to go when you need high quality seafood to make your own sushi or when you want a quick fix of Japanese snacks (such as Matcha flavored candy) and Hello Kitty toys.  This was my first time seeing Onigiri, rice balls, and they had a really nice selection of “to go” lunch boxes.

Africa via Wazobia Market

This storefront is at the very western tip of Westheimer but it’s worth driving to the ends of the earth just for the meat market here.  When we walked in with our white selves, the cashier’s jaw dropped but she quickly recovered and gave us a huge welcoming smile and greeting.  It’s an unpretentious store, focusing on African ingredients that you won’t find at other ethnic groceries.  Pretty much everything in that store was entirely new to me:  plaintain fufu, cassava flours & frozen cassava leaves, burnt goat meat, ground crayfish and shrimp, chin chin (snack mix).  The real eye-opener, however, was the meat market with giant turkey legs and whole goat heads.  There were lines of people waiting to get meat here, and no wonder when we saw the low prices.

Bulgaria via K&V Bulgarian Market

Ok, I’ll admit I actually had to look Bulgaria up on Google Maps.  This is definitely a region AND cuisine that Eric and I have zero experience with.  So imagine how delighted we were to find this tiny store in the northwest corner of Houston in a multi-cultural mecca just east of Willowbrook.  Their products are  Bulgarian, Serbian, Romanian, Macedonian, with some Turkish and Greek crossover.  The woman running the store (who might have been the owner) made our shopping experience extra special, taking the time to explain products, let us sample one of the specialty cheeses, and share her passion for Bulgaria.  She noted my interest in some rose lotions and lip products and explained that this particular rose is a major export of Bulgaria.  We had so much fun visiting, I forgot to take pictures, so these images were borrowed from their Facebook page.
For a good intro on Bulgaria as a tourist destination, especially it’s Rose Valley, click HERE.

Lebanon & Armenia via Phoenicia Specialty Foods

We’ve been shopping at the Phoenicia stores for years.  There are two locations and each has its own unique perks.  The downtown market is much smaller but is a great place to socialize and do some quick shopping while you’re in that area.  The Westheimer location is huge, and is where you want to go if you need a larger selection.  I mention Lebanon and Armenia because the owners originated from those countries, but it’s actually an International grocery with products from all over the world.  They have the largest selection of baklava and Mediterranean pastries I’ve ever seen, their fresh Feta selections are to die for, and they have amazing prices on hard-to-find olive oils and bulk spices!  Eric enjoys watching the fresh pita bread moving down a conveyor belt at the Westheimer location, and I love perusing the snacks from all over the world.

Oaxaca Mexico via Xochi

Xochi is our fave, FAVE, FAVORITE restaurant in Houston!  We’ve been twice and both visits were exceptional.  Houstonian foodies are already aware of this place, but the rest of the world hasn’t taken enough notice (in my humble opinion).  If you want to experience Oaxacan cuisine in the hands of a master, get yourself to Xochi!  The atmosphere is lively, the wait staff are passionate about teaching all things Oaxacan, and everything on a plate is presented with impeccable detail, masterful flavor combinations, and creativity.  But don’t take my word for it, take a look at these photos and you’ll see what I mean!
If you live near Houston or another large city, please take advantage of the cultural wealth that these melting pots have to offer.  Look beyond the tourist traps and seek the neighborhoods where immigrants live — you will gain new experiences, expand your culinary palette, and be reminded of why this country is such an amazing place to live! houston ethnic grocery shopping
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Pani Puri

Pani Puri

Hollow puff chips filled with flavored water may sound somewhat odd to American taste buds, but if you’ve ever experienced Indian street food then you’ve probably seen Pani Puri.  Eric and I were introduced to this popular Indian snack when we did a food tour with Chicago Food Walks.  We’ve been wanting to try them ever since but lacked the ingredients to do so.  A recent trip to Houston with some stops at Subhlaxmi Grocers and Patel Brothers remedied that however, so we experimented this weekend!

Pani Puri is quite simple — it consists of a light fried spherical chip (puri) that is hollow on the inside and then filled with some type of flavored water (pani).  If you know Indian food, you know the water will most likely be flavored well with some type of spice — and you would be correct.  Before pouring the water mixture, however, the puri gets a scoop of extra deliciousness — often a sweet chutney, chili, chaat masala spice mixture, potatoes or chickpeas.  The ingredients vary according to the region, as does the name of this dish.  It is sometimes called golgappa, phuchka, pakodi, phulki, pani batasha, or gup chup.

pani puri

As this was our first attempt at Pani Puri, we didn’t feel confident making everything from scratch so Eric purchased pre-packaged semolina puffs and two types of chutney:  Mother’s Recipe Bhelpuri Chutney (sweet with dates, jaggery, mint, coriander, green chili & tamarind) and Nirav Mango Chutney (spicier with mango, coriander, green chili, coconut powder & spices).  He made a chickpea filling and second pani sauce himself.  Here are the ingredients we used, the recipes, and how we served it (disregard the homemade hummus & pita chips in the pictures…we got crazy). 🙂

Puri Filling

1-C. cooked Kala Chana chickpeas
*Rinsed dried chickpeas (not soaked) can be cooked in slow cooker on ‘low’ for 6-8 hours (1-lb chickpeas:7-C. water)
1-C. cooked extra course bulgur
2-T. cilantro leaves, finely chopped
2-T. flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
2-green onions, finely chopped
1/2-tsp sea salt
*Mix together in bowl.

Sweet Chutney

2-T.  Bhelpuri Chutney
*Serve in small thali dish or tiny bowl.Mother's Recipe Bhelpuri Chutney

Spicy Pani 

1-T. Mango Chutney
1-T. chilled, filtered water
*Whisk together & serve in small thali dish or tiny bowl. 
Nirav Mango Chutney

Sweet Pani

1/2-C. cilantro leaves, loosely packed
1/4-C. mint leaves, loosely packed
1/2-T. ground cumin
1/2-tsp ground ginger
1/2-tsp Masala powder
1-T. white sugar
1-T. fresh lemon juice
1/2-tsp sea salt
1/4~1/2-C. water
*Combine all ingredients in blender until no leaves remain; serve in small thali dish or tiny bowl.

Puri

30-count package

pani puri golgappa

Preparation:

1) Pock the top of puri (chip)
2) Add filling, followed by chutney, and spicy or sweet pani
pani puri

I thought it very timely that Eric decided to make this dish about a week after I finished reading a book by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni called The Palace of Illusions, which is an adaptation of the Mahabharata epic from the perspective of Panchaali (aka Draupadi).  One of the legends of origin for pani puri involves Draupadi, so how perfect was that!  For more history and a better description, I suggest this article:

Culinary Chaos: A History of Pani Puri

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Frustrations with Fruit

bad moldy fruit
I have long been frustrated by fruit.  At least 50% of the fruit I purchase ends up in the trash.  Sometimes I forget about it, but most often I am misled to believe that what looks like heaven on the outside turns out to be bitter or rotten on the inside. [I’m sure there’s a metaphor for exterior beauty somewhere in here.]
But seriously, what’s the secret to getting good fruit?  I’ve been told to feel it, smell it, look at the coloring — but short of fondling produce & training to be a fruit whisperer, I just don’t get it.

Even at the most sacred of food meccas, the farmer’s market, I have been betrayed.  “See those lovely strawberries? They’re worth top dollar because they’re from the strawberry capital!”  WRONG!  They’re bitter as hell.

“Oooh, succulent satsumas from my auntie’s yard, they’re always sweet” … Mmmhmm … except for the ones you gave me, which were mouth-puckering tart.  Guess I’ll add some alcohol.

Why can’t all varieties of the same fruit taste the same?  Can’t we clone fruit?  [Oh wait, we already do that…and they’re STILL unpredictable!]

And don’t get me started on all the rules for storing fruit!  So maybe I DID get lucky with those sweet blueberries…what now?  Must I gorge myself on a pint of BBs before they mold in my fridge?

 

The most frustrating fruit of all happens to be my favorite — the avocado.  My palms get sweaty & my heart races when I’m forced to select these healthy fat snacks.  Most often, I make Eric pick them out because he has a better track record.  But this just further demoralizes me because I’m left thinking, what is wrong with me?  Did I somehow miss the domestic cooking gene entirely?

Guess I’ll just stick with bananas — they’ve never let me down.

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