Ethiopian | Veggin' Out And About

Blue Nile Ethiopian Cuisine, Harrisonburg, VA

Posted by Danielle Bussone on May 31, 2013 in Ethiopian, Harrisonburg, VA, I-81 | 2 comments

Blue Nile is an Ethiopian restaurant/music club located on Main Street in Harrisonburg, VA. When I called to find out when they were open the noise blaring in the background made it nearly impossible to hear the answers to my questions. Since I was never able to get concrete information, I will do the best I can to enlighten you by sharing my experience and observations. It’s quite possible I’m just making this stuff up. There are two floors to the Blue Nile. The downstairs has a full bar and a dance floor with live music every night and dance parties on Friday and Saturday from 7pm – 2am daily. I don’t know if the phone was answered from this floor when I called or if the music was so loud it overwhelmed the second floor as well. The waitress wasn’t very helpful in answering my questions, though it was quiet when we dined there.

We stopped in for an early dinner and it was relatively empty at that time. The noise level was normal, no blaring bands in the background but the downstairs was not yet opened for business. We ordered traditional Ethiopian food which is comprised of Injera, a spongy Ethiopian sour pancake made from an African grain called Teff. On the top are little piles of food which you can order as an individual dish, each vegetarian entree is $9 or as a combination platter. We ordered the combination vegetable platter for two. ($30) This comes with two pieces of extra injera and a sample of most of their entrees. (more…)

Excellent Table’s Spicy Red Lentils (Serves 2)

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Mar 8, 2013 in Blacksburg, VA, Ethiopian, I-81 | 0 comments

by Danielle Bussone

This was a very entertaining conversation with Haregewin Bekele. I was never able to divine exact proportions of ingredients from her, however, I’ve listed the ingredients and have prepared this delicious dish following Haregewin’s directions. The amount of berbere spice you choose to use is a personal choice. I like it quite spicy, you may not. The proportions of ingredients of berbere vary but, essentially, it includes cumin seeds, cardamom seeds, cloves, black pepper, allspice, dried hot red chili powder (cayenne is fine), fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, ginger, turmeric, paprika and salt.

Ingredients

1 medium sized red onion (Shred it into a pulp, similar to the texture of apple sauce)

dash powdered garlic

dash powdered ginger

1- 3 teaspoons Berbere spice (These can be found on line in many locations. Amazon carries several varieties.)

salt to taste (more…)

Excellent Table Ethiopian Restaurant, Blacksburg, VA

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Mar 8, 2013 in Blacksburg, VA, Ethiopian, I-81 | 0 comments

By Danielle Bussone

Excellent Table, located in Blacksburg, VA, is an authentic Ethiopian restaurant we visited en-route to D.C. It was our first stop in our short Ethiopian tour of Interstate 81 from Abingdon, VA to the Washington, D.C. area. Excellent table is a small restaurant squeezed in among others. It is almost exclusively a take-out restaurant, though there is one table for four and a bar with a row of chairs facing the window, which is where we ate.

The food was very good. Excellent Table is a little more expensive than other Ethiopian restaurants we have visited but is still not over the top. The higher prices may have to do with the fact that the owner/chef uses fresh, mostly organic ingredients. She finds organic produce from many sources but prefers to depend on the local Farmer’s Market, which is literally right outside her door. She uses conventional only when organic is not available. The tofu and lentils are organic as well. She uses canola oil in her cooking as well as the occasional use of olive oil and grape seed oil for special dishes. Excellent Table is the only Ethiopian restaurant we found within nearly a 150 mile radius of Blacksburg, VA. (more…)

Misser Wot (Spicy Lentils) from Sheba’s Ethiopian Restaurant

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Mar 8, 2013 in Ethiopian, Fairfax, VA, I-495, I-66 | 18 comments

by Danielle Bussone

Misser Wot is an Ethiopian spicy red lentil dish. Sheba’s owner (Azeb Gide) and her chef (Adanech Hussen) shared their recipe for this wonderfully spicy and healthy dish. Unfortunately, Sheba’s is no longer in business. It’s a real shame for this was one of our all-time favorite restaurants.

Ingredients

1 large chopped onion

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/3 to 1/2 cup berbere

split red lentils

2 -3 tablespoons fresh minced garlic

cinnamon to taste

salt

boiling water

ground black cardamom seeds (more…)

Sheba’s Ethiopian Restaurant, Fairfax, VA

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Mar 8, 2013 in -Cuisine, Ethiopian, Fairfax, VA, I-495, I-66 | 0 comments

by Danielle Bussone

Sheba’s Ethiopian Restaurant is the most elegant of the D.C. area Ethiopian restaurants we visited. Sheba’s boasts a freshly restored dining room with orderly tables bedecked with white tablecloths and prices that are beyond reasonable. The owners are Azeb Gide and her husband Million Hundessa, who Azeb proclaims to be a gifted cook. Her talented but camera-shy chef, Adanech Hussen, assisted in preparing the spicy red lentil dish for our video.

Azeb feels it is important to cook with healthy, whole foods. “My children eat at this restaurant. This is the food I feed my family, of course I want it to be made of the best ingredients possible.” Azeb has taken care to choose the best cookware as well. Rather than using the cheaper aluminum cookware she chose all stainless steel to avoid any concerns about aluminum’s potential contribution to Alzheimer’s disease. She takes the health of her patrons seriously. (more…)

Fasolia (Green Beans & Carrots) from Enat

Posted by Danielle Bussone on Feb 23, 2013 in Alexandria, VA, Ethiopian, I-395 | 0 comments

by Danielle Bussone

Abbe, the owner and manager of ENAT, has kindly contributed his recipe of Fasolia, Ethiopian Green Beans and Carrots. This is the mildest dish you can find in Ethiopia. It is made from ingredients which are widely available at your local grocery stores.

4709 Chambliss St
Alexandria VA 22312
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703-642-3628