Ethiopian Food

Ok, I admit it here. I am adopting a son from Ethiopia and had never tried Ethiopian food. This is through no fault of my own, except I suppose choosing to live in a state that is not known for its diversity.

However last week this gap in food knowledge was remedied. Anna and I were making a trip to Trader Joe's and she graciously agreed to try Ethiopian food with me while we were in Cambridge. In addition to just wanting to try it, I hoped that being around Ethiopians and being so close to our agency in Waltham might help speed up the referral-good karma or something. This did not happen (NO REFERRAL YET).

Anna and I tried a medley of dishes served on the traditional basket that is shaped somewhat like a coffee table. The food is apportioned on a big circle of injera, the flat, spongy bread that is a staple of Ethiopian food. Injera doesn't taste like much of anything, a little yeasty maybe. This is a good thing because injera also serves as your utensils. You tear off a piece of bread and scoop up a mouthful of stuff. We had beef, lamb, chicken and vegetables. I would describe the spices as somewhat pungent, somewhat spicy, not unlike Indian food. We thoroughly enjoyed it although I was happy that we had both just washed our hands because we were definitely "double-dipping."