Baked Falafel with Cucumber-Pita Salad

I hadn't made falafel since K. and I attempted a batch in my minuscule kitchen in London. Since it had been more than a decade, it was time to try again. In an attempt to imitate the wondrous falafel we had from street vendors, I'm pretty sure we fried ours. This time, I was hoping for a somewhat healthier version, so I baked them. (Plus, I hate frying stuff in my apartment. The joint inevitably smells greasy for days afterward.)

This recipe from Instructables turned out alright. They didn't hold together as well as I'd hoped, and they weren't as crunchy on the outside as I like. The spice level was great, mainly because I amped up the cayenne and garlic and added other Indian spices (e.g., turmeric) that weren't called for. Turmeric has many health benefits, so I like to throw it into lots of stuff.

Mallards baseball + Banzo

Fattoush

I finally made it to a Mallards game. Beckie, Will, and I stopped at Banzo for dinner beforehand. I had the fattoush special and a side of falafel. Beckie has the falafel sandwich, and Will opted for the falafel platter. The fattoush (Levantian bread salad) was light and wonderful and featured more veggies than I expected. Their falafel is good. This time, it was a bit too dark, and it hasn't made me forget the Caspian Cafe's version. Alas, the Caspian Cafe has been gone for quite some time.

Falafel platter