*If you are new here, WELCOME! For Falafel Recipe provide you with a brief summary about the recipe, other food ideas, tips and a recipe in that order!
Once We Were Home is Jennifer Rosner’s newest novel. Her first, The Yellow Bird Sings, was a National Jewish Book Award Finalist.
Once We Were Home is beautiful, moving story about the Jewish children who were displaced during the Holocaust and never returned to family.
Based on true events, the novel follows three stories until they intersect for surprising reasons.
Jennifer Rosner was kind enough to send us to a special falafel recipe that she loves. Since falafels have a tie-in to the novel (keep reading to find out more) and are a beloved Mediterranean dish, this was a perfect choice.
These falafels are flavorful, crisp on the outside and soft in the center, and the perfect treat. This particular recipe follows Israeli influences, which may be different than the falafel you know (or it might be exactly the taste you are looking for!).
Don’t forget to check out the book club kit for Once We Were Home .
Keep reading for Jennifer Rosner’s special recipe for you!
Once We Were Home is a novel chosen through Book Club Bites’ collaboration with The Best of Women’s Fiction podcast. Don’t forget to check out the fabulous Best of Women’s Fiction podcast where Jennifer Rosner discusses Once We Were Home and more: HERE.
For Once We Were Home Food Ideas:
Jennifer Rosner was kind enough to research and provide us with her favorite falafel recipe! A food widely served in Israel, where part of the novel takes place, its a great pick.
Jennifer’s recipe is modified from a Tori Avey recipe. Tori runs an extremely popular blog featuring Mediterrean and Jewish foods, so if you’d like to try a different Jewish food (or several), check out her blog!
For more food ideas, keep reading to see the foods that inspired Jennifer Rosner while writing the novel! They all sound DELICIOUS!
Whether you choose something from this list or try your own option, I hope these ideas will get your creative juices flowing to host your book club for Once We Were Home.
Falafel Recipe:
FALAFEL
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 3-5 cloves garlic
- 1 1/2 tablespoon flour
- 1 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Pinch of ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon baking powder optional – makes the falafel more fluffy
- Vegetable oil for frying grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, and peanut oil work well
Instructions
- ONE DAY AHEAD:
- Pour the dry chickpeas into a large bowl and pour cold water over them until covered by 3 inches of water. Add 1/2 tsp of baking soda to the water to soften the chickpeas. Cover the bowl and soak overnight, approximately 12 hours or longer. They will double in size.
- THE DAY OF:
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Place them in a food processor along with the chopped onion, garlic cloves, parsley, flour, salt, cumin, ground coriander, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cardamom.
- Pulse until a rough, coarse meal (between couscous and a paste) forms and the texture holds together. Don't over-process and make sure there is an even texture.
- Pour into a bowl and stir. Remove any large chickpea chunks. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
- In a skillet, add 1 ½ inches of oil. Use cooking oil with a high smoke point. Heat the oil slowly over medium heat. The ideal temperature is between 360 and 375 degrees F.
- Form 2 tbsp of falafel mixture into round balls using wet hands or a scoop. (Note: if the balls don't hold together, put back into the processor and pulse until more of a paste. Try adding 2-3 tbsp of flour to the mixture. If they still won't hold, add 1-2 eggs to the mix.)
- Fry the falafels in batches until golden brown on both sides. If the oil is too hot, the falafel will brown too quickly and not cook in the center. The falafel should brown to a deep golden brown, usually around 3-4 minutes on each side. Once fried, remove them with a slotted spoon and let drain on paper towels.
- Serve fresh and hot; they go best with a plate of hummus, topped with tahini sauce, or inside a pita pocket. Enjoy!
Notes
More Fun from Jennifer Rosner:
Please insert a short description of your recipe and why it relates to your novel. Include any information you think readers would enjoy!
In my novel, a team of Oxford-based archaeologists working in Jerusalem taste falafel from every local vendor they can find, trying to discover the best. (Turns out, they’re all quite delicious!)
If you would like to credit someone besides yourself for the recipe, please do so here.
This recipe is borrowed/modified from Tori Avey!
Good food and a good book go hand-in-hand. What is your favorite food to enjoy while reading?
I love to read with a steaming mug of mango tea and a handful of dark chocolate apricots!
Did you sample any interesting food while researching this book? Or experience anything exciting while researching?
I ate delicious food while doing research in Israel — falafel, shakshuka, and a new discovery: knafeh, which is a dessert made with layers of melted goat cheese, shredded filo dough, pistachios, and rose water.
Find Jennifer Rosner:
Jennifer can be found online!
https://www.instagram.com/jennifer.amy.rosner/
https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.rosner.12
https://www.jennifer-rosner.com/
Don’t forget to check out the fabulous Best of Women’s Fiction podcast where Jennifer Rosner discusses Once We Were Home and more: HERE.
Have you read Once We Were Home? What did you think? Did it satisfy you or were you left wishing for more? What are some similar books you’ve read?
Until next time, Happy Reading!
Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. In the event of a sale, I will be awarded a small commission (at no extra cost to you or the featured book’s author). All opinions are 100% mine and every book, unless otherwise noted, is handpicked by me to be featured on the site.
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