Merkato Ethiopian Restaurant and Market Website

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Healthy Alternatives for Soul Food & Carb-Free Home Fries

By Tamica Davis

The term soul food became popular in the 1960s. The origins of soul food, however, are much older and can be traced back to Africa. When the European slave trade began in the early 1400s, the diet of newly enslaved Africans changed on the long journeys from their homeland. Enslavers fed their captives as cheaply as possible, often with throwaway foods from the plantation, forcing slaves to make do with the ingredients at hand. Soul food is high in fat, and is a contributing factor to the high rates of obesity, high cholesterol, and heart disease in the black community.

Traditionally, lard, pork, and enriched grains have been an important element in the preparation of soul food. But buy simply changing the ingredients used to prepare this classic cuisine, soul food lovers can add years to their life and enjoy a healthier body. Throw out your Crisco, white flower, ham hocks, and any other pork parts you may have in your kitchen, and head to Whole Foods for a vast variety of healthy alternatives. These are a few of my favorites:

Grape Seed Oil is a delicious alternative for cooking at high temperatures. In addition, its properties are known to reduce high cholesterol.

Soy Flour is amazing because it is a protein! A carb fee alternative to cooking up southern fried chicken.

Smoked Turkey organic of course! If you must add meat to your greens and beans be certain to cook with poultry that has been raised drug & cage free. This simple act can reduce your chances of contracting tumors, arthritis, cancer, and even the stress the poor little bird went through to get to your table- yikes!

Grade A Maple Syrup and Honey is great for all of your sweet dishes. Natural sweet goodness! Unlike its counterpart sugar, which is man, made, bleached and addictive.

In closing, I would like to share an amazing recipe for a southern favorite, Home Fires* Normally made with Potatoes, I have put a twist on the dish by using a savory vegetable that has the very same texture as a potato, yet lacks the starch, carbs, and extra pounds potatoes will put on you. It’s the Banana Squash!

**CARB-FREE HOME FRIES**

Ingredients for Carb-Free Home Fries

4 cups Banana Squash Raw

1/3-1/4 cup Grape Seed Oil (depending on size of pan)

1/4-cup onions (optional)

1/4-cup bell pepper (optional)

1/8-cup water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp granulated garlic

Cut Banana Squash in to quarters with a butcher knife, treat it the same way you would a potato. Peel off the shale with a vegetable peeler, and cut in to thin 1x1in squares. On a medium high flame, pre-heat a large non-stick frying pan with Grape Seed Oil (just enough to coat the bottom of the pan). Once the oil is hot, add Banana Squash, place onions and bell peppers on top, and sprinkle seasonings over veggies. Cover pan with its top and cook for 15 – 20 min. Be sure to turn veggies over every 5 min. until golden brown. Turn down flame to a low simmer and add 1/3 cup of water and cook for another 5 min. and serve. Yummy!

Merkato Ethiopian Restaurant and Market

There are many restaurants in the Little Ethiopia cultural enclave but my absolute favorite is Merkato.

Merkato is a very unusual place because half of the facade is an Ethiopian market that sells a variety of imported goods treasured by homesick Ethiopians. The other half of the Merkato storefront is occupied by a cozy, inexpensive restaurant filled with flavas that excite your taste buds.

Merkato is located in the heart of Little Ethiopia, at 1036 South Fairfax Avenue, just south of Olympic Blvd. As any true Angeleno knows, parking in Little Ethiopia can be a nightmare but a walk of a few blocks is a small premium to pay for an absolutely fabulous meal at Merkato. Who knows, you might get lucky and find a parking space right there on busy Fairfax. If you're a regular like me, then you know that there's usually an open space in the alley way behind the restaurant, just east of Fairfax. I must be in a benevolent mood to be sharing parking secrets with the masses but blogs are supposed to be helpful and informative, so there!

Wherever you end up parking, you can rest assured that the walk back to your car will be a slow one, because the portions at Merkato are quite substantial.

If your not familiar with Ethiopian food then you should be fore warned that there are some protocols for eating African style. The first concept is; forget your knife and fork. You'll be using your hand, preferably the right hand, to eat your meal. Another grand idea is the art of sharing. If you're the selfish sort who prefers their own plate, I should warn you that all of the food is served on one giant tin plate for all to partake. Actually, the tin plate is topped by an equally giant piece of injera bread. Now here is where my descriptive powers will be challenged. How do you describe injera to those who have never seen or eaten it before?

Injera is the star of the show when it comes to Ethiopian cuisine. It has an other-worldly texture, soft and spongy, it resembles a sour-dough pancake. Not a pancake that's been cooked but rather a pancake that's cooking, because it's pock-marked with little air bubbles. Those air bubbles must be the reason why injera is so light and fluffy. It's spongy and thin, and it's so unlike bread that it's really hard to describe it as a "bread". To add to its other-worldliness, it has an odd color that also defies description. It's a grayish tan color that makes you wonder aloud; "what is injera made from anyway ?" Whatever injera is made from, I can assure you that it is the central unifying element of Ethiopian cuisine. Injera is utilized as a kind of eatable plate and an eatable eating utensil. All of the food is placed atop the injera. You can tear away the injera under the food or you can use another piece of injera like a spoon and scoop up the food.

So, what kinds of delicious goodies are arranged atop the injera?

Ethiopians love their Tibs and Wat. Tibs are made from assorted sauteed meats or vegetables. Wat is a thick spicy stew that could also be made from a variety of vegetables or meats. It can be pretty easy to understand. Let's take the word doro, which is Ethiopian for chicken. Doro Wat is a spicy chicken stew and Doro Tibs is sauteed chicken.

Ethiopia's rich religious traditions have a strong influence on the choices of meats and the number of vegetarian meals that make up this ancient cuisine. Since most Ethiopians are either Muslim, Jew or Orthodox Christian, Ethiopian cuisine does not employ any pork at all. Beef, goat, lamb, chicken and fish dishes are plentiful. Vegetarian dishes are also numerous because the Ethiopian Orthodox Church prescribes many Lenten fasting days.

A typical spread of Wats and Tibs at Merkato might feature collard greens, lentils and other vegetables alongside richly stewed meats. Some Wats are mildly-spiced, while others can bring the heat.

Since I am a quasi-vegetarian Island man who loves his fish, my favorite entree is the deep-fried Asa Tibs. The fish of choice at Merkato is fresh-water Trout. When you order the fried fish they bring you a delicately fried giant trout that is always flava-ful and juicy. The outside is always crisp and well-spiced, the inside is never dry, always moist and succulent.

Ethiopian coffee is legendary the world over so most people like to have a demitasse of the strong, cardamon-spiced, seriously sweet drink when they are done stuffing themselves silly.

If you're a tea drinker, the equally exotic Ethiopian tea will not disappoint.

Your Ethiopian experience does not end after your meal and coffee. The market annex is an incredible store that features all things Ethiopian, even Ethiopian gold jewelry! They have cool t-shirts, Rasta tri-color gear, imported incense and Ethiopian dry goods. There is even a delicatessen in the rear that sells assorted Ethiopian delicacies and coffees.

Merkato is unforgettable but more importantly, it has an incredibly mellow vibe. Nobody is ever rushing you through your meal. You can stay at Merkato for hours, taking in a little piece of Ethiopia, right here in L.A.

-Rasheed Ali for Black & Brown Flavas-

Merkato Ethiopian Restaurant & Mkt 1036 S Fairfax Ave Los Angeles, CA 90019

Phone (323) 935-1775

Welcome To Black & Brown Flavas

Today we begin our new and exciting chapter featuring and exploring the culinary cultures of Black and Brown people in Los Angeles, California. From tacos to barbeque tofu and everything in between, this blog will highlight the delicious food choices of African-Americans and Latino-Americans.

Los Angeles is an international city that features many ethnic groups and many exciting flovors, yet the cuisine of African Americans and Latino-Americans are often overlooked in the pursuit of more exotic foods. Every week we will give you some tips to off-the-beaten-track restaurants and turn you on to some mouth-watering recipes.