Thakali Kitchen

A rare night out opportunity came up--two of my three kids had sleepovers and only the youngest was with us--and the time seemed right to suggest an adventure.  Between work, home and school we've been exhausted.  With my dear wife's consent and my most willing child, we headed out to Jackson Heights.  I had been there earlier with my two boys and enjoyed a meal from a Halal cart of chicken and lamb on rice and a nominal salad on the side.  As mentioned in previous posts, this kind of fare may be found in much of Manhattan, and it's not bad, but this stuff was great!  The boys scarfed it up!  They did not complain about the spiciness.  This surprised me because they can be sensitive to that.  I learned to deal with spicy from my Dad who had a penchant for Mexican food.  He had spent some time in Mexico as an evangelical missionary and returned with a liking for Mexican cuisine and music.  Did I mention that Dad liked to cook?  Guess those things had more influence than I realized. 

Anyway, this section of Jackson Heights is home to quite an Indian population and as is often the case in NYC, there were people living together side by side that might not normally live quite so closely.  Between 74th Street and 76st Street along 37th Ave. one could find vegetarian restaurants (including sweets)--catering to Hindus I suppose--and Muslim vendors right outside (identifiable by their wares), and Sikhs walking the streets everywhere (identifiable by their turbans)--a microcosm of India, and no hint of noticeable friction.  There were a few markets open and busy.  I stepped in briefly and was fascinated by the fragrances and sights I saw.  I determined that I had to return on my own later for a better examination and exploration.  Not only were there new products I never seen, but there was a section of prepared products, presumably for the use of housewives, that intrigued me.  My wife spotted an Indian karela among the vegetables that piqued her interest and curiosity.  My wife remarked on how folks were doing their vegetable shopping at 10pm.  The only response I could think of was that these are the folks who drive the cabs and work the restaurants, gas stations, etc... that might require them to do such at these hours. 

We went along checking for eateries and settled on a place called "Mustang" and/or "Thakali Kitchen."  Actually, that name ("Mustang") was not apparent until we looked at the card.  The cuisine was Nepali/Tibetan.  I know that the region around Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, etc... has been called "Indo-China" and it's easy to see why from a culinary point of view.  The food was a cross between Indian and Chinese with a bent towards the Indian.  I ordered a goat entree, "Farsee Goat," which was quite good.  My wife ordered a variation of a vegetable samosa platter, and my son got the "Chicken Momo."  The latter were chicken dumplings, about 8-9 of them and he ate them all!  I would definitely go again!  The total was about thirty bucks, which wasn't bad.  I wrapped up the night with a mango lassi from one of several sweet spots in the area.  It too was very good.  What strikes me and I think many about Indian food, is the surprising combination of flavors that one generally wouldn't think to combine--from a westerner's perspective--yet they work.  The mango lassi was fairly straight forward, yet there's always a surprise with Indian food and I could taste bits of something: cardamom? pistachios?--whatever it was, it worked to very nice advantage.  All in all, a successful night out.

Water, The Great Global Crisis

Clean drinking is water is one of the most basic needs of human life. It's easy to forget this is a problem here in NYC, the home of the best tap water in the nation. However, it is a very big problem elsewhere. Global warming contributes because there is less ice formed in the mountains to run down to the rivers in the Spring. These problems are not technologically insurmountable, but the costs, if they continue to be calculated in the way they currently are, will become unsustainable. The escalating world population only exacerbates the problem.

The fact is that really clean drinking water is not nearly so available, globally, as we might like to believe. According to Water.Org, only 62% of the world's population has access to even minimally clean water. (http://water.org/learn-about-the-water-crisis/facts/) Why is this a problem? Why am I writing about it here? Because the people who live in these places emigrate to the US and often they handle and prepare our food. In fact, here in NYC, they usually do. Couple this with the fact that a host of diseases, known and unknown, are water-borne and the problem becomes clear. Helicobacter pylori is one such bug and perhaps this article http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100504/ap_on_he_me/us_med_stomach_cancer is indicative of what I suggest.

Increasingly, the fates of those across the sea or "South of the Border," are tied to our own. The sooner we accept and address this fact the better it will go for us and our children.  If you're interested in learning more there are some good documentaries you can Netflix, some are even on "instant play"--I love that feature.

Still eatin'

I haven't been cooking anything interesting or eating anywhere interesting either. I have been eating though. Nothing inspiring, but I figured I ought to write about those places instead. There are two worthy of mention downtown where I work. There is "Bangal Curry" an Indian/Bangladeshi place, and a food truck I go to when I can. Otherwise I just go to Subways--the stuff is not bad.

Bangal Curry is inexpensive and the food is fresh. It's a nice offering of Indian food staples like saag, daal, and curries, along with brown rice and some nice breads. The decor isn't fancy, but I go there to fill my belly, not for the atmosphere. A good meal takes care of my mood. I go for the veggie combo for five bucks--health and cost conscious. Sometimes I indulge in the goat or one of their breads. The place is located on Church Street between Park Place and Murray Street.

I understand the resistance some folks have to cart food. Unfortunately or fortunately, some of the best food and prices can be got this way. I eat from a cart, food truck to be exact, that sits parked on Ann Street and Nassau Street. I like this cart because not only is the food cheap, but it's good. It's also not the usual Pakiza cart, not that there is anything particularly bad about a Pakiza cart. That fare usually consists of lamb gyro, falafel, and chicken on a pita or rice with salad. Not bad, and I do indulge from time to time.

The food truck I am referring to offers this and more. He sells fish, chicken and beef stew--both of these taste home cooked. He sells a rice and chick peas that I haven't found elsewhere. Being a rice and bean man, I appreciate this. I don't know where the proprietor is from--it makes sense to ask. He is not South Asian, but seems from the Near East--he is black African in appearance. It's a white truck, so put the two together and you know you've got it right.