During a recent visit to Salam, a Mediterranean spot on Kedzie, I was introduced to their "hot sauce". What a "hot sauce"!
We were seated at a table near the back with our beef schwarma, chicken kebabs, foul (fava beans), yogurt salads, and 19-cent falafel balls when the waiter approached. Apparently he spotted me using the "Louisiana Hot Sauce" from the table on my falafel.
"Wait! We have special hot sauce," he said. "I will bring it."
He returned with a small bowl of something resembling pickle relish: chunky and green. "We make it ourselves," he added. "Enjoy".
Ms. EatChicago tasted it first, proclaiming it a bit too hot--the kind of fire that just keeps burning. Excited and intrigued, I laid a conservative dollop on a bite of pita and falafel. Didn't seem like much to me but Ms. EC winced. That one bite nearly blew the back of my head off. The combination of flavor and heat was fantastic. It seemed to be made from pure minced green chilies, marinated in a bit of oil. A perfect accompaniment to the crispy falafel.
The waiter returned to check on us and I told him how wonderful the stuff was. "I didn't think you'd like it. It's too hot for me," he said as he walked away.
Besides the hot sauce/relish, there are other reasons to check out Salam:
- The perfectly-cooked, 19-cent falafel balls.
- The foul: a bowl of half-mashed fava beans garnished with chick peas, oil, and spices.
- A wonderful yogurt salad to cool off the burn.
- It's very affordable.
Check out Salam and the bakery next door at 4636 N. Kedzie. The atmosphere is sparse, but the food is great and the price is right. It's located in a small strip mall with parking. Be sure to get some of the hot sauce/relish.
Comments
I enjoy your site very much. Thanks for the tip---looks like a place worth checking out.
Posted by: Linda at July 28, 2004 12:14 PM
Your talk about hot sauce on falafel reminded me of a classical Yemenite Sephardi recipe for Zhoug. To Yemenites this condiment is almost mystical, rumored to keep disease away. They yeat this stuff with everything, best ones are made and ground by hand by Sephardic grandmothers but here is a recipe I learned in Israel. The one below is an approximation, I dont measure.
Small green chili peppers - Jalapenos arent as good as other green chiles.
1/2 bunch Chopped parsley, including the stems,
1/2 bunch Chopped fresh cilantro, including the stems
8-10 large cloves of Garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cardomom
Each salt and pepper
2 tb Olive Oil, or more, the more oil the longer it lasts, the hotter it is and the more flavourful over time.
Chop everyhting up into a fine relish or paste in the food processor or blender. The old fashioned way is to use a mortar and pestle, but who has that kind of time. Refrigerate, will last for about six months refrigerated.
Posted by: Igor at April 28, 2005 11:04 AM
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