Andy Lee’s weblog

I’m fighting off a mild chest cold. Theraflu helped me get through the weekend and I’m much better now, but I’m still coughing a bit.

What’s nice for this situation is a hot mug of honey-ginger lemonade. The sweet honey, tart lemon, and sharp ginger are good throat-soothers individually, and as luck would have it, the three flavors work together deliciously when combined in a mug of hot water.

First I slice up some lemon and ginger:
Add hot water and let the mixture sit for a while:
Take out the solid pieces and stir in some honey:

The result doesn’t always come out gingery enough for me. I’m experimenting with the amount of ginger, and I’m wondering if it would help to either julienne it or use a vegetable peeler to make extra-fine slices. I could also be more patient and let the ingredients steep longer.

I got the idea for this from a vegetarian restaurant that used to be on 14th St. near 6th Ave. They used to serve a tall, refreshing glass of cold honey-ginger lemonade.

Jeff, the judo guy who told me the egg membrane trick, continues to feed me useful information. A couple of weeks ago he recommended the Istanbul Grill, which is adjacent to King Food. I’ve gone there five or six times since then. Besides the super-convenient location and good food, Istanbul Grill is open 24/7, which is a sure way to score points with me, as 2:00AM snacks are an integral part of my lifestyle.

I usually get a falafel sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes, hot sauce, and white sauce. I tried the baklava once; it’s over-honeyed for my taste, but still a treat. The kofte platter, which I haven’t tried yet, is highly recommended by Reuben, who is another judo player and is the guy who recommended this place to Jeff.

Last week my newly awakened appetite for Middle Eastern food brought me to a famous falafel place in the Village called Mamoun’s, which I hadn’t been to since 1980. A quarter-century later, it’s still a hole in the wall and it still serves good, cheap food. The line often runs out the door, but the wait is surprisingly short, thanks to quick, efficient service. The kitchen man at Mamoun’s can assemble a sandwich about as fast as I can order it.

A falafel sandwich is $2.00 at Mamoun’s and $4.50 at Istanbul Grill, but the sandwich at Istanbul Grill contains much more falafel so I’d say it’s a comparable deal. One thing I prefer about the Mamoun’s sandwich is that the lettuce is pre-tossed with the white sauce, so that each piece of lettuce is coated with sauce. At Istanbul Grill the sauce is drizzled over the lettuce when the sandwich is assembled. Pre-tossing the lettuce is clearly an efficiency to maximize throughput, but it also makes the sandwich yummier.

Update, 5/24: Jeff reminded me that I have now had the kofte platter, which he should know, because he was there. It is indeed good.