When you think of gourmet, does Afghan cuisine spring to mind?

[Squatch]

If not, it should. The food over here is astounding.

A local Kandahar man that I've known for a while just brought over dinner that consisted of goat and chicken cooked to absolute perfection. I don't know what spices they use, but it's phenomenal. The only better meat I've eaten is chivito in San Luis Argentina.

He also brought over my one weakness...naan.

Forget the naan you buy in the supermarkets back in the states. That junk is for posers. The stuff over here is made from hand ground wheat and baked in wood-fired tandoor ovens. The bread is the size of a skateboard, and sort of like New York style pizza crust, but a bazillion times better. The outside is dry and crispy with a faint aroma of the wood smoke. The inside is soft and chewy with a strong taste of stone-ground wheat.

The cuisine is simple and plentiful. Meals are communal, with everybody digging in and sharing from the same plate. I'm usually the ony guy who uses utensils, so I make sure I get my portion before everybody else digs in with their grubby hands.

[Midlodemocrat]

1. Squatch!!!! Thaks for posting!!! How are you?

When are you coming home?

[Squatch]

3. August. We'll be here for the summer

and get to enjoy the 130-degree days! Yay!

I try to relish the non-war parts of Afghanistan as much as possible such as the cuisine, the scenery, and the people. The Afghans are great people: friendly, outgoing, and hospitable.

How are you doing?

[Midlodemocrat]

4. I'm good. I ran into a friend of TM's last week

and he is headed to Afghanistan, but I'm not sure where. He joined the Marines (?) in June of '08.

I'm glad to see you post!

Interestingly an Afghan restaurant just opened here last couple of weeks. Haven't been there, but am itching to try.

Stay Safe, my friend!!!!

[Squatch]

6. If he's in the Marines, he's coming to my neck of the woods.

Let me know when he gets here and I can probably meet up with him.

Anyways, good talking to you!

I'm heading into downtown Kandahar in a short while so I'm due for another update post.

Brian

[elleng]

2. Glad you enjoy it, 'live.'

That which I've had here, DC area, I've found to be ? boring ? No great flavors.

[Callalily]

5. Unfortunately the closest

Afghan restaurant to me is in Madison, and I don't get there often enough, but when I do, I make a point of eating at Kabul Afghanistan & Mediterranean Restaurant. Food is fabulous.

[B3Nut]

18. I work in Madison and live not far from

and I've never eaten at Kabul, though I've walked past it many a time. Going to have to rectify that little oversight...

[kwassa]

7. Karzai's uncle lives here in my suburban Maryland town ...

and runs an Afgan restaurant in Baltimore. I've never been there, or had Afgan cuisine.

Lot of Persian and other Middle-Eastern food, however.

[Squatch]

8. I've driven through Karzai's home village

As with most ethnic Pasthuns, his last name refers to the geographic area he came from; in this case, Karz Kaly (Karz Village) outside of Kandahar. His name really means "Hamid from Karz".

I think that's one of the coolest things about Afghans.

[kwassa]

11. Europeans used to do this, as well, in some of the older names.

Any Frenchman with "de" in the name, or German with "von", both with mean "of".

[Gormy Cuss]

12. Karzai's brother owns the other two The Helmand restaurants.

The first one is in San Francisco and the other one in the Boston area. I've been to both of those but haven't been to the MD one yet -- if you like Middle Eastern food, give it a try.

[kwassa]

15. here is the menu for the Baltimore restuarant!

makes me hungry just reading it.

http://www.helmand.com/entrees.shtml

[Gormy Cuss]

16. I recommend the aushak and kaddo borawni

Hell, I recommend it all. The three restaurants have many overlapping dishes and the versions are pretty much the same family recipes.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

9. yes, it does. i love afghani food. nt

[DFW]

10. Actually, yes it does

One of my two favorite restaurants in Prague is an Afghan place, and we never fail
to eat there at least once when we're down there. Great stuff!

[NuttyFluffers]

13. of course, largest Afghan community in USA is hop, skip, jump from my house (SF Bay Area)

all that and more. and we get those "skateboard naans," as you call them, for roughly $3-5 a 'loaf' (actually we personally get the larger ones, about the size of a sedan's rear bench seat). goes great with the afghani blow-your-mind delicious stews.

just another reason i miss home... been around the world, and i, i, i... can't find anything better, to be honest. but i'll be back soon enough.

ah, to slather my "skateboard naan" with rose petal jelly and ghee, followed by any ethnic food i can dream of later. paradise... i'm coming to you, my beloved city! soon my lovely, we shall saunter among the culinary and social and ecological and technological delights again! our hearts' desire but a twist in the road and a laze in a day of wonderful weather.

PS: beyond my needless reminiscing, come back to us in the States soon! and bring back a recipe or two!

[Tektonik]

14. I am half Afghani, so yes I know that Afghan food is delicious

:9

[Heidi]

17. Nope, but that's only because I've never had Afghan cuisine. Would LOVE to try it, though.

We (CMW, Ginger and me) hope you're well. :hug: :hug: