STREET FOOD. WHAT’S LEFT? JUST THE WRAPPER.
COOKtheBOOKFRIDAYS
The closest I’ve ever gotten to a food truck is watching the comedy-drama film, Chef, at our local theatre in 2014. Having just googled the “Top Ten Food Trucks near Aspen,” none of them are. Near Aspen, I mean.
SPICY MEATBALL WRAP SMOTHERED in SRIRACHA MAYONNAISE
Street foods, whether from a truck or cart, predominantly reflect local culture and flavor. Trucks named The Confluence Cowgirl Kitchen, Mi Lindo Nayarit and Slo Groovin’ Bar-b-Que based in Carbondale, Marble, even Glenwood Springs echo our diversity. But, in Aspen, if it’s street food I desire, only my kitchen can answer the call.
THIS MEATBALL PACKS a WALLOP AND IS JUST AS DELICIOUS SERVED INDIVIDUALLY DURING A COCKTAIL PARTY. (toothpick, please.)
Boulettes de Merguez à la Sauce Sriracha, a recipe from David Lebovitz’s My Paris Kitchen pays homage to the Maghreb* influence in Parisian cuisine. Americanized, these are flavor-packed Spiced Meatballs with Sriracha Sauce. I chose to wrap them in a grilled Naan smothered in sauce and wrapped in parchment paper. Heavily seasoned, this is street food to the max. Grabbing a beer, I walked out to my balcony and polished off this glorious sandwich in a flash.
I made my meatballs and then put them in a cast iron skillet to roast in the oven. Every 5 minutes (15 minutes cooking time), just give the pan a shake.
A colleague recently made this recipe, 20 meatballs, leaving them on the counter to cool for a later cocktail party. She ran to her gym. Returning home, she found only 4. A certain male partner was nowhere in sight. They’re that fantastic. See the recipe and more tips below.
WELCOMING MADISON
When is the last time you basked in a friend’s joy? Their happiness becomes yours. Last week I caught that feel-good bug when a dear friend became a first-time grandmother. She and her husband had raised three terrific young men. Still, at her house for the past 20-plus years, the score was always, 4-1.
When beautiful Madison arrived, her grandparents were over-the-moon.( I don’t think they’ve landed yet.) My challenge was how to welcome this precious baby. Realizing she is already an indulged child, not for want, here’s the gift I just mailed to Madison’s grandparents.
I asked my granddaughters as well as the 4-year old daughter of blogging colleague Katie, to send me their Top 10 list of favorite baby books. This request turned into a family affair with Melissa and Stephen revisiting their memory library with Emma and Clara. Katie and Marcel, Alaia’s parents, also took the familial recall stroll.
ALAIA, 4, with HER DADDY, MARCEL, WHILE VISITING ME IN CAMBRIA.
CLARA, 13, (L) and EMMA, 15, DURING the SUMMER.
Following their quick replies and meshing the lists together, I bought the books and mailed them to Florida, requesting that they always remain at the grandparents’ house in anticipation of baby Madison-visits.
“There are perhaps no days of our childhood we lived so fully as those we spent with a favorite book.” –Marcel Proust
THE LIST. (per Emma, Clara and Alaia.)
THE TOP 10 LIST: 1) Good Night Moon; 2) Good Night, Gorilla; 3) Good Dog, Carl; 4) Little Lady Bug: Finger Puppet Book; 5) But Not the Hippopotamus; 6) I Love You, Stinky Face; 7) Mama Mama, Papa Papa; 8) Time for Bed; 9) King Bidgood’s in the Bathtub; 10) The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
SPICED MEATBALLS with SRIRACHA MAYONNAISE from My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz
Makes 20 walnut-sized Meatballs (Tip: I made mine a bit larger.)
MERGUEZ MEATBALLS
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons minced cilantro leaves
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons harissa, Sriracha, or Asian chile paste (Tip: I used Sriracha, a staple in my kitchen.)
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (Tip: I used 1/2 teaspoon, maybe 3/4 teaspoon to soften the flavors of the tangy spices.)
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground sumac (optional) (Tip: Please don’t skip the sumac.)
1 pound ground beef or lamb (not lean), or a mix of the two (Tip: I used lamb, a more traditional taste.)
SRIRACHA MAYONNAISE
1. 3/4 cup mayonnaise, homemade or store bought
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce or harissa (Be careful. This is hot.)
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a hot skillet, toast the fennel, coriander, and cumin seeds for a minute or so, until they smell fragrant.
2. Remove from the heat and let cool.Grind to a powder in a spice mill or mortar and pestle, or crush in a sturdy plastic bag with a hammer.
3. Combine the crushed spices in a bowl with the cilantro, garlic, paprika, harissa, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and sumac. Add the ground beef/lamb and mix well. The meatball mixture can be refrigerated for up to 3 days before rolling and using. (Tip: I wore disposable latex gloves and mixed together with my hands.)
4. Pinch off pieces of the sausage mixture and roll them into meatballs the size of unshelled walnuts or to your preferred size. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and fry for 8 to 10 minutes, shaking the pan to cook them evenly. If you have a grill, they can be cooked over a fire. Or, they can be roasted on a greased baking sheet in a 350 degree F oven for 15 minutes. (Tip: To save calories, I roasted in the oven using a cast iron pan.)
LOVE THE SRIRACHA MAYO.
5. To make the Sriracha mayonnaise, combine the mayonnaise and the Sriracha in a small bowel. (This can also be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated).
6. Serve the meatballs warm with the Sriracha mayo.
* The Maghreb is the region of Algeria, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia.
CooktheBookFridays is an international virtual group of food bloggers cooking its way through My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz. To see what my colleagues cooked this week or to join our group, go here.
Aspen does not allow food trucks with the exception of special permitted events. That being said, we all look forward to the Street Food truck showing up at the ice garden for the week of the summer art show.
Best fish and chips anywhere.
What a precious post this is, Mary (MN)! I enjoyed Chef the movie too! Believe it or not, food trucks are gaining momentum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as well. Naan wrapped is a good way to go, and buckwheat crepes another choice (my hubby’s, probably… I made the buckwheat crepes four times already, at his urging), the latest batch made two days ago! Yes, beer is the perfect partner!
While playing with my DGD#2, who just turned One recently, just the other day, I commented where were her toys? DGD#1 promptly delivered into my hands two books and said Here, these are Afiya’s! Will note down your top 10 list and see if they are available over here in my local or maybe their equivalent.
You have a wonderful weekend Mary!
I’m definitely making those meatballs for my book club. I love giving books as gifts for babies and children—what a nice mix of newer books and classics. September has arrived—I cannot wait to see you!!! xoxo
I agree that these meatballs need to be a tad larger but it’s definitely a great recipe. I need to try them in the oven when it’s not 40C (over 100F) !!! Loved the mayo!
Dearest Mary!!! How touched and excited I am to see Maddie’s name up in “Bright Lights” on your blog! What a wonderful surprise and such an outstanding and creative gift! (You really are so extraordinary and why I love you so much my special friend) ….Yes! Finally a little pink bundle of joy – she already has my heart. We will begin reading to little Maddie at once …your amazing collection of books are such outstanding choices! Special thanks to you and your fine team, for giving us such a wonderful start with our first grandchild!!!
Love you Mary!!! Pink hugs, Mindy & Kenny
I can’t wait to try these meatballs! I just had some Thai Meatballs with a Peanut Sauce at our local brewery that were to die for. Tried to recreate them at home, but not quite as good. These would make a fun appetizer!
Great post!
And I love to give books to babies as well!
Great idea to get your Clara and Emma to provide inspiration
I would add all the Babar stories
I loved Babar and so did Marisa
How I look forward to hearing of your ever-creative life, Industrious Mary. Those manly looking meatballs will be at David’s birthday party, for sure. Loved your baby gift idea…so memorable for her and her family. For her first birthday, send her “Owl Babies”, the perfect book from a Master Naturalist.
You may need to lobby for food trucks…we were at a rehearsal dinner dance complete with a catered food truck..a real hoot.
I tried these meatballs tonight with Flatbread pockets and your Sriracha mayo. Big Success!!! Mixed half lamb and half ground beef, and the spices, except so far can’t find sumac. Still very yummy. Loved your book recommendations, some I remember from our children, some are new, so I will save your suggestions.
What a perfect gift! Books are the best! Funny that the only one of those that I recognize is Good Night Moon. Where have I been?
I laughed out loud about the disappearing meatballs, but I understand. These are really good. You and Candy have inspired me to eat leftovers on a sandwich. Be sure to try the yogurt-tahini sauce next time. Actually, I liked having them both because one is hot and spicy and the other one more cooling.
If I have read this post before I made mine, I’d totally follow your lead in preparing the spiced meatballs in a cast iron pan, roll and bake them as suggested. Then serve them with grilled naan, smothered in sauce and wrapped with parchment. That is the ultimate and fun street food. The book list, I’ll also borrow, when the time comes.
Hi Mary, these meatballs are making my mouth water. I’ve a friend from Malaysia that makes something similar in the spice collection and they are among my favorites, and also a friend from Turkey that makes yet another variation- I love them all and will definitely give the David Lebovitz collection a go! Welcome to the world Madison and wishing her a beautiful life- the delightful books will certainly add to this good start! On the street food, we’ve lots of it in Philadelphia, always have, only now at a much higher quality along with added cultural food dimensions. See you soon! Big Hugs your way!
What a clever idea for a baby gift, Good Night Moon was my children’s favorite growing up and then the grandkids. Many of the others were as well. Anyway, love these meatballs, and how you enjoyed them, very nice Mary.
That’s the best baby present ever, Mary. I love that it’s not just books – terrific on their own – but also the collective good memories of three kids and their parents.
Wrapping the meatballs in grilled naan was inspired – I’m going to have to consider that for the leftovers (though a spicy tomato sauce is also vying for their attention).
And if you’re ever wanting to explore Vancouver’s vibrant-but-slightly-less-cool-than-Portland food truck scene, you’ve already got a volunteer guide.
I just wanted to stop by again and say that moose hunting is indeed legal (with the appropriate permissions) in B.C. My family includes a number of hunters, so I’ve been lucky enough to try many kinds of game. Elk is my favourite. Moose may not always be so plentiful in B.C., however. There is increasing pressure on their habitats here, from development, climate change effects, and the pine beetle (the spread of which has been facilitated by climate change). I that that they are majestic and formidable creatures.
Eating the meatballs wrapped with naan looks very delicious! Along with a cold beer, now that is, simple pleasures in life!
Lovely books, makes the perfect first gift!
Awwww, we had just done a huge book purge about 2 weeks before you asked about favorite books and it’s so sweet to see many of the recommendations up there! Of course, we kept some of them as they’re good “first reader” books, too. It’s a great gift idea, Mary, and thanks for giving us the opportunity to remember that sleep-hazed time that was not very long ago at all.
On to the food! Man oh man, these meatballs! We had a labor day party yesterday and I made all-lamb ones at the last minute. 35 minutes start to finish and out the door. 10 minutes after arrival, they were all. gone. Not bad, not bad. I also bake them and I have also been convinced (not that I needed it, mind you!) that I must make the yogurt tahini sauce.
Such good stuff, eh? Hugs and happy labor day!
The books are a brilliant idea. I am so envious that the weather over there is changing and getting cooler! Madrid is in a huge heat wave…90 degrees outside. The meatbals in the naan bread is a great idea!
The books are a brilliant idea. I am so envious that the weather over there is changing and getting cooler! Madrid is in a huge heat wave. It is 90 degrees outside. The meatballs in the naan bread is a great idea!
Your “street food” dinner sounds perfect! We enjoyed these without bread, but I would love to try them wrapped in some sort of flat bread. Two of your top 10 books were favorites of ours, but the others we didn’t even have! And we had/have a lot of books. One of our very favorites was “Kittens First Full Moon” if you are ever looking for more book suggestions. 😉
Mary, I just love your book idea! I love that you all were able to discuss/compare. That you value books so highly. And your suggestion of keeping them at the grandparents’ house. Delightful!
And your meatballs! I couldn’t agree more – they made a tasty sandwich with Naan! I can just envision you on your porch, plate on lap, feet up, frosty beer in hand enjoying the view – and maybe just a bit of a chill to make the bit of spicy even more welcome!
These were great – and a wonderful recipe to keep on hand – so simple. But so yummy! I pulled the last several out, heated them up, threw the remaining sauce in a dish – and there was a simple appetizer while I was making dinner for friends! Can’t beat it! Hope you are enjoying the change in seasons!
BTW, I am on the pro food-truck team. I love it when I have to go to the Seattle office – so that I can grab something yummy from one of the seemingly bazillion trucks there. Plus my bro has several word-fired pizza ovens in food trucks!