Food Bazaar Alert!

.:UPDATE:.

I hope you guys were able to make it! Great weather, great food, and the lines weren't all that bad. There's still an hour left!! GO!!

.::.

I've been routinely attending the Masjid al-Hikmah food bazaar since Dave Cook over at Eating in Translation put me on to it over five years ago. I'm not sure if they're "catching on," or if I'm just becoming more aware of their presence, but these transient taste treats are certainly occurring with more frequency. Masjid al-Hikmah hosts a sizable outdoor event on the 1st Sunday of each month between May and September.  Smaller events pop up at other community centers throughout Queens, but those are more difficult to forecast.

Indonesian Food Bazaar
Sunday, May 3, 10:00am - 5:00pm
Masjid al-Hikmah Mosque
48-01 31st Ave. (at 48th St.), Astoria, Queens

If you didn't have anything to do this Sunday afternoon, now you do!! -- you're welcome!

© 2015 -- mission: insatiable -- http://www.missioninsatiable.com/

Muzzie Munchies

Plans for a “Ground Zero Mosque” have opened a fizzy can of Islamophobia all over NYC's lap. Time and time again, Muslims find themselves the ire of our entire nation.  Why? Because people fear what they don't understand, this is understandable.  My suggestion for all the ill-informed protesters out there -- replace your fear with curiosity and your hate with hunger. Exploring a culture's food is a quick and delicious way to get familiarized w/ its people -- at least enough to squelch most unsubstantiated xenophobic anxieties.

A man who clearly misses the point.

***

I recently spent the afternoon at an Indonesian food bazaar hosted by a local mosque.  There I was, surrounded by Muslims and would you believe that NO ONE was burning American flags, beheading reporters or crash-landing planes into financial centers?!?  Crazy, I know!  I'm pretty sure I was charged a dollar more for the shrimp toast and chicken satay than the locals, but that's pretty standard in-group/out-group shit.

Indonesian Food Bazaar
Masjid Al-Hikmah Mosque
48-01 31st Ave., Astoria, Queens
Random Sundays throughout the summer

The various nibbles were all very palatable, but the Gado-Gado was the star of the show.  Gado-Gado is a traditional Indonesian salad of shredded cabbage, string beans, carrots, fried tofu and rice cakes. The aforementioned ingredients are tossed with an explosive mortar & pestle ground peanut sauce and topped w/ crunchy shrimp chips to finish. Each batch is made to order by a skilled team of hijab-clad women.

--permissibly delicious!

 © 2010 c. c. villani @ "mission: insatiable" - http://missioninsatiable.com