make my last meal from Eritrea

My most recent food obsession is Eritrean and Ethiopian food. I am the kind of person who will try almost anything once. (No monkey brains, no live octopus.) And because of this I've come to love food from many different cultures. Thai, Indian, Cambodian, Somali, Greek, and Caribbean foods are some of my favorites, but I had never tried Eritrean or Ethiopian food before this summer, even though one of my best friends in high school was Ethiopian and there are supposedly some great Ethiopian restaurants in Chicago.

The first time we went to Asmara Restaurant in Cambridge I was on the brink of starvation and not a very pleasant person to be around. My mood softened as they told me they could make their teff based injera bread gluten free for me. Ding ding ding; we had a winner. Top that off with the best salad I've ever tasted--no exaggeration--and I, of course, wanted to go back the very next day. We've actually been back twice since, which is a lot of restaurant going for us, since we usually prefer to save money and eat healthier by cooking at home.

They brought out warm, floral scented wet towels for us to clean our hands with before we ate and then we watched and listened to Ethiopian music during the meal. I love the mixture of light sweetness, biting flavors and spiciness that Eritrean fare offers. There were so many colors, smells and textures to experience and we got to eat with our hands at a basket-like table.  It was the sort of experience that doesn't require words. At least no more words than a mumbled, "Sooo good" and moans of contentment throughout the meal.