I had a request for falafel (I even used it as an excuse to get myself the food processor I’ve been eyeing for so long!), so I gave Martha Stewart’s Crispy Pan Seared Falafel recipe a shot last night. It was a complete and total disaster. It *tasted* good, but the mixture just wasn’t thick enough to be formed into patties. I was hoping they would firm up a bit in the fridge, but it didn’t happen. My attempt to flip the “patties” in the skillet was the nail in the coffin. On a positive note, the tzatziki sauce that is part of the recipe is *to die for*.
Do any of you know of a great falafel recipe? I’d really like to give this another shot.
Keep sending those requests! 
What the heck is “falafel”?! Sorry to hear about the disaster… is there anything worse?? I think not! (and I’ve had my share of ‘em)
Falafel is basically mashed chickpeas or fava beans (depending on the region) with herbs and spices. If my attempt had been successful, I would have formed the mixture into balls, fried them, and used them to make pita sandwiches. We had some really good falafel in downtown Vancouver over Easter… I should have asked for the recipe!
This page has a pretty nice picture, if you’re curious about how it looks: http://mideastfood.about.com/od/vegetarianrecipes/ig/Vegetarian-Food-Photo-Gallery/Falafel.–0O.htm