Recently, a food writer for the New York Times, Ligaya Mishan, celebrated in the pages of that august periodical the arrival of two Bengali snack carts in the neighborhood of Jackson Heights in the borough of Queens that serve a Bengali street food that is known as “fuchka,” and told of how it is created by placing small pieces of semolina into baking oil where they puff up into circular and crackly shelled , which are then pinched to make a hole in which small pieces of potatoes, yellow split peas , onions, cilantro, tamarind water masala, and possibly other item are placed in. The resulting concoction is either placed in the mouth of the patron or placed in a bowl with other ones and crushed together and devoured with a fork. The article noted that fuchka carts are very popular in various part of South Asia, particularly Bangladesh, but previously were not scene in the Big Apple. “Everything was here except for this,” one of the cart operators is quoted as saying proudly. The writer detailed how they are both now very popular in that Jackson Heights neighborhood, and writes of how she overheard one young man who was standing in front of one of them telling another young man that he would share the phone number of a female acquaintance with him if he “would give him ten fuchkas.”
And a counter that is in currently in place with wording in place on it that reads “Chat Corner” in the Himalayas Aroma of India Restaurant in Moore is indicative of the fact that that South Asian delicacy has now made its way to the Oklahoma City area. As explained by the co-owner of that establishment, Mo Alam, “chat” is a word that denotes street food in the Indian subcontinent that is often served from street carts, but perhaps surprisingly, that word does not appear in the New York Times article on the fuchka carts. But it is found on the menu of the Gopuram Indian Restaurant in Oklahoma City.
The chat corner, which is in operation at Himalayas on Friday evening and all day on Saturday and Sunday, appears to be a favored destination of their diverse clientele, and Alam reports that while some of them are sampling its fare for the first time, many patrons who are originally from South Asia express delight that it is now available here, and their joy may be comparable to the excitement felt by Oklahoma City residents who were originally from the East Coast when they were first able to get fresh bagels here, which were first brought to New York City by Jewish immigrants, with the opening of the New York Bagel Shops in the 1980’s. And while that enterprise seized operation several decades ago, it was succeeded by the Old School Bagel Café that dispenses bagels in a variety of flavors in Oklahoma’s Capital City and other locales. And it is possible that fuchkas and the other Indian foods served at Himalayas will in time also become a part of the Oklahoma culinary tradition.
Monthly Archives: October 2019
Himalayas Aroma Of India In Moore OK
In classical mythology, Cerberus was a multi-headed dog that guarded the gates of the Underworld to ensure that the dead did not leave. And it would seem that the door to the Indian restaurant of Himalayas Aroma of India, are guarded by a pair of stuffed Siberian tigers who stand as silent sentries at the establishment’s entrance. But after patrons make their way past those two creatures they are usually greeted by co-owner Zubara Chowdury, who is a native of Bangladesh, and taken to a buffet that features much of the food of South India such as chicken tikki masala, nan, butter chicken, and other item that were being ladled onto plates by eager customers on a recent rainy afternoon. A table of Spanish speaking customers were enthusiastically devouring what was labelled “”lamb kofta curry” and asserting to adjacent patrons that it tasted like Italian meatballs. To go orders could be seen being picked up by customers, and the menu for those items told of the establishment’s commitment to catering throughout the Oklahoma City area. In addition to flavorful fare from the Indian subcontinent, the establishment also offers an intriguing décor that includes images of elephants and figures from Indian culture. Chowdury explained that she and her business partner, Mo Alam, took over the operations of the restaurant approximately two months ago, and that they are grateful to the previous owner for the three Indian chefs that they left in the kitchen for them. She further told of how she had worked in various aspects of the mortgage business in both California and Oklahoma, and that she welcomed an opportunity to become part of the Oklahoma hospitality scene when Himalaya’s became available. Like many dedicated restaurateurs, Chowdury seems to spends a considerable amount of time conversing with her patrons, and she could be seen conferring with another aspiring entrepreneur, Fathi Hanoon, who was sitting at one of her tables and was advising her on how to develop a webpage and other aspects of contemporary social media. The restaurant owner also detailed how she is committed to assisting the less fortunate among us, and that twice a week she dispenses quantities of food without charge to a home that provides shelter for women who have recently been released from the custody of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. Chowdury is hopeful that her place will thrive under her and her partner’s management, and looks forward to greeting more customers in the future.
John Lindsay And OKC Mayor David Holt
Mighty Mayor David Holt At The Cricket Bat
“Fun City” was one of the terms used to describe New York City under the administration of Mayor John Lindsay in the 1960’s. Lindsay was a relatively young man during his tenure as the Big Apple’s chief executive, and public art filled the streets of Manhattan as well as the other boroughs and people of various ages filled the art galleries and public places where music was performed and actors played roles in avant garde plays. He was also instrumental in encouraging the growth of the arts in in both Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn by instructing code enforcement officials to permit aspiring artists who were living in places where they created their art to remain in those locations, and that action on his part contributed to the revival of the arts scene in those locales. And Lindsay was known for his habit of taking unscheduled walks through the city, very often in shirt sleeves, where he greeted his constituents with warmth and humor. When Lindsay passed away in late 2000, the New York Times wrote of how “He insisted that the parks were for people, not cars, and filled them with concerts and dancing and kite flying contests, psychedelic painting and other happenings. He promoted New York as Fun City, a cornucopia of theater, arts, and other goings on.” He also oversaw the opening of a bicycle path on the Brooklyn Bridge and opened the Mayor’s Office of Film Theater and Broadcasting.
And Oklahoma City may have a latter day version of John Lindsay in its current chief executive, David Holt, who also exhibits a youthful vigor and can often be seen at artistic and cultural events that highlight the increasing diversity of the city. Over the past several months Holt has presided over the public opening of the Scissortail Park, stood on the stage of an event that began an Asian Festival, attended a Muslim gathering, and a variety of other events.
More recently, the athletic Holt has stood on the field where a cricket tournament was being held and wielded a large bat that made contact with a ball that was lobbed at him. The late chef and television host Anthony Bourdain, who travelled extensively through Pakistan and other parts of South Asia, once confessed that he could not figure out the game of cricket, but if Holt had a similar problem he managed to conceal it when he appeared at the annual cricket tournament that is held in Oklahoma City and watched the players before he emerged on the field. And as the New York Times obituary on Lindsay made clear, his administration was later marked by controversy and dissension following a sanitation worker’s strikes that led to certain neighborhoods in the Big Apple buying goats to consume their uncollected garbage and racial and ethnic conflicts that served to divide the city’s diverse ethnic communities. But it would seem probable that Holt will have a more successful mayoral tenure do in part to the prosperity that Oklahoma’s capital is currently enjoying and the more genial nature of the citizenry of Oklahoma City compared to that of New York City.
Festival Of The World At St. Eugene’s In OKC
The annual Festival of the Americas and the World was held at the St. Eugene’s cafeteria on Sunday October 20, 2019. The event began years ago to celebrate the culture and culinary traditions of Hispanic parishioners who worship at St Eugene’s, but in recent years the number of congregants from other parts of the world led to the expansion of the event to include food from India, the Philippines, and other distant locales. Outside of that structure a solitary pony was apparently pressed into service to supply rides to eager young children. There was also a train that apparently did not railroad tracks to travel that pulled a series of open cars that were filled with young people who smiled and laughed under a radiant sun. A bounce house also provided entertainment for those young people. A face painting service was offered by an aspiring artist, and her efforts accounted for the number of handsome young people who had butterflies and hearts in pastel colors on their cheeks and foreheads. The food stand that featured an Indian flag was staffed by individuals from that nation who served chicken tikki masala, samosas, and Indian bread. Father John Peter Swaminatham of St Eugene’s, who is a native of India, and is affectionately known as “Father John Peter,” could be seen standing in close proximity to that location for a time, and he told of how Catholicism has been a tradition in that nation for centuries. He also told of how that he has been at St Eugene’s for two years and that he has received a warm welcome from all of those who are affiliated with the church and the school it operates, and he is proud to be part of the St. Eugene’s community. The traditional fare of the West African nation of Cameroon was featured in three different locations, and many of those who served food from them were wearing the traditional colorful clothing of that country. And prior to the start of the festival a choir of Cameroonians had performed in the church as part of the 10:00 AM Mass and some of those in attendance could be heard thanking them for doing so. The two adjoining food stalls that had small signs of them that read “Nigeria” also had a much larger sign on the wall being where the servers stood that featured that African nation’ s name in bright colors that included several exclamation points which may have been indicative of the pride Nigerians have in their large population, vibrant culture, and expanding economy that is the largest in Africa after the Republic of South Africa. Pho shops are now found throughout the Oklahoma City area, and that soup like concoction, along with eggrolls, was served to many of those in attendance by gracious young Asian American women under a banner that indicated that they were operating a “ Viet Kitchen.”
One of the stands that featured Food from the Philippines had a wooden replica of the front of an American jeep, and it was explained that many of those vehicles had been left in that Asian nation by U.S. military personnel, and that are a symbol of the Philippines and are known as “Jeepneys,” and for a modest fee the attendees could have their picture taken while sitting in front of it. Soft drinks and flavorful home brewed beer was available as well, and it was explained that the home brew was the work of a member of the Knights of Columbus organization that is affiliated with St. Eugene’s. Live entertainment was offered in the adjacent Ross Hall where Hispanic singers and musicians performed in a robust manner to the delight of their audiences.
Dream Action Dinner In OKC
RAICES Dancers At Dream Act Oklahoma Dinner.
The Dream Action Oklahoma organization held an event in Oklahoma City on the evening of Thursday, October 17th, 2019 at the La Bella Event Center on West Wilshire Boulevard. The Dream Action works on behalf of undocumented immigrants in Oklahoma, and the gathering was convened in part to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the entity’s founding, and the attendees were handed programs as they entered the structure in which it was held that proclaimed “10 Years Of Resilience Gala Program.” They were directed to tables that had on them small red cards that instructed individuals in both English and Spanish how to advise representatives of the government that they did not wish to speak to them or allow them to enter their homes and that they made those decisions in accordance with their constitutional rights. There were also stickers with the organization’s logo “DAOK” and the words “Dream It Do It” in bright pastel colors that many of the those present placed on their shirts. After a welcoming that was delivered by Serena Prammanasudh and Judith Huerta of Dream Act Oklahoma, a choreographed dance performed by a troupe of girls and young women who were billed as “RAICES” was performed in an enthusiastic manner to a song in Spanish, “Mi Tierra” which generated applause from those in attendance.
The keynote address was delivered jointly by the two young women who were the entity’s founders, Tracey Morales and Kacey Hughart, and they told in an informal manner how they were both drawn in to political activism by the constraints that they saw first had that immigrants confronted in both Oklahoma and the nation as a whole. They spoke of their efforts on behalf of proposed legislation in the U.S Congress that would have provided legal status to undocumented immigrants, and how when President Obama issued an executive order that allowed young people without legal status who had been brought here as children to obtain work permits and a degree of legal status they worked with many of those who were eligible to get work permits. And while President Trump officially ended that program, the speakers pointed out that those who have those work permits are permitted to renew them for an additional two years. They ended their joint presentation by thanking those present for their support and said their commitment to the undocumented people in Oklahoma and the nation remains. The attendees included individuals of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, and both Spanish and English could be heard in the private conversations that were ongoing. Michael Korenblitt, who is the son of Holocaust survivors and the founder of the Respect Diversity Foundation of Oklahoma City was present, as were Veronica Laizure and Lani Habrock who serve on the staff of the Oklahoma chapter of the Council On American Islamic Relations. Oklahoma City Councilwoman Jo Beth Hammons was in attendance as well.
Zero Tolerance Coffee In The Britton District
Doors On Patio Of Zero Tolerance Coffee
Maura And Roy Baker With Grace Powell And Brittany Attaway
It has been said that journalists who write about the small business owners who open places in areas that are undergoing renovation in various parts of the nation often find that those individuals are often as interesting as the businesses they start. And that point can also be made about the operators of the “Zero Tolerance Coffee’ place that is scheduled to open soon in the Britton District of Oklahoma City . Roy Baker, who will operates the establishment with his wife Maura, recently told of how after graduating from OSU in 1995, he embarked on a peripatetic life that took him to Houston, Texas, Tulsa, Oklahoma and eventually to Kabul Afghanistan as a soldier in the Oklahoma National Guard. He and his wife were always fond of coffee, and ground that commodity for their personal use during the course of their travels. And while he was serving in Afghanistan, his wife sent him coffee beans that he ground with a small grinder that he carried with him. Those he served with soon began to share the resulting coffee, and in time he was asking her to send her more of those beans for both him and his fellow soldiers. When he returned to the Sooner State he and his wife decided to start a small business selling coffee beans wholesale and online. But after observing the rebirth that was occurring in the Britton District of Oklahoma City and seeing the available retail space there, they decided to open a coffee shop where they could both roast coffee beans and brew coffee and also transform cacao beans into bars of chocolate. The place they selected at 913 Britton Road seemed destined to serve in that capacity with it’s tranquil interior and formerly tiled floors that recall a bygone era and a patio area where patrons can sip coffee and nibble on chocolate under a radiant blue sky. One of the more intriguing aspects of that area is a wall made of doors of different colors. It is not known what the significance, if any, of those doors for the previous occupants of the structure. With characteristic generosity, the Bakers recently dispensed pieces of chocolate of the type that will be preparing to visitors that proved to much stronger in taste than most commercially sold chocolate due to its low sugar level. And they also tell of the different tastes that can be found in the chocolate that they will be making depending on where the cacao beans that it is made from is grown. The Bakers speak of what they term a “soft opening” on Saturday, October 19th, and say that they are looking forward to introducing their coffee and chocolate to the people of the Oklahoma City area.
Britton District Day Festival On November 16th, 2019 In OKC
The Britton District in Oklahoma City, which is located on Britton Road between Western and the Broadway Extension, will hold its inaugural Britton District Day Festival on Saturday, November 16th, 2019, which will be held in historic downtown Britton, and artist and gallery owner Lisa Allen recently spoke with characteristic enthusiasm and authority about that gathering, and detailed how it will include a variety of pop up vendors and well as the artist herself wielding a large trowel that she will use to create an additional work of art of the type that have earned her the admiration of art aficionados and collectors throughout the Oklahoma City area. The artist explained that she will use a large white canvas that will be painted by her and others under her general direction that will either be auctioned off to benefit the Britton District and contribute to the ongoing beautification of Britton Road or hung in the Variety Care structure where medical care is provided to residents regardless of their income. The event will begin at 11:00 A.M. and continue until 6:00 P.M. The renovation of the Britton District was precipitated in part when the late Thomas Rossiter purchased the historic Owl Court structure, but he died shortly after he did so after being stricken with a fatal brain tumor. But his widow and partners and other property owners there continue to work on the ongoing renovation, and there is talk of possibly naming something for Rossiter in recognition of his role in developing the Britton District.
The Ritz Theater, which provided film entertainment for generations before it’s screen curtain fell for the last time years ago, has recently been renovated and reopened, and will again be called into service as a place where artists will gather to offer their work to the attendees of the Festival. A flotilla of food trucks of the type that are found at such events throughout the Oklahoma City area will also be present and live music will be performed as well. The highlight of the gathering for many of those who have been involved in the rebirth of the area will be the Redevelopment Walking Tour that will highlight the changes that have taken place to date as well as those that are planned for the future. The latter will include a brewery that’s construction was recently approved by the Oklahoma City Planning Commission at the request of property owner Steve Goetzinger, who has played a pivotal role in the area’s rebirth, that will probably be dispensing the amber brew before the next festival is held. Those patrons will also observe several new businesses that have opened in the area, including the Zero Tolerance Coffee Roastery and Coffee House that has recently moved to a location adjacent to Lisa Allen’s Hideout Art Gallery, where coffee beans from Africa, Asia, South America, and other distant locales are roasted to provide quality coffee to customers. What’s known as “single origin chocolate,” which is composed of chocolate from one area exclusively, will also be prepared and sold at that location . And it is believed that establishment will soon be followed by similar niche businesses that will soon transform the Britton District into Oklahoma City’s newest trendy and revitalized area that will bring people to it.
Celebrations Of National Gumbo Day In Oklahoma City Area
On May 1st of next year the community of El Reno, Oklahoma, will host it’s annual “National Hamburger Day” which has been celebrated there for more than three decades, and the festivities include the cooking of what is described as the world’s largest hamburger, which weighs in at a hefty 850 pounds. And it’s possible that another culinary tradition will be commemorated there on a yearly basis as a result of the recently opened Sam’s Southern Eatery’s planned celebration of National Gumbo Day on October 12th of this year. That establishment will provide free cups of gumbo to customers who purchase meals on that date, and it’s proprietor, Yousef Elyassin, has told of how he and his staff have amassed a large supply of the ingredients that are used to prepare it. It has been said that there are as many recipes for that concoction as there are chefs in Louisiana, and the Catholic Cajuns of South Louisiana, spoke of the “ Holy Trinity” of celery, onions, and bell peppers that are usually combined with sausage, seafood, and other ingredients to make gumbo, and Elyassin said that his version has most of those components. He further stated that he has learned how to deal with crowds as a result of his operation of the popular Zam Zam in Warr Acres, where patrons have often stood in line to gain admission on celebratory occasions, and that his staff is ready for a possible onslaught on National Gumbo Day. The restaurateur further said that he looks forward to celebrating National Gumbo Day in a similar manner in the years to come.
In what may be an example of the contagion that generous gestures are said to generate, the proprietors of the Sam’s Southern Eatery in Bethany, Oklahoma, have also stated on social media that they will offer cups of their gumbo on October 12th this year to those who purchase meals at their establishment. That place, which was also recently opened, has developed a clientele that has enjoyed their flavorful offerings, and many patrons have praised their gumbo, while others have asked why it does not contain some of the ingredients that were in previous versions of it that they had been served.
In Oklahoma City, the most popular purveyor of gumbo is possibly Simeon Adda and his wife Christy, who operate the Cajun King Restaurant on 63rd Street off of MacArthur Avenue, where patrons are greeted with a buffet that includes gumbo and other tasty items that originated in Louisiana, and lunch time guests can often be seen ladling into bowls from a pot labelled “Gumbo.” And while certain Louisiana holidays such as Mardi Gras, have resulted in patrons patiently waiting for seating, Adda reports that National Gumbo Day has not traditionally been an overly busy day for him and his staff, but hopes that more customers partake of his version of gumbo this year. In time the celebration of National Gumbo Day may become part of the Oklahoma City area’s culinary traditions.
Sean Cummings Celtic Festival On October 11th And 12th In The Village
On Sunday afternoon’s Duffner Park on Hefner Road in the Village is the site of a weekly soccer game played by immigrants from West Africa who can be heard speaking in French and some African languages as they guide soccer balls down the field in a spirited manner and socialize after the game is concluded. And on the evening of Friday, October 11th and the afternoon and evening of Saturday, October 12th of this year that park will host an event that is being described as “Sean Cumming’s Celtic Festival” that will include a celebration of both Scottish and Irish cultures and traditions that will entail dancers who have mastered the steps of the traditional dances of those nations as well as the food and drink that are associated with them. Sean Cummings is the owner and operator of “Sean Cummings Irish Restaurant ” on May Avenue in Oklahoma City that pays homage to the celebrated culture of the Emerald Isle with food and drink and performers from Ireland, and the popularity of his establishment has prompted him to host an event that will bring more Celtic traditions to the Oklahoma City area. His wife, Cathy Cummings, who in her day job is mayor of the Village, owns and operates “Vito’s Ristorante” that adjoins her husband’s place. And the restaurant owner has recently explained that on both days there will be activities such as free pub games, a Gaelic Sports Booth , tents that show the colors of the Scottish clans and a beer garden. On Friday evening, beginning at 5:00 P.M., the attendees will be serenaded by a Scottish bagpiper and several dance troupes that are from the local Ladymon school of Scottish Dance. On the following day, beginning at 1:00 P.M., the entertainment will include dancers from the local McTeggart School of Irish Dance. The work of both coppersmith and blacksmiths will also be demonstrated by those who have mastered those ancient skills. The culinary fare that will be dispensed, the restaurateur reports, will be Scotch eggs bangers, mash meat pies, ox tail stew, beef stew, thick bacon, and what he describes as an “Irish version of roasted corn scones,” and bread puddings. Guinness and Killian’s Red Beer will be served as well along with a variety of soft drinks. Free parking will be available in the parking lot of the adjacent Village Baptist Church, and there is no charge for admission. In recent years, people have Scottish and Irish heritage have taken a renewed interest in the ancient culture of their respective homelands, and Cummings has planned this event to allow them and others who are interested in those colorful traditions to have a chance to become better acquainted with them. And Cummings also said that he plans to make the festival an annual event, and that he is hopeful that it will become an Oklahoma City traditions just as the Greek and Lebanese and Hispanic festivals that are held in the Oklahoma City area are.
Congresswoman Kendra Horn’s Meeting With Constituents
Congresswoman Kendra Horn Speaking With Constituents
U.S. Fifth Congressional District Congresswoman Kendra Horn met with a group of her constituents in Edmond on the morning of October 9th, 2019 at the Cha Fe Coffee Shop. Those in attendance included physicians, dentists, clergymen, and a variety of other citizens, many of whom the representative appeared to be personally acquainted with from previous interactions. The number of people attending the meeting gradually expanded, and soon chairs became in short supply, and many of the attendees stood for the duration of the gathering. The legislator said she has been working on proposed legislation dealing with health care issues, including mental health matters, and also efforts designed to limit the increase in the costs of prescription drugs. She told of a recent study conducted in her district that detailed the increasing cost of insulin in the Oklahoma City area that found that more than 25,000 senior citizens were adversely impacted by that development, and that many of them are unable to afford the supplemental insurance that most Medicare beneficiaries have, and that increasing numbers of young people afflicted by diabetes are as well. The congresswoman said that she is a proponent of the right to negotiate prices with drug companies on behalf of the citizenry as a result, stating that “drug companies have the right to make a profit, but we must ensure that people have access to the medicine they need.”
When asked by an attendee if she supported efforts to end private insurance, the lawmaker stated forcefully that she does not support such efforts. She also said that she doesn’t support efforts to extend Medicare to the entire U.S. population as several Democratic candidates for that party’s presidential nomination have advocated.
“We need to expand healthcare in Oklahoma,” Horn stated, and she lamented the estimated $7 Billion that Oklahoma has lost since it initially failed to participate in that program initiated by the Obama Administration to provide health care to all U.S. citizens. “I don’t like this program but those are our tax dollars, and I am going to participate in it,” New Jersey’s plain speaking former Republican Governor Chris Christie said when he approved his state’s participation in that health insurance program. And Horn made a similar point about the origins of the monies that fund that program when she spoke in favor of Oklahoma becoming a part of it.
When asked what about recent Congressional enactments, Horn replied that “A lot of bills passed that are just sitting in the Senate,” and she discussed the nature of several of them and the relief that they would provide if enacted into law. The lawmaker is on the House Armed Service Committee that sets policy for the U.S. Department of Defense, and is a conferee on the committee composed of members of both houses that will oversee the enactment of it officially into law, and she indicated that members of the U.S. military will receive their largest pay raise in ten years when it is enacted. While some of those present expressed divergent views on policy issues, the lawmaker said that she welcomes such disagreements and that she looks forward to hearing from all of those she represents regardless of their political philosophy or affiliation.
The Congresswoman ended the meeting by saying that she is honored to represent the citizens of the Fifth Congressional District and that she and her staff will always be available to them.
Against the Grain 