Eating Ethiopian Style

Recently, we ate Ethiopian food. We thought it might be fun to try something new with the kids. My husband, Ben and I, love everything spicy. We did not take into consideration that the childrens' bellies might not handle the food well. Our reservations at the Blue Nile had us sitting at the woven basket style tables giving us a more authentic feel. The kids liked the empenada appetizer and ate the coriander chutney sauce, even though it was green and defied their ideas about eating all green foods like broccoli and salad. They sampled various meats with names too difficult to pronounce, scooping them up with their bubbled flat bread, meat juices dripping down their hands and staining their fingernails with spicy scents. Silverware is not provided, so everything is eaten by hand using the flat bread as an eating tool. Near the end of the meal, all the girls shuffled to the singular bathroom simultaneously complaining of burning bellies. Apparently Ethiopian food produces results on the digestive system that McDonalds and Wendy's does not. We thought a quick trip to Denise's ice cream might ease the digestive woes with flavors like 'salty caramel' and 'chai tea' or 'rice pudding', but not so. At the end of the night, we tucked one daughter into bed with a sad face and belly-ache, realizing that not all food adventures work with children. Our friends Geoff and Karen, however, agree with us that Ethiopian food was still a big hit.