With all the turmoil and strife coming from the Middle East these days, it may be heartening to know that we can gain some sustenance and support from the region- if only gastronomically.
Based in Canton, the Chubby Chickpea (www.thechubbychickpea.com) is one of the region’s most popular caterers, commissaries and food trucks. Having learned the craft from his father, Chef Yona Shemtov, Chickpea Chief Avi Shemtov left the real estate business and took his great Israeli recipes on the road in 2010. Since then, he has won acclaim the region and world over. His latest triumph has been the successful release of the potentially-misnomered Single Guy Cookbook, a guide that has less to do with gender or marital status as it does with wanting to have recipes presented in a simple (but not overly simplistic) form that allows and encourages anyone to try their hand in the kitchen and impress (dates, parents, etc.) with the results.
While he is happily married with children, Shemtov is still able to produce simply great food! From chickpea-based treats like freshly-made falafel (which he fittingly calls “vegetarian balls of happiness”) to his personal favorite – the sesame candy known as halvah – and his “best in the world” family recipe for the egg-based stew known as Shakshuka, Shemtov knows how to deliver authentic Israeli and Middle Eastern fare in a way that invites and encourages both native eaters and newbies into the fold. Among the many popular items on his rolling menu are house-made wraps of Laffa bread with both hummus and garlicky tahini over crisp Israeli salad (made from local produce from Sharon’s famed Ward’s Berry Farm and offered with Israeli pickles and house-made hot sauce on the side), melt-in-your-mouth fried eggplant, and tender marinated kosher chicken cubed on kebabs, sliced as shawarma (traditional or Buffalo style) or breaded and fried as schnitzel. The Chickpea also offers seasoned meatballs known as Albondigas and Chickpea polenta fries w/ horseradish mayo (both of which are a must!). In another effort to support other purveyors, the Chickpea makes such seasonal sensations as their Marzen spring rolls (which braises kale and greens in Blue Hills Brewery beer and then puts it all in an egg roll with house-cured lamb) and Sam Summer blossoms (which are actual flowers battered in Sam Adams’ seasonal brew). The sub-menu of wraps includes such cutely-named (and delicious) options as the titular Chubby Chickpea (falafel and shawarma), The Chubby Veggie (falafel and eggplant) and the Chiseled Chickpea (chicken kebab and falafel). For those who want to emulate the truck’s title, many of the items are available as filling plates or in rice bowl form with vegetarian pilaf.
No matter what you order, be sure to wash it down with a freshly-squeezed frozen Limonana (lemon and Mediterranean mint beverage) and to save a bit of room for a bite of house-made Baklava (or the halvah, when available). Even if you are not in for a whole meal, these two options are great for whenever you need to cool down or add a bit of sweetness to your day.
The world of fast food has not done the American waistline any favors. That is why it is so good to know that a food spot named “Chubby” can give you so much yum for so little tum-tum!