Documentary filmmaker Ari Cohen travels from the depths of the Holy Land to some of the greatest falafel restos in Europe and North America, engaging in a lighthearted culinary escapade as well as an earnest questioning of whether the mighty falafel is the grassroots gateway to peace and compromise.

“Falafel!, Give Peas a Chance!” takes veteran filmmaker Ari A. Cohen all over the Middle East in order to discover the true potential behind the falafel (a deep-fried bean ball) and its possible role as a gateway to peaceful co-existence in the region.
Tracing back the long history of this common street food from the time of the pharaohs to the present, ”Falafel! “ explores the hotly disputed origins of the falafel, between Israelis who claim the savory snack as its national food and other Arab nations who claim it has been wrongly appropriated, thus mirroring issues of the larger Middle Eastern conflict.
Heading out into the streets, sidewalks, kitchens, vending carts and homes of experts and everyday people, Cohen learns first-hand how the unassuming and ubiquitous dish has brought people together in far-off places – such as Toronto, New York and Paris – and tries to see whether similar unity can be achieved in the Middle East, as well. With every new bite and each new kitchen he is humbly invited into, Cohen presents fascinating stories that are tied to nostalgia, loss, happiness, generosity and the universal need for rights, mutual respect and dignity.

Producer and director Ari A. Cohen was born in Morocco and lives in Montreal. As a director, he has created acclaimed films and television series including Women Warriors (19-part series for CBC, Radio Canada, and CTV), Red Carpet for the Sun: Irving Layton (CBC), I Want to be Happy: The Jackie Washington Story (BRAVO!), The World’s a Stage with John Neville (BRAVO!, TV3 Spain), The Instrument Bank (BRAVO!, Gemini nomination: Best Performing Arts Program),  and The Uluit (APTN, Gemini nomination: Best Documentary Series). 

As a Producer, Ari has produced award-winning documentaries including Being Osama (CBC’s A Passionate Eye, Al Jazeera, RDI), Too Colorful for the League: A History of Blacks in Hockey (CBC), and Schmelvis: Searching for the King’s Jewish Roots.

(by the way, is that popcorn served as a side in the picture?)

Running cars with gas made from falafel oil is one of several Israeli inventions waiting for investors at Israel’s first-ever patent exhibition in September. The “falafel fuel” bio-diesel idea is being promoted by Israeli scientists Dr. Sobhi Basheer and Dr. Ahmed Tafesh of TransBiodiesel, who have developed a new process to turn fast-food oil into diesel fuel.

But is this idea original, or only an adaptation of what was happening in the streets. For some time the leftover oil from falafel hasbeen powering taxi cars in Gaza. According to Reuters, Gaza’s taxi drivers say the used falafel oil works much better than the fresh stuff smuggled in from the Gaza-Egypt border.

Perhaps the scientists came up with the idea after traveling in a falafel powered taxi

Past May 15 it was Hummus day, a festivity created by the entrepreneur and IDF soldier, 18-year-old Ben Lang, a recent American immigrant to Israel. His next try was International Falafel Day when he manage to get thousands to eat Falafel, tweet (#falafelday), photographing and Facebooking about falafel, that favorite Middle Eastern fried chickpea treat.

Hummus Day, said Lang, was a sorely underplanned event, and he wondered how far he could get with a bit more preparation, given that hummus-related mentions and events “exploded on the event day itself.”

Falafels don´t need to have wrap in a Pita Bread, is possible to make your own Wrap using some roasted vegetables:

3 cups peeled courgette (zucchini)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Pinch cayenne
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flax meal*
- Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth.
- Add flax meal and blend again until smooth.
- Pour mixture onto 2 dehydrator sheets and spread evenly into a circle on each.
- Dehydrate for 8 hours at 105 degrees F, or until able to peel of the sheet.
- Once the dehydrator sheets are removed, return to the dehydrator for 30 – 60 mins, until both sides are dry to the touch but still pliable.
* Flax meal is flax seed that have been ground in a coffee grinder or similar, to produce a fine flour.

Born in Kuwait, Sameh Wadi brings the flavors of the Mediterranean to our Midwestern palates, and returning from a big trip he arrive with a new menu full of surprises.

“I got this idea for falafel soup,” said Wadi. “It’s funny because I didn’t have falafel on my trip. I didn’t even have soup. But I thought the flavors that you find in a falafel would be good in a soup.”

The Falafel 5K is becoming one of the signature Asheville footraces. The race is now in its fifth year as part of the Asheville Track Club’s Grand Prix Series and coincides with Celebration Israel, which starts at 11 a.m. at Congregation Beth Israel on Murdock Street.

What: Fifth annual Falafel 5K race presented by Mission Healthcare and Jus’ Running.

When: The race starts at 10 a.m. Sunday.

Where: Starts and finishes at Asheville Jewish Community Center, 236 Charlotte St.

Entry fee: $30 for 5K, $10 for Kids Fun Run online at www.imathlete.com through tonight. Packet pickup is 4-6 p.m. Friday at the Asheville JCC and 8 a.m. Sunday