Remember the mid-80's famine in Ethiopia? Million dead, 7 million starving. Remember Geldof's 'Band Aid'? If you're old enough to remember, you'll find it really bizarre to think of Ethiopia as a culinary destination... but think you should! Ethiopian food is one of the world's best!

Every Ethiopian meal centers around injera. Basically a pancake — or more like a really, really, big, slightly sour pancake. And spongy... which is all the better to sop up the dozen veggies & meat dishes symmetrically arranged on top of the monster pancake. In a country where utensils are scarce, this pancake's not only the plate, but also fork, spoon & possibly a napkin.

And those dozen dishes on top... sautéed spinach with caramelized onions, fried green beans with garlic, lentils with spicy Indian-like spices & grilled chicken with sweet yoghurt sauce. And! All veggies are organic & meat hormone-free & grass fed -- there's no money for fancy pesticides or factory farms.

Angelinos can go to anyone of 3 Ethiopian restaurants on Fairfax between Pico & Olympic. And Chicagoans should check out Mama Desda's. (It may be on Halsted.) At any of these places, I'd recommend ordering a veggie or meat mixed platter & Tej, a honey wine.

And interesting, just learned the famine was the result of failed land reforms by Ethiopia's short-lived communist government.