Amman Eats the Local Way

Writing about Jordan isn't easy for me once I've traveled back to London.  Somehow, smelling the scent of the lemon blossoms on the trees outside wafting through the open windows and hearing the childlike tinny tune that the gas canister truck plays over and over as he roams the streets looking for customers, help bring Amman to life in my writing.  Looking out at my very English garden with the roses just budding, a desk full of mail that came when we were away, and my darling cat begging for my full attention, just doesn't place the same magical spell on me. Alas, the couple of things I found during my last week in Amman deserve a magical touch  because they were so much fun, so for my 100th blog post I'll do my very best!Saturday is my favorite day of the week in Amman. After the extreme hush of Friday, Saturday wakes up with a long stretch and leisurely goes about its business ending with a bang as everyone hits the streets on for a big night out on the town. We woke up early last week to get a cheap breakfast in Abdoun (the very ritzy, foreigner-filled neighborhood). Family Restaurant has been around in one form or another since 1920.  From the outside it looks a little dodgy with its makeshift plastic-fronted extension on the front, but inside you know you're going to get something special.  The front area is reserved mostly for men sitting in groups drinking tea, smoking and clicking through their worry beads, while inside is the more genteel sitting area with a terrific view of the take-away counter humming a top speed. Giant vats of chickpeas and hummus, containers of garlic sauce, bright fresh chilli lemon sauce, a pot of foul.  To take some home you pick up the containers you want filled from the counter and hand them over when it's your turn (the line does not move quickly). I noticed one woman standing to the side - apparently she had spoken to the manager who held her place in line for her because she didn't want to be in between the men.  This is not a posh place despite its posh address and I absolutely loved every minute of sitting and watching the waiters in their blue uniforms buzz around the room with trays of tea and plate after plate of delicious food.  I'm not enough of a hummus expert to know why their particular recipe is so good. Is it the lemon?  The amount of tahini?  The garlic?   Suffice to say, it's now my favorite spot in Amman for a tub of the stuff and a small paper bag full of hot greasy balls of falafel. Apparently, they also offer a mean grilled chicken liver (a little early in the day for me to stomach) and eggs any way you'd like them.   No utensils were offered, just lots of bread which I'm still clumsy with.  I can't seem to get in and scoop up the food without spilling it over the sides of the dish and not really getting much into my waiting mouth. My favorite new way to eat my hummus - scooped up in a giant wedge of raw onion.