It's been a while since I've cooked Ethiopian food. According to notes I made in my cookbook, it's been over 3 years! Wow, time sure flies!My first introduction to this food was through the TV show and cookbook of Jeff Smith, the Frugal Gourmet. I really enjoyed his simplistic cooking and the wide variety of recipes he shared.Let me say that my Ethiopian food is probably not very authentic. Again, my recipes have been taken from Jeff Smith's book, which may stray somewhat from the real recipes. But let's be clear: this book was published in the 1990's, and at that time in Canada and even I'm guessing the United States, there was not the widespread availability of foods that exists today. Plus, this was at a time before Google, and before Amazon.com.Some novels I've read over the years which mention Ethiopian food make me think that the food is often spicier than how I prepare it. Unfortunately, I've never been to Ethiopia, nor have I eaten Ethiopian food. While it may be easier to find in North America now that it was in the 1990's, here in Naruto, Japan it is non-existent.Preparing this food takes a bit of time, but thankfully all the steps are pretty easy. Two major sauces are required for most of the recipes; the sauces are easy to make but require many ingredients and also take some time to make.Once the sauces are prepared, most other dishes are fairly easy to cook.In the picture above, from left to right are: cooked greens with cheese and spices, chicken and onions, and finally, lentils. At the bottom of the picture are the flat breads, Injera.One of the things I love about Ethiopian food is that it is eaten by hand. Diners use pieces of bread to grab the other foods, and to soak up the liquids from the foods.Thankfully we have some leftovers which means tomorrow's lunch will be an event to look forward to. If you've never tried this food, you should. Either visit a restaurant, or cook some at home. If you have access to Ethiopian foods or a market, feel free to send me some of them as a present. It will be most welcome!