Food porn, Afghan style.

Last night, wcg and I went to the Helmand, an Afghan restaurant just a couple of blocks from my house. We'd both heard about this place for a while, and I'd gotten a personal recommendation from a guy who runs a fast-food place called Afghan Kabob. (He's related to the Helmand people somehow, I think.) I was expecting something a lot like Afghan Kabob, only with a liquor license - kabobs, rice, cucumber-and-yogurt salads, simple tasty food.

Not quite.

I started my meal with kaddo borawni, not because it looked like it was going to be the sort of thing I usually like, but because it's a dish the restaurant is famous for. I got several large pieces of golden orange baked pumpkin, served on a pool of a sharp garlicky yogurt sauce. I would never have dreamed of mixing those flavors together - sweet, sharp, garlic - but the intense collision of flavors worked marvelously in a way I can't even begin to explain. I wouldn't want to eat more than an appetizer-sized portion - I think my brain would probably leak out my ears - but in a small, concentrated dose it was incredibly good. Mmm.

For the main course, I had korma mahi, sea bass stewed in ginger, with mint, whole peeled tomatoes, and red potatoes, served with Afghan-style rice studded with cardamom seeds and the occasional raisin. I wanted to climb up on the table and roll around in my plate. The sea bass had a bit of a seared crust, and then melted away in my mouth. The sauce was intensely flavorful without being too spicy - except for maybe the time I bit down on an unidentified chunk of vegetable and discovered it to be fresh ginger root. Apparently when they say "stewed with ginger," they mean "stewed with ginger." And I couldn't stop eating the delicately spiced rice even after I was groaningly full.

wcg, who must have a hollow leg, wanted to order the special dessert of the house - vanilla ice cream mixed with fresh-ground cardamom, dates, dried figs, and fresh mango. He got two spoons, but I couldn't manage more than a few bites. I love spice-flavored ice cream, and this was no exception. The little chunks of dried fruit were delicious, although I would've preferred the mango flavor to come through a bit more strongly.

And the bill, for this incredible three-course gourmet feast (plus a beer for me and iced tea for wcg)? $43. Forty-three dollars. You'd better believe I'm going to go back, and back, and back.

Perfect summer supper.

New Orleans barbecued shrimp.
Corn on the cob with butter, salt, and pepper.
Garlic bread.
Mixed greens with balsamic vinaigrette.
McHenry Old Baltimore Style Beer.