Monday, May 23, 2011
BirdFeeder Food and Travels: The Best Mexican Breakfast EVER- Esparanza's
BirdFeeder Food and Travels: The Best Mexican Breakfast EVER- Esparanza's: "I have traveled all over the U.S. searching for the best places to eat. I love traditional Mexican breakfast, and I try all the restaurants ..."
The Best Mexican Breakfast EVER- Esparanza's
I have traveled all over the U.S. searching for the best places to eat. I love traditional Mexican breakfast, and I try all the restaurants that come recommended to me. Time and time again I visit places that just can not hold a candle to Esperanza's located here in my very own hometown. Esperanza's is a Mexican Bakery and Cafe located at 2122 N. Main Street, Fort Worth, Texas. It has a second location on 1601 Park Place Ave, Fort Worth, Texas. It was first open in 1973 by the same family who opened Joe T. Garcia's. The food is absolutely delicious. From breakfast tacos to their pancakes, they never fail to impress me. They have the best refried beans I have ever encountered, their breakfast potatoes are sublime, their bacon is unbelievable, and their pancakes will knock your socks off... and that's just their breakfast! Here are a few of our favorites.
My personal favorite... this year:
Chilaquiles Verde:
Strips of corn tortilla fried, scrambled with eggs, a tomatillo sauce is added and topped with white cheese. It comes with their fabulous refried beans and breakfast potatoes.
My kids always order Esperanza's pancakes. I don't know what they do to make them so much better than others, but they rock. Liam, who LOVES breakfast tacos always waivers between the two. We finally found a compromise... order one taco and two pancakes. He still had leftovers, but he was happy. Adin ordered one pancake and a side of bacon. Remy ordered just pancakes. Zach, my nephew, ordered the three pancakes and bacon, and he thought the pancakes were so delicious he didn't even need syrup!
Mike's go to breakfast is huevos rancheros. He loves it here! It is two fried eggs sitting on a tostada with ranchero sauce. He also adds bacon with his order, but you can add grilled ham or barbacoa.
My dad always starts his breakfast off with a bowl of menudo. I haven't enjoyed a bowl of this soup, but it comes highly recommended. My mom is a fan of the papas con huevos, Natalie, my sister, loves their Chorizo con papas. I could go on and on. I have not had a bad meal there. Even their oatmeal is delicious! Their salsa is fresh, their coffee hot, and my kids swear by their chocolate milk! Go try it for your self! If you know of a place that can rival this one, please let me know. I would love to put the place to the test! You can check out their website. I am posting the link below!
http://www.joets.com/
http://www.joets.com/pdf/menu.pdf
My personal favorite... this year:
Strips of corn tortilla fried, scrambled with eggs, a tomatillo sauce is added and topped with white cheese. It comes with their fabulous refried beans and breakfast potatoes.
My dad always starts his breakfast off with a bowl of menudo. I haven't enjoyed a bowl of this soup, but it comes highly recommended. My mom is a fan of the papas con huevos, Natalie, my sister, loves their Chorizo con papas. I could go on and on. I have not had a bad meal there. Even their oatmeal is delicious! Their salsa is fresh, their coffee hot, and my kids swear by their chocolate milk! Go try it for your self! If you know of a place that can rival this one, please let me know. I would love to put the place to the test! You can check out their website. I am posting the link below!
http://www.joets.com/
http://www.joets.com/pdf/menu.pdf
Saturday, May 7, 2011
PIZZA Any Which Way
Tonight I had to feed 5 kids. My sister offered to pick up a pizza, but what fun is that? I have a great pizza crust recipe, so why not let each kid make their own pizza? Liam's automatic choice was macaroni and cheese pizza. Um, ok. Sure. I bought a box of organic white cheddar mac n cheese, cooked it, piled it on the crust, sprinkled it with a little extra cheese and voila.
Austin chose turkey pepperoni, a little red sauce, and cheese. Easy peasy, but the best one was mine. =-) Ok, for me I made a larger pizza so I could share with my honey when he gets home.
I sauteed a little red onion, green bell pepper, baby portobello mushrooms, and chopped garlic.I spread a little organic red sauce on my luscious crust, sprinkled some mozzarella all over and placed it on a pizza pan. I baked it at 475 for about 12 minutes and the perfect pie was ready.
3 tbsp yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
5 cups flour
1 tsp dried dill weed
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
In a kitchen mixer with bread attachment, mix warm water with yeast and sugar. Let it sit about 5 minutes. When it has bubbled up add 4 cups of flour and dill while mixing. Dissolve the salt into the remaining water and add it. Add more flour as necessary. Finally add in the olive oil. Knead on medium speed for 10 minutes. Remove from the bowl onto a floured surface. Sprinkle with flour and fold it over a few times. Place it in an oiled bowl. Let it sit in a warm dry place for 2 hours to rise. Preheat oven to 475. Once it has risen, place on floured surface and knead again. Separate into sections. (I made 4 small ones and 1 big one-- you can make 3 medium pizzas.) Place on a pizza pan or stone. Add your toppings and bake until crust begins to brown. Enjoy!
Austin chose turkey pepperoni, a little red sauce, and cheese. Easy peasy, but the best one was mine. =-) Ok, for me I made a larger pizza so I could share with my honey when he gets home.
I sauteed a little red onion, green bell pepper, baby portobello mushrooms, and chopped garlic.I spread a little organic red sauce on my luscious crust, sprinkled some mozzarella all over and placed it on a pizza pan. I baked it at 475 for about 12 minutes and the perfect pie was ready.
Crust Ingredients
3 tbsp yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
5 cups flour
1 tsp dried dill weed
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
In a kitchen mixer with bread attachment, mix warm water with yeast and sugar. Let it sit about 5 minutes. When it has bubbled up add 4 cups of flour and dill while mixing. Dissolve the salt into the remaining water and add it. Add more flour as necessary. Finally add in the olive oil. Knead on medium speed for 10 minutes. Remove from the bowl onto a floured surface. Sprinkle with flour and fold it over a few times. Place it in an oiled bowl. Let it sit in a warm dry place for 2 hours to rise. Preheat oven to 475. Once it has risen, place on floured surface and knead again. Separate into sections. (I made 4 small ones and 1 big one-- you can make 3 medium pizzas.) Place on a pizza pan or stone. Add your toppings and bake until crust begins to brown. Enjoy!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Dutch's
My wonderful neighbor Crystal brought the Texas Bound Great Eats! Magazine over to my house. Inside we found listed the top 15 burgers in Texas. Number 8 the Bacon and Bleu Cheese Burger was located in little ol' Fort Worth, less than 15 minutes from my home. All this time I have been living 15 minutes from a top ten burger and I never knew!!! This burger is found at Dutch's right next to the TCU campus on University. I finally found someone, over the age of 9, to accompany me there so off I went.
I arrived before Mrs. Janny Cooper, so I perused the menu. All my little squids were starving, and the menu, to my delight, was so much more than burgers. Sitting right next to the now famous number 5 was a little known number 6... the chicken and roasted green chili sandwich.
Hmmm, what to do, what to do? A ha! Janny had not arrived, so I made an executive decision. I would order both the burger and the chicken sandwich, and she would have to eat half of each. Wise decision. I added the fries to each sandwich and a drink. Liam and Remy both chose the Dutch's minis (two sliders), and Adin ordered the hot dog off the kids menu. All three came with a side of choice (chips, tater tots, fries, onion rings or fruit, and a drink. I added two more drinks for Janny and me, and our grand total was under $35, so wallet friendly.
My food arrived before Janny did, but I didn't have to curse her name. She followed soon after my name was called. I just had time to split each sandwich and prepare our baskets.
Each sandwich is served on a sweet bun. In fact, after I tasted the sweetness, I noticed the staff wearing shirts claiming the "sweetest buns". I know, I'm observant, but that didn't matter. What mattered was the greatness sitting in front of me. The hamburger was, of course, fabulous, but the chicken sandwich was heaven. It was just the perfect combination of herbed mayo, the slightly sweet bun, and the peppery goodness of the green chili. The chicken was moist and tender. This is totally a craveable sandwich. I was sad that Mike wasn't there for me to share the food with, but I was glad that I had a great excuse to come back!
Excellent, two thumbs up! Now I can check 2 places off the list (Twisted Root was number 15), and only 13 more to go!! =-)
Bon appetite, go try Dutch's for yourself!
xxoo
I arrived before Mrs. Janny Cooper, so I perused the menu. All my little squids were starving, and the menu, to my delight, was so much more than burgers. Sitting right next to the now famous number 5 was a little known number 6... the chicken and roasted green chili sandwich.
Hmmm, what to do, what to do? A ha! Janny had not arrived, so I made an executive decision. I would order both the burger and the chicken sandwich, and she would have to eat half of each. Wise decision. I added the fries to each sandwich and a drink. Liam and Remy both chose the Dutch's minis (two sliders), and Adin ordered the hot dog off the kids menu. All three came with a side of choice (chips, tater tots, fries, onion rings or fruit, and a drink. I added two more drinks for Janny and me, and our grand total was under $35, so wallet friendly.
My food arrived before Janny did, but I didn't have to curse her name. She followed soon after my name was called. I just had time to split each sandwich and prepare our baskets.
Each sandwich is served on a sweet bun. In fact, after I tasted the sweetness, I noticed the staff wearing shirts claiming the "sweetest buns". I know, I'm observant, but that didn't matter. What mattered was the greatness sitting in front of me. The hamburger was, of course, fabulous, but the chicken sandwich was heaven. It was just the perfect combination of herbed mayo, the slightly sweet bun, and the peppery goodness of the green chili. The chicken was moist and tender. This is totally a craveable sandwich. I was sad that Mike wasn't there for me to share the food with, but I was glad that I had a great excuse to come back!
Excellent, two thumbs up! Now I can check 2 places off the list (Twisted Root was number 15), and only 13 more to go!! =-)
Bon appetite, go try Dutch's for yourself!
xxoo
Thursday, March 31, 2011
The Jerk!
Ahh, I am finally sitting down to blog! I have been inundated with great food this month. As soon as I get the pictures from my belated birthday fete I will post about that smorgasbord of yummy goodness. I am also excited that my Honey is taking me on a hot date this weekend, and we will be able to blog about Nonna Tata's! Stay tuned for those blogs!
I spent the first part of March out of town, I was only home a short time when Mike left to go out of town for work. This put a damper on our cooking together, but it gave me time to contemplate what I wanted him to fix for me when he came back home. Finally, after all the soccer games on Saturday, Mike took us to our favorite place... Central Market. They were in the middle of an Eat the Heat event so there was an assortment of peppers and peppered goods throughout the store... and samples! We hit the jackpot! I had already asked Mike to make Caribbean Jerk chicken, but we needed to pick up some jerk, and Central Market sells it in bulk. This is really the cheapest way to buy spices, FYI. We bought several ounces for $1.44.
We couldn't just run in and buy the seasoning, we had to check everything out. We were going to pick up some shrimp to also throw on the grill, but when we got to the seafood counter we noticed a treat we couldn't resist... bacon wrapped shrimp stuffed with a New Mexico green chili. Grabbing some fresh herbs, chicken breasts for us and drumsticks for the kids, and of course some good beer (Hofbrau Original Lager), we headed home with our bounty.
I decided I would make cilantro lime rice to accompany the chicken, so my job was easy.
I melted a tablespoon of butter in a medium pot and threw in a cup of rice. I toasted the rice and then added the juice of one lime and a teaspoon of salt. I cooked it for about a minute and added 1 and 3/4 cups of water. I brought the water to a boil and then I covered it. I turned the temperature down to low and left it cook for about 20 minutes and then turned off the heat. I chopped up a handful of cilantro and tossed it into the rice. Voila.
Mike was assigned the chicken and shrimp. He decided he would trick it up a little and after rubbing the chicken with extra virgin olive oil he made a marinade with honey, about one and a half tablespoons jerk seasoning, and a little Guinness we had on hand. He brushed it all over the chicken breasts. (The jerk is a little too spicy for the kids, so we just rubbed their drumsticks with evoo and kosher salt.)
He then took it out to the grill and proceeded to make Mike magic. He continued basting the breasts with the marinade throughout the cooking process. All I could do was rub my hands in anticipation! Finally, he came in with all the goodies.
We started off the meal with the shrimp which were fantastic. The shrimp were tender and sweet and combined with the saltiness of the bacon and the bite of the pepper were little bites of amazing goodness.
We moved on to the chicken. The honey caramelized on the chicken binding the jerk to it. It was incredible. The sweetness of the cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and ginger combined with the savory onions, chili, garlic, black pepper, and paprika pulled together an amazing dish. This was one for the books! Good job Mikey!
I spent the first part of March out of town, I was only home a short time when Mike left to go out of town for work. This put a damper on our cooking together, but it gave me time to contemplate what I wanted him to fix for me when he came back home. Finally, after all the soccer games on Saturday, Mike took us to our favorite place... Central Market. They were in the middle of an Eat the Heat event so there was an assortment of peppers and peppered goods throughout the store... and samples! We hit the jackpot! I had already asked Mike to make Caribbean Jerk chicken, but we needed to pick up some jerk, and Central Market sells it in bulk. This is really the cheapest way to buy spices, FYI. We bought several ounces for $1.44.
We couldn't just run in and buy the seasoning, we had to check everything out. We were going to pick up some shrimp to also throw on the grill, but when we got to the seafood counter we noticed a treat we couldn't resist... bacon wrapped shrimp stuffed with a New Mexico green chili. Grabbing some fresh herbs, chicken breasts for us and drumsticks for the kids, and of course some good beer (Hofbrau Original Lager), we headed home with our bounty.
I decided I would make cilantro lime rice to accompany the chicken, so my job was easy.
I melted a tablespoon of butter in a medium pot and threw in a cup of rice. I toasted the rice and then added the juice of one lime and a teaspoon of salt. I cooked it for about a minute and added 1 and 3/4 cups of water. I brought the water to a boil and then I covered it. I turned the temperature down to low and left it cook for about 20 minutes and then turned off the heat. I chopped up a handful of cilantro and tossed it into the rice. Voila.
Mike was assigned the chicken and shrimp. He decided he would trick it up a little and after rubbing the chicken with extra virgin olive oil he made a marinade with honey, about one and a half tablespoons jerk seasoning, and a little Guinness we had on hand. He brushed it all over the chicken breasts. (The jerk is a little too spicy for the kids, so we just rubbed their drumsticks with evoo and kosher salt.)
He then took it out to the grill and proceeded to make Mike magic. He continued basting the breasts with the marinade throughout the cooking process. All I could do was rub my hands in anticipation! Finally, he came in with all the goodies.
We started off the meal with the shrimp which were fantastic. The shrimp were tender and sweet and combined with the saltiness of the bacon and the bite of the pepper were little bites of amazing goodness.
We moved on to the chicken. The honey caramelized on the chicken binding the jerk to it. It was incredible. The sweetness of the cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and ginger combined with the savory onions, chili, garlic, black pepper, and paprika pulled together an amazing dish. This was one for the books! Good job Mikey!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
In the spirit of our favorite green holiday my Honey and I decided a good ol' Irish stew would be the way to go for dinner. Now, wanting to keep it authentic I had to google a good recipe. I found one the included both red wine and Guinness, so you know it had to be good. I found the recipe at :
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/irish_beef_stew/
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/irish_beef_stew/
 |
| This was our creation. =-) |
Of course, I didn't follow it exactly. I didn't have tomato paste, so instead of adding the paste and sugar and Worcestershire I substituted ketchup. I used red potatoes instead of russet, and I used round steak (from the side of beef we purchased). I made sure to tenderize it first, since round steak can be tough.
I also didn't have two hours to devote to cooking the stew, so once I sauteed the veggies for 20 minutes I went ahead and threw them into the pot to finish cooking. I cooked the stew a total of an hour and it was still delicious.
I served it with a nice chilled Killian's Irish Red and a loaf of potato rosemary bread. I also made a side of broccoli since my kids needed a green side, and this is the green holiday. =-) Slainte!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
131 Main Restaurant-- Mooresville
So here I am again on the road. This time my work has brought me to Mooresville, North Carolina. I'm here with several colleagues, and I have had each evening free for dinner-- which is rarely the case when I am working. I am also fortunate that my lovely cousin Becky lives near by and I have been able to enjoy several meals with her. I know I have said it before, but I come from a long line of Foodies, and Becky is no exception. You know, some people fawn over rock stars, some people get excited over celebrities, I get thrilled when I am in the company of a foodie. The whole time I have been here I have been looking for a place to blog about. Last night Dorothy (another foodie), a friend I am working with here, visited a restaurant that came highly recommended, but failed to inspire me.
Tonight Becky recommended 131 Main Restaurant in located in the Lake Norman area. She emailed me a copy of their menu. Stated on the bottom was what convinced me this was the place to go.
"At 131 MAIN, we take freshness so seriously that we don’t even have a freezer for our food! All of our fish and steaks are cut in-house daily and our recipes are made from scratch. "
Who wouldn't be inspired by that declaration? I'm all in!
Becky picked me up and along with her lovely daughter Emily we made our way to the restaurant. Becky accidentally gave me a little tour of a quaint town nearby called Davidson, NC. For those of you who have never visited North Carolina, this is a gorgeous state, so I didn't mind our detour. =-)
We finally made it to the restaurant and were quickly seated. After a few questions we quickly placed a order for an appetizer. The server recommended the Double Dip. He said it was the most popular appetizer on the menu. It sounded delicious- homemade guacamole, queso, and salsa. This queso is not what most people think of when they hear queso.
From what I could taste it was a mixture of shredded cheddar, mayonnaise, jalapenos, cilantro, and worcestershire sauce. It was incredibly delicious. It was spicy, tangy, and creamy. I am not a huge fan of mayonnaise, but the chef created a masterpiece. Try it. You'll like it. The guacamole was great, and the salsa was tasty.
I ordered a locally brewed beer Olde Mecklenburg “Copper". Hmmm. Beer. This is an excellent beer, and the story behind it is an interesting bit of trivia. Learn more about it at:
http://www.oldemeckbrew.com/Beer/index.php
Beer is good, especially when it is accompanied by chips and salsa. But I digress. Let me move on to our main courses.
Two items caught my eye on the menu when Becky first sent it to me. It just so happened that the server recommended the one I ordered, and Becky ordered the second. Perfect!! Have I mentioned how smart Becky is?
I ordered the Grilled NC Trout. It was served with a wild rice salad and an herbed aioli.
The wild rice salad was something totally new to me. It was a mix of wild rice, pecans, and golden raisins and tossed in a vinaigrette. Now, for all those that know me, you know I am not a fan of raisins. So, of course I went around them to taste the salad. It was excellent. This is the kind of item that could easily go wrong, but the fresh ingredients and care with which it was made created blend of textures and flavors that danced over the tongue. The trout was lightly seasoned, fresh and flaky. The aioli was the perfect compliment to the fish. It was garlicky and creamy and all around yum, but to be honest, the fish was so good it didn't need anything extra.
Another creative salad that drew Becky to the restaurant is the P&G Cole Slaw.
It is a unique cole slaw with a Thai flare. The cole slaw looks like the typical dish except it is garnished with peanuts. But one bite has flavor exploding. It has a strong ginger flavor that is complimented by the creaminess of the dressing. I can see why this one item would have you coming back over and over.
In addition to the Cole Slaw Becky ordered the Roasted Chicken for her and Precious Emily.
The chicken is a half chicken that is roasted in herbs and served in its own juices. Because my cousin loves me, she let me try her chicken. It was juicy, a perfect blend of herbs and spices, and all around wonderful.
I must say this restaurant was the highlight of my trip. I'm not saying the other places weren't good, they were, it is just that this place really shined. Fresh ingredients really do make a difference. You can tell a lot of love was put into the preparation of this food.
Thank you Becky for treating me to such a wonderful meal! And thank you Emily for being the best dinner companion EVER!!!! xxoo
I must take a moment to mention the waitstaff. The service wasn't perfect, but everything was brought out in a timely manner. They all seemed to work together as a team to bring the dinner the best experience. They were knowledgeable about the menu and happy to answer any questions. Several different servers brought out our food or beverages to us, some tried to bring things we didn't order, but all in all it was good service. =-)
This is going on my "Must Visit Again List."
131 Main has four locations in North Carolina. You can find out more about it at http://www.131-main.com.
 |
| Dorothy and I enjoying a drink the night before. |
Tonight Becky recommended 131 Main Restaurant in located in the Lake Norman area. She emailed me a copy of their menu. Stated on the bottom was what convinced me this was the place to go.
"At 131 MAIN, we take freshness so seriously that we don’t even have a freezer for our food! All of our fish and steaks are cut in-house daily and our recipes are made from scratch. "
Who wouldn't be inspired by that declaration? I'm all in!
Becky picked me up and along with her lovely daughter Emily we made our way to the restaurant. Becky accidentally gave me a little tour of a quaint town nearby called Davidson, NC. For those of you who have never visited North Carolina, this is a gorgeous state, so I didn't mind our detour. =-)
We finally made it to the restaurant and were quickly seated. After a few questions we quickly placed a order for an appetizer. The server recommended the Double Dip. He said it was the most popular appetizer on the menu. It sounded delicious- homemade guacamole, queso, and salsa. This queso is not what most people think of when they hear queso.
I ordered a locally brewed beer Olde Mecklenburg “Copper". Hmmm. Beer. This is an excellent beer, and the story behind it is an interesting bit of trivia. Learn more about it at:
http://www.oldemeckbrew.com/Beer/index.php
Beer is good, especially when it is accompanied by chips and salsa. But I digress. Let me move on to our main courses.
Two items caught my eye on the menu when Becky first sent it to me. It just so happened that the server recommended the one I ordered, and Becky ordered the second. Perfect!! Have I mentioned how smart Becky is?
The wild rice salad was something totally new to me. It was a mix of wild rice, pecans, and golden raisins and tossed in a vinaigrette. Now, for all those that know me, you know I am not a fan of raisins. So, of course I went around them to taste the salad. It was excellent. This is the kind of item that could easily go wrong, but the fresh ingredients and care with which it was made created blend of textures and flavors that danced over the tongue. The trout was lightly seasoned, fresh and flaky. The aioli was the perfect compliment to the fish. It was garlicky and creamy and all around yum, but to be honest, the fish was so good it didn't need anything extra.
Another creative salad that drew Becky to the restaurant is the P&G Cole Slaw.
It is a unique cole slaw with a Thai flare. The cole slaw looks like the typical dish except it is garnished with peanuts. But one bite has flavor exploding. It has a strong ginger flavor that is complimented by the creaminess of the dressing. I can see why this one item would have you coming back over and over.
In addition to the Cole Slaw Becky ordered the Roasted Chicken for her and Precious Emily.
I must say this restaurant was the highlight of my trip. I'm not saying the other places weren't good, they were, it is just that this place really shined. Fresh ingredients really do make a difference. You can tell a lot of love was put into the preparation of this food.
Thank you Becky for treating me to such a wonderful meal! And thank you Emily for being the best dinner companion EVER!!!! xxoo
I must take a moment to mention the waitstaff. The service wasn't perfect, but everything was brought out in a timely manner. They all seemed to work together as a team to bring the dinner the best experience. They were knowledgeable about the menu and happy to answer any questions. Several different servers brought out our food or beverages to us, some tried to bring things we didn't order, but all in all it was good service. =-)
This is going on my "Must Visit Again List."
131 Main has four locations in North Carolina. You can find out more about it at http://www.131-main.com.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
A Trip to the Middle East -- In the West
Where do you go when you are looking for a great Persian meal? Well, Abilene, Texas of course! "What!" you may exclaim, "Abilene, Texas???" If you don't believe me go try it for yourself. No, never mind, believe me or not, go try it!!!
Mike and I were in good old Abilene, Texas for the West Texas Rehab Telethon that I work every year. The family always joins me since Mike is from Abilene and the kids just love it there. Friday night is our one night to go out to dinner, so on our way into town I was checking out the Urban Spoon app on my phone. Shaking through the options I came across one titled Middle East. Intrigued, I checked out the reviews. With 93% liking it out of 213 votes, Mike and I were all about trying it out.
We found our way to the Middle East Restaurant located in an older strip mall. The parking lot was full, always a good sign, so we parked and made our way inside. We were instantly greeted at the door by the owner, Mr. Hammoodi, who showed us to a table. The journey was a short one seeing as there are only a handful of tables inside the small restaurant. On one wall there was a poster sized picture that was taken from a news paper. It was a grinning Mr. Hammoodi with three American soldiers in Iraq holding a newspaper that announced Saddam Hussein's capture. You can tell this incredibly friendly man is happy to be here in America, but still proud of his Middle Eastern roots.
The size of the restaurant may diminutive, but the menu was not. Oh what joy! So many wonderful choices, but so little room in my stomach. We decide right away that we will split an entree so we may also try an appetizer platter consisting of hummus, tabouleh, dollma, and peayas (this I had never heard of, and it seemed like a type of potato salad with onions), and we also ordered a plate of falafel. We go ahead and order our entrees at the same time. Mike and I decide to split a combo kabob plate with chicken, lamb, and beef kifta (#25 the Meat Combo Platter). Liam opted for the Beef Kabobs, and Remy chose the Grilled Chicken breast. All entrees came with a salad and jasmine rice. When we ordered we let Mr. Hammoodi know that we were from Fort Worth, found out about his restaurant from Urban Spoon, and that we loved Persian food. He proceeded to explain that we were about to have the best Middle Eastern food that we could ever find. All the food made was cooked by his family from home. He said that there was not a stranger cooking in his kitchen. (I perk up, because to me this means that the most important ingredient in successful cooking would be present in every dish... and that ingredient is love.) He guaranteed that we would leave the place 100% satisfied. Little did we know that we were in for a culinary adventure.
Mr. Hammoodi informs us about a soup appetizer available for everyone. It is a lentil soup, and there is a spicy option next to it. Mike served me the lentil soup and he took the spicy one. They were both delicious-- off to a good start. Then our appetizers start coming out.
Our falafel arrives first and is served with a garlic sauce. Without a doubt, it is the best falafel I have ever had. It had a lightly fried crust with a moist center. We quickly cleaned that plate.
Next Mr. Hammoodi started bring out our appetizer platter, but he didn't stop there. In addition to what we ordered he brought out a sample of fava bean type hummus, baba ganoush, tzatziki sauce, and an extra serving of hummus. He provided this all on the house to make his point that this would be the best Middle Eastern meal we had ever tasted. I pretty much kept the baba ganoush (similar to hummus but made with eggplant) and the tzatziki sauce (for those not familiar, it is a cucumber yogurt sauce with dill and lemon juice) to myself. I LOVED THEM! It was the best baba ganoush I have ever had, and tzatziki sauce is always my favorite part of a Persian meal. The tabouleh was perfect- it had lots of lemon juice to complement the parsley. Even the dollma, which I am usually not of fan of, was delicious. All of this was served with warm pita bread. Ok, so by this point my stomach is getting pretty full, but we still have our entree coming. I take a deep breath and decide to take a break until our meal arrives.
Liam's meal comes out first. We take a look at it and laugh. They definitely have a sense of humor. The kids loved the smiley faces. Liam was bursting with excitement to start eating, but he must wait until everyone's food arrives.
Our food arrives next and it smells delicious. You can see the lamb on the left, the chicken at the top, and the beef on the right.
Remy's chicken arrives and looks and smells fabulous.
At this point I have come to the conclusion that I am a big fan of sumac. It was sprinkled all over our appetizers, and Remy's chicken was seasoned with it. My extra plate arrives and we dig in. I love beef kifta. It is my favorite. It is a ground beef seasoned with onions and spices and wrapped around a stick and grilled. Wow. It is mouth watering good. Did I mention I love tzatziki? I usually put it all over my food, but I didn't want to take away from the flavor of the kifta. Remy's chicken was my second favorite. I will be buying some sumac and attempting this chicken at home.
I sample everything, but don't stuff myself, because at the beginning of the meal I mentioned I might try some baklava and a coffee for dessert. Mr. Hammoodi excitedly told me he had just made it two hours ago and it will be the best baklava I have ever had in my life, and that I will never have better. Dude, seriously?? I am not passing up the chance to try a dish that was described with such passion. He told me the turkish coffee was perfect with the baklava, so I placed an order.
Mr. Hammoodi brings out the coffee cup and saucer then he comes back quickly with a piping hot Turkish coffee pot. You can hear the coffee sizzling as he pours it into my cup.
The baklava was divine and the Turkish coffee was the best I have ever had. He added a spice, and I'm not sure if it was cardamom or just something similar, but it was fabulous. He was spot on in pairing the two together. The baklava was buttery, flaky, nutty, and not too sweet. I would make the 2 1/2 hour trip just for the two.
As we leave the Middle East Restaurant Liam raves over the beef kabobs. He keeps thanking Mr. Hammoodi over and over. Liam is my pickiest eater and rarely likes food that is different in any way, so this is saying a lot.
We were treated to a home cooked meal that just happened to be served in a restaurant. The amazing part, is this is how all their guests are treated. There was another family who raved just as much as we did, and they were local. We didn't receive special treatment because we were from out of town, we received special treatment because that is how Mr. Hammoodi treats all his guest. My only disappointment in this whole culinary adventure is knowing that in order to experience it again I have to drive 2 1/2 hours. Don't be surprised when I do.
Mike and I were in good old Abilene, Texas for the West Texas Rehab Telethon that I work every year. The family always joins me since Mike is from Abilene and the kids just love it there. Friday night is our one night to go out to dinner, so on our way into town I was checking out the Urban Spoon app on my phone. Shaking through the options I came across one titled Middle East. Intrigued, I checked out the reviews. With 93% liking it out of 213 votes, Mike and I were all about trying it out.
We found our way to the Middle East Restaurant located in an older strip mall. The parking lot was full, always a good sign, so we parked and made our way inside. We were instantly greeted at the door by the owner, Mr. Hammoodi, who showed us to a table. The journey was a short one seeing as there are only a handful of tables inside the small restaurant. On one wall there was a poster sized picture that was taken from a news paper. It was a grinning Mr. Hammoodi with three American soldiers in Iraq holding a newspaper that announced Saddam Hussein's capture. You can tell this incredibly friendly man is happy to be here in America, but still proud of his Middle Eastern roots.
The size of the restaurant may diminutive, but the menu was not. Oh what joy! So many wonderful choices, but so little room in my stomach. We decide right away that we will split an entree so we may also try an appetizer platter consisting of hummus, tabouleh, dollma, and peayas (this I had never heard of, and it seemed like a type of potato salad with onions), and we also ordered a plate of falafel. We go ahead and order our entrees at the same time. Mike and I decide to split a combo kabob plate with chicken, lamb, and beef kifta (#25 the Meat Combo Platter). Liam opted for the Beef Kabobs, and Remy chose the Grilled Chicken breast. All entrees came with a salad and jasmine rice. When we ordered we let Mr. Hammoodi know that we were from Fort Worth, found out about his restaurant from Urban Spoon, and that we loved Persian food. He proceeded to explain that we were about to have the best Middle Eastern food that we could ever find. All the food made was cooked by his family from home. He said that there was not a stranger cooking in his kitchen. (I perk up, because to me this means that the most important ingredient in successful cooking would be present in every dish... and that ingredient is love.) He guaranteed that we would leave the place 100% satisfied. Little did we know that we were in for a culinary adventure.
Mr. Hammoodi informs us about a soup appetizer available for everyone. It is a lentil soup, and there is a spicy option next to it. Mike served me the lentil soup and he took the spicy one. They were both delicious-- off to a good start. Then our appetizers start coming out.
At this point I have come to the conclusion that I am a big fan of sumac. It was sprinkled all over our appetizers, and Remy's chicken was seasoned with it. My extra plate arrives and we dig in. I love beef kifta. It is my favorite. It is a ground beef seasoned with onions and spices and wrapped around a stick and grilled. Wow. It is mouth watering good. Did I mention I love tzatziki? I usually put it all over my food, but I didn't want to take away from the flavor of the kifta. Remy's chicken was my second favorite. I will be buying some sumac and attempting this chicken at home.
I sample everything, but don't stuff myself, because at the beginning of the meal I mentioned I might try some baklava and a coffee for dessert. Mr. Hammoodi excitedly told me he had just made it two hours ago and it will be the best baklava I have ever had in my life, and that I will never have better. Dude, seriously?? I am not passing up the chance to try a dish that was described with such passion. He told me the turkish coffee was perfect with the baklava, so I placed an order.
The baklava was divine and the Turkish coffee was the best I have ever had. He added a spice, and I'm not sure if it was cardamom or just something similar, but it was fabulous. He was spot on in pairing the two together. The baklava was buttery, flaky, nutty, and not too sweet. I would make the 2 1/2 hour trip just for the two.
As we leave the Middle East Restaurant Liam raves over the beef kabobs. He keeps thanking Mr. Hammoodi over and over. Liam is my pickiest eater and rarely likes food that is different in any way, so this is saying a lot.
We were treated to a home cooked meal that just happened to be served in a restaurant. The amazing part, is this is how all their guests are treated. There was another family who raved just as much as we did, and they were local. We didn't receive special treatment because we were from out of town, we received special treatment because that is how Mr. Hammoodi treats all his guest. My only disappointment in this whole culinary adventure is knowing that in order to experience it again I have to drive 2 1/2 hours. Don't be surprised when I do.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Starting Off the New Year with Saddlebags
New Years morning Mike and I knew we would need a good after party breakfast. We decided to go for it and make a dish we learned about... where else, but Man vs. Food. In this episode Adam was visiting Boulder, Co and discovered a dish called Saddlebags. It consists of a fluffy pancake with a breakfast meat cooked in it and with an over easy egg placed on top. Liam's philosophy is that adding egg yolk to anything makes it better, so off we went to test the theory. Since I was the chef in this case, I chose to go a little bit healthier with the breakfast meat, so I used turkey sausage links and turkey bacon. Andi joined us for this breakfast, so I put her to work dicing up the meat I just cooked while I whipped up the pancakes. I used a buttermilk pancake recipe that my brother in law Mark taught me. It makes the most delicious pancakes-- light and fluffy. You pour the batter in to a greased pan and while the pancake starts cooking you add the breakfast meat of choice to it. Flip it, and it is ready to go. I placed them in the oven to keep warm while I finished the batch and moved on to the eggs. Mike supplied the syrup (it is my opinion to use a good one free of high fructose corn syrup and preservatives, but use what you prefer), and once the eggs were fried we were ready to go.
And the results... brilliant! The person who created this breakfast item is genius. It is the perfect balance of sweet and salty. I loved the egg yolks soaking in to the pancake and the sausage.
This is a winner and we will definitely be making them again... perhaps it will become our New Year tradition. =-)
This is a winner and we will definitely be making them again... perhaps it will become our New Year tradition. =-)
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