American – Smriti "Simmi" D. Isaac

Posted on August 4, 2011January 19, 2013 by Simmi D. Isaac — Leave a comment

Buffalo Wild Wings: A Place For Greasy Comfort Foods Galore!

So, what can you get at a place like this besides Wings— with every kind of conceiveable sauce, of course? Why, you can get Rings— Onion Rings, that is. And then there’s Deep-Fried Battered Mushrooms. Plus, Pizzas of every kind, including this flatbread variety. And what do you wash it all down with? Anything you wish, but in my opinion, Heineken works best!

Posted on June 3, 2011January 19, 2013 by Simmi D. Isaac — Leave a comment

How To Build A Hamburger (Or Make A Salad)!

I shared yesterday an album that documents our bounties from our annual Memorial Day Cookout. This post is a derivative of that one, only it highlights one aspect of the meal: the hamburgers that were craftily and lovingly built.

See here the ingredients that were used to do just that. Alternatively, if you wish to skip the burger patty, you could very well do just that, and the meatless burger would very well be the most gourmet veggie burger ever!

Still more creatively, you could skip both burger and bun, and treat yourself to these luscious veggies and have them just as they are. One delicious mouth-watering slice at a time!

Bon Appetit, or like we say around here, Yeh Hui Na Baat!

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Posted on June 2, 2011January 19, 2013 by Simmi D. Isaac — 2 Comments

A Feast For Memorial Day: One That You'd Remember!

The grand opening of Summer 2011 took place this past weekend in our household with the usual flourish in the kitchen and the backyard. In marinating our meats, and firing up the grill. Not to mention in readying all the various and sundry sides that are an absolute must for a meal like this.

So, what was the spread like? Well, take a look at the pictures yourself, but I’ll list them out for you:

Burgers like you’ve never seen before. Because they came with condiments like Mint Green Chutney and Macedonian Ajvar and fresh slices of red onion, beef-steak tomatoes, and the creamiest avocado, all delicately placed one on top of the other on sesame-seed buns and whole-wheat bagel-style buns
Grilled Teriyaki-Ginger-Chilli Chicken
Fresh home-made Pita Chips with three kinds of dip: the Ajvar, a yogurt-based Raita-style dip, and a no-nonsense Guacamole
Pull-Apart Garlic Bread for the three dips
Pan-Fried Chili Roasted Potatoes
Home-made Sangria w/ Merlot, Fresh Fruit, and Club Soda
Mixed Fruit Punch
Milk Chocolate Sundaes made with home-made Milk Chocolate Brownies and the store-bought Vanilla ice cream

It happened to be a very hot and humid day, and although we intended to eat outside, we were wilting despite our drinks and appetizers even as we stood by the grill, and so after about 40 minutes of being in the backyard, we decided we’d just take everything inside and enjoy the meal in cooler environs!

The best part of everything? The prayer that my firstborn offered at the table before we dug in– offering thanks for the bounties of our table, for one another, and most of all for the men and women who have served and continue to serve our country.

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And here’s how you build a burger!

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Simmi D. Isaac — Leave a comment

The Mall Food Court: Nothing You Can't Get!

Three weekends ago, a trip to the mall resulted in the requisite trip to the Food Court. What mall trip can go without one, right? Well, I suppose it could, but if you’ve passed the noon-hour and are starting to wilt a little, why not go on up to the Food Court and see what you can find.

Which is just what we did. You’ll see here evidence of that trip. A microcosm of world cuisines, really. And to be found in of all places– the mall! So, there was a plate of Chinese something-or-other, A slice of Sicilian Pizza, A Grilled Sub Sandwich, An Enormous Baked Potato with-the-world-on-it, and of course, some Country-Style Fries. Wash it all down with some Soda, and you’re good to go for another hour or so. Or hop back into your vehicle and almost-nap all the way back home– if you’re not behind the wheel, that is!

Either way, not a bad use of a few hours on a Saturday afternoon! Check out the rest of the pictures below.

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Posted on May 20, 2011January 19, 2013 by Simmi D. Isaac — Leave a comment

Leo's Coney Island: Our Neighborhood Coney-Island

Every neighborhood has one, I think: a small family-style diner called a Coney Island. Which is also the name of the unique hot-dog available on the menus of restaurants like these, but our recent trip to the one in our own neighborhood did not result in ordering one of those.

Instead, we got a Fish & Chips with Cole Slaw and Tartar Sauce on the side, and a Tuna Salad Sandwich on Toasted White Bread.

Simple fare, but when you’re with the ones you love, even the simplest of meals can be some of the very best!

Here’s what it all looked like!

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Posted on May 13, 2011 by Simmi D. Isaac — 1 Comment

One Baked Potato: An Enormous Meal!

So, what could be more perfect than a large baking potato (a Russet, I think), scrubbed clean, wiped dry, wrapped in foil and baked at 425 degrees for an hour? Well, for starters, if you’re doing one, you may as well do six. Economies of scale and all, you see!

And so, when you pull out your potatoes and slice right through the foil to make an opening large enough to start flaking out the fleshy insides–the steam coming up and almost giving you a facial–what more do you really need than a sprinkle of salt, and perhaps a dab of butter? Well, if you added just those two things, you’d be in for a wonderful treat.

But if you want a royal treat, well then, here’s what you do: you take a handful of grated cheese of your choice (we used a sharp cheddar here) and sprinkle that on, add also some pre-cooked broccoli and then return it to the oven for another couple minutes. When it comes out, it is nothing short of AAHHH-MAZING! And if you wish to go completely berserk, well then sprinkle on some chives, a dollop of sour-cream, and some crumbled bacon-bits.

That’s it! You don’t need to eat anything else. Because, this ain’t no ordinary baked potato– this is a gourmet potato which is a meal in and of itself. I guarantee it: you’ll walk away one satisfied person!

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Posted on May 5, 2011 by Simmi D. Isaac — Leave a comment

Breakfast in Bed: Because I'm So Worth It!

That’s right, I love getting pampered with breakfast in bed, especially when I am least expecting it! Which is what happened last weekend when I was presented with a small and simple breakfast for no reason at all. Here’s what I got:

A slice of Multigrain Bread toasted and cut into half: one half was buttered with my favorite buttery spread of Olivio; the other with another favorite spread, i.e., Marmalade
A slice of leftover Omelette Pie from last night’s dinner
A cup of steaming Chai

Mmmmm! It hit the spot right on, and guaranteed a fantastic rest-of-the-day! Oh, and of course, I’ll take this as a pre-Mother’s Day present, thank you very much!

Posted on April 30, 2011January 19, 2013 by Simmi D. Isaac — Leave a comment

Louisiana Creole Gumbo: That & Other Cajun Fare in the Heart of Detroit

In my ever-curious mind and body to discover new and interesting places to eat, I found myself with some colleagues the other day at an establishment called the Louisiana Creole Gumbo on one of the major arterties that runs through the city of Detroit: Gratiot Avenue. It happened to be a first-time experience for my friends as well, so we were all as good as tourists in a town that we live and work in! (Well, I live in the suburbs, but you know what I mean!)

So, what we found was a most curious little place with bright signs in yellow and green of pictures of alligators (from the Louisana Bayou, you see!) beckoning us into a small room with a large menu printed on the wall on one side, and framed pictures of news-articles and other accolades received by the restaurant over the years on the other side of the wall. There were two tables, booth-style, but nobody really seemed to come in to sit down for a meal. You came in, we soon discovered, to line up at the window where placed your order, and then waited a couple minutes for your order to be filled. And it would literally be filled into paper-cup containers, put into a brown paper bag, and then you would take it to go. Unless, of course, you came with the intention to stay and eat your order right there. Which is what we did.

If we were surprised at the size and style of the place, we were in for a bigger surprise when we took our brown paper bags and dug into our cups of food. Surprised in the best possible way, that it! Because the food was truly fresh and delicious. It was packed with flavor, each dish: the Jambalaya, the Creole Gumbo, the Red Beans, the Corn Bread Muffins, even the 7-Up Pound Cake and the Peach Cobbler. Simple southern Cajun-style fare right in the heart of Detroit– who knew?!

And if I dare to call it a hole-in-the-wall type of joint, it would be with the greatest affection, just FYI! A hole-in-the-wall with a lot of character and flavor! See for yourself in the slideshow below: