Creating, collecting, and sharing thoughts and ideas. And learning along the way.
This was lunch today: a big platter of baby spinach that served as a bed for a mix of red-lentils and rice, topped with sliced sweet onions and a dressing of tahini. It was called the Sharif Spinach Salad. Yum!
That’s right: this little restaurant in town serves up the most authentic middle-eastern cuisine. And it’s everything from the mini pitas straight from the huge ovens in view served w/ the house garlic butter, to the kibbi and the shawarmas and the grape leaves and the soups.
Great to celebrate a birthday dinner or a pre-Father’s Day celebration.
So, yesterday’s Pita Chips post must only naturally be followed by a post on how to serve these chips, i.e., what sort of dips might go well with them. Well, you could open a bottle of salsa just as well as you could make some fresh salsa– one of the perfect accompaniments to pita chips. Or you could serve it up with hummus, of course. But here’s what I did recently:
I served my pita chips with three kinds of dip: an Ajvar (Eastern European Red Dip made with Peppers & Tomatoes), a yogurt-based Raita-style dip (Yogurt w/ Grated Cucumbers), and a no-nonsense Guacamole (Avocado and seasonings).
Use your imagination, people, and enjoy! Check this out for pictures, and don’t you just love my dip-server? I absolutely adore it! One bite and one dip, and you’ll be saying, like we say around here, Yeh Hui Na Baat!
What could be simpler than that? And what could be more satisfying? Mmmmm! Mmmm! Mmm! Check out these pictures from the last time I made some.
So, if you want the freshest middle-eastern food with a decidedly Israeli flavor to it, you have to go to Haifa Falafel. On the southeast side of town, this little restaurant has been in business for less than two years but has become a huge favorite with people coming in from as far as Detroit for their simple but elegant dishes. Here’s what we found today: Hummus & Pita, Lentil Soup, Tabbouli, Fattoush with Shawarma, Chicken Shawarma Pita, Mini Falafels, Haifa Falafel Wrap, Majadera, Stuffed Grape Leaves, and Harisi for dessert. Check it out:
So, what’s the best part of a working lunch-meeting? The food, of course! Take a look at this glorious spread catered by La Pita, the most popular Middle Eastern restaurant on campus. The not-so-exciting meeting was spiced up considerably thanks to the food. What’s on display, and what went down is what you see below in the slideshow. More details on what’s what on the plate follows the slideshow.
So, what’s on the plate? Chicken Shawarma, Beef Shawarma, a Green Salad with a Tahini Dressing, Hummus, Almond Rice, Falafel, GrapeVine Stuffed Leaves, Pickled Radishes, Turnips, and Jalapeno Peppers, Red Beets, Tabbouli (finely chopped parsley, onions, tomatoes), Majadera (red lentils), and for dessert, Almond and Pistachio Baklava.
