FoodMan

Abra- Peeled wheat is exactly that, it should say peeled wheat on the bag/bin not just "wheat berries". if you go to a middle eastern or even the middle eastern aisle in your mega-mart store you should find them there with no problem. Regular wheat berries still have the outside "peel" on so you potentially could ue them but they will take a MUCH longer soak and longer cooking time. You are correct about the dried corn, I even used popcorn corn once. It came out ok I'm glad you like my breakfast, this combo is an all time favorite of mine. Elie

For dinner we had pizza night. I had prepared and refrigerated the dough last night. The pizzas were smeared with freshly made pesto instead of tomato sauce (told you pesto will show up this week). the toppings were: mushrooms yellow squash red bell pepper red onions mozzarella cheese Here are the toppings and pesto (i swear it looks greener in person) Pizza getting ready to go onto the hot stone in the 500 degree oven pizza out Elie

Been working around the house all day. No time for lunch, I had a big bowl of Mtabla ....again. I had an early afternoon snack of Newcastle Ale and Goldfish (the cheese crackers) Elie

We had a popular LEbanese breakfast today. I had this at leat 2 or 3 times a week growing up in Beirut. It's really a grilled cheese sandwich in Pita bread and the cheese used is normally a Greek or Bulgarian Kashkaval. I also add olives and mint leaves to mine. We had mint-cinnamon flavored black tea with it. Elie

Dinner was Sardine fritters from a recipe Mario Batali demonstarted on Molto Mario. The fritters were fried in olive oil, a first for me. I honestly am not sure if using olive oil made that much of a difference. Maybe I should use a better quality oil, but that would really be a waste. here is a picture. They are not much to look at but they were tasty. I had some of that "hummus" aioli left and it went great with them. Elie

I just brewed some much needed afternoon black coffee. I wish I had some of those buns to have with it. Elie

Scott- Thanks for such a well structured and elaborate "rant". While reading it it got me thinking of some other non-authentic food items outside their country of birth, your example of pizza with corn and sardine is one. In Lebanon corn is a top choice when it comes to pizza toppings. Does it taste good? yes. Do I like it better than a thin crusted Neapolitan pizza with tomatoe sauce, cheese and basil? Hell no. So, the key term here just like what you said is "eat what you like". This is why I never ever tell a person they are wrong in the choices they make when it comes to authentic Vs. non-authentic. A case in point: When I was in Lebanon a couple of months ago, a distant relative of mine was telling me about a trip he made to Italy recently. He loved the trip, excpet for one thing. THE FOOD!!! When I asked him to explain why the food was bad he simply said that Italians do not know how to make pizza, they do not put enough "stuff" on it. He wanted a ton of ham and meat and cheese on his pizza, just like they make it in Lebanon. The worst part came when he asked for "pepperoni" and the pizza guy kept adding crushed chillies to the pizza . I simply replied "Well, I guess they make it different over there". Oh, and he did not like the fact that Italians do not add sliced hotdogs to pasta sauce . It's his taste and I cannot/do not want to change it. That's why I thought this article was so interesting, there comes a point when most of us need to make compromises for those we love/respect. In Walsh's case it was his daughter who seemed to be eating the goat taco to please her dad, and in turn he will buy her the "mild" tacos to make her happy even though he believes it is mediocre. So in the not too far future I have a feeling that my one year old will want to put hotdog slices in his pasta puttanesca and I have to do just that for him. Of course I will expect him to eat my duck confit with lentils in return as well. Elie

My lunch story: So it’s Friday, and I might have my lunch at my desk Monday-Thursday but on Friday I have to got out. Even if it is just by myself. So today I decide to visit a place near my work I will call “The Greek Deli (TGD)”. TGD used to be a favorite lunch spot run by a burly large Greek guy. Then it closed down for no apparent reason. A few months later TGD opens up, renovated, with a new uninteresting menu and a new non-Greek manager. I never ate there during that period. A few months ago a sign goes up saying “Original owner is back”. So, I decide to head over there today and try one of their good gyros. Well, the burly large Greek guy is replaced by an old couple, the husband at the register is the sweetest friendliest person you could hope to meet at a place like this. He talks to me and even forgets to give me my receipt because he was too busy trying to figure out where I’m from and if I am related to Egypt’s “Nassir”. While I was enjoying my very good gyro with fries he wanders to my table with two rice puddings and gives me one saying with a strong Greek accent “rice pudding, just like in the old country”. I thank him but instead of leaving he sits down and starts chatting so I ask about the Greek guy who used to run the place, he thinks I am talking about the managers who ran it after it closed and I swear he almost tears up and says that he just abandoned the place and ran off with some money. Then he realizes I was asking about the Greek owner, well he claims that guy left his wife and kids, declared bankruptcy and went to Florida to become a “gigolo”, but there was too much competition so he is now painting bridges!!! Our conversation ends when more customers walk in and he finishes by saying something along the lines of, “Greeks aren’t what they used to be, they want money fast”. I finish my pudding, thank the nice older man and wish him luck with his business. So much for a quiet lunch alone. Elie

I checked the Babbo book and he always uses cream in the recipes in there, also uses less yolks. Elie

Houston Chronicle Dining guide: Art appreciation Alison Cook reviews and raves about Ouisie's food. Wher can a family of four eat for under $25 in Houston? Dai Huynh finds out. Elie

Breakfast is served: Elie

Dinner tonight was very light and quick giving me time to work on other baked goods. I tossed some chopped tomatoes, fresh cheese, basil, olive oil, s&p together and served like a "bruschetta" on top of toasty garlicky Kaiser rolls. I got a chance to get my sourdough ready to be baked. It is now in the fridge and I will bake it tomorrow or the day after breakfast tomorrow morning is ...Sticky buns with pecans and raisins. These are also resting in the fridge. All I have to do in the morning is heat the oven and bake. I will try and get the finished buns' pictures downloaded in the morning before I leave for work. unfortunatly I might not get a chance to do this till tomorrow evening. Elie

Cajeta is a confection from Mexico, specifically from the city of Celaya in Guanajuato state. Its a spreadable "Dulce de Leche" or milk caramel, frequently used on bread and in cakes. Guanabana is a type of tropical fruit. http://www.tropico2000.com/guanabana.htm What he said . Guanabana pulp is available frozen at Latin/Hispanic stores, it also makes a killer smoothie. Sorry I could not get back to u sooner. Elie

From the digest about Robb Walsh's article Wild or Mild I thought the above digest entry deserves it's own thread. I makes for as good discussion piece. What do you think about it? Is there such a thing as too authentic? Do you prefer the "Americanized" version of certain foods rather than the "authentic" one? As far as 100% Taquito goes, I was under the impression that this WAS real Mexico city street food, mainly becuase a friend of mine who is from Mexico city claims so. I guess I'll be able to tell when I do visit the city myself. Elie edit to add link

Houston Press Dining section: Wild or Mild “Each bite lubricates my lips with hot goat grease.” “Authenticity is a powerful thing. Not enough and you get boring food, too much and you frighten the children.” The latest from Robb Walsh, a review of La Raza and 100% Taquito, is a must read, one of his best. So much more than just a food joint’s review. If the two quotes above are not enough to stimulate your interest then the first two paragraphs alone are worth taking some time from your day to read. Elie

After reading the Chronicle's review, here, a co-worker and myself decided to try Mayuri out for lunch. I have to say, we have a favoriter new Indian lunch buffet now. Their fried Pakodas, Crispy Vadas (best ever), Chicken tikka and wonderful ginger chutney alone are worth the trip. They also have fantastic Gulab Jamun (sp?). The downside: After trying to eat smaller portions for the last month or so, I am so stuffed I'm not sure I can have dinner. Elie

Sure, it is very simple. 1 Cup peeled wheat 1/2 Cup dried white or yellow corn (not the sweet kind) – this is optional 2 to 3 cups plain yogurt (the sweeter/fresher the better) 1/2 to 1 cup cold water Rinse the wheat and corn under cold water. Soak in plenty of water overnight. Put in a large pot and cover with plenty of water. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for about 2 hours or longer till the wheat is very soft and the corn is cooked through. Add more water if it gets too dry. By the end of the process you should have a very thick porridge-like mixture (called Kamhiya) which is excellent hot with a large knob of butter and a good sprinkle of salt stirred in. Let the mixture cool and refrigerate. Do not mix the yogurt in the hot wheat/corn mixture or it will curdle. When cold add the yogurt and enough water to attain a thick chowder-like consistency. You can make it a little thinner and serve in a tall glass as well. Refrigerate and serve cold as a snack or side dish. I like my portion seasoned with salt. But some prefer it plain. Let me know if you have any questions Elie

The weekly W&D section continues being lame. Today's column had one interesting entry, the rude waitress at Hoffbrau Steaks. What's up with that? All the manager offers is a GC? That is very, very lame. I do reralize I used the word lame twice (three times if you count this one), but I cannot find a better way to describe the situation. Elie

You are always full of great tips. I will certainly try scraping next time I make duck "ham" to see the difference. Elie

I have not tried it yet, but 10 yolks sound like enough to make a custard with a good creamy consistency. Do you have the Babbo Cookbook? He has several gelato recipes in there that you can use as a reference. I can check my book tonight to see if he uses all milk or milk/cream combo. Did you try freezing the first mixture in a gelato/ice cream maker? If so, what happened ? Elie

Gosh that looks fantastic. I really like jarred cajeta on ice cream. (I haven't had a jar around for a while so I have forgotten the brand I used to buy.) Strangely, the caramel yogurt from Stoneyfield Farms tastes quite a bit like cajeta. The texture is different of course, but the flavor is there. Good looking sandwich also. I also love Cajeta/Dulce De Leche a lot and I usually make it at home. This one is store bought not homemade. The cajeta did not tatse too great with the rich robust flavor of Guanabana though. I much prefer the ice cream on its own. Elie

Very fast breakfast, black coffee and toast. Elie

Tonight's dinner was the Lebanese flavored chicken burger. So bad news first, the patty was almost impossible to keep on the grill in one piece since it had no fillers (bread crumbs, eggs,...). So for the F&W entry I decided to make the patty a chicken breast pounded to an even thickness then marinated and grilled. The good news was that the flavors were fantastic. The "hummus" aioli worked great with the chicken and the toasty Kaiser roll. For toppings I used crunchy bell peppers, tomatoes and shredded lettuce. I served it with fresh French fries. Here are some pics The hummus aioli and the other fixins For dessert, homemade Guanabana ice cream with Cajeta. Elie

At my house it was mint tea (mint steeped in boiling water) or yansoon (anise seeds steeped in boiling water). At other families homes Zhoorat is very popular. This is usually a combination of spices and herbs including dried mint, anise seeds, cinnamon, rose buds, cloves among others. The whole mixture is also steeped in hot water. Elie

Rumor has it the beef used in their chili is actually leftover hamburgers that didn't sell. Works for me. Gosh, you made me hungry! That makes sense. It could very well be leftover burger meat. Another thing I did not like about the chilli bowl is a strong tomatoey taste that gave me heartburn . Right now I am enjoying some black seedless sweet grapes. God bless whoever invented seedless grapes. Elie