Image via WikipediaI opened the refrigerator, bottles and a can to assemble a delicious, globe-spanning breakfast this morning. I only had to warm pocket bread and pour some iced tea to make it complete.
On a small plate, I covered tomato slices with za'atar thyme mixture, and placed some cabbage kimchi next to it. On a larger plate, I arranged stewed tofu in red pepper sauce, two fat Moroccan sardines in spicy oil, a ball of Lebanese yogurt cheese, an Egyptian preserved lemon and the warm bread. I also had imported hummus, made from a can.
The instant black tea came from ShopRite -- I added water, fresh lemon juice and mint from my garden. Most of the other ingredients came from Fattal's Syrian Bakery in Paterson. The kimchi and tofu were from Arirang Kimchi in Englewood and H Mart in Little Ferry, respectively.
All this great food found a home in my kitchen.
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Sounds tasty.
ReplyDeleteIf you get a chance in your travels, check out the 99-cent artichokes at Trader Joe in Paramus. I'd swear they're right off the tree.
ReplyDeleteOK. Sounds good. I don't eat artichokes much, unless they come marinated in a jar. My mother pickled them, and they were outstanding, but I don't see them in any Middle Eastern place in Paterson and environs. They grow on trees? I remember watching TV as a kid and Alfalfa saying, "They may choke Arty, but they're not going to choke me." How do you eat them, Aaron?
ReplyDeleteThey don't really grow on trees, but neither does money, and at a buck a pop, they're a steal, artichokes like these would be $2.99 a pop at Fairway and $4.99 at Balducci's if they could even stock them. I don't do much cooking myself but I got them for my goddaughter who gave them a rave review. She boils 'em until the outer leaves peel off easily, then has them, I think, with mayo and lemon.
ReplyDeleteThe way I was taught to eat artichokes, and I don't know if this is a Syrian thing or not, is you pluck off each of the leaves and you bite off the white tips until you get to the middle which has a feathery texture. They are eaten completely raw.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. So the interior isn't eaten? That's what my mother pickled, in the same way the Egyptians pickle small lemons.
ReplyDeleteThe closer you get to the interior the softer it would get, you would eat that part as well. But the portion that was feathery is the choke and that is thrown out.
ReplyDelete