Week 8 - Used to Dislike

The challenge for Week 8 was called "used to dislike." The first year I did the challenge in 2014, there was a challenge for an ingredient you hated as a kid. I chose lima beans and made two lima bean recipes (here and here), neither of which convinced me to jump on the lima bean train. I didn't really want to do that again, but I had a bit of trouble coming up with foods that I disliked at one point and loved now.

Eventually, I settled on cilantro and eggs. As a kid, I didn't love finding cilantro in dishes. I don't think I thought it tasted like soap, but just that it was strong and overpowering. One day, it was like a switch flipped, and I suddenly realized how amazing cilantro was and couldn't get enough of it. I also didn't love eggs when I was younger, other than omelettes. Didn't like the texture or taste hardboiled, found them boring scrambled (and whatever they were in those "scrambled egg" dining hall trays), and didn't like runny eggs at all. Omelettes were fine, filled with meats and veggies and cheese, but why would I choose those other types of eggs when there were so many more interesting things I could eat? Combining herbs and eggs led me straight to kuku sabzi, a Persian herb frittata usually eaten at the start of spring for the new year. (Note: We made this in February, and I'm just a little behind in posting...)

Kuku sabzi wasn't really a perfect answer to this challenge. First, frittatas are similar to omelettes, so not exactly something I would have disliked. Second, I couldn't actually make eggs due to B's allergy, and I didn't dislike chickpeas at any point (garbanzo flour would be the substitute for eggs). Was this really the best thing I could make? In the end, I decided to go with it for two main reasons. One, I'd never made it before, and the point of the cooking challenge generally was to expand my cooking horizons, and two, I may have disliked how strong some herbs were when I was younger, but maybe I could avoid that for B by continuing to introduce them to him at a young age. Looking around, I found a vegan version of kuku sabzi on Golubka Kitchen and decided to start there. It sounded delicious.


Before I go any further, a quick plea for help if anyone is reading this and has any ideas. This challenge, out of all the ones this year so far, took the longest to prepare. I didn't take any breaks or play games and just worked the entire time, but somehow it took 2.5 hours to prep everything and get it in the oven, with the majority of that time spent prepping three things - parsley, cilantro, and dill. How can I get faster at washing herbs, picking them off the stems, and chopping them up? What are we doing wrong? How could it possibly take so long? There has to be something we're missing, but internet sleuthing and YouTube haven't turned up anything yet. We just don't understand how it could have taken so long. Anyway, on with the challenge.


The ingredients for our adapted version of the vegan kuku sabzi were:

for the frittata:
- 2 cups chickpea flour ($1.50)
- salt ($0.02)
- turmeric powder ($0.15)
- freshly ground black pepper ($0.05)
- 3 tbsp grapeseed oil ($0.50)
- 2.5 cups water ($0)
- 1 onion, finely chopped ($0.79)
- 1 cup of leeks, chopped ($1)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced ($0.10)
- 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped ($0.99) *
- 1 bunch of parsley, chopped ($1.49) *
- 1 bunch of dill, chopped ($1.99) *
on the side:
- 1 box of grape tomatoes ($3.99)
- 1 container of garlic spread ($2.99)

* The recipe said 1.5 cups of each of these, chopped, and I really tried to do that. We had some giant bunches of cilantro, parsley, and dill that we bought from Wegmans, larger than what we would ever get at Trader Joe's. I felt sure that this would be way more than 1.5 cups, so much so that I only washed half the parsley initially, and then was shocked when it didn't even fill an entire cup. In the end, it probably came out to just under a cup of cilantro, just over a cup of parsley, and about 1.25 cups of dill.

All of that came out to $8.58 for the frittata and $15.56 for the total. It seems most of our challenge meals are coming out around $15 these days. It did last for two dinners though, so no complaints there and more economical than some of the other stuff we've made lately.

The steps for the recipe itself weren't difficult, but it just took a lot of time to make, with the bulk of that time being prep as mentioned earlier. The steps for our adapted version were:


- Prep the onion, leeks, garlic, and herbs.
- For the batter, combine the chickpea flour, salt, turmeric, black pepper. Whisk in the oil and water, and then let it sit while preparing the other stuff.
- Saute onion, leeks, and garlic until soft, and then add to the batter.
- Add the chopped herbs to the batter, and mix in well.
- Oil a pie pan (two in our case), and then pour the batter into the pan.
- Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.
- Serve with garlic spread (looked for a yogurt dip or yogurt-based tzatziki, couldn't find what I wanted, but this worked so well) and chopped tomatoes.


The final product here tasted good, but we thought there wasn't as much flavor as there should have been considering there were all those herbs plus garlic plus leeks plus onions. If we made this again, we would add more garlic, more leeks, and green onions. Honestly though, there probably won't be a next time for this exact recipe unless we can figure out how to process the herbs faster. It took way too long to prepare something that should be so simple.


That said, the texture was good, and we all liked it, so we decided to reuse this as a framework for other "frittatas" that would be easier to prep. We've already done that once now with a combo of mushrooms, onions, and Mexican cheese, which was definitely easier to make, but also came out with far less flavor than we thought it would (and zero cheese taste). Something to work on for the future, I guess. Another bright spot from this kuku sabzi experiment, besides finding a way to make vegan frittatas, was that B ate plenty of it and at this point in time, doesn't seem to have an aversion to herbs and stronger flavors. He was so willing to try it, and that made me so happy!

Papa Kebab

One thing we've really tried to do over the past year or so is explore more restaurants outside of our neighborhood home base. In a city with so much diversity and so many restaurants, there is an overwhelming number of options for meals and no possible way to try them all. One day in the fall we decided to go over to the High Line to celebrate the colors of fall and before that grabbed a late lunch at Papa Kebab, a casual Mediterranean place in Chelsea.

Papa Kebab's menu had salads, sandwiches and platters with all different types of meats. M decided on the adana chicken wrap ($6), which came with one piece of adana chicken kebab, lettuce, tomato and one spread (M picked babaganoush) in your choice of bread (M went with whole wheat). There was also a sauce on the side that appeared to be like cacik (a thinner version of the Greek tzatziki), if we remember correctly from back then.

The sandwich was okay. What was odd was that the adana kebab didn't have a ton of flavor. Chicken adana is one of M's favorite dishes at Turkish restaurants because it contains ground chicken which is combined with peppers and spices before being grilled. There is usually a lot of flavor, but this one was very mild. The lettuce and tomato were fresh, but the babaganoush didn't do much for the sandwich either. If anything, it dulled the flavor of the adana kebab even more. It was creamy but had very little flavor. The whole wheat wrap however was nice and chewy. M probably wouldn't get this wrap again. 

A got the joojeh chicken kebab platter ($10). The platter came with one kebab (the joojeh chicken was chicken breast marinated in yogurt, saffron and Persian spices, and then grilled), a choice of side dish (A got bulgur pilaf - the other options were fries or basmati rice), a roasted tomato and roasted pepper, sumac onions, and two sauces (a hot sauce and the cacik-like sauce).

This was definitely the better of the two dishes. The chicken itself was flavored well but a touch on the dry side. Often A uses the sauces as an accent, but for this he had to use them to add a little bit of moisture to the chicken itself. (M also used the hot sauce to improve her sandwich.) The tomato, pepper, and onions are fairly standard accoutrements for Persian food, and overall they were okay. The best of the 3 was probably the sumac onions, which M really liked. The bulgur pilaf was spiced well with many of the same Persian spices on the chicken, and the onions were cooked to the point of being nice and soft to eat with the bulgur. We liked the bulgur side.

We also got a side of pita bread. It was okay. M found it to be a lot drier and thinner than other pita breads we've had, and didn't particularly like it as she prefers the softer pita bread. A didn't think it was anything special either. As far as bread goes, we'll gladly take the soft yet crispy bread from Akdeniz or those giant chewy rolls from Turco any day over this pita bread.

Our lunch at Papa Kebab was fine but the portions were a bit on the small side, especially compared to other places we've been before. It's a good Mediterranean option if you're near Chelsea Market or the High Line, but we wouldn't call it a destination Mediterranean restaurant worth traveling for. We might stop by again if we were in the area and in the mood for some kebabs.

A's Favorite Food Memories of 2013

Unlike previous years, we didn't go on a European adventure that dominates my favorite food memories. In the end I chose all domestic locations and also chose to forego listing home cooked meals as we've done so much cooking this year as compared to years past. So, here's my list, in no particular order, of my favorite food memories of 2013!

1. Ceviche Tostada - La Isla Bonita (Los Angeles, CA)

The ceviche tostada from La Isla Bonita is something that I still think about, and I ate this back in April. No really, it's that good. The ceviche itself is incredibly fresh tasting and flavorful. The sweetness of the shrimp and fish mix has so much natural sweetness that counterbalances the tartness from the lime. The crunchiness of the tostada offers an additional texture while also serving as the delivery method for the amazing ceviche.

2. Pescado Zarandeado - Coni'Seafood (Los Angeles, CA)

Coni'Seafood is famous for this dish native to the Sinaloa region of Mexico. The head chef here, Sergio, is apparently the only person in this whole restaurant (and possibly the US) who can cook this dish properly. It's a split snook shaken over lit coals to control cooking. Sergio is a genius at this style of cooking. The fish is so tender and flavored so well with whatever marinade he has the fish soaking in. It also comes with sliced cucumber, red onion, and a sauce that I think might actually be made from the marinade. It has hints of soy sauce and onions and tasted almost Asian. M and I devoured this whole fish to the point that the waitress was impressed by how clean the bones were picked. If you're in LA, don't be afraid to take the trip into Inglewood for Coni, but just make sure to call and confirm that Sergio is there first.

3. Fish Taco - Ricky's (Los Angeles, CA)

When M and I made our visit to Ricky's, the stand was still located in the parking lot of a strip mall. Ricky has since procured a food truck so his operation is mobile now. It's a little disappointing since part of the fun of the experience is that you could watch the guys frying up your tacos. Regardless, wherever Ricky is parked, you need to try these tacos. We tried both their shrimp and their fish tacos, but the fish were the stars here. The batter is seasoned really well and isn't heavy at all. The fish is tender, flaky, and has just the right amount of crunch from the batter. The pico de gallo and lettuce offer freshness to balance the fried fish, and the crema offers, if nothing else, a nice creaminess to the entire taco.

4. Roasted Bone Marrow with Charred Spring Onions, Pickled Fresno Chiles, and Tortillas - Empellon Cocina (New York, NY)

At Empellon, M and I had a lot of really good dishes. So much so that we chose this meal as our favorite of 2013. The brightest star of that meal was this roasted bone marrow dish topped with charred spring onions, pickled fresno chiles, and served with fresh tortillas. Sadly this was just a seasonal special so it's quite possible that we may never see this dish again. The roasted marrow is nicely salted and decadently rich. The charred spring onions tasted like spring, and the peppers added a subtle heat and tartness. They serve this with freshly made tortillas, and we turned it all into tacos. Delicious, delicious tacos.

5. Firecracker Lentil Fritters - Rangoon (Philadelphia, PA)

M and I really love Burmese food, and I think a lot of that comes from the fact that it's so hard for us to find. One thing we love the most about it is how fresh everything tastes. You might think that, because of this reasoning, I'd never pick a fried dish, and I never did either until I tried these lentil fritters. They're mashed up lentils with mint, onions, cumin, chili peppers, and some other spices that we couldn't identify. It's also served with a sour, garlicky sauce that had a fish sauce smell to it as well. The crunch of the crust was balanced by the mashed lentil interior that was piping hot and perfectly mushed. You didn't actually need the sauce because of the bevy of spices, but it did add additional layers of flavor when dipped.

6. Chicken Pot Pie Fritters - Family Meal (Frederick, MD)

We've been big fans of the Voltaggio brothers ever since seeing them both on Top Chef. It was with great anticipation that we were able to go try one of Bryan Voltaggio's restaurants while on our PA/MD road trip. We actually went about an hour out of our way just to get there, but it was well worth the drive. The appetizer we kept reading about was the chicken pot pie fritters. We had no clue what to expect, but we both really like pot pie so it made sense to try them. I call these things magic pot pie. They are literally balls of chicken pot pie filling encased in a lightly breaded shell. The only thing I can think of that they do is that they freeze the pot pie filling and then bread and deep fry them to make sure they're warm after cooking. Regardless of how they do it, they're amazing.

7. Tsukumen - Tsujita LA (Los Angeles, CA)

One of the things that M and I really wanted to try while we were out in LA was tsukumen from Tsujita LA. It's their specialty, and this is the US outpost of a highly revered tsukumen shop in Japan. Here's my review of our meal there. This was easily one of the best things I ate all year, and the fact that we were able to sit outside and enjoy the sun and warmth while doing so made it a great experience.

8. Asparagus - ABC Cocina (New York, NY)

This year M and I went through a huge Spring Vegetable kick. We were able to finally try spring onions, ramps, and garlic scapes. However, one of my favorite dishes of the year came from a trusty old friend of a spring vegetable, asparagus. It was prepared in the wood-fire grill and topped with pickled spring onions, marcona almonds, and a clear vinaigrette of some sort. The dish tasted like I would expect Spring to taste. The asparagus tasted so fresh, and the pickled spring onions and vinaigrette added tartness. The almonds added texture, but I'm not sure they were fully necessary. It was still a wonderful dish, though.

9. White Rose and Saffron Pistachio Ice Cream - Saffron and Rose Ice Cream (Los Angeles, CA)

I love ice cream. A lot. We ate a lot of good ice cream this year from places like Dave and Andy's in Pittsburgh and The Igloo in Everett, PA, but my favorite ice cream experience was from Saffron and Rose Ice Cream in LA. It's a Persian ice cream shop specializing in the flavors from their culture. We tried two of their traditionally flavored ice creams: white rose and saffron pistachio. The white rose ice cream was so floral and tasted just like a rose smells. I can't really describe it any other way. It's so simple and so tasty. The saffron pistachio was a revelation. It uses the white rose ice cream as a base, but then they add a touch of saffron which gives it color and a hint of flavor, and they then mix in pistachios for crunch. They also add these frozen white blobs of frozen cream which are apparently a delicacy in Persian culture. It's hard to describe the flavor of this because saffron is such a distinct flavor, but it's also paired with white rose. The frozen cream is also a fun surprise you get here and there. If you ever find yourself in the Westwood area definitely check out this little ice cream shop.

10. Brussels Sprout Pie - Motorino (New York, NY)

It's hard to imagine listing a pizza on a "best of" list since I'm from Chicago, and if it's not Lou Malnati's I'm probably going to think it's inferior. However, while I'm not ready to say this is better than my beloved Chicago-style pizza, it is certainly a very very good pizza. The Brussels Sprout pie is topped with Brussels sprout leaves, fior de latte, garlic, pecorino, smoked pancetta, and extra virgin olive oil. We love Brussels sprouts and never thought to break the leaves up and put them on a pizza. Also, they pair perfectly with smoked pancetta since the saltiness of pancetta lends itself well to the slightly bitter Brussels sprouts. This is a white pie as well so the flavors of the sprouts and pancetta do not get muddied by a tomato sauce. The crust is also perfectly chewy with just the right amount of crunch and "burnt" flavoring from the wood-fire oven.