Don’t be fooled by the below list: the past week was one where I barely spent any time coming up with dishes, and more resenting myself that I ever agreed to go to The Cheesecake Factory.
I know that it is okay to give yourself a break every once in a while but I can’t help but feel like I did not challenge myself enough last week.
Going back to The Cheesecake Factory: not that the place is not good or the wait is insane (we only waited 15 minutes), but the food did not sit well with me at all. The chicken dish I ordered was equivalent to a whole bag of crispy strips that I like keeping in our freezer for when I need to make the quickest meal possible. So there was no way I could eat the whole thing in one sitting. Unfortunately having them the next day while at work did not improve upon the taste or prove to be better. If I do go there again, it’s going to be because the cheesecake is delectable.
On the other hand, we have been talking about making steak sandwiches since the day we moved in here- and we finally got a chance to do so last week. Ahmad was the one to take charge on this one, and while the meat could have been a bit more tender, the spice rub and cheese mix were delightful- enough to satisfy a craving.
Which brings us to Wednesday and Saturday, where I did in fact make something from scratch. I group those two together because the recipies came from Buzzfeed Food, proving that the site is not only about listicles. Both the chicken fajita and the baked gnocchi in 2 cheeses proved to be simple to execute, flavorful, and did not require me to wash almost the whole house after. I only had to use two pots for each, so I would call that a success in my book.
My mom’s kindness appeared on Thursday, when she sent over a casserole of artichokes, potatoes, and eggplant stuffed with ground beef and bechemel sauce. She does it quite well and this has always been one of my favorite dishes. I found it to be a godsend when I got home late that day and had guests coming over an hour after that. So even though I’m trying to get her to let me depend on myself, there is just no escaping her contributions. She knows how to time these things.
And finally: who doesn’t love some comfort food? In Lebanon, Hummus bi tahine is our favorite dip and goes hand in hand with shish taouk: a classic combo that pleases anyone of any age.
In our quest to try something new, we realized that some time had passed and we had not had some of the things we love. But it is okay to go back to your roots every once in a while, they are favorites for a very clear reason after all.
Beyond Beirut 