Now….Sizzle with Hanizzle!

Hello World!

As I continue to flip between various mediums in documenting my cooking, I am back here. Back with this blog. And though it’s been a lot of different things, I realized I need it to be one thing – a blog for me to document my love for cooking and food. And that’s exactly what it’s going to be. We are now going to Sizzle with Hanizzle.

Yes, I am Hanizzle. A nickname some friends gave me. It’s silly and fun and rhymes with sizzle. Plus, I am silly, fun, and I definitely sizzle, so that is where we are at!

I’m starting off with discussing what my roommate and I made this week and talk about Lent this year. Lent is always a big part of my life, where I give up food that I am tempted with every day/often. I find it a challenge mentally but also spiritually. I do not need to complain that I can’t eat cookies because I made a choice not to eat them. There are people in the world who have much less – the season of Lent reminds me of that every time food is mentioned. And since food is such a large part of my life (it doesn’t just sustain my body, but my soul!!), this has always had a strong affect on me and helps continue to put my life in perspective.

This year, I am giving up bread, pastas, noodles, and baked sweets. I decided I didn’t want to completely limit myself this year, but still give myself a large enough challenge. I love bread and pasta/noodles so much – I eat them almost everyday! So this will help me find healthier alternatives that I want to focus on more. Also, I give up sweets every year. But besides baked sweets and chocolate, I don’t eat much of any other sweets. So why not give myself a small break and allow myself chocolate still. Making this decision was huge for me. I am not one to “give myself a break,” so deciding this is making sure I still indulge in self care. That is just as important as caring for others, which I am gradually learning and accepting.

So, want to see what my roomie and I made this week?

Mushroom Veggie Bolognese with Spaghetti Squash

Lemony Lentil Soup

I did not contribute to the Lemony Lentil Soup – besides the concept – but I was able to make ground turkey for myself (roommate is a vegetarian) and bake the spaghetti squash to perfection for the bolognese! Also chopped some of the veggies for that dish as well. Working on my knife skills is always fun! We were inspired by a few recipes from food gawker, but my roomie and I couldn’t help but put our own spin to these dishes – adding more veggies, red wine, and/or more lemon juice.

I am excited to continue my cooking and food journey here. It may not be too frequently, but I am also creating an Instagram called @SizzlewithHanizzle that will document my day to day cooking and eating adventures more often, which is always good.

Follow me on this journey and we’ll see where we sizzle to!

 

Trying Paleo for 30 Days – What?!

Yes world. I am trying to cook via Paleo for 30 DAYS. “Does this mean, you can’t eat PASTA?!”

Yes, I can’t eat pasta.

“Wait, what about…CHEEESE???!?!?!?”

I am forgoing eating that and all dairy as well – Yes, even cheese and yogurt.

My two best friends have gluten intolerances and it’s been a tough journey for them trying to figure out what works for their body and what doesn’t. I have been…a little over the top with regards to my unhealthy eating habits this summer, that I decided September 1st, I am going to try eating the Paleo Diet.

Though, it’s not considered a diet necessarily, it’s all about eating non-processed, whole food – meant, veggies, fruit. I’m using the Practical Paleo book from Diane Sanfilippo meal planning and recipes. I have half the month figured out and I need to plan the second month. But it’s been exciting and stressful.

I went meat shopping yesterday at Costco and got all the chicken breasts, thighs, ground turkey, and ground beef I have ever purchased in my life. I basically have taken over the apartments freezer. Today I bought the veggies and start the pre-cooking for tomorrow’s meals.

I made crustless quiche for breakfast and mustard glazed chicken thighs for lunch, which will include a mixed greens salad with cherry tomatoes, green onions, cucumbers, and balsamic vinaigrette. Pictures of what I made so far are below:

Top Left – Mustard Glaze; Top Right – Chicken thighs with glaze in the over; Middle Left – Done Chicken Thighs; Middle Right – Done Quiche; Bottom Left – Close up of Crustless Quiche; Bottom Right – Shredded Zucchini and Carrots.

It was quite easy to make actually. And I’m really excited to try them. And honestly, besides getting healthier, this forces me to be better about cooking. I love cooking. I miss cooking. I always talk about cooking. For goodness sakes this blog is about cooking! But these past few months I haven’t cooked much and it doesn’t feel right. Getting back in the kitchen will be good for me. And I’ve always wanted to cook more with meat, so I am real excited!

This journey in particular will be interesting – I hope to documents every day or every other day – we’ll see how it goes. Please keep reading though if you’re interested! I plan to be more proactive in my relatively decent blog writing. 🙂

 

The Day I First Made Cheese!

I haven’t really finished documenting my time in NOLA – I got through a lot of it and since I hurt my toe toward the end of the trip anyways, I figure I have covered my bases. And if I feel so inclined to write another post regarding it, I will. (I anticipate this happening).

However, this post is a momentous post for so many reasons. One of my life goals has been to make my own cheese and I accomplished that on Friday, July 3, 2015. Not only was I able to make cheese, I filmed myself making it, edited a video, and posted the video on YouTube.

Whaatttt?!?

I am super shy about exposing myself to media – yes I post on social media, but only select things. And YES I have this blog, but I don’t tell anyone about it (except my best friends) and just let whoever is interested in this stuff read it. I don’t always feel comfortable putting myself on blast, which is the exact reason why I uploaded it onto YouTube and I will be posting it here for your viewing.

The mozzarella cheese I made that is more crumbly than anticipated. Still tastes like cheese. 🙂

Keep in mind, I was not initially thinking of posting the video, so I recorded it vertically instead of horizontally. It was also my first time using iMovie, so blargh about my skills there. ALSO, I used music I do not have copyrights to, but those were the songs I felt fit with the video and my mood (we’ll see what happens with that). LASTLY the cheese I made ended up not looking anything like mozzarella until I put it in the fridge and now it’s like a crumbly mozzarella cheese…thing. It tastes REALLY good though.

It was so much fun to make, even though I was really nervous about messing up. And I totally did mess up and things didn’t turn all that bad. I still have cheese, I made it, and it tastes pretty good. Plus making the movie was a lot of fun as well, which was not something I expected.

Without further ado, I present to you The Day I First Made Cheese!

 

NOLA Day 3 – NOLA!

** Another note – yes I again wrote this on the day of and did not post it. I got so tired after my long days in NOLA, that I would write things out, but would not have the energy to edit or add photos. Plus, Flickr is still being weird, so there are no pictures here. Anyways, enjoy!**

This day was a simple day – I did the same bus tour and thought I was going to get off somewhere, but then ended up not doing so. Plus, it ended up being a lot of food day. The one thing I wasn’t expecting from the day was RAIN! It all of a sudden started raining and it kinda felt good – hot weather, cool rain. I didn’t want my bag to get messed up, but overall the rain wasn’t too bad. It was just down pouring for 15 minutes anyways, and then gone – not as big of a deal.

I finally went to Cafe Du Monde for a cafe au lait and beignets. I didn’t have to wait and just sat at a table – which was crazy surprising (go after lunch, it’s still busy, but there are tables available). Someone came up, took my order (I was facetiming with my two besties at the same time. Hehehe), and I waited. It wasn’t long before the goodness arrived and I jumped in. Oooooo no one was lying about these beignets! They are AMAZING! Fried to perfection, sweet with the powder sugar, and just the right amount of fluffy. So perfect! And the cup of coffee was good too, but I mistakenly ordered a hot cup and not it frozen, so it made me sweat even more. Hahaha

Before that, I went to Johnny’s Po’Boys and got an alligator sausage sandwich. Po’ Boys are just sandwiches, with fried goodness, or sausage goodness in them. And this was no exception. It was a bit spicy (could have been more spicy, so I added Crystals hot sauce) and the alligator meat was real good! Granted, it was in sausage form, but the flavor was different from other pork/chicken sausages.

I walked around so more, looked at some art galleries, found some shops to just drop by in, and then had to charge my phone again. It’s kinda nice being able to relax somewhere and read a bit or write a bit. Especially out of the hot sun. Then I headed back to Armstrong park for some Jazz in the Park.

It was amazing how so many community members were there. It didn’t seem touristy at all, just local people listening to good music, selling local merchandise, and local restaurants showcasing their food. I loved it! I just watched and listened and took it all in!

The last thing I did this day was go to NOLA, Emeril Lagassi’s Restuarant. Oh.My.Goodness.Me. Everything I wanted was there – I could barely decided what to eat and the best part of the whole place was the bartender! She was telling me all about the history of New Orleans, her life here, Mardi Gras, how this is the best place in the country, and how dealing with the stupid heat was worth the great town. I absolutely LOVED it.

I started with stuffed chicken wings, which reminded me a lot of Arab stuffing, surprisingly. The chicken was amazing and it had this hoison sauce that once added made the dish something else completely – and I loved that I could have both! Then I had the shrimp and grits. SOOOO GOOD! Cheddar grits, grilled spicy shrimp, bacon and mushroom bits, topped with a spicy BBQ sauce. It was creamy, and oh so savory, and I just could not put my fork down. Last, I ended with the Elvis, Peanut Butter bread pudding with caramelized bananas, drunk monkey ice cream, and bacon pralines – YES BACON. I could not stop eating this, even when I knew I was s full. All of the different pieces together made this dish amazing. The salty, the sweet, the icey, the creamy, and the crunchy all together was perfect. Heaven, even!

Then I went home to rest. It was such a good day though. SUCH a good day. 🙂

“There are two times of day in Louisiana – mealtime and in between”

**Note: I wrote this on the ACTUALLY day and never posted it because I wanted to include pictures. Flickr has been quite weird with me, so many of the pictures will just be at the bottom of the post. Enjoy though!**

Nola Day 2!

Quote in French Quarter Visitor Center

Today I got to see more of NOLA and it was amazing – though super hot. I have to say, that has been the hardest part for me. Dealing with the heat and humidity. (Everyone says August is worse, but damn this is pretty bad too.)

I took my sweet time in the morning, trying to figure out what I wanted to do, finish writing my blog, and had an iced mocha au lait and bagel at Tremé Coffeehouse (Formerly Cafe Tremé).  It was a nice place – the guy who rung me up seemed kind of…um…(looking for another word for douchie)….snide. But it was still good coffee and a good bagel. Then it was off to the French Quarter.

I face-timed my mom for a bit – she LOVED New Orleans and it was so much fun face-timing with her. She got to see the river and the great architecture of  NOLA and St. Louis Cathedral – oldest one in the US (according to the tour I went on). Then I did the Hop On Hop Off tours. I know, so freaking touristy of me, but I love them! I get to know the city more and I get to see more of it without trying to figure out public transit or cabs and what not.

Beautiful Houses in Garden District, St. Charles St.

The tour was great and I got to see the Central Business District, the Garden District (beautiful houses), St. Charles street – where one of the Mardi Gras parades go through – the Warehouse District, and the Superdome. That was a bit emotionally for me. Just imagining all the people that were there after Katrina – trying to imagine the WHOLE CITY after Katrina just made me so sad. It makes me want to see where the levees broke and how there is still not development or support in some of those areas. Like how many years has it been and the government(s) still haven’t done anything? The tour guide didn’t mention much about it – acknowledged it, but I wanted more. Then I realized I’m not like most tourists and the guy is just trying to make the tour as happy as possible. So where’s the tour of what’s REALLY happening in New Orleans? Can I get on that?

After the tour, I decided not to hop off anything and came back to the French Quarter – my favorite place, Ah! It’s hella touristy and even I get annoyed with them, but it’s so old looking and so rich with life, music, and food, why wouldn’t I love it?

From Royal House; Crawfish Étoufeé, Chicken and Andouille Gumbo, and Chicken and Andouille Jambalaya

I ate at Royal House Oyster Bar (I really like food on Royal Street) and got the “Taste of New Orleans” dish alongside a Hurricane. The dish had a cup of chicken and andouille gumbo, crawfish étoufée, and chicken and andouille jambalaya. OMGOSH, how do I describe how delicious these were?!? I was most surprised at the crawfish étoufée – the seafood flavor mixed with the spicy spices just made it divine. And the chicken and andouille gumbo – though could have been thicker and used more spice – was so flavorful still. The chicken and andouille were cooked to perfection and just added so much with the rice mixed into it. And the jambalaya was a nice “cool down” dish. Also surprising, I thought it would be spicier. But since the other two were so much spicier, I liked that I could have a dish that calmed them down a bit. It was delicious and I am so glad I got them!

After, I had an easy day, walking around and experiencing the world around me. I found a cafe I could charge my phone and then headed back to where I was staying through Armstrong Park – which I just took more pictures of and enjoyed even more. My host made dinner, so I had that and we just had time to talk together. I got to know her experiences and why she chose New Orleans as the place she wanted to live in. It was great and made for a nice ending to the night. And onto more adventures for the next few days!

 

St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Park

One of the last Ads that are painted directly on buildings.

Crescent City Crossing Bridge and the Mississippi River

Oldest Cemetery in New Orleans

Mr. Bienville, who founded NOLA.

Mardi Gras World!

A cool clock over sheet music.

Beads in the trees!!

Superdome

Cool Railings – what I imagine when I think of buildings in New Orleans

My First Hurricane!

 

NOLA Day 1 – The Big Easy

I arrived to New Orleans a bit exhausted from my red-eye flights. I didn’t get the sleep I anticipated I would, but once I was off the flight, nothing could stop my excitement. I was in NEW ORLEANS!

My cab driven was quieter than I imagined someone from New Orleans would be, but he did make it clear that the weekend was the best time to visit NOLA – whoops! None the less, I got to my destination, which had an Egyptian flag in front of the house. I love that! I met my Airbnb host and she was amazing. She had to go to work, but showed me around the house and my room, which was huge! I had a big bed, night dresser, regular dresser, and space to dance if I wanted to. I was happy. The neighborhood is a bit run down, but she assured me that it as safe. Plus, I live in Berkeley and hang out in Oakland occasionally. I think I’m good for the most part.

After I got settled in I decided to go for it and check out the French Quarter via Louis Armstrong Park. Mind you, it’s like 12:00pm – there wasn’t too many people around. More tourists than anything, but I can assume that’s how that area can be for the most part – especially when there aren’t any festivals. Just a quick shout out to the great Louis Armstrong Park. It is GORGEOUS. So many great sculptures, fountains, and a cute lake in the middle. It also has the Mahalia Jackson Performing Arts Center – it’s like I was meant to stay in Tremé!

I had my first shrimp Po’ Boy at 801 Royal, a nice spot on Royal and St. Anne. Met some friendly Australians, a great bartender, who lived in the Peninsula and Lake Tahoe for a good amount of his life, and then some people from Pennsylvania (an hour out of Philly – they never said the name of the city, but they said something about Amish). It was great! The Australians and I exchanged info so we can keep in touch – they even said they’d love for me to come visit Australia, free of charge (well, not the airfare. Hahaha). It was so sweet, making me see how nice it can be to travel alone.

The rest of the day was just looking everywhere, hearing all the great jazz around, and walking wherever my feet took me. I saw the Mississippi River, and Cafe du Monde but didn’t get any beignets – Saving that for another day – and all the great buildings in NOLA. I was so tired though – the heat got to me and I then went straight back to the house to take a quick nap.

Three hours later, I was ready for dinner. I walked down to the Frenchmen Street and how do I describe this street? Full of life, music, food, and a bit dirty. But you gotta love it! The restaurant I wanted to try was closed, so I went to Snug Harbor. I got there right when the live band started playing – I was at the bar (as a lone traveler, this was one of the recommendations people gave me) so I couldn’t see the band, but they had a TV screen with them on it. It was a typical jazz band – just piano, upright bass, and drums. It’s not the jazz I imagine NOLA to really have, but it was nice none the less. I had a fried chicken sandwich and it was good, but that was when I realized I should have gone somewhere else. The best part about this place was across the street was The Spotted Cat Music Club.

All I can say about that place is that it’s the best. Intimate, great live music, fun people, good bar – I didn’t want to leave! This was the kind of place I wanted to see here and I am so glad I discovered it – If I feel like my night’s not going well, I know I can come here and be happy.

Overall, day 1 was amazing and everything I could imagine. Live music everywhere – even by the house I’m staying at – and wherever I walk on Frenchmen street or the French Quarter. The people are also so friendly too – one guy even asked if he could lick me. Ok, not the most respectful thing – actually made me quite uncomfortable. But that’s another part of New Orleans, crazy people!

I love it here and I’m ready for Day 2.

 

 

 

 

 

Off to New Orleans!

  My life has continued to be a ridiculous roller coaster ride, leading me to want to travel and find some clarity. One night, I’m looking at Air bnb rooms in New Orleans and start asking people about their availability. I come across one woman, who was quite quick in her response and in wanting to accommodate me. My usual self would have been wanting to think this decision through,”Do I have the money? Should I leave during this time? Should I sleep on it?” But with everything happening in my life, the lack of control I actually had on it made me realize, screw it. I’m going to New Orleans. 

I booked the room and round trip flights from SFO to MSY and was ready to take on NOLA all by myself. 

As I sit here at my terminal in SFO, I’m half terrified, half excited. I have an idea of what I’m doing, but I’m playing this all by ear. I’m finally going to New Orleans after YEARS of wanting to hear the Jazz, taste the food, and meet the people. It’s inspiring me to keep a good attitude and remember why I’m doing this. 

I can’t wait to document my trip here – all the food and sites. Maybe I’ll record some videos for you all to hear. I’m about to board my flight and have the best time ever! But I’ll keep in touch. Aaaaahhhh!

Traveling to North Carolina – Bojangles’!

So you know how I said I was going to cook chili this week? It seems my excitement for re-starting this blog made me completely forget that I am traveling to Durham, North Carolina this weekend. I leave on Thursday so I am unsure whether I will have time to actually cook chili.

Saddness right? But I thought, why not talk about where I’m going and what I may be eating – that makes up for not making chili.

Bojangles!

When I asked my friend what’s the specialty food in North Carolina, she immediately said, “Bojangles’!” The chicken n’ biscuits in this place apparently are amazing and the sweet tea is the most perfect thing in the world…apparently. Clearly I have to try it for myself. 😉

It started in Charlotte, North Carolina and it uses cajun-spices for it’s chicken and buttermilk for their biscuits. (Thanks Wikipedia!) And it looks and sounds amazing! I mean, I love biscuits and I love fried chicken – and I love sides like mac and cheese and mashed potatoes. What more could I want?

This means I’m going to have to try some Bojangles’ for myself. As a matter of fact, I am! This Sunday, before I leave to come back to California, I will be eating some deeelicious chicken n’ biscuits from this place and I cannot wait to share my experience of it.

Biscuits…Chicken…Mashed Potatoes…Mac and Cheese…Yeeess!

Traveling to North Carolina is a bit more than just eating Bojangles’ and gaining a ton of weight. It’s seeing a new place I haven’t been to and exploring with friends and attending a wedding – it has me really excited. The most south I’ve ever been in the US is Florida and that has a whole different culture than most of the South. It’s exciting to be able to explore Durham and see what it’s all about.

So, there’s no chili this week, but there will be Bojangles’ next and that’s just as amazing. 🙂

It’s November & I’m Restarting Now

It’s been roughly 8 months since I’ve written in here. And I realize that is no way to get new followers, show off my skills, and stick to a project. This happens to me a lot and I’m trying to figure out what to do. So I have decided to dedicate this blog to just cooking and letting myself measure whatever I want and research whatever  I need. Because in the end, I’ll get to where I want to be as long as I start from the beginning with the basics.

With the Holidays coming up soon, I know my stress levels will be at a high, and though I have gotten into yoga and pilates (fitness!), I think getting back into cooking will definitely help calm me down.

To bring it all back into food, I’ve decided to bring up something I have thought about doing. A Clean Eating Challenge.

Specifically this one – http://www.buzzfeed.com/christinebyrne/clean-eating-challenge

 

Clean Eating Challenge

I think the whole idea of eating clean for two weeks and really trying to avoid processed, fatty, sugary, unhealthy foods is something I need to explore more – especially with me wanting to be healthy and stay healthy. I try to make good decisions, but sometimes french fries and cheese get the best of me…all too often.

You might be thinking, “You are going to do this during the holiday season? Yeah it’s just two weeks but OMGOSH that’s like…totally insane. Totally.”

Yeah – it is totally insane. And I think I may wait til the new year…I am a super procrastinator and clearly this is no exception. But I feel like I have been getting better about my health and this holiday season should test me on those normal urges and desires to eat 3 slices of pumpkin pie after eating 3 helpings of Christmas dinner. I really want to see how my progress has gone before diving into something that may completely change how I do things.

Ready for New Cooking Adventures!

Yes it’s not the new year – it’s NOVEMBER, the year is almost over. But I’m ready to start this thing up again and get back into the groove of cooking. It’s time for me to be held accountable of keeping up with this blog and cooking for myself. 😀

For my next cooking adventure, we’ll revisit chilli and how warm & cozy it is on these fall evenings.

Maloubeh – An Arab Upside Down Dish

Today’s dish I am cooking with my eyes is Maloubeh (maal oo bey)

So it has been awhile since I have posted here. Life has again gotten the best of me and I have lost track of a lot of time. And when I do get free time, I’m either with family, the boyfriend, friends, or Television.

But I still have been cooking – quite a bit – and forgetting to document it ALL! I know, frustrating and annoying! I actually almost forgot to document the dish I am posting about today. But do not worry, I have some photos to present.

Maloubeh – look at that big piece of eggplant!

This is Maloubeh – A Middle Eastern dish predominately eaten in the Levant part (Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon) of the Arab Peninsula. It means upside down because you flip the dish upside down – read more to learn more.

There are many variations, with different vegetables, chicken or lamb, and different spice mixtures – it’s name has variance as well. Many people call it Makloubeh (maak loo bey), but in Palestinian dialect, the ‘k’ sound is silent, hence Maloubeh.

Here’s what my family usually puts in Maloubeh:

Lamb – chopped
Rice
Roasted Eggplant – slices into medium sized slices
Roasted Cauliflower
Onions – sliced
Salt
Pepper
Allspice
Garlic Powder
Turmeric Powder

I didn’t really measure anything, woo!!. I did get 1 lb. of lamb, 1 head of cauliflower (which is NOT enough, especially if you love roasted cauliflower), 2 large eggplants,  and 1 large onion. I had some white rice I wanted to finish and used it all up – no measuring, so I have no idea how much I put.

You see all the lamb pieces? Yes, I would like to eat all the lamb please and thank you!

My mother told me to boil the lamb first if I have a big piece that still had bone in it. I was lazy at Berkeley Bowl and the lamb chunks for stew pieces were on sale, so I got those. So I just cut them up and didn’t worry about boiling them.

Here are the instructions:

1. Slice onions and cook with olive oil at the bottom of a deep, large, pot. Medium-high heat.
2. Once onions are soft and fragrant, add pieces of lamb into the pot and cook until finished. My mom suggests putting a tiny bit of water to make sure nothing burns.
3. Season with salt, pepper, allspice, garlic powder, and turmeric powder – we’ll call this the Maloubeh spices.
4. Once the lamb is cooked, add your vegetables. I added the cauliflower first and then covered it with more Maloubeh spices. I then added half of the eggplant discs, more spices, the other half of eggplant, and more spices.
5. Then, top the pot with rice – I like using bulgur too, it’s healthier and has a more grainy texture I like, I just didn’t have a lot and wanted to get rid of my white rice – and more Maloubeh spices.

The pot after flipping the Maloubeh. The rice that usually stays behind is extra crispy and is my favorite!

6. Next, add water to the pot – enough to submerge the rice fully, but not more water than slightly above the submerged rice.
7. Let the dish boil for 10 minutes then lower the heat to a simmer for….a REALLY LONG TIME. Every ten minutes, tilt the pot and taste the water. Season to taste.
8. As you check the pot for water and seasoning, you’ll be able to tell when the rice is done and when water does not show as you tilt the pot. Let it cool.
9. Then place a circular pan (I only had a rectangle baking sheet, not recommended, but I made it work) on top of the cooled pot of Maloubeh.
10. Flip the pot and pan over, place it on the table pan side down, lift the pot while making sure everything stays in the pan and voila!

Right after flipping the Maloubeh. Fall into my plate, you delicious rice dish, you.

This dish is one of my all time favorite dishes. My mom makes it amazing and I was so nervous doing this for the first time alone. But I packed some up, had my family try it and they loved it! Needed a bit more salt, but I figured it kept their salt intake down, right? (Positive thinking…or at least I tell myself that when I under season.)

Put some of that yogurt on there!! Oh yes, hitting the spot perfectly!

The above picture shows that Maloubeh is eaten with a bit of plain yogurt on top – or to the side, whatever your preference. It is also eaten with an Arab salad – tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, mint, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper (also has different variations). I love it with yogurt and forgot to get tomatoes at the store, so I didn’t make the salad. It’s great with both though so I recommend making the salad.

I am so happy I tried this dish and I really didn’t measure much – at least the spices and the rice. And the rice was a risk. It turned out better than expected and I know that this will definitely not be the last time I make this dish. I plan on cooking it for my kids when I have them – even if I have to force feed them. “You will love Maloubeh whether you like it or not!”

Just kidding. This was fun! Made enough to even freeze some of it. I’ll try to get more posts up on the various things I’m cooking – also showcase my new photography skills. They are in no way perfect, but I can see an improvement from before I took a photography class.

The turmeric gives this dish such a great yellow color. The most delicious yellow stuff I’ve had…sorta. hahaha

Any questions? Want me to cook something specific or want to learn more about anything that has to do with food or cooking, comment below! Thanks for reading and Ma Salam!