Middle Eastern
Fig & Olive in Meatpacking
The Meatpacking District may be best known for its night life, but that culture totally spills into their restaurants. There are doormen, lines, people dressed to the nines and menu prices that lets you know you’re paying probably as much to eat as you are to be seen eating there. Needless to say, God forbid you lose your reservation because now you’re all dressed up and stuck with a minimum two-hour wait at all the restaurants in the vicinity. That’s kind of what happened to us — only our saving grace was Fig & Olive.
After losing our 8pm reservation at Ajna Bar (formerly Buddha Bar…I had no idea they had changed their name either), we were stuck with waiting til midnight for the next slot. Across the street at STK, same story. After wandering a bit, we found Fig & Olive. The maître d’ was so nice and accommodating even though the five of us had just shown up without a reservation on a Saturday night. He said we could wait 15 minutes for an “unorthodox” table inside or a table outside. We opted to sit outside since it was a nice night. While we were waiting, the manager offered us drinks on the house. The service for the rest of the night fit the same standard — it was totally refreshing.
Crostinis Part One
Israeli Couscous with Veggies
Thursdays are starting to become my cooking night with Archana 
. We try to keep it healthy and easy and here’s another recipe we stumbled upon using Israeli couscous. I don’t think I ever had this type of couscous before — I’ve only tried the tiny, grainy type. It’s a bit carb-ey but is a good source of protein and fiber, and paired with the right seasoning and veggies as you’ll see here, is absolutely delicious.
We got the recipe from Epicurious but had to make some alterations to the proportions. I’ll give you the recipe we used, which feeds 4.
Hayat’s Kitchen – Lebanese food in North Hollywood, CA
In New York, hole-in-the-wall restaurants are often places where families dish out generations of culinary genius. Well, the San Fernando Valley may be known for many things–celebrity homes, authentic Mexican food, etc.–but being a mecca for the culinary “diamond-in-the-rough” is not one of them. So when my friend begged me to go with her to a hidden Lebanese restaurant in North Hollywood, I admittedly hesitated.
Hummus
Garlic Fries
Brunch at Cafe Orlin
Poached eggs over a potato pancake
Still can’t get over the delicious brunch I had at Cafe Orlin in the East Village last weekend. I’ve been to Orlin for some yummy dinner but this was my first day time meal there. We had a mix of savory and sweet, starting with this Middle Eastern inspired dish below:
Malawach, $8
Bonjour from Paris!
View from the apartment -- the hallway smell like fresh baked bread!
SO sorry for the MIA’ness…this is the first time I got to a computer since coming to Paris! It’s been breathtaking, absolutely surreal. Everywhere you look is just beautiful. This is my first time in Europe, so I’m still soaking it all in. It’s only Day 1, but I’ve been able to wander around most of the Place de la Bastille district where I’m staying, as well as Les Halles and Quatier Latin (Latin Quarter). My French is still not up to par, but the Parisians have been really sweet and helpful, humoring me at times even though my pronunciation is utterly pitiful. Thankfully, the train system has been as easy to follow as everyone had told me it’d be.
Ru de la Huchette
Veggie restaurant: Hummus Kitchen
OK, so I was really excited to try the food here, after passing by and noticing this new spot one day. The inside is absolutely beautiful, and I love hummus so thought this was a no brainer.
Oil and olives starters
