Potato Salad-ish
Or more commonly known by Iranians (and I’m sure many other cultures) Salad Uluviyeh. Originally French, I’ve been told. It’s good stuff man. In the last year that I’ve been living here in NYC I’ve had this constant desire to make it, but I’ve resisted. Can’t have too much of this mayo-goodness, I’ll have a heart-attack before I’m 25. That doesn’t mean I haven’t made it, I have. Once. And it turned out heavenly. So freeken good.
Recipe:
5 potatoes (I started out with three but added two more, so the numbers aren’t set in stone)
1/4 lbs chicken breast
6 pickles
4 eggs (if using all of the egg) 2 or 3 (if using just the whites)
Mayo (to your taste, I think I used about one cup)
Olive Oil
Salt, pepper
I started out with cooking everything that was raw. Eggs -> hard boiled, potatoes -> boiled as well, and boiling the chicken in a small amount of water and chopped onion (small onion, add that to the ingredients haha). Once it’s all cooked, take out the chicken and chop the chicken up. I chopped it really thin and small because I prefer not to feel the chicken when I’m eating it. Go on and chop up the eggs, potatoes and pickles, and mix it all in one big bowl. Take the mayo and add in about 1/8 cup of Olive Oil (or more if you want), mix the two together then mix it into the big bowl with all your ingredients in it. Add salt and pepper to taste. Ta-Da! Make sure to refrigerate and its good to go.
God, I want some right now. Yum.
Recipes: HomeMade Lunch Persian Sandwich True Story
by Zaida Rose
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Kotlet
Or essentially meat and potato patties. Though my mom would make them all the time I associate Kotlet with camping, probably because that’s when they taste the best to me. After hike up to a lake and I’ve put my feet in the fresh, cool water, nothing is more satisfying than a a perfectly prepared sandwich. Truth be told everything taste better in that situation, but because I remember having Kotlet sandwiches the most it’s what I associate to it. I also like to have the patty plain with a good banana—I know, I know, that’s weird but it tastes gooooood.
Different people make it differently, putting in a lot of different additives and ingredients but I went along with my mom’s recipe. It’s super simple and it’s what I’m familiar with and love.
1 lb Ground Meat (beef or chicken, whatever fits your fancy)
1 Medium Onion
5 potatoes (medium)
Salt, Pepper, Cinnamon 1/2 tablespoon each (or more, again whatever fits your fancy)
A Pinch of Turmeric
Start off by grinding the potatoes (raw is fine) then squeeze out it’s juices, put it aside and do the same with the onion. Having a food processor makes this task so easy. Next up mix the two together as well as the ground meat and seasonings, you can use a food processor here as well to make sure it’s all really mixed in. Make the patties in your hand and you can fry them like most people do, I like to oven bake it. If you decide to oven bake it will still need a good amount of oil so make sure you use a pan with ridges. Have the oven preheated to 400 deg and set the patties in your baking sheets (with ridges!!) and make sure the patties are at least 1/4 submerged in oil. Put them in the oven, once the patties are slightly hardened but still so loose you can’t flip them over, just nudge them a tinny bit to make sure they don’t stick to the baking sheet. flip them over after 10 min and they should be in the oven for 20-25 min or until they are a wonderful golden color.
This was my first time making Kotlet, I was super excited. I ground the potatoes and onion, mixed it all in and realized that my mix is way too watery. It wouldn’t even hold up in my hand and falling through like water. Confused as hell I decided that maybe I should call my mom to see what I did wrong and what I can do to fix it, I look over at the microwave to see what time it is and instead of telling me the time it’s telling me to “ENJOY YOUR MEAL”. What? I’m fasting, what could I have possibly put to warm up? I opened the microwave and there sat my one pound of ground chicken nicely defrosted and ready to be used…no wonder my mix was so damn watery, it was missing the meat! I added the meat in and everything else was happily ever after. I make 15 patties and a good chunk of it was gone after we broke our fast—yay for another success in the kitchen!
Side Note: If you want to use baked potatoes then add in one egg to your mix.
Chicken Fajita
I’m on a bit of a Spanish food binge, it’s all I want to fill my tummy with. Good old Spanish food. Chile, tortilla soup, tacos, burritos, fajitas, salsa, rice… just keep it coming! Tonight we are heading to a local spot, later this week I’m planing on making tortilla soup and I’ve already made some pretty fantastic Chicken Fajitas over the weekend.
It was so simple and so delicious I had to stop myself from over eating. I made some really simple, super mild salsa on the side. So easy: One onion-chopped. Two tomatoes (or one, depending on size and preference) chopped. Cilantro-chopped. One freshly squeezed lemon, or lime. Salt. Pepper. Mix. WhooHoo!!!
I think I may be a little obsessed with chopping. I have so much fun with it, it might be because of my awesome knife, new cutting board or it’s rhythmic qualities or a combination of it all but whenever a recipe calls for chopping I like to do it and have the Husband take care of the other stuff. Like mixing and stirring. Though, let me just say I hate chopping onions. I keep accidentally getting yellow unions thinking their the one that make you tear less, but apparently they make you tear more. Sometimes it feels like I’m having an emotional meltdown and all it takes is taking off a top layer. Need to stop getting the yellow stuff.
Sharky’s
There is no shortage of good Mexican food in Southern California (probably all of California). If you are driving around and suddenly get hungry, chances are there is a taco place nearby and it’s not that bad. One of my recent favorites is Sharky’s. A friend and I discovered it after waiting twenty minutes to be seated at a sushi joint. They seated everyone before and after us, we could see the open seats and yet we weren’t being seated so we decided screw this and walked out. I’m glad we did because Sharky’s is awesome.
It’s not a fancy, authentic restaurant but I still like it. I’d choose it over Baja Fresh or any other fast and easy joint. Their tortilla salad bowls are larger than my head, their Mahi Mahi tacos are so damn good I didn’t want to stop eating. They serve these baskets of freshly baked tortilla chips with your choice of unlimited salsa, it’s warm to your fingers and perfectly crunchy in your mouth. Oh man I LOOOOVEEE chips and salsa, especially theirs. I could go for some right now, if I had to I would willingly live off of it.
For some reason the one I usually go to doesn’t have great reviews on Yelp, People are crazy. Trust me, it’s pretty decent.
Veggie Grill
New York City is awesome, but every so often I start feeling a little homesick. I start missing the the lifelong friendships I’ve made back in California, easy access to a clean, beautiful beach, some good old sunshine and a constant supply of amazing weather. Without our short visits I think I’d probably go a little insane. Everyone needs a break from the city. Everyone.
This time around my visit was much shorter and as a result I wasn’t able to feast at all the different places I wanted to. Luckily I got a good amount of Veggie Grill in me to last another six months. They are a completely vegan with the best sweet potato fries you will ever have. I’ve failed at making them myself and nowhere else I’ve gone has managed to come close. Their perfect.
Their soups and salads are pretty good, so are most of their sandwiches. I would say stay clear of their steaks (really not that good) and stick to their chickens, like their Santa Fe Chicken—my favoriate.
The newest addition to their menu is their chicken wings. Their really more like chicken nuggets battered in bbq or wing sauce. I remember testing them a while ago and not being too impressed with it, this time around I ordered it with the sauce on the side and enjoyed it much more. I also absolutely love how their vegan chicken takes so incredibly close to real chicken.
My fellow Southern Californians, please don’t overlook this place!
ChipShop
It’s a wonder I haven’t gained 20 lbs in the past nine months. I’ve been eating more than ever and not always the healthiest things. I mean, how can I when there are places like ChipShop are right around the corner with all their fried goodness. Fish and chips, shepherds pie, fried bananas!
They literally fry everything including fried snickers bars. If what you are looking for is not on the menu, bring it in and they will fry it. For the most part it’s pretty delish and not greasy, but it’s still a bunch of fired food, every time I eat there I feel like I need to do a cleanse.
What I really love about the place is the atmosphere. They are always playing awesome music, the walls are everything British and every waiter I’ve come across is from the motherland. Also, they have the most amazing mashed potatoes, make sure to either get something with their mashed potatoes (like their shepherds pies) or order a side of it.
*The first picture on this post is not of the place but, I’m assuming, one of their delivery cars or something. I was walking home and saw it parked, fun stuff!
Siggy’s
Where Aliens eat free. Real Aliens with the green skin, big heads and three fingers… not undocumented immigrants. Although, both time I’ve been to Siggy’s I have yet to see an Alien. If I was an Alien I would totally take advantage of the offer for free food. So if you are an Alien traveling here from another planet, check this place out.
Both times I’ve gone here has been either before or after crossing the Brooklyn Bridge. It’s relatively close and their food is pretty decent. Fresh, tasty and fulfilling.
Shake Shack
Looking for some delicious, heart-attack inducing, mouth watering, gourmet-ish fast food? Good, head over to Shake Shack right now. Do it! They only have one veggie option, their shroom burgers, and it is the best veggie burger I have had in my life. I want to keep talking about it but I don’t want to give it away, you have to try it for yourself. They also have pretty good fries and cheese fries, milkshakes and frozen custard. It’s a little difficult to have the burger and dessert in one sitting, it’s all so good stuff though.
I’ve gone to three different locations and my favorite is the one in Madison Square Park, it’s where the first Shake Shack opened. You get to sit outside and watch the bloated squirrels scavenge around everyone’s feet. The squirrels are so fat they look like they’ve consumed a football, I guess eating too many fries can make any creature obese.
Be prepared to stand in a line then have to hunt down an open seat. This is the case no matter the location, it’s always busy. It helps to not be alone, one person makes the orders as the other waits around for a table or part of a table (sharing a table with a few strangers is normal here). If you are alone that might have a different advantage, you can just squeeze yourself in anywhere.
Chop’t
Every time a family member comes for a visit we end up taking them to a number of very delicious and not-so-good-for-you places to eat. I keep telling myself that the walking evens it out, but that only lasts until it’s back to just the two of us and I step on the scale. Even if I don’t step on the scale I feel it in my lack of energy, irregular bathroom visits (or lack of) and tummy that’s only comfortable in PJ’s. I guess the last one is true regardless, I’d go out in PJ’s if I could. Solution? I think I’ll go for: salads! Aside from being absolutely delicious, they always help the digestive system regulate, at least they do with me. And happy digestive system makes for a happy Zaida.
So after the departure of our latest visitor the husband and I decided to check out Chop’t. This place has been getting a lot of buzz lately, mostly for their ramp vinaigrette dressing. It’s a seasonal dressing that still wasn’t available when we went. We asked about it and were told that it should be coming in a few weeks, I guess this just means I’ll be going back again!
The place is wonderful, you walk in and get hit in the nose with a strong whiff of freshness. They have enough salad options to keep you going for a month posted up on the wall as well as the calorie intake for all of them. There is a huge line and someone who stands there telling you who is available to take your order. They literally chop your salad, all the ingredients together. It’s pretty smart actually, leaving you with a flavorful and juicy salad. They make it right in front of you then hand it to you in a to-go plastic bowl.
I got the Santa Fe with the spicy Chipotle sauce, yum. The husband got their Mexican Cesar salad sandwich, also yum. I’m pretty sure I’ve found a favorite salad place.
I was only able to take a few pictures before I got yelled at, apparently they have rules against taking pictures. That’s my only complain.
Stone Park Cafe
Had a lunch date with a friend last week at Stone Park Cafe. I chose the place because it’s one of the restaurants participating in Dine In Brooklyn, a ten day period in which some restaurants participate by offering fixed 3 course meals for a fixed price. It’s a great week to try out places what normally would be a little above my budget. Although after going to Stone Park Cafe I realized it’s not expensive like I expected.
My Initial plan was to get their dine in option, but after talking to the waiter I became drawn to what he mentioned as his favorite dish: Swiss Chard Raviolini.
Oh, my God. It was good. The instant I took my first bite I fell in love. The flavors melted together so well, creamy and savory, and the nuts topped it off perfectly. Their portions where also just right, leaving you satisfied and not overly full.
For dessert I got their apple turnover, also yummy. I loved the scoop of Ice-cream the most.
They have a really nice set up as well, an elevated platform and a lowered one as well as outside seating. Their tables are beautifully set up, and the waiters very friendly. Not only did our main waiter check up on us but so did the hostes who seated us as well as two others that worked there. And to top their service off, they didn’t let me run out of water. Now that, my friends, is good customer service. 
4.5 / 5