This was actually the first dish I made in my cast iron pan. The shrimp got a savory sear on one side from the high heat, and everything came together perfectly. It’s reminiscent a Hamburger Helper meal, except so much better and less….boxed-pasta-y. This was for two meal-sized servings or 4 side dish servings. It was inspired by Pioneer Woman’s Penne a la Betsy (a lawyer-turned-food blogger, like me! Wonder how much Contracts Law she remembers…..or how much I’ll remember in oh….2 years at Bar Exam time.)
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My new cast iron pan. Like all beautiful things, it has a story. I’ve wanted a cast iron pan for a long time. Every day for the past few weeks, I used to walk past Brown’s Paint-Hardware on Franklin Street on my way to work at the Center for Civil Rights. And, after stopping at The Bookshop to admire the cute little kitties who sleep in the window book display, I’d stop at the Brown’s shop window, with my hands and face pressed against the glass, salivating at the cast iron pans and Dutch ovens hanging in the window.

Okay, maybe not that bad, but I used to stop and look every day. Unfortunately, it was always closed in the morning when I walked by.

So one day last week, I left work early and went in. Lights flashed, a breeze blew through my hijab luxuriously…..okay, again, exaggerating. But it was a big moment for me, I’m allowed to romanticize it. I got a beautiful, 10-inch pre-seasoned cast iron pan for $18.95 + tax. Can you believe it? Here, compare prices.

Oh, it was beautiful. I picked it out, went to the cash register, and this little old guy who owns the shop said “That be all, Ma’am?” I nodded happily. “Yes thank you I’ve been passing by here every day for so many days but youre always closed at that time and i saw the pans in the window and ive always wanted a pan and now i have one and thank you so much!” I stopped for a breath and looked at him. “Well I’m sorry you had to wait so long,” he said as he handed me my new shiny pan. I walked out grinning from ear to ear and promptly called Ayesha to share my excitement.

Today, I took my friend Angela there because she mentioned she wanted a Dutch oven for all the awesome soups she makes, and of course, I had to take her back there. The guy said, “Hey, I remember you!” I was quite pleased.

This evening, I made steak in my cast iron pan. I won’t tell you how, because I’m not sure how I made it. I horribly undercooked it at first (It could be because Ameir was standing behind me going “dontovercookit, dontovercookit!” So after I let it rest and sliced it, I saw that it was *barely* rare. I put it back in the pan, and then it got slightly overcooked, but still pretty good to fulfill the steak craving I’ve been having for a week.

I served the steak with buttermilk-spinach mashed potatoes, sauteed mushrooms with garlic, quick-sauteed tomatoes, and caramelized onions (the best part). I’ll keep practicing and trying again, because I really enjoyed the process and I hope to get it perfect soon.

And I love my cast iron pan.

Two years ago: From the depths of darkness

Mr. Malik is a king of shawarma sandwiches. His kingdom is a number of shawarma shops across Damascus, and I had the priviledge of visiting one of the Malik Shawarma shops in the Jami’a Abu Noor district for a late night snack.

Shawarma is a very simple and very delicious meal – chicken marinated in special house spices and roasted vertically on a spit, then sliced and wrapped into hot pita bread. That’s it!

There’s not much more stuffed into a shawarma sandwich than the chicken – it’s really all about the slow-roasted, savory, tender chicken. Sometimes there is a layer of french fries and/or spicy sauce and/or a tahini garlic yogurt sauce, but the chicken is the star.

Mr. Malik, like most chefs, would not tell me anything about his secret house blend of spices, or how he gets the hundreds of pieces of chicken in perfect layers on the spit. “That’s the secret of the trade!” he told me.

When you ask for a sandwich, the guy will slice chicken off of the spit in thin slices. And do you know what he does next? Do you? Next, he lets the chicken slices sit….in the juices….that have been dribbling….off of the spit….all day long. The chicken gets all soaked and yummy and moist in the savory juices. And then, when he wraps the chicken into the pita bread, the bread soaks up all the juices from the chicken.

Midnight run to shawarma shop + strawberry milk from a classic Damascus juice shop (pictures below) + good Kung Fu move + family = awesome.

Imagine this: You live in a small, close-knit community in rural North Carolina, outside the limits of the neighboring city or town. Your family has been on this land for generations as it has passed down from parent to child. You don’t have much money, but you make do, and taxes aren’t much. You live a happy life.

Now imagine this: One day, someone knocks on your door and tells you that yesterday, the General Assembly decided to annex your neighborhood into the town next-door. No one asked your permission or advice, or heck, even told you in advance that now, you’re part of that city. On top of it all, you have to start paying city taxes in addition to the county, state, and federal taxes you already pay.

Okay, not so bad? Wait, there’s more: Because the NC legislature gave your neighborhood to the city (who’d long been after that area to send some developers in), the city doesn’t have to follow the usual rules about providing you municipal services. You’re paying taxes, but the city isn’t giving you running water, sewer systems, trash collection, paved roads, or street lights. And there is no law forcing the city to every do so.

Pissed? Yeah. So are the residents of newly legislatively-annexed communities all over North Carolina, such as the people of the Brandy Creek neighborhood, who are the new residents of Roanoke Rapids.

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This has a creamy, earthy feel and taste. The flavors meld deliciously well together in the oven. I made this for a dinner party (and didn’t get any pictures of an individual serving, sorry!), and it was pretty quick to put together – and the meal didn’t require much more. I served it with salad, bread and herb-roasted potatoes. My friend Amani pointed out that this would go well with shredded roasted turkey as well.

Recipe after the link, but first, a picture of the condensation on the pasta pot after boiling the lasagna

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This was my first time making meatballs in a non-Pakistani style, but they turned out well. I loosely got this recipe from my Good Housekeeping cookbook, but I made some changes. The meatballs stay soft and flavorful because of a pureed onion and garlic mixture.

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These are just cute. And yummy, and quick to put together. The sundried tomato butter is used twice – the onions are sauteed in it and it is spread onto the bagels. It adds a sweet-savory tang that balances out the strength of the kabobs (which I guess I’m using as breakfast sausage).

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The honey balances the tart acidity of the tomatoes, but it’s not necessary to add it. Make sure you add chili powder and salt to balance the sweetness. This is also delicious spread onto hot crusty bread or used in sandwiches (like Breakfast Bagel Sliders with Sundried Tomato Butter)

1 stick butter, softened
5 or 6 sundried tomatoes (packed in oil)
1 clove garlic, minced
drizzle of honey
1 tsp rosemary, chopped finely
1/2 tsp chili powder
dash of salt

1. In a small blender, whirl the tomatoes, garlic, honey, rosemary, chili powder, salt until well blended and smooth. Mix into the softened butter.
2. Lay a piece of wax paper and spread the butter into a log shape. (see picture). Wrap it up into a cylinder and refrigerate at least 30 min. Freeze what you don’t use.

I started this recipe in the form of Applesauce Cake from a Martha Stewart cookbook (that’s the only way I can stand her – on paper) – but they’re oh so much more cute as cupcakes with DL’s Dulce de Leche swirled on top.

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This is a very hearty, scoop-it-into-a-bowl-and-get-some-crusty-bread stew which can be made completely vegetarian or a little different by adding lamb or beef. I got it from Elise at Simply Recipes. I think it tastes best when the eggplant, tomatoes, mint, and peppers come from your own garden (or your father-in-law’s).

This stew, as Elise explains it, is beautifully layered, and when each layer of flavor stays in tact, you get different punches of flavor as you eat. You serve it in the same dish that it cooks in, to preserve the layers. However, it also works well layered into a big pot and then just scooped into bowls to serve.

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