Linguine alle Vongole

Baba Ghanoush

I was in the mall again a couple of weeks ago for some errands and was in the look out for an ink-efficient printer.  I noticed Stavros, a Mediterranean bistro, and made a mental note to have dinner there after I finished my errands.  

I was the only customer when I got here around 7 pm, and the kitchen crew seemed happy to see me.   I was focused on hummus for my pita but they were fresh out of stock.  The lady at the counter suggested Baba Ghanoush instead---a Levantine dip of eggplant and tahini, mashed and mixed with olive oil and garlic.  I remember the eggplant dip/appetizer at Chateau 1778 that I have been trying to make at home but was never successful.

Anyway, I still prefer the eggplant appetizer at Chateau 1778 but this Baba Ghanoush was also tasty.  Eggplant is one of my least favorite vegetables that I'm always delighted when I encounter an interesting and flavorful eggplant dish.

I wanted something light for the main course, and decided on Linguine alle Vongole--a lighter pasta made with fresh clams, garlic, wine, parsley and olive oil.  This was scrumptious! 

Linguine alle Vongole

Footnote:  I returned to Stavros recently but it was no longer there.:(

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Entrée at Cyma

@ mirandablue

Hungry stomachs brought us to Cyma, a Greek-inspired taverna, in Eastwood one Wednesday night when we couldn't find a certain restaurant.   It's been a while since I last dined at Cyma, and was looking forward to the waiters shouting "Opa!" when flaming saganaki was served.  U and I wanted a Greek salad but we were famished and wanted something quick [or I would faint!].  The waiter brought us Htipiti---a plate of warm pita bread with dip of creamed feta cheese, hint of roasted spicy peppers and extra-virgin olive oil.  This meze relieved our hunger until the salad was served.

My salad was Tonnos Salata, a dish of mixed greens with seared Ahi tuna, roasted bell pepper, black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, toasted walnuts, feta cheese and summer herb vinaigrette dressing.

@ mirandablue

I always enjoy the distinctive taste of Greek food, and Cyma is worth coming back to.  Will post the main course next week (if I don't forget :p).


Oh, and spotted a celeb at Cyma---Aiza Seguerra and party were in the next table.:p

Posted for Food Friday and Food Trip Friday

My Mediterranean fix

I bet you have one of those days (or nights), too---craving for a specific food or flavor.  It's probably the cold weather, or the seemingly endless routine that drove me to  imagine Mediterranean flavors all day long.  By six in the evening, I was like a woman possessed.  Good thing I did not salivate all the way to the elevator!:p

The nearest Mediterranean restaurant to my place of work is Behrouz Persian Cuisine at Metrowalk.  It's a shabby place with rickety chairs and worn out tablecloths, with a crew who looked like they would kick you out when you ask for a glass of water.  But I was there to  get my fix, not to be smiled at and be pampered.

I got warm pita and hummus for appetizer.  The hummus was extra creamy and with spiced ground meat, the marriage of flavor was simply  delightful. I got a beef stew dish with chickpea paired with basmati rice---I can't remember what it was called, but I remember how tender the meat and how alluring the spices and textures were.  And I cleaned up the bowl down to the last tasty morsel. 

Burp.

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Lunch at Cafe Med

hummus and grilled pita

To escape to an exotic destination minus the travel brought me and a friend to Cafe Mediterranean, or Cafe Med as it is popularly known, for lunch. Cafe Med is famous for its kebabs, gyros, hummus and pizzas. I "discovered" this place during the shawarma boom (was that in the early 90's?) when there were kiosks everywhere you look. I was hypnotized by the scents of juicy beef being sliced and diced right before my eyes. In those days, Cafe Med was our payday dinner---a reward after 15 days of hard work.:p

We enjoyed the robust and clear flavors at Cafe Med, unfettered by complicated sauces and heavy dollops of cream and butter. My favorite appetizer as usual was hummus with grilled pita. And my main course was Tunisian fish fillet cream dory, a distinctly spicy dish with black olives, tomato sauce with herbs.

Posted for Food Trip Friday and Food Friday

Beef Biryani

My introduction to Middle Eastern food was very recent. After a Fear Factor-ish experience at an Indian restaurant during my "impressionable years", I made up my mind that Middle Eastern food and flavors were too "strange" for my taste. My Middle Eastern culinary experience consisted of kebab and shawarma, and I was OK with that. Until about two years ago when I had to take a Middle Eastern client to dinner. I had zero knowledge on Arabic cuisine so you can imagine my anxiety when the client invited me to dinner at an Arabic restaurant one night. He sensed my apprehension when I told him that I've never been to an Arabic restaurant before, and I didn't know any good ones in Manila. Good thing I called a friend on a hunch, and was directed to Hossein's in Serendra. The client asked if Hossein's serves "halal" food---"ha" what (haha)? Because he speaks unintelligible English, and I don't speak Arabic, I asked the restaurant manager to explain to me what "halal" means. And he did, more or less (he's also Middle Eastern but speaks with a Tagalog accent).:P

Halal is an Arabic word designating any object or an action which is acceptable to Islamic Law. Islam has laws regarding which foods can and cannot be eaten, and also on the proper method of slaughtering an animal for consumption. And yes, Hossein's serves halal food. Dinner was a learning experience that night, and the client relished on educating me about Middle Eastern food and about Islam. And yes, oh yes---I enjoyed every bite! Loved the rich flavors, I almost licked my fingers!

Nowadays, whenever I get a chance, I try small Middle Eastern dishes here and there to educate my palate. I had this Beef Biryani recently at Persian Grill in Megamall.

Beef Biryani is a rice-based dish brought to India by Persian travelers and merchants. It's made with spices, rice (usually basmati) and meat or vegetables. We are used to meat or fish toppings---meat over rice, but with Biryani, rice covers the meat...it's beef with rice topping. And the beef cuts beneath the saffron-seasoned rice were incredibly delicious! Served with Biryani was a dip called Mirchi ka Salan---a chili and peanut curry, the flavor was rich, tangy and spicy and simply yummy!

Basmati rice is a variety of long grain, fragrant rice. When cooked, it's free flowing, not sticky and has a pandan-like aroma and flavor. The rich golden-yellow color comes from saffron, a spice locally known as "kasubha". For decades, saffron, a seasoning and coloring agent, is the world's most expensive spice by weight.

For me, discovering new tastes and flavors is like learning a new language, or visiting a new place. It opens new doors for adventure and learning.

Beef Biryani at Persian Grill

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