Thanksgiving Warm-up, Afghan Style

Hard work makes me hungry, whether it’s mental or physical. After a long day of process improvement planning, the team and I went to Afghanistan Shish Kabob House in West Hartford. The restaurant has a very Middle Eastern feel, with lots of tans and brown. Music, in what I assumed was Arabic, played as the seven of us were seated at a large, circular table in the upper level. After perusing the menu and ordering the first round of drinks (mine was a black tea infused martini with just a hint of St. Germain to take off the bitterness), we decided to get the dinner treat. Requiring at least four people the sampling presents a variety of appetizers, kabobs, and vegetables sides. It was simply the best way to taste and share what the restaurant had to offer. We were assured that with the portions they would bring, no one would go hungry. My kind of meal.

The appetizers round consisted of pakawra, large slices of potato deep fried in a spiced chickpea flour-based batter. These red “elephant ears” were soft throughout yet crunchy on the outside and not greasy at all. Bowlani was also on the plate. The menu says that the dish was made from noodles, but it looked more like a soft tortilla, grilled flat, and filled with potato and vegetables seasoned with cayenne and black pepper. These and a few other delectables came with a pepper chutney and homemade yogurt sauce that was flavored with garlic and mint. Both added another dimension of flavor as the appetizers were dipped in them, herbaceous and creamy yet sour respectively.

As the appetizer plates were cleared, a veritable barrage of dishes came to our table. By the time plates and glasses were rearranged to accommodate, our table looked like a Thanksgiving buffet of Afghan cuisine. My eyes immediately fell to the plate of grilled meats. Salmon, beef shammi (spiced, lean ground beef) marinated lamb, and spiced chicken. With something for everyone, that was the first plate to be passed around. The salmon remained soft and yielding, while not overpowered by the spice rub. The beef was cooked closer to well, but despite the leanness, it was still juicy.

The eggplant side dish that followed (brony bonjan) had the purple vegetable cut about an inch thick and grilled. It was generously topped with the house yogurt dressing and sprinkled with herbs. The eggplant was so soft it fell apart as you cut into it. Afghani pumpkin was also featured. I was surprised to find it to have a pureed texture and mostly red, rather than orange. Slightly sweet, I could swear that it had a bit of tomato in it. The long grain brown rice that came next was topped with carrots, almonds, raisins, and scented with cardamom for a delicious combination of sweet and savory.

Stuffed, we turned down dessert, but continued laughing over stories of travels, family, and pets. I still think that conversation over dinner is the best way to bring a team together. Now I’m ready for Thanksgiving.

Zahav

I was in Philadelphia this week doing informational interviews, and celebrated a recent work accomplishment with a dinner at Zahav. Located in old city, Zahav is a modern Israeli restaurant, served in a small plates style. Smaller tables are scattered around the dining room, easily pushed together. There is a bar facing the kitchen for those who want to watch the culinary action happen.

                The menu is split into three sections, salatim (salads) & hummus, mezze (small plates), and al ha’esh (grilled). With many offerings that are uncommon finds, we went for the tayim, the taste of Zahav. Our meandering meal started with a selection of salatim and a foul (pronounced “fool”) hummus, which was flavored with warm fava beans. The seven salads had fresh vegetables, pickled vegetables, spicy, and sweet vegetables. My favorites being a roasted eggplant caponata and the beets, mixed with tahini to give them a nutty and rich flavor.

                We selected four of the 13 mezze trying to order the most ethnic dishes we could. Lamb neck stuffed pastille, grilled duck hearts, kibbe naya (chopped raw lamb), and smoked sable came to our table as they were ready. The pastille was my favorite. Think of a taquito, except the tortilla is paper thin and crispy. Instead of mystery beef, pulled lamb neck, richly spiced and dark meaty flavors with no remnants of game or toughness on offal. The pastille was surrounded by diced apples, walnuts, and a mild horseradish.

                My dining partner liked the kibbe naya best. The diced raw lamb was spooned into bibb lettuce and topped with charoset (“a sweet, dark-colored paste made of fruits and nuts eaten at the Passover Seder”). Uncooked, the lamb was milder than I expected, yet clean and only mildly meaty. The charoset added sweetness and depth of flavor, the lettuce adding a nice crunch.

                Our grilled dishes arrived, lamb merguez and duck kabob. The duck was served as small balls. The dark fowl meat tasted almost beefy in its heartiness. The fig jam that it was served with matched the savory with sweet making the juicy dish that much more delectable. Our other al ha’esh was unapologetically lamb. The sausage was well spiced, grilled, fresh herbs throughout. Mushrooms and pepitas added to the earthiness, a truly savory finish to the small plates.

                Dessert was two dishes. The first, a konafi. Similar to a shredded phyllo dough, the dessert had a creamy ricotta layer and was topped with cherries and almonds. The other dessert was a carrot basboosa. It was like a sweet cornbread, but using carrots instead of corn. Toasted hazelnuts and rosewater-candied cranberries, topped the cake, flavors of fall mingling with flavors of Israel

                The dinner was made that much better because I had a friend to share it with. A great meal, a great time. I never regret coming to Philly.

Five Fuzzy Facial Features

With as much travel as I do for work, I like to have some degree of consistency and reliability to my trips. Having been to Nashville many times, I have found that my hotel of choice is the Embassy Suites near Vanderbilt. Despite my frequent stays, until this week, I had yet to try the new restaurant and bar inside the hotel, Five Odd Fellows.

Passing underneath the entry sign showing five silhouettes of men with beards, mustaches, and other trendy attire, one walks into the fairly wide open bar area, with stools and tables scattered on a whole half. Their “Happiest of Hours” runs from 4 to 7 and features $3 draft beers, of which there are six, and $3 off appetizers (Bambinos on their menu). As some of you may know, Embassy Suites has a complimentary happy hour that starts at 5:30, so I usually didn’t have a reason to visit Odd Fellows, but after a long day at the office and rainy weather, I decided to try their fare.

During happy hour, rosemary, maple, and duck fat popcorn, usually $4, is brought with compliments. It’s salty, sweet, crunchy, a little sticky, and addictive. I ate the whole bowl before I knew it. The beer cheese soup I tried next was thick and rich, but not gloppy at all. It was made with a porter beer and topped with pretzel croutons and crème fraiche. It was delicious and the portion was generous, especially at the happy hour price, and it will fill you up.

Continuing my browsing of the Bambinos, I tried the duck and chicken liver pate and cheese board. The pate was served in a glass tube flanked by apples, smoked cheddar, toasted baguette and pickles. The bread and cheese tasted like something I could have bought store brand, but the pate was slightly sweetened with maple and was smooth and creamy.

Maple lacquered pork belly was also sampled, charred and crunchy on the outside, with the layers of thin fat in between the meat. The cubes were served atop pickled red onion and bibb lettuce, making for a smoky, crunchy, slightly sour lettuce wrap.

Finally, I sampled the “Drake and Boar” burger, a combination of ground duck and pork. The patty didn’t have the dripping juiciness of a high-fat beef burger, but rather a complex mélange of game, pork loin, and spice flavors that were complimented well by the lingonberry aioli smeared across the brioche bun. Served aside (very lightly topped) parmesan fries with a smoky, slightly sweet, slightly chunky bacon ketchup it served as a filling entrée.

Business travel isn’t always glamorous, but that doesn’t mean you can’t eat well and conveniently. 

26, 30, 46, 50

Saturday night, a large group of friends dawned not their Halloween costumes, but cocktail attire. We met at Bricco in Glastonbury for a plated dinner to celebrate the birthdays of two of my friends, one turning 26, the other turning 30. In the back of the restaurant, 46 people gathered in booths and tables for a plated dinner, followed by a house party.

Diners mingled, hugged, and gave birthday wishes as they found their seats. The meal began with a creamy caesar salad, which, untraditionally, included radicchio. The parmesan was shaved on the top, and the croutons were crunchy, the lettuce not wilted under the dressing. The salad was paired with grilled bread, served on a cutting board with mascarpone cheese instead of butter. The cheese was bone white and topped with chopped basil and a touch of olive oil. The oil’s flavor didn’t come through much, but the slight twang of sour from the cheese went well with the heartiness of the bread.

Dinner, like the salad course, was served family style. Chicken picatta was laid out first. Thin breasts of chicken with a light egg batter had been pan fried then coated in a garlic, white wine, and caper sauce. Another plate was the eggplant parmesan, topped with crispy chips of spinach and bread crumbs. The dense layers were almost indiscernible from one another, vegetable, sauce, breading, and cheese all running together in warm gooeyness. Dessert was cannoli. The filling was cream-cheese based and was flecked with chocolate chips. One side of the cannoli was dusted with pistachios, while the other with Oreos. They successfully avoided the cardinal sin of soggy cannoli, the pastry tube remaining crunchy.

After everyone paid (the waitresses were great about having 46 separate checks), we drove back to the birthday boy’s home. The birthday girl, a talented baker, unveiled blue velvet cupcakes, cardamom and pistachio flavored brownies, and a moist chocolate-chili brownie. The latter was rich, heavy, dark, and melted in your mouth. The initial rush of chocolate masked the chili, but as you swallowed, the spice lingered on your tongue, light and not unpleasant. Utterly additive. Cases of a variety of spirits were unpacked and cocktail creating implements were laid out. Every variety of alcohol seemed to be present, whiskey, gin, rum, bourbon, bitters, tequila, and even sweeter spirits like amaretto, goldschlager, triple sec, and midori. One of the party goers, a passionate mixologist, entranced the room with “Spirit School,” walking us through the creation of some classic cocktails. This was soon followed by a three round, single elimination, cocktail creating competition. Each round, a theme would be selected and entrants would have 15 minutes to craft their rendition. The winner of the three rounds would be awarded $50.

I switched from a suit coat to a lab coat, breaking out my syringe and pipettes for the throw down. Round one’s theme was “fine and smooth.” I passed the round with my entry of a combination of rum, angostura bitters, orange, Grand Mariner, and a touch of maraschino cherry syrup. Round two’s theme was “spicy and sweet, but not too sweet.” My cocktail consisted of aged whiskey, goldschlager, a touch of St. Germaine, a splash of soda, and a pinch of red chili pepper for heat. I used a twill of orange around the rim to scent it. It proved to still be too sweet for one of the judges, and it was down to two.

In the end, it was a draw in the last round, “twist on a classic,” between a gin variation of a margherita and a “riff on a riff of a drink from Boston called an 1862(?).” At this point, everyone had sampled enough that raucous cheers went up and glasses were clinked all around.

Happy birthday my friends, may we celebrate in such style again next year.