#Traveling Friend (Furikake)

[bearbench-img]

リョコウノトモ

田中食品株式会社の「旅行の友」は、同社を代表するふりかけ商品で、1960年代から販売されているロングセラー商品です。このふりかけは、鰹節や海苔、胡麻、卵などをブレンドし、醤油ベースの味付けで仕上げられています。ご飯にふりかけると、香ばしくて風味豊かな味わいが楽しめ、ご飯が進む一品です。パッケージには、富士山や桜、鳥居などの日本を象徴するイラストが描かれ、海外へのお土産としても人気があります。また、コンパクトで持ち運びやすいので、旅行やアウトドアにも最適です。田中食品の「旅行の友」は、日本の伝統的な味を気軽に楽しめるふりかけとして、幅広い世代に愛されています。

手抜きイラスト集

[tameblog]

The combination of ingredients and the presentation of this Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita made for a unique and delicious dish. What is Sfeeha? It’s a Lebanese dish that is a mixture of ground lamb or beef with spices that is made inside a formed piece of bread. They are lovely but the bread makes them time consuming; making Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita with the same ingredients but using pita bread makes for a wonderful and MUCH easier dish to prepare. Customarily served with a salad; this dish has it all wrapped together. I first made Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita almost 15 years ago and thought it was time to introduce it to new readers. It sounds so strange, it was a true leap of faith, but trust me if you can, it is SO good! I’m not Lebanese but over the years I have become interested in trying things from different cultures and countries and it’s been a fun adventure. Maybe not as exciting as traveling but certainly fun in its own way. Want to save this recipe? Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week! My international culinary journey started with my contribution to the Peko Peko Charity Cookbook. I was asked to contribute a dish, something simple that most of us could actually make for our families and I had recently seen something I thought perfect; Sweet Potato French Fries that were seasoned with Furikake. FuriWhatkee was my first thought. But my friend Rachael, the infamous LaFujimama said I could find some at an Asian market. I was on Google within moments and discovered an H Mart within 15 minutes of my home and I was on my way! Fast forward 2 months. In the interim I’d been to the H Mart a couple of times. A second time where I discovered that the pork belly I had looked EVERYWHERE for in order to make Maple Bourbon Bacon was readily available and in a variety of cuts! On a subsequent visit, I brought some blogging friends with me and an employee suggested we also take a peek at the Arash International Market, which was directly across the street. Of course we did! What a find! Spices galore only previously located at specialty spice stores. Sumac which I have previously only used for a favorite olive oil dipping sauce, Pomegranate Molasses which I had only seen before at a local spice shop at a ridiculously high price, some fabulous pita bread and Tahini, which is basically ground sesame seeds and a necessary part of hummus which I wanted to try making (and did; loved this made from scratch Artichoke Hummus). It was fortuitous that a day or two later, I saw a blogging friend, Kalyn Denny tout a blog she had found and loved called Taste of Beirut. I went to check it out and lo and behold, the first dish I saw, this Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita, required in addition to ground beef  – pomegranate molasses, tahini, sumac and pita bread; all items I had brought home from my international shopping spree. Didn’t it seem that fate was calling me to make this dish? I thought so! I have to admit…grinding up ground beef in my processor to make a paste for Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita…that alone was unique but I also imagined that 7 spice was simply Chinese 5 spice with a couple more spices. I was so wrong; seven spice includes the following spices; I’ve given amounts of you need to mix your own (also included in printable recipe card at the bottom of this post): 2 tablespoons black pepper 2 tablespoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 tablespoon coriander 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 5 tablespoons garam masala (optional though some consider it a nice backdrop to the other seven spices. I love it and had some on hand so did include it in my spice mix). And I didn’t have Labneh, Lebanese yogurt cheese (which I’ve since found I can get at Arash) but had some queso cheese that Andrea had left behind from our blogger meeting. Why not? Mild and firm, I imagined it would be fine. And it was. Other substitutions include Greek yogurt or cream cheese. Simple, yes. Delicious? That too. So delicious that I’ve made it several times and again, years later, I had friends over this past weekend when I served it for them. No one had ever heard of it or tasted it and they were equally surprised at how delicious it is..this time it went on the grill. Even better with that bit of smokiness. Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita is sort of a tortilla; rolled up to eat in a Lebanese roll in a very similar manner. I’ve yet to try making the bread to roll it up; this is too easy and delicious; did I mention easy? But the taste is from the other side of this world and it was divine. Honestly I still can’t believe I made a paste with ground beef but I’m over it; sure it’s unique and not something that is typically done in the US, but isn’t that the beauty of learning some foods from different cultures. I am so hooked! More Ground Beef Favorites PIN IT! ‘Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita’ Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita Barb A fantastic Lebanonese dish made even easier using pita bread for the delicious ground beef mixture. 5 average from less than 50 votes Prep Time 15 minutes minsCook Time 7 minutes minsAdditional Time 30 minutes minsTotal Time 52 minutes mins Servings 8 ServingsCalories 292 kcal 1 pound ground beef 98% fat free, if possible4 ounces chopped onion½ cup Italian parsley minced3 tablespoons tahini1 teaspoon garlic paste 3 cloves of garlic mashed with a dash of salt1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses2 tablespoons tomato paste3 tablespoons labneh If not available, substitute Greek yogurtSpices1 ½ teaspoons salt or to taste1 teaspoon seven-spice1 teaspoon sumac1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or 1/2 teaspoon to taste of dried chili flakesDressing¼ cup olive oil3 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed1 teaspoon sumac1 teaspoon salt1 dash allspiceFor the Salad2 cups cherry tomatoes halved2 cups Italian parsley chopped 1 cup onion or green onion chopped 1 cup pomegranate seeds optional; I didn’t use them Chop the onion fine and combine with some salt; place it on a sieve lined with a paper towel and let the onion drain its juice for 30 minutes or so.Place the meat, spices, drained onion, chopped parsley, tahini, pomegranate molasses, labneh and garlic paste in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 2 minutes or until the mixture turns pasty. Transfer to a bowl.Preheat the oven to 375F and line a few baking sheets with foil. Place a pita on the foil and slather about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the meat mixture (depending on the size of the pita) on the pita, using a spatula to spread it as evenly as possible. Continue with the rest of the pitas.Bake for 7 minutes, checking halfway through. When the meat looks cooked, remove from the oven. 7 spice mix with Garam Masala; combine all together and mix thoroughly. 2 tablespoons black pepper 2 tablespoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 tablespoon coriander 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 5 tablespoons garam masala (optional though some consider it a nice backdrop to the other seven spices. I love it and had some on hand so did include it in my spice mix). Nutrition FactsLebanese Sfeeha on PitaAmount per Serving% Daily Value** Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.   Source link

[ramestoryworld]

The combination of ingredients and the presentation of this Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita made for a unique and delicious dish. What is Sfeeha? It’s a Lebanese dish that is a mixture of ground lamb or beef with spices that is made inside a formed piece of bread. They are lovely but the bread makes them time consuming; making Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita with the same ingredients but using pita bread makes for a wonderful and MUCH easier dish to prepare. Customarily served with a salad; this dish has it all wrapped together. I first made Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita almost 15 years ago and thought it was time to introduce it to new readers. It sounds so strange, it was a true leap of faith, but trust me if you can, it is SO good! I’m not Lebanese but over the years I have become interested in trying things from different cultures and countries and it’s been a fun adventure. Maybe not as exciting as traveling but certainly fun in its own way. Want to save this recipe? Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week! My international culinary journey started with my contribution to the Peko Peko Charity Cookbook. I was asked to contribute a dish, something simple that most of us could actually make for our families and I had recently seen something I thought perfect; Sweet Potato French Fries that were seasoned with Furikake. FuriWhatkee was my first thought. But my friend Rachael, the infamous LaFujimama said I could find some at an Asian market. I was on Google within moments and discovered an H Mart within 15 minutes of my home and I was on my way! Fast forward 2 months. In the interim I’d been to the H Mart a couple of times. A second time where I discovered that the pork belly I had looked EVERYWHERE for in order to make Maple Bourbon Bacon was readily available and in a variety of cuts! On a subsequent visit, I brought some blogging friends with me and an employee suggested we also take a peek at the Arash International Market, which was directly across the street. Of course we did! What a find! Spices galore only previously located at specialty spice stores. Sumac which I have previously only used for a favorite olive oil dipping sauce, Pomegranate Molasses which I had only seen before at a local spice shop at a ridiculously high price, some fabulous pita bread and Tahini, which is basically ground sesame seeds and a necessary part of hummus which I wanted to try making (and did; loved this made from scratch Artichoke Hummus). It was fortuitous that a day or two later, I saw a blogging friend, Kalyn Denny tout a blog she had found and loved called Taste of Beirut. I went to check it out and lo and behold, the first dish I saw, this Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita, required in addition to ground beef  – pomegranate molasses, tahini, sumac and pita bread; all items I had brought home from my international shopping spree. Didn’t it seem that fate was calling me to make this dish? I thought so! I have to admit…grinding up ground beef in my processor to make a paste for Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita…that alone was unique but I also imagined that 7 spice was simply Chinese 5 spice with a couple more spices. I was so wrong; seven spice includes the following spices; I’ve given amounts of you need to mix your own (also included in printable recipe card at the bottom of this post): 2 tablespoons black pepper 2 tablespoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 tablespoon coriander 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 5 tablespoons garam masala (optional though some consider it a nice backdrop to the other seven spices. I love it and had some on hand so did include it in my spice mix). And I didn’t have Labneh, Lebanese yogurt cheese (which I’ve since found I can get at Arash) but had some queso cheese that Andrea had left behind from our blogger meeting. Why not? Mild and firm, I imagined it would be fine. And it was. Other substitutions include Greek yogurt or cream cheese. Simple, yes. Delicious? That too. So delicious that I’ve made it several times and again, years later, I had friends over this past weekend when I served it for them. No one had ever heard of it or tasted it and they were equally surprised at how delicious it is..this time it went on the grill. Even better with that bit of smokiness. Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita is sort of a tortilla; rolled up to eat in a Lebanese roll in a very similar manner. I’ve yet to try making the bread to roll it up; this is too easy and delicious; did I mention easy? But the taste is from the other side of this world and it was divine. Honestly I still can’t believe I made a paste with ground beef but I’m over it; sure it’s unique and not something that is typically done in the US, but isn’t that the beauty of learning some foods from different cultures. I am so hooked! More Ground Beef Favorites PIN IT! ‘Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita’ Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita Barb A fantastic Lebanonese dish made even easier using pita bread for the delicious ground beef mixture. 5 average from less than 50 votes Prep Time 15 minutes minsCook Time 7 minutes minsAdditional Time 30 minutes minsTotal Time 52 minutes mins Servings 8 ServingsCalories 292 kcal 1 pound ground beef 98% fat free, if possible4 ounces chopped onion½ cup Italian parsley minced3 tablespoons tahini1 teaspoon garlic paste 3 cloves of garlic mashed with a dash of salt1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses2 tablespoons tomato paste3 tablespoons labneh If not available, substitute Greek yogurtSpices1 ½ teaspoons salt or to taste1 teaspoon seven-spice1 teaspoon sumac1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or 1/2 teaspoon to taste of dried chili flakesDressing¼ cup olive oil3 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed1 teaspoon sumac1 teaspoon salt1 dash allspiceFor the Salad2 cups cherry tomatoes halved2 cups Italian parsley chopped 1 cup onion or green onion chopped 1 cup pomegranate seeds optional; I didn’t use them Chop the onion fine and combine with some salt; place it on a sieve lined with a paper towel and let the onion drain its juice for 30 minutes or so.Place the meat, spices, drained onion, chopped parsley, tahini, pomegranate molasses, labneh and garlic paste in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 2 minutes or until the mixture turns pasty. Transfer to a bowl.Preheat the oven to 375F and line a few baking sheets with foil. Place a pita on the foil and slather about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the meat mixture (depending on the size of the pita) on the pita, using a spatula to spread it as evenly as possible. Continue with the rest of the pitas.Bake for 7 minutes, checking halfway through. When the meat looks cooked, remove from the oven. 7 spice mix with Garam Masala; combine all together and mix thoroughly. 2 tablespoons black pepper 2 tablespoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 tablespoon coriander 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 5 tablespoons garam masala (optional though some consider it a nice backdrop to the other seven spices. I love it and had some on hand so did include it in my spice mix). Nutrition FactsLebanese Sfeeha on PitaAmount per Serving% Daily Value** Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.   Source link

[alexha2210]

The combination of ingredients and the presentation of this Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita made for a unique and delicious dish. What is Sfeeha? It’s a Lebanese dish that is a mixture of ground lamb or beef with spices that is made inside a formed piece of bread. They are lovely but the bread makes them time consuming; making Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita with the same ingredients but using pita bread makes for a wonderful and MUCH easier dish to prepare. Customarily served with a salad; this dish has it all wrapped together. I first made Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita almost 15 years ago and thought it was time to introduce it to new readers. It sounds so strange, it was a true leap of faith, but trust me if you can, it is SO good! I’m not Lebanese but over the years I have become interested in trying things from different cultures and countries and it’s been a fun adventure. Maybe not as exciting as traveling but certainly fun in its own way. Want to save this recipe? Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week! My international culinary journey started with my contribution to the Peko Peko Charity Cookbook. I was asked to contribute a dish, something simple that most of us could actually make for our families and I had recently seen something I thought perfect; Sweet Potato French Fries that were seasoned with Furikake. FuriWhatkee was my first thought. But my friend Rachael, the infamous LaFujimama said I could find some at an Asian market. I was on Google within moments and discovered an H Mart within 15 minutes of my home and I was on my way! Fast forward 2 months. In the interim I’d been to the H Mart a couple of times. A second time where I discovered that the pork belly I had looked EVERYWHERE for in order to make Maple Bourbon Bacon was readily available and in a variety of cuts! On a subsequent visit, I brought some blogging friends with me and an employee suggested we also take a peek at the Arash International Market, which was directly across the street. Of course we did! What a find! Spices galore only previously located at specialty spice stores. Sumac which I have previously only used for a favorite olive oil dipping sauce, Pomegranate Molasses which I had only seen before at a local spice shop at a ridiculously high price, some fabulous pita bread and Tahini, which is basically ground sesame seeds and a necessary part of hummus which I wanted to try making (and did; loved this made from scratch Artichoke Hummus). It was fortuitous that a day or two later, I saw a blogging friend, Kalyn Denny tout a blog she had found and loved called Taste of Beirut. I went to check it out and lo and behold, the first dish I saw, this Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita, required in addition to ground beef  – pomegranate molasses, tahini, sumac and pita bread; all items I had brought home from my international shopping spree. Didn’t it seem that fate was calling me to make this dish? I thought so! I have to admit…grinding up ground beef in my processor to make a paste for Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita…that alone was unique but I also imagined that 7 spice was simply Chinese 5 spice with a couple more spices. I was so wrong; seven spice includes the following spices; I’ve given amounts of you need to mix your own (also included in printable recipe card at the bottom of this post): 2 tablespoons black pepper 2 tablespoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 tablespoon coriander 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 5 tablespoons garam masala (optional though some consider it a nice backdrop to the other seven spices. I love it and had some on hand so did include it in my spice mix). And I didn’t have Labneh, Lebanese yogurt cheese (which I’ve since found I can get at Arash) but had some queso cheese that Andrea had left behind from our blogger meeting. Why not? Mild and firm, I imagined it would be fine. And it was. Other substitutions include Greek yogurt or cream cheese. Simple, yes. Delicious? That too. So delicious that I’ve made it several times and again, years later, I had friends over this past weekend when I served it for them. No one had ever heard of it or tasted it and they were equally surprised at how delicious it is..this time it went on the grill. Even better with that bit of smokiness. Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita is sort of a tortilla; rolled up to eat in a Lebanese roll in a very similar manner. I’ve yet to try making the bread to roll it up; this is too easy and delicious; did I mention easy? But the taste is from the other side of this world and it was divine. Honestly I still can’t believe I made a paste with ground beef but I’m over it; sure it’s unique and not something that is typically done in the US, but isn’t that the beauty of learning some foods from different cultures. I am so hooked! More Ground Beef Favorites PIN IT! ‘Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita’ Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita Barb A fantastic Lebanonese dish made even easier using pita bread for the delicious ground beef mixture. 5 average from less than 50 votes Prep Time 15 minutes minsCook Time 7 minutes minsAdditional Time 30 minutes minsTotal Time 52 minutes mins Servings 8 ServingsCalories 292 kcal 1 pound ground beef 98% fat free, if possible4 ounces chopped onion½ cup Italian parsley minced3 tablespoons tahini1 teaspoon garlic paste 3 cloves of garlic mashed with a dash of salt1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses2 tablespoons tomato paste3 tablespoons labneh If not available, substitute Greek yogurtSpices1 ½ teaspoons salt or to taste1 teaspoon seven-spice1 teaspoon sumac1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or 1/2 teaspoon to taste of dried chili flakesDressing¼ cup olive oil3 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed1 teaspoon sumac1 teaspoon salt1 dash allspiceFor the Salad2 cups cherry tomatoes halved2 cups Italian parsley chopped 1 cup onion or green onion chopped 1 cup pomegranate seeds optional; I didn’t use them Chop the onion fine and combine with some salt; place it on a sieve lined with a paper towel and let the onion drain its juice for 30 minutes or so.Place the meat, spices, drained onion, chopped parsley, tahini, pomegranate molasses, labneh and garlic paste in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 2 minutes or until the mixture turns pasty. Transfer to a bowl.Preheat the oven to 375F and line a few baking sheets with foil. Place a pita on the foil and slather about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the meat mixture (depending on the size of the pita) on the pita, using a spatula to spread it as evenly as possible. Continue with the rest of the pitas.Bake for 7 minutes, checking halfway through. When the meat looks cooked, remove from the oven. 7 spice mix with Garam Masala; combine all together and mix thoroughly. 2 tablespoons black pepper 2 tablespoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 tablespoon coriander 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 5 tablespoons garam masala (optional though some consider it a nice backdrop to the other seven spices. I love it and had some on hand so did include it in my spice mix). Nutrition FactsLebanese Sfeeha on PitaAmount per Serving% Daily Value** Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.   Source link

[angusstory]

The combination of ingredients and the presentation of this Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita made for a unique and delicious dish. What is Sfeeha? It’s a Lebanese dish that is a mixture of ground lamb or beef with spices that is made inside a formed piece of bread. They are lovely but the bread makes them time consuming; making Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita with the same ingredients but using pita bread makes for a wonderful and MUCH easier dish to prepare. Customarily served with a salad; this dish has it all wrapped together. I first made Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita almost 15 years ago and thought it was time to introduce it to new readers. It sounds so strange, it was a true leap of faith, but trust me if you can, it is SO good! I’m not Lebanese but over the years I have become interested in trying things from different cultures and countries and it’s been a fun adventure. Maybe not as exciting as traveling but certainly fun in its own way. Want to save this recipe? Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week! My international culinary journey started with my contribution to the Peko Peko Charity Cookbook. I was asked to contribute a dish, something simple that most of us could actually make for our families and I had recently seen something I thought perfect; Sweet Potato French Fries that were seasoned with Furikake. FuriWhatkee was my first thought. But my friend Rachael, the infamous LaFujimama said I could find some at an Asian market. I was on Google within moments and discovered an H Mart within 15 minutes of my home and I was on my way! Fast forward 2 months. In the interim I’d been to the H Mart a couple of times. A second time where I discovered that the pork belly I had looked EVERYWHERE for in order to make Maple Bourbon Bacon was readily available and in a variety of cuts! On a subsequent visit, I brought some blogging friends with me and an employee suggested we also take a peek at the Arash International Market, which was directly across the street. Of course we did! What a find! Spices galore only previously located at specialty spice stores. Sumac which I have previously only used for a favorite olive oil dipping sauce, Pomegranate Molasses which I had only seen before at a local spice shop at a ridiculously high price, some fabulous pita bread and Tahini, which is basically ground sesame seeds and a necessary part of hummus which I wanted to try making (and did; loved this made from scratch Artichoke Hummus). It was fortuitous that a day or two later, I saw a blogging friend, Kalyn Denny tout a blog she had found and loved called Taste of Beirut. I went to check it out and lo and behold, the first dish I saw, this Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita, required in addition to ground beef  – pomegranate molasses, tahini, sumac and pita bread; all items I had brought home from my international shopping spree. Didn’t it seem that fate was calling me to make this dish? I thought so! I have to admit…grinding up ground beef in my processor to make a paste for Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita…that alone was unique but I also imagined that 7 spice was simply Chinese 5 spice with a couple more spices. I was so wrong; seven spice includes the following spices; I’ve given amounts of you need to mix your own (also included in printable recipe card at the bottom of this post): 2 tablespoons black pepper 2 tablespoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 tablespoon coriander 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 5 tablespoons garam masala (optional though some consider it a nice backdrop to the other seven spices. I love it and had some on hand so did include it in my spice mix). And I didn’t have Labneh, Lebanese yogurt cheese (which I’ve since found I can get at Arash) but had some queso cheese that Andrea had left behind from our blogger meeting. Why not? Mild and firm, I imagined it would be fine. And it was. Other substitutions include Greek yogurt or cream cheese. Simple, yes. Delicious? That too. So delicious that I’ve made it several times and again, years later, I had friends over this past weekend when I served it for them. No one had ever heard of it or tasted it and they were equally surprised at how delicious it is..this time it went on the grill. Even better with that bit of smokiness. Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita is sort of a tortilla; rolled up to eat in a Lebanese roll in a very similar manner. I’ve yet to try making the bread to roll it up; this is too easy and delicious; did I mention easy? But the taste is from the other side of this world and it was divine. Honestly I still can’t believe I made a paste with ground beef but I’m over it; sure it’s unique and not something that is typically done in the US, but isn’t that the beauty of learning some foods from different cultures. I am so hooked! More Ground Beef Favorites PIN IT! ‘Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita’ Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita Barb A fantastic Lebanonese dish made even easier using pita bread for the delicious ground beef mixture. 5 average from less than 50 votes Prep Time 15 minutes minsCook Time 7 minutes minsAdditional Time 30 minutes minsTotal Time 52 minutes mins Servings 8 ServingsCalories 292 kcal 1 pound ground beef 98% fat free, if possible4 ounces chopped onion½ cup Italian parsley minced3 tablespoons tahini1 teaspoon garlic paste 3 cloves of garlic mashed with a dash of salt1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses2 tablespoons tomato paste3 tablespoons labneh If not available, substitute Greek yogurtSpices1 ½ teaspoons salt or to taste1 teaspoon seven-spice1 teaspoon sumac1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or 1/2 teaspoon to taste of dried chili flakesDressing¼ cup olive oil3 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed1 teaspoon sumac1 teaspoon salt1 dash allspiceFor the Salad2 cups cherry tomatoes halved2 cups Italian parsley chopped 1 cup onion or green onion chopped 1 cup pomegranate seeds optional; I didn’t use them Chop the onion fine and combine with some salt; place it on a sieve lined with a paper towel and let the onion drain its juice for 30 minutes or so.Place the meat, spices, drained onion, chopped parsley, tahini, pomegranate molasses, labneh and garlic paste in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 2 minutes or until the mixture turns pasty. Transfer to a bowl.Preheat the oven to 375F and line a few baking sheets with foil. Place a pita on the foil and slather about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the meat mixture (depending on the size of the pita) on the pita, using a spatula to spread it as evenly as possible. Continue with the rest of the pitas.Bake for 7 minutes, checking halfway through. When the meat looks cooked, remove from the oven. 7 spice mix with Garam Masala; combine all together and mix thoroughly. 2 tablespoons black pepper 2 tablespoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 tablespoon coriander 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 5 tablespoons garam masala (optional though some consider it a nice backdrop to the other seven spices. I love it and had some on hand so did include it in my spice mix). Nutrition FactsLebanese Sfeeha on PitaAmount per Serving% Daily Value** Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.   Source link

[tumibaba]

The combination of ingredients and the presentation of this Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita made for a unique and delicious dish. What is Sfeeha? It’s a Lebanese dish that is a mixture of ground lamb or beef with spices that is made inside a formed piece of bread. They are lovely but the bread makes them time consuming; making Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita with the same ingredients but using pita bread makes for a wonderful and MUCH easier dish to prepare. Customarily served with a salad; this dish has it all wrapped together. I first made Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita almost 15 years ago and thought it was time to introduce it to new readers. It sounds so strange, it was a true leap of faith, but trust me if you can, it is SO good! I’m not Lebanese but over the years I have become interested in trying things from different cultures and countries and it’s been a fun adventure. Maybe not as exciting as traveling but certainly fun in its own way. Want to save this recipe? Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week! My international culinary journey started with my contribution to the Peko Peko Charity Cookbook. I was asked to contribute a dish, something simple that most of us could actually make for our families and I had recently seen something I thought perfect; Sweet Potato French Fries that were seasoned with Furikake. FuriWhatkee was my first thought. But my friend Rachael, the infamous LaFujimama said I could find some at an Asian market. I was on Google within moments and discovered an H Mart within 15 minutes of my home and I was on my way! Fast forward 2 months. In the interim I’d been to the H Mart a couple of times. A second time where I discovered that the pork belly I had looked EVERYWHERE for in order to make Maple Bourbon Bacon was readily available and in a variety of cuts! On a subsequent visit, I brought some blogging friends with me and an employee suggested we also take a peek at the Arash International Market, which was directly across the street. Of course we did! What a find! Spices galore only previously located at specialty spice stores. Sumac which I have previously only used for a favorite olive oil dipping sauce, Pomegranate Molasses which I had only seen before at a local spice shop at a ridiculously high price, some fabulous pita bread and Tahini, which is basically ground sesame seeds and a necessary part of hummus which I wanted to try making (and did; loved this made from scratch Artichoke Hummus). It was fortuitous that a day or two later, I saw a blogging friend, Kalyn Denny tout a blog she had found and loved called Taste of Beirut. I went to check it out and lo and behold, the first dish I saw, this Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita, required in addition to ground beef  – pomegranate molasses, tahini, sumac and pita bread; all items I had brought home from my international shopping spree. Didn’t it seem that fate was calling me to make this dish? I thought so! I have to admit…grinding up ground beef in my processor to make a paste for Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita…that alone was unique but I also imagined that 7 spice was simply Chinese 5 spice with a couple more spices. I was so wrong; seven spice includes the following spices; I’ve given amounts of you need to mix your own (also included in printable recipe card at the bottom of this post): 2 tablespoons black pepper 2 tablespoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 tablespoon coriander 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 5 tablespoons garam masala (optional though some consider it a nice backdrop to the other seven spices. I love it and had some on hand so did include it in my spice mix). And I didn’t have Labneh, Lebanese yogurt cheese (which I’ve since found I can get at Arash) but had some queso cheese that Andrea had left behind from our blogger meeting. Why not? Mild and firm, I imagined it would be fine. And it was. Other substitutions include Greek yogurt or cream cheese. Simple, yes. Delicious? That too. So delicious that I’ve made it several times and again, years later, I had friends over this past weekend when I served it for them. No one had ever heard of it or tasted it and they were equally surprised at how delicious it is..this time it went on the grill. Even better with that bit of smokiness. Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita is sort of a tortilla; rolled up to eat in a Lebanese roll in a very similar manner. I’ve yet to try making the bread to roll it up; this is too easy and delicious; did I mention easy? But the taste is from the other side of this world and it was divine. Honestly I still can’t believe I made a paste with ground beef but I’m over it; sure it’s unique and not something that is typically done in the US, but isn’t that the beauty of learning some foods from different cultures. I am so hooked! More Ground Beef Favorites PIN IT! ‘Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita’ Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita Barb A fantastic Lebanonese dish made even easier using pita bread for the delicious ground beef mixture. 5 average from less than 50 votes Prep Time 15 minutes minsCook Time 7 minutes minsAdditional Time 30 minutes minsTotal Time 52 minutes mins Servings 8 ServingsCalories 292 kcal 1 pound ground beef 98% fat free, if possible4 ounces chopped onion½ cup Italian parsley minced3 tablespoons tahini1 teaspoon garlic paste 3 cloves of garlic mashed with a dash of salt1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses2 tablespoons tomato paste3 tablespoons labneh If not available, substitute Greek yogurtSpices1 ½ teaspoons salt or to taste1 teaspoon seven-spice1 teaspoon sumac1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or 1/2 teaspoon to taste of dried chili flakesDressing¼ cup olive oil3 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed1 teaspoon sumac1 teaspoon salt1 dash allspiceFor the Salad2 cups cherry tomatoes halved2 cups Italian parsley chopped 1 cup onion or green onion chopped 1 cup pomegranate seeds optional; I didn’t use them Chop the onion fine and combine with some salt; place it on a sieve lined with a paper towel and let the onion drain its juice for 30 minutes or so.Place the meat, spices, drained onion, chopped parsley, tahini, pomegranate molasses, labneh and garlic paste in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 2 minutes or until the mixture turns pasty. Transfer to a bowl.Preheat the oven to 375F and line a few baking sheets with foil. Place a pita on the foil and slather about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the meat mixture (depending on the size of the pita) on the pita, using a spatula to spread it as evenly as possible. Continue with the rest of the pitas.Bake for 7 minutes, checking halfway through. When the meat looks cooked, remove from the oven. 7 spice mix with Garam Masala; combine all together and mix thoroughly. 2 tablespoons black pepper 2 tablespoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 tablespoon coriander 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 5 tablespoons garam masala (optional though some consider it a nice backdrop to the other seven spices. I love it and had some on hand so did include it in my spice mix). Nutrition FactsLebanese Sfeeha on PitaAmount per Serving% Daily Value** Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.   Source link

[romaleen]

The combination of ingredients and the presentation of this Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita made for a unique and delicious dish. What is Sfeeha? It’s a Lebanese dish that is a mixture of ground lamb or beef with spices that is made inside a formed piece of bread. They are lovely but the bread makes them time consuming; making Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita with the same ingredients but using pita bread makes for a wonderful and MUCH easier dish to prepare. Customarily served with a salad; this dish has it all wrapped together. I first made Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita almost 15 years ago and thought it was time to introduce it to new readers. It sounds so strange, it was a true leap of faith, but trust me if you can, it is SO good! I’m not Lebanese but over the years I have become interested in trying things from different cultures and countries and it’s been a fun adventure. Maybe not as exciting as traveling but certainly fun in its own way. Want to save this recipe? Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week! My international culinary journey started with my contribution to the Peko Peko Charity Cookbook. I was asked to contribute a dish, something simple that most of us could actually make for our families and I had recently seen something I thought perfect; Sweet Potato French Fries that were seasoned with Furikake. FuriWhatkee was my first thought. But my friend Rachael, the infamous LaFujimama said I could find some at an Asian market. I was on Google within moments and discovered an H Mart within 15 minutes of my home and I was on my way! Fast forward 2 months. In the interim I’d been to the H Mart a couple of times. A second time where I discovered that the pork belly I had looked EVERYWHERE for in order to make Maple Bourbon Bacon was readily available and in a variety of cuts! On a subsequent visit, I brought some blogging friends with me and an employee suggested we also take a peek at the Arash International Market, which was directly across the street. Of course we did! What a find! Spices galore only previously located at specialty spice stores. Sumac which I have previously only used for a favorite olive oil dipping sauce, Pomegranate Molasses which I had only seen before at a local spice shop at a ridiculously high price, some fabulous pita bread and Tahini, which is basically ground sesame seeds and a necessary part of hummus which I wanted to try making (and did; loved this made from scratch Artichoke Hummus). It was fortuitous that a day or two later, I saw a blogging friend, Kalyn Denny tout a blog she had found and loved called Taste of Beirut. I went to check it out and lo and behold, the first dish I saw, this Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita, required in addition to ground beef  – pomegranate molasses, tahini, sumac and pita bread; all items I had brought home from my international shopping spree. Didn’t it seem that fate was calling me to make this dish? I thought so! I have to admit…grinding up ground beef in my processor to make a paste for Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita…that alone was unique but I also imagined that 7 spice was simply Chinese 5 spice with a couple more spices. I was so wrong; seven spice includes the following spices; I’ve given amounts of you need to mix your own (also included in printable recipe card at the bottom of this post): 2 tablespoons black pepper 2 tablespoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 tablespoon coriander 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 5 tablespoons garam masala (optional though some consider it a nice backdrop to the other seven spices. I love it and had some on hand so did include it in my spice mix). And I didn’t have Labneh, Lebanese yogurt cheese (which I’ve since found I can get at Arash) but had some queso cheese that Andrea had left behind from our blogger meeting. Why not? Mild and firm, I imagined it would be fine. And it was. Other substitutions include Greek yogurt or cream cheese. Simple, yes. Delicious? That too. So delicious that I’ve made it several times and again, years later, I had friends over this past weekend when I served it for them. No one had ever heard of it or tasted it and they were equally surprised at how delicious it is..this time it went on the grill. Even better with that bit of smokiness. Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita is sort of a tortilla; rolled up to eat in a Lebanese roll in a very similar manner. I’ve yet to try making the bread to roll it up; this is too easy and delicious; did I mention easy? But the taste is from the other side of this world and it was divine. Honestly I still can’t believe I made a paste with ground beef but I’m over it; sure it’s unique and not something that is typically done in the US, but isn’t that the beauty of learning some foods from different cultures. I am so hooked! More Ground Beef Favorites PIN IT! ‘Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita’ Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita Barb A fantastic Lebanonese dish made even easier using pita bread for the delicious ground beef mixture. 5 average from less than 50 votes Prep Time 15 minutes minsCook Time 7 minutes minsAdditional Time 30 minutes minsTotal Time 52 minutes mins Servings 8 ServingsCalories 292 kcal 1 pound ground beef 98% fat free, if possible4 ounces chopped onion½ cup Italian parsley minced3 tablespoons tahini1 teaspoon garlic paste 3 cloves of garlic mashed with a dash of salt1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses2 tablespoons tomato paste3 tablespoons labneh If not available, substitute Greek yogurtSpices1 ½ teaspoons salt or to taste1 teaspoon seven-spice1 teaspoon sumac1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or 1/2 teaspoon to taste of dried chili flakesDressing¼ cup olive oil3 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed1 teaspoon sumac1 teaspoon salt1 dash allspiceFor the Salad2 cups cherry tomatoes halved2 cups Italian parsley chopped 1 cup onion or green onion chopped 1 cup pomegranate seeds optional; I didn’t use them Chop the onion fine and combine with some salt; place it on a sieve lined with a paper towel and let the onion drain its juice for 30 minutes or so.Place the meat, spices, drained onion, chopped parsley, tahini, pomegranate molasses, labneh and garlic paste in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 2 minutes or until the mixture turns pasty. Transfer to a bowl.Preheat the oven to 375F and line a few baking sheets with foil. Place a pita on the foil and slather about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the meat mixture (depending on the size of the pita) on the pita, using a spatula to spread it as evenly as possible. Continue with the rest of the pitas.Bake for 7 minutes, checking halfway through. When the meat looks cooked, remove from the oven. 7 spice mix with Garam Masala; combine all together and mix thoroughly. 2 tablespoons black pepper 2 tablespoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 tablespoon coriander 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 5 tablespoons garam masala (optional though some consider it a nice backdrop to the other seven spices. I love it and had some on hand so did include it in my spice mix). Nutrition FactsLebanese Sfeeha on PitaAmount per Serving% Daily Value** Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.   Source link

[monaleen101]

The combination of ingredients and the presentation of this Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita made for a unique and delicious dish. What is Sfeeha? It’s a Lebanese dish that is a mixture of ground lamb or beef with spices that is made inside a formed piece of bread. They are lovely but the bread makes them time consuming; making Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita with the same ingredients but using pita bread makes for a wonderful and MUCH easier dish to prepare. Customarily served with a salad; this dish has it all wrapped together. I first made Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita almost 15 years ago and thought it was time to introduce it to new readers. It sounds so strange, it was a true leap of faith, but trust me if you can, it is SO good! I’m not Lebanese but over the years I have become interested in trying things from different cultures and countries and it’s been a fun adventure. Maybe not as exciting as traveling but certainly fun in its own way. Want to save this recipe? Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week! My international culinary journey started with my contribution to the Peko Peko Charity Cookbook. I was asked to contribute a dish, something simple that most of us could actually make for our families and I had recently seen something I thought perfect; Sweet Potato French Fries that were seasoned with Furikake. FuriWhatkee was my first thought. But my friend Rachael, the infamous LaFujimama said I could find some at an Asian market. I was on Google within moments and discovered an H Mart within 15 minutes of my home and I was on my way! Fast forward 2 months. In the interim I’d been to the H Mart a couple of times. A second time where I discovered that the pork belly I had looked EVERYWHERE for in order to make Maple Bourbon Bacon was readily available and in a variety of cuts! On a subsequent visit, I brought some blogging friends with me and an employee suggested we also take a peek at the Arash International Market, which was directly across the street. Of course we did! What a find! Spices galore only previously located at specialty spice stores. Sumac which I have previously only used for a favorite olive oil dipping sauce, Pomegranate Molasses which I had only seen before at a local spice shop at a ridiculously high price, some fabulous pita bread and Tahini, which is basically ground sesame seeds and a necessary part of hummus which I wanted to try making (and did; loved this made from scratch Artichoke Hummus). It was fortuitous that a day or two later, I saw a blogging friend, Kalyn Denny tout a blog she had found and loved called Taste of Beirut. I went to check it out and lo and behold, the first dish I saw, this Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita, required in addition to ground beef  – pomegranate molasses, tahini, sumac and pita bread; all items I had brought home from my international shopping spree. Didn’t it seem that fate was calling me to make this dish? I thought so! I have to admit…grinding up ground beef in my processor to make a paste for Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita…that alone was unique but I also imagined that 7 spice was simply Chinese 5 spice with a couple more spices. I was so wrong; seven spice includes the following spices; I’ve given amounts of you need to mix your own (also included in printable recipe card at the bottom of this post): 2 tablespoons black pepper 2 tablespoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 tablespoon coriander 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 5 tablespoons garam masala (optional though some consider it a nice backdrop to the other seven spices. I love it and had some on hand so did include it in my spice mix). And I didn’t have Labneh, Lebanese yogurt cheese (which I’ve since found I can get at Arash) but had some queso cheese that Andrea had left behind from our blogger meeting. Why not? Mild and firm, I imagined it would be fine. And it was. Other substitutions include Greek yogurt or cream cheese. Simple, yes. Delicious? That too. So delicious that I’ve made it several times and again, years later, I had friends over this past weekend when I served it for them. No one had ever heard of it or tasted it and they were equally surprised at how delicious it is..this time it went on the grill. Even better with that bit of smokiness. Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita is sort of a tortilla; rolled up to eat in a Lebanese roll in a very similar manner. I’ve yet to try making the bread to roll it up; this is too easy and delicious; did I mention easy? But the taste is from the other side of this world and it was divine. Honestly I still can’t believe I made a paste with ground beef but I’m over it; sure it’s unique and not something that is typically done in the US, but isn’t that the beauty of learning some foods from different cultures. I am so hooked! More Ground Beef Favorites PIN IT! ‘Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita’ Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita Barb A fantastic Lebanonese dish made even easier using pita bread for the delicious ground beef mixture. 5 average from less than 50 votes Prep Time 15 minutes minsCook Time 7 minutes minsAdditional Time 30 minutes minsTotal Time 52 minutes mins Servings 8 ServingsCalories 292 kcal 1 pound ground beef 98% fat free, if possible4 ounces chopped onion½ cup Italian parsley minced3 tablespoons tahini1 teaspoon garlic paste 3 cloves of garlic mashed with a dash of salt1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses2 tablespoons tomato paste3 tablespoons labneh If not available, substitute Greek yogurtSpices1 ½ teaspoons salt or to taste1 teaspoon seven-spice1 teaspoon sumac1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or 1/2 teaspoon to taste of dried chili flakesDressing¼ cup olive oil3 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed1 teaspoon sumac1 teaspoon salt1 dash allspiceFor the Salad2 cups cherry tomatoes halved2 cups Italian parsley chopped 1 cup onion or green onion chopped 1 cup pomegranate seeds optional; I didn’t use them Chop the onion fine and combine with some salt; place it on a sieve lined with a paper towel and let the onion drain its juice for 30 minutes or so.Place the meat, spices, drained onion, chopped parsley, tahini, pomegranate molasses, labneh and garlic paste in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 2 minutes or until the mixture turns pasty. Transfer to a bowl.Preheat the oven to 375F and line a few baking sheets with foil. Place a pita on the foil and slather about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the meat mixture (depending on the size of the pita) on the pita, using a spatula to spread it as evenly as possible. Continue with the rest of the pitas.Bake for 7 minutes, checking halfway through. When the meat looks cooked, remove from the oven. 7 spice mix with Garam Masala; combine all together and mix thoroughly. 2 tablespoons black pepper 2 tablespoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 tablespoon coriander 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 5 tablespoons garam masala (optional though some consider it a nice backdrop to the other seven spices. I love it and had some on hand so did include it in my spice mix). Nutrition FactsLebanese Sfeeha on PitaAmount per Serving% Daily Value** Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.   Source link

[iamownerofme]

The combination of ingredients and the presentation of this Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita made for a unique and delicious dish. What is Sfeeha? It’s a Lebanese dish that is a mixture of ground lamb or beef with spices that is made inside a formed piece of bread. They are lovely but the bread makes them time consuming; making Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita with the same ingredients but using pita bread makes for a wonderful and MUCH easier dish to prepare. Customarily served with a salad; this dish has it all wrapped together. I first made Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita almost 15 years ago and thought it was time to introduce it to new readers. It sounds so strange, it was a true leap of faith, but trust me if you can, it is SO good! I’m not Lebanese but over the years I have become interested in trying things from different cultures and countries and it’s been a fun adventure. Maybe not as exciting as traveling but certainly fun in its own way. Want to save this recipe? Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week! My international culinary journey started with my contribution to the Peko Peko Charity Cookbook. I was asked to contribute a dish, something simple that most of us could actually make for our families and I had recently seen something I thought perfect; Sweet Potato French Fries that were seasoned with Furikake. FuriWhatkee was my first thought. But my friend Rachael, the infamous LaFujimama said I could find some at an Asian market. I was on Google within moments and discovered an H Mart within 15 minutes of my home and I was on my way! Fast forward 2 months. In the interim I’d been to the H Mart a couple of times. A second time where I discovered that the pork belly I had looked EVERYWHERE for in order to make Maple Bourbon Bacon was readily available and in a variety of cuts! On a subsequent visit, I brought some blogging friends with me and an employee suggested we also take a peek at the Arash International Market, which was directly across the street. Of course we did! What a find! Spices galore only previously located at specialty spice stores. Sumac which I have previously only used for a favorite olive oil dipping sauce, Pomegranate Molasses which I had only seen before at a local spice shop at a ridiculously high price, some fabulous pita bread and Tahini, which is basically ground sesame seeds and a necessary part of hummus which I wanted to try making (and did; loved this made from scratch Artichoke Hummus). It was fortuitous that a day or two later, I saw a blogging friend, Kalyn Denny tout a blog she had found and loved called Taste of Beirut. I went to check it out and lo and behold, the first dish I saw, this Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita, required in addition to ground beef  – pomegranate molasses, tahini, sumac and pita bread; all items I had brought home from my international shopping spree. Didn’t it seem that fate was calling me to make this dish? I thought so! I have to admit…grinding up ground beef in my processor to make a paste for Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita…that alone was unique but I also imagined that 7 spice was simply Chinese 5 spice with a couple more spices. I was so wrong; seven spice includes the following spices; I’ve given amounts of you need to mix your own (also included in printable recipe card at the bottom of this post): 2 tablespoons black pepper 2 tablespoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 tablespoon coriander 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 5 tablespoons garam masala (optional though some consider it a nice backdrop to the other seven spices. I love it and had some on hand so did include it in my spice mix). And I didn’t have Labneh, Lebanese yogurt cheese (which I’ve since found I can get at Arash) but had some queso cheese that Andrea had left behind from our blogger meeting. Why not? Mild and firm, I imagined it would be fine. And it was. Other substitutions include Greek yogurt or cream cheese. Simple, yes. Delicious? That too. So delicious that I’ve made it several times and again, years later, I had friends over this past weekend when I served it for them. No one had ever heard of it or tasted it and they were equally surprised at how delicious it is..this time it went on the grill. Even better with that bit of smokiness. Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita is sort of a tortilla; rolled up to eat in a Lebanese roll in a very similar manner. I’ve yet to try making the bread to roll it up; this is too easy and delicious; did I mention easy? But the taste is from the other side of this world and it was divine. Honestly I still can’t believe I made a paste with ground beef but I’m over it; sure it’s unique and not something that is typically done in the US, but isn’t that the beauty of learning some foods from different cultures. I am so hooked! More Ground Beef Favorites PIN IT! ‘Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita’ Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita Barb A fantastic Lebanonese dish made even easier using pita bread for the delicious ground beef mixture. 5 average from less than 50 votes Prep Time 15 minutes minsCook Time 7 minutes minsAdditional Time 30 minutes minsTotal Time 52 minutes mins Servings 8 ServingsCalories 292 kcal 1 pound ground beef 98% fat free, if possible4 ounces chopped onion½ cup Italian parsley minced3 tablespoons tahini1 teaspoon garlic paste 3 cloves of garlic mashed with a dash of salt1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses2 tablespoons tomato paste3 tablespoons labneh If not available, substitute Greek yogurtSpices1 ½ teaspoons salt or to taste1 teaspoon seven-spice1 teaspoon sumac1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or 1/2 teaspoon to taste of dried chili flakesDressing¼ cup olive oil3 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed1 teaspoon sumac1 teaspoon salt1 dash allspiceFor the Salad2 cups cherry tomatoes halved2 cups Italian parsley chopped 1 cup onion or green onion chopped 1 cup pomegranate seeds optional; I didn’t use them Chop the onion fine and combine with some salt; place it on a sieve lined with a paper towel and let the onion drain its juice for 30 minutes or so.Place the meat, spices, drained onion, chopped parsley, tahini, pomegranate molasses, labneh and garlic paste in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 2 minutes or until the mixture turns pasty. Transfer to a bowl.Preheat the oven to 375F and line a few baking sheets with foil. Place a pita on the foil and slather about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the meat mixture (depending on the size of the pita) on the pita, using a spatula to spread it as evenly as possible. Continue with the rest of the pitas.Bake for 7 minutes, checking halfway through. When the meat looks cooked, remove from the oven. 7 spice mix with Garam Masala; combine all together and mix thoroughly. 2 tablespoons black pepper 2 tablespoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 tablespoon coriander 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 5 tablespoons garam masala (optional though some consider it a nice backdrop to the other seven spices. I love it and had some on hand so did include it in my spice mix). Nutrition FactsLebanese Sfeeha on PitaAmount per Serving% Daily Value** Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.   Source link

[shelyold]

The combination of ingredients and the presentation of this Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita made for a unique and delicious dish. What is Sfeeha? It’s a Lebanese dish that is a mixture of ground lamb or beef with spices that is made inside a formed piece of bread. They are lovely but the bread makes them time consuming; making Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita with the same ingredients but using pita bread makes for a wonderful and MUCH easier dish to prepare. Customarily served with a salad; this dish has it all wrapped together. I first made Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita almost 15 years ago and thought it was time to introduce it to new readers. It sounds so strange, it was a true leap of faith, but trust me if you can, it is SO good! I’m not Lebanese but over the years I have become interested in trying things from different cultures and countries and it’s been a fun adventure. Maybe not as exciting as traveling but certainly fun in its own way. Want to save this recipe? Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week! My international culinary journey started with my contribution to the Peko Peko Charity Cookbook. I was asked to contribute a dish, something simple that most of us could actually make for our families and I had recently seen something I thought perfect; Sweet Potato French Fries that were seasoned with Furikake. FuriWhatkee was my first thought. But my friend Rachael, the infamous LaFujimama said I could find some at an Asian market. I was on Google within moments and discovered an H Mart within 15 minutes of my home and I was on my way! Fast forward 2 months. In the interim I’d been to the H Mart a couple of times. A second time where I discovered that the pork belly I had looked EVERYWHERE for in order to make Maple Bourbon Bacon was readily available and in a variety of cuts! On a subsequent visit, I brought some blogging friends with me and an employee suggested we also take a peek at the Arash International Market, which was directly across the street. Of course we did! What a find! Spices galore only previously located at specialty spice stores. Sumac which I have previously only used for a favorite olive oil dipping sauce, Pomegranate Molasses which I had only seen before at a local spice shop at a ridiculously high price, some fabulous pita bread and Tahini, which is basically ground sesame seeds and a necessary part of hummus which I wanted to try making (and did; loved this made from scratch Artichoke Hummus). It was fortuitous that a day or two later, I saw a blogging friend, Kalyn Denny tout a blog she had found and loved called Taste of Beirut. I went to check it out and lo and behold, the first dish I saw, this Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita, required in addition to ground beef  – pomegranate molasses, tahini, sumac and pita bread; all items I had brought home from my international shopping spree. Didn’t it seem that fate was calling me to make this dish? I thought so! I have to admit…grinding up ground beef in my processor to make a paste for Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita…that alone was unique but I also imagined that 7 spice was simply Chinese 5 spice with a couple more spices. I was so wrong; seven spice includes the following spices; I’ve given amounts of you need to mix your own (also included in printable recipe card at the bottom of this post): 2 tablespoons black pepper 2 tablespoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 tablespoon coriander 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 5 tablespoons garam masala (optional though some consider it a nice backdrop to the other seven spices. I love it and had some on hand so did include it in my spice mix). And I didn’t have Labneh, Lebanese yogurt cheese (which I’ve since found I can get at Arash) but had some queso cheese that Andrea had left behind from our blogger meeting. Why not? Mild and firm, I imagined it would be fine. And it was. Other substitutions include Greek yogurt or cream cheese. Simple, yes. Delicious? That too. So delicious that I’ve made it several times and again, years later, I had friends over this past weekend when I served it for them. No one had ever heard of it or tasted it and they were equally surprised at how delicious it is..this time it went on the grill. Even better with that bit of smokiness. Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita is sort of a tortilla; rolled up to eat in a Lebanese roll in a very similar manner. I’ve yet to try making the bread to roll it up; this is too easy and delicious; did I mention easy? But the taste is from the other side of this world and it was divine. Honestly I still can’t believe I made a paste with ground beef but I’m over it; sure it’s unique and not something that is typically done in the US, but isn’t that the beauty of learning some foods from different cultures. I am so hooked! More Ground Beef Favorites PIN IT! ‘Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita’ Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita Barb A fantastic Lebanonese dish made even easier using pita bread for the delicious ground beef mixture. 5 average from less than 50 votes Prep Time 15 minutes minsCook Time 7 minutes minsAdditional Time 30 minutes minsTotal Time 52 minutes mins Servings 8 ServingsCalories 292 kcal 1 pound ground beef 98% fat free, if possible4 ounces chopped onion½ cup Italian parsley minced3 tablespoons tahini1 teaspoon garlic paste 3 cloves of garlic mashed with a dash of salt1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses2 tablespoons tomato paste3 tablespoons labneh If not available, substitute Greek yogurtSpices1 ½ teaspoons salt or to taste1 teaspoon seven-spice1 teaspoon sumac1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or 1/2 teaspoon to taste of dried chili flakesDressing¼ cup olive oil3 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed1 teaspoon sumac1 teaspoon salt1 dash allspiceFor the Salad2 cups cherry tomatoes halved2 cups Italian parsley chopped 1 cup onion or green onion chopped 1 cup pomegranate seeds optional; I didn’t use them Chop the onion fine and combine with some salt; place it on a sieve lined with a paper towel and let the onion drain its juice for 30 minutes or so.Place the meat, spices, drained onion, chopped parsley, tahini, pomegranate molasses, labneh and garlic paste in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 2 minutes or until the mixture turns pasty. Transfer to a bowl.Preheat the oven to 375F and line a few baking sheets with foil. Place a pita on the foil and slather about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the meat mixture (depending on the size of the pita) on the pita, using a spatula to spread it as evenly as possible. Continue with the rest of the pitas.Bake for 7 minutes, checking halfway through. When the meat looks cooked, remove from the oven. 7 spice mix with Garam Masala; combine all together and mix thoroughly. 2 tablespoons black pepper 2 tablespoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 tablespoon coriander 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 5 tablespoons garam masala (optional though some consider it a nice backdrop to the other seven spices. I love it and had some on hand so did include it in my spice mix). Nutrition FactsLebanese Sfeeha on PitaAmount per Serving% Daily Value** Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.   Source link

[iammeandmy]

The combination of ingredients and the presentation of this Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita made for a unique and delicious dish. What is Sfeeha? It’s a Lebanese dish that is a mixture of ground lamb or beef with spices that is made inside a formed piece of bread. They are lovely but the bread makes them time consuming; making Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita with the same ingredients but using pita bread makes for a wonderful and MUCH easier dish to prepare. Customarily served with a salad; this dish has it all wrapped together. I first made Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita almost 15 years ago and thought it was time to introduce it to new readers. It sounds so strange, it was a true leap of faith, but trust me if you can, it is SO good! I’m not Lebanese but over the years I have become interested in trying things from different cultures and countries and it’s been a fun adventure. Maybe not as exciting as traveling but certainly fun in its own way. Want to save this recipe? Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week! My international culinary journey started with my contribution to the Peko Peko Charity Cookbook. I was asked to contribute a dish, something simple that most of us could actually make for our families and I had recently seen something I thought perfect; Sweet Potato French Fries that were seasoned with Furikake. FuriWhatkee was my first thought. But my friend Rachael, the infamous LaFujimama said I could find some at an Asian market. I was on Google within moments and discovered an H Mart within 15 minutes of my home and I was on my way! Fast forward 2 months. In the interim I’d been to the H Mart a couple of times. A second time where I discovered that the pork belly I had looked EVERYWHERE for in order to make Maple Bourbon Bacon was readily available and in a variety of cuts! On a subsequent visit, I brought some blogging friends with me and an employee suggested we also take a peek at the Arash International Market, which was directly across the street. Of course we did! What a find! Spices galore only previously located at specialty spice stores. Sumac which I have previously only used for a favorite olive oil dipping sauce, Pomegranate Molasses which I had only seen before at a local spice shop at a ridiculously high price, some fabulous pita bread and Tahini, which is basically ground sesame seeds and a necessary part of hummus which I wanted to try making (and did; loved this made from scratch Artichoke Hummus). It was fortuitous that a day or two later, I saw a blogging friend, Kalyn Denny tout a blog she had found and loved called Taste of Beirut. I went to check it out and lo and behold, the first dish I saw, this Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita, required in addition to ground beef  – pomegranate molasses, tahini, sumac and pita bread; all items I had brought home from my international shopping spree. Didn’t it seem that fate was calling me to make this dish? I thought so! I have to admit…grinding up ground beef in my processor to make a paste for Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita…that alone was unique but I also imagined that 7 spice was simply Chinese 5 spice with a couple more spices. I was so wrong; seven spice includes the following spices; I’ve given amounts of you need to mix your own (also included in printable recipe card at the bottom of this post): 2 tablespoons black pepper 2 tablespoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 tablespoon coriander 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 5 tablespoons garam masala (optional though some consider it a nice backdrop to the other seven spices. I love it and had some on hand so did include it in my spice mix). And I didn’t have Labneh, Lebanese yogurt cheese (which I’ve since found I can get at Arash) but had some queso cheese that Andrea had left behind from our blogger meeting. Why not? Mild and firm, I imagined it would be fine. And it was. Other substitutions include Greek yogurt or cream cheese. Simple, yes. Delicious? That too. So delicious that I’ve made it several times and again, years later, I had friends over this past weekend when I served it for them. No one had ever heard of it or tasted it and they were equally surprised at how delicious it is..this time it went on the grill. Even better with that bit of smokiness. Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita is sort of a tortilla; rolled up to eat in a Lebanese roll in a very similar manner. I’ve yet to try making the bread to roll it up; this is too easy and delicious; did I mention easy? But the taste is from the other side of this world and it was divine. Honestly I still can’t believe I made a paste with ground beef but I’m over it; sure it’s unique and not something that is typically done in the US, but isn’t that the beauty of learning some foods from different cultures. I am so hooked! More Ground Beef Favorites PIN IT! ‘Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita’ Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita Barb A fantastic Lebanonese dish made even easier using pita bread for the delicious ground beef mixture. 5 average from less than 50 votes Prep Time 15 minutes minsCook Time 7 minutes minsAdditional Time 30 minutes minsTotal Time 52 minutes mins Servings 8 ServingsCalories 292 kcal 1 pound ground beef 98% fat free, if possible4 ounces chopped onion½ cup Italian parsley minced3 tablespoons tahini1 teaspoon garlic paste 3 cloves of garlic mashed with a dash of salt1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses2 tablespoons tomato paste3 tablespoons labneh If not available, substitute Greek yogurtSpices1 ½ teaspoons salt or to taste1 teaspoon seven-spice1 teaspoon sumac1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or 1/2 teaspoon to taste of dried chili flakesDressing¼ cup olive oil3 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed1 teaspoon sumac1 teaspoon salt1 dash allspiceFor the Salad2 cups cherry tomatoes halved2 cups Italian parsley chopped 1 cup onion or green onion chopped 1 cup pomegranate seeds optional; I didn’t use them Chop the onion fine and combine with some salt; place it on a sieve lined with a paper towel and let the onion drain its juice for 30 minutes or so.Place the meat, spices, drained onion, chopped parsley, tahini, pomegranate molasses, labneh and garlic paste in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 2 minutes or until the mixture turns pasty. Transfer to a bowl.Preheat the oven to 375F and line a few baking sheets with foil. Place a pita on the foil and slather about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the meat mixture (depending on the size of the pita) on the pita, using a spatula to spread it as evenly as possible. Continue with the rest of the pitas.Bake for 7 minutes, checking halfway through. When the meat looks cooked, remove from the oven. 7 spice mix with Garam Masala; combine all together and mix thoroughly. 2 tablespoons black pepper 2 tablespoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 tablespoon coriander 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 5 tablespoons garam masala (optional though some consider it a nice backdrop to the other seven spices. I love it and had some on hand so did include it in my spice mix). Nutrition FactsLebanese Sfeeha on PitaAmount per Serving% Daily Value** Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.   Source link

[januishstory]

The combination of ingredients and the presentation of this Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita made for a unique and delicious dish. What is Sfeeha? It’s a Lebanese dish that is a mixture of ground lamb or beef with spices that is made inside a formed piece of bread. They are lovely but the bread makes them time consuming; making Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita with the same ingredients but using pita bread makes for a wonderful and MUCH easier dish to prepare. Customarily served with a salad; this dish has it all wrapped together. I first made Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita almost 15 years ago and thought it was time to introduce it to new readers. It sounds so strange, it was a true leap of faith, but trust me if you can, it is SO good! I’m not Lebanese but over the years I have become interested in trying things from different cultures and countries and it’s been a fun adventure. Maybe not as exciting as traveling but certainly fun in its own way. Want to save this recipe? Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week! My international culinary journey started with my contribution to the Peko Peko Charity Cookbook. I was asked to contribute a dish, something simple that most of us could actually make for our families and I had recently seen something I thought perfect; Sweet Potato French Fries that were seasoned with Furikake. FuriWhatkee was my first thought. But my friend Rachael, the infamous LaFujimama said I could find some at an Asian market. I was on Google within moments and discovered an H Mart within 15 minutes of my home and I was on my way! Fast forward 2 months. In the interim I’d been to the H Mart a couple of times. A second time where I discovered that the pork belly I had looked EVERYWHERE for in order to make Maple Bourbon Bacon was readily available and in a variety of cuts! On a subsequent visit, I brought some blogging friends with me and an employee suggested we also take a peek at the Arash International Market, which was directly across the street. Of course we did! What a find! Spices galore only previously located at specialty spice stores. Sumac which I have previously only used for a favorite olive oil dipping sauce, Pomegranate Molasses which I had only seen before at a local spice shop at a ridiculously high price, some fabulous pita bread and Tahini, which is basically ground sesame seeds and a necessary part of hummus which I wanted to try making (and did; loved this made from scratch Artichoke Hummus). It was fortuitous that a day or two later, I saw a blogging friend, Kalyn Denny tout a blog she had found and loved called Taste of Beirut. I went to check it out and lo and behold, the first dish I saw, this Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita, required in addition to ground beef  – pomegranate molasses, tahini, sumac and pita bread; all items I had brought home from my international shopping spree. Didn’t it seem that fate was calling me to make this dish? I thought so! I have to admit…grinding up ground beef in my processor to make a paste for Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita…that alone was unique but I also imagined that 7 spice was simply Chinese 5 spice with a couple more spices. I was so wrong; seven spice includes the following spices; I’ve given amounts of you need to mix your own (also included in printable recipe card at the bottom of this post): 2 tablespoons black pepper 2 tablespoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 tablespoon coriander 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 5 tablespoons garam masala (optional though some consider it a nice backdrop to the other seven spices. I love it and had some on hand so did include it in my spice mix). And I didn’t have Labneh, Lebanese yogurt cheese (which I’ve since found I can get at Arash) but had some queso cheese that Andrea had left behind from our blogger meeting. Why not? Mild and firm, I imagined it would be fine. And it was. Other substitutions include Greek yogurt or cream cheese. Simple, yes. Delicious? That too. So delicious that I’ve made it several times and again, years later, I had friends over this past weekend when I served it for them. No one had ever heard of it or tasted it and they were equally surprised at how delicious it is..this time it went on the grill. Even better with that bit of smokiness. Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita is sort of a tortilla; rolled up to eat in a Lebanese roll in a very similar manner. I’ve yet to try making the bread to roll it up; this is too easy and delicious; did I mention easy? But the taste is from the other side of this world and it was divine. Honestly I still can’t believe I made a paste with ground beef but I’m over it; sure it’s unique and not something that is typically done in the US, but isn’t that the beauty of learning some foods from different cultures. I am so hooked! More Ground Beef Favorites PIN IT! ‘Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita’ Lebanese Sfeeha on Pita Barb A fantastic Lebanonese dish made even easier using pita bread for the delicious ground beef mixture. 5 average from less than 50 votes Prep Time 15 minutes minsCook Time 7 minutes minsAdditional Time 30 minutes minsTotal Time 52 minutes mins Servings 8 ServingsCalories 292 kcal 1 pound ground beef 98% fat free, if possible4 ounces chopped onion½ cup Italian parsley minced3 tablespoons tahini1 teaspoon garlic paste 3 cloves of garlic mashed with a dash of salt1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses2 tablespoons tomato paste3 tablespoons labneh If not available, substitute Greek yogurtSpices1 ½ teaspoons salt or to taste1 teaspoon seven-spice1 teaspoon sumac1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or 1/2 teaspoon to taste of dried chili flakesDressing¼ cup olive oil3 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed1 teaspoon sumac1 teaspoon salt1 dash allspiceFor the Salad2 cups cherry tomatoes halved2 cups Italian parsley chopped 1 cup onion or green onion chopped 1 cup pomegranate seeds optional; I didn’t use them Chop the onion fine and combine with some salt; place it on a sieve lined with a paper towel and let the onion drain its juice for 30 minutes or so.Place the meat, spices, drained onion, chopped parsley, tahini, pomegranate molasses, labneh and garlic paste in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 2 minutes or until the mixture turns pasty. Transfer to a bowl.Preheat the oven to 375F and line a few baking sheets with foil. Place a pita on the foil and slather about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the meat mixture (depending on the size of the pita) on the pita, using a spatula to spread it as evenly as possible. Continue with the rest of the pitas.Bake for 7 minutes, checking halfway through. When the meat looks cooked, remove from the oven. 7 spice mix with Garam Masala; combine all together and mix thoroughly. 2 tablespoons black pepper 2 tablespoons cinnamon 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 tablespoon coriander 1 tablespoon cumin 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 5 tablespoons garam masala (optional though some consider it a nice backdrop to the other seven spices. I love it and had some on hand so did include it in my spice mix). Nutrition FactsLebanese Sfeeha on PitaAmount per Serving% Daily Value** Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.   Source link

[painted-crow]

Okay this is wildly off topic but I saw that you cook japanese food. Can you recommend some dishes to try or ways to get myself to like it? I want to like Japanese food so bad but I haven't liked anything I've tried aside from super basic stuff like sushi, teriyaki, and gyoza. I've even tried making curry and omurice at home and everyone except me loved it.

Japanese cooking resources

Ah, I have been called upon! Lemme dig some stuff out of my Bird nest for you :D

Disclaimer: I'm not Japanese or an expert on this. I'm just a cooking nerd who thinks Japan has the best food and experimented a whole bunch with Internet recipes and stuff from the Asian market.

Recipes

I learned a lot of what I know from these two foodie blogs:

Just One Cookbook

No Recipes

(the latter site does, in fact, contain recipes, but the blogger would encourage you to build the confidence to cook without them)

Since you're having trouble finding dishes you like, I suggest starting with udon: thick, chewy noodles often served in dashi broth, perhaps with fried toppings. You can prepare udon a bunch of different ways, that's just a classic one--but no matter how you make it, udon is a pretty easy sell. Tonkatsu is another dish that's hard to dislike, and makes a good topping for your udon if you want to make both at once!

Fun travel memoir

There is a fantastic book called Pretty Good Number One: An American Family Eats Tokyo.

It's a foodie travel memoir and it's exactly what it sounds like: this guy went to Tokyo for a month with his wife and daughter and they ate a bunch of food, his daughter made friends with half of the entire population of Tokyo, and he wrote about it. He's a really entertaining writer, and it has great descriptions of all kinds of Japanese food, so from there it's easy to go look up recipes.

Shopping

You'll want to go to an actual Asian market if you can find one locally. Use Google, they're often tucked into odd buildings.

Different Asian markets cater to different cultures' cuisines, so there might be one market with a full assortment of Indian MTR spice blends but no kombu or katsuobushi in sight. They usually have a variety though. If you can find an H Mart, you're golden (H Mart is Korean, but will have the stuff you need for Japanese food). Be willing to explore a bit! Last resort, go ahead and use Amazon, but trust me--the Asian markets are cheaper, and I much prefer supporting them to feeding Amazon.

Just One Cookbook also has a list of Japanese pantry essentials, which is really good, but it's also really completionist (I don't even have all of those premade sauces) and stretches the definition of "pantry" a bit, so it seems more intimidating than it should.

Here's my version.

Pantry essentials:

Good soy sauce. Just get something that says "traditionally brewed" and you're fine. If you spot dark soy sauce: it's smokier and less salty, very different, it can't replace normal soy sauce but you might grab it too.

Short grain "sushi" rice. Try not to overpay for it. If you're in an Asian market you're fine. If you're in the fancy organic section of Hy-Vee, you're gonna get ripped off.

Mirin. A seasoned cooking wine. Unfortunately, bad mirin is easy to find and is loaded with corn syrup. Try to find some that isn't; remember, ingredients are listed on the bottle proportionally. It's very worth paying $10 for a good bottle of mirin. I don't *think* you have to be 21 to buy it? Drinking it would probably be unappealing. Mirin is very important, and it's a versatile cooking ingredient; once you know what it does you might find yourself putting it in everything.

Sake. You do have to be of legal drinking age to buy this. Which kind you get for cooking isn't a super big deal, and you can get by with just mirin most of the time.

Kombu and katsuobushi. The former is a kind of seaweed/kelp (it may look dusty with white powder; that's natural MSG and it's a good thing). The latter is shaved dried smoked skipjack tuna and looks a bit like pencil shavings; you might see them labeled "bonito flakes." They're common ingredients for dashi (basic Japanese cooking stock), but you'll see katsuobushi used as a topping on lots of savory dishes. If you can't find these, try looking for dashi powder or tea bag type dealies.

Toasted sesame oil. Not hard to find.

Rice vinegar. Same.

Panko bread crumbs. These are special, lofty, crispy breadcrumbs. They're different because of SCIENCE and are what happens when you electrocute bread dough. I'm not joking.

Cornstarch/potato starch. I slightly prefer potato starch (good texture), but they're not that different.

Nori. These are those pressed algae sheets you use to wrap sushi, but they're used for other stuff too, like onigiri, or shredded as a topping.

Noodles. Obviously, if you want to make udon, you need to buy some. You can easily find dried udon, but if you spot frozen or even fresh udon noodle packs, grab them.

If you can find an Asian market that stocks all this, you should be able to get the whole list for around $50. Asian markets tend not to be expensive, which is yet another good reason to learn to cook Japanese food. (Other reasons: healthy, tasty, easy to cook in a small kitchen...)

Of course, you also don't need to get the whole list at once! It's not cheating to just get what you need for a particular dish.

Fun stuff you can find at Asian markets

With the basics out of the way, here are additional tasty things you might want to look for:

Furikake. Not strictly necessary, but I like it. It's a topping/seasoning blend you can mix into your rice, and it comes in lots of flavors, some fishier than others. Start with a nori or vegetable flavor if you're uncertain. Tamago flavor = egg.

Ramune. If you've never had marble soda before, don't deny yourself the adventure of trying to figure out how to get the bottle open. Lots of flavors.

Good instant ramen. Nongshim's Shin Ramyun is what I usually get, and even Walmart sells it. You'll never buy Maruchan again.

Candy. So, I don't know who's in charge of Japanese fruit flavored candy, but it actually tastes like fruit, which is wild.

Yuzu and/or sudachi juice. If you can find these, grab 'em. They're citrus juices. Yuzu is a bit like lemon but less strongly sour and more... clean? Crisp? while sudachi is a bit like lime but more green and complex. I'm describing these poorly. You might also be able to find candy or drinks with these flavors.

Sugary drinks with nata de coco in them. Nata de coco is a firm jelly-like dessert type... thing. It's made from coconuts and it's got a unique jelly/crunchy texture and is odd but good. You might be able to find nata de coco on its own, but I'll warn you: the kind you get packed in jars will be Very Sugary.

Tapioca pearls. If you like bubble tea, here's the place to get your boba.

Umeboshi plums. These sour/salty pickled plums are a tasty ramen topping.

Ice cream. Those square melon popsicles are delicious, but get them home quickly, their texture is very temperature sensitive! And if you spot individually wrapped ice cream cones, grab one.

Euro cakes. These look kinda like round Twinkies, but Twinkies only dream of being this tasty. I like the pandan flavor best. Don't be put off by the green color.

Soft tofu. So good 🥰 and weirdly hard to find in supermarkets. It's got a texture like custard, and apart from its fairly neutral, fresh flavor, will easily pick up any flavors you put on it. An excellent addition to udon soup; add it last, the tofu is fragile (and doesn't actually require cooking). Silken tofu sometimes comes in shelf stable packages. My experience with those has been fine, but the general consensus is that the tofu you get from the fridge section is better.

Frozen pork buns. They might be labeled "siopao" or "bao" (Chinese names) or "nikuman" (Japanese name). Lil bread buns with bbq pork or other fillings. You steam them in the microwave and they're delicious.

I'd recommend having fun getting a few of the things off this list, rather than being a completionist about the first one, if you find yourself choosing between the two. That said, make sure you get the stuff you need for the thing you want to make!

Okay, now I want a pork bun. I wonder if my brother's eaten them all yet...

[rika-kihira]

interview with Red Bull: The Origin of Strength

In honor of Rika’s birthday, we are sharing the translation of Rika’s latest interview, done with Red Bull. Please do not repost without credit. Thank you to Juro for translating. All the photos were taken from Red Bull’s website ☺️

- original interview: https://www.redbull.com/jp-ja/athlete-interview-rika-kihira 

[The Origin of Strength] Rika Kihira revealing her own way of fighting among the next generation’s top athletes.

Like a shooting star, Rika Kihira made her appearance in the figure skating world and established various records. (In this Q and A special session, also featuring her natural self), we will discover how this girl refines her performances and raises them to a level of their own.

At the moment, in Ladies figure skating field, we could say “Triples” are Rika Kihira’s specialty.

In her senior debut season of 2018-2019, from her landing 3A+3T combination at the Ondrej Nepela Trophy up to the Grand Prix Final, she had won 6 international competitions.

Yet, this 16-year-old marvel already had the vision of investing in the “real battle” of quads. She will disclose the root of her unparalleled performances and how to sustain momentum.

►Utilize all efforts to improve jumps’ quality

Q: (To produce the best performance), what is indispensable in terms of training?

A: “Torso training + rotation training”

Regarding light training, I have warm-up exercises every day, and roughly 1 hour each section of torso training, about 2 times/week. If I don’t do torso training, my body will experience shakiness when rotating on air. Next, I can’t do without rotation training. I practice double jumps on ground, and axis stabilization as well. I can be aware of whether my condition is good or bad by assessing the quality of those 2 training sessions.

Q: (To produce the best performance), what is indispensable in terms of body-care?

A: “Stretch every day. Acupuncture and electric therapy twice a week”

Of course, I stretch every day. I make sure to get acupuncture, electric treatment, massage, etc twice a week. I practice every day, and sometimes when my muscles feel constricted, my body balance will be tampered with, and fatigue will accumulate. If I leave it as it is, there’ll be injury, so body care is indispensable.

Q: (To produce the best performance), what do you pay attention to in your daily life activities?

A: “Minus 0.5kg right before competition”

I try to control and calculate my nutrition balance and calories intake every day. In order not to spoil my jumps’ conditions, I also try, to the best of my ability, to adjust my weight every day little by little. Eventually, -0.5kg right before a competition works out best for me, speaking from experience.

Q: (To produce the best performance), what’s your “power food”?

A: “Mochi (rice cake)��

High calories of mochi can be broken down and transformed (into energy) quickly, and it is just right for mornings like those before a competition, when I only want to take in carbohydrates. I eat 4 mochis with only soy sauce as topping. (After eating), my body doesn’t feel heavy, and I can exercise properly, so I really like mochi.

Then, about 1 hour before my practice after breakfast, I usually drink Red Bull. Specifically, on days that I cannot reach the body conditions I’m pursuing or when I can’t focus… on days like that, I can pull off a good performance (with Red Bull).

► 16-year-old, already rich in experience, Rika Kihira on mental control

Q: For the best showdown (To produce the best performance), what’s happening in your mind (as you prepare)?

A: “I envisage the situation when I dare to fail”

Well, it’s about people who support me. “If I fail to land this jump, everyone will be sad”. I give myself a moment to dare thinking about this…In that case, the thought that “I will definitely not fail” can bounce back at me powerfully.

Q: How do you pull through in moments when you don’t succeed, or when you’re feeling down (To produce the best performance)?

A: “I will think that the mistake is an important experience for my present self.”

When I make mistakes, I think as positively as possible that “This mistake could be a necessary experience for my present self”. It’s good that I can make this mistake early, and that I can fail in advance.

I am the type that can become stronger if there’re things that make me go “I dislike being in this position”, and my emotion can switch immediately, because I think that although I mustn’t forget the “kuyashii” feeling, if I lose confidence, things will become even more stagnant for me in future competitions.

Q: (To produce the best performance) How do you set your goals?

A: “All the jumps shall be the jumps I want to jump at all costs”

Ranking aside, I also place emphasis on proceeding towards my ideal performance. That said, if there’s only a vague impression like “It’ll be nice if I can perform the whole routine with no mistakes”, I’ll likely make mistakes somewhere.

If I think “I just want to jump!” at every jumping pass, the total result would turn out good. Since I’m in a world where no mistake is allowed, my goal is a performance that could allow me to perform with the thought that I have no other point to improve beyond this.

Q: (To produce the best performance), when you’re away from home, what is something that no one expects you to bring along?

A: “Japanese food set”

I bring things like packaged rice, mochi (laugh)…, misosoup, furikake (dried rice seasoning), dressing sauces. Those are Japanese food, right?

Q: (To produce the best performance), how about taking on challenges?

A: “Uhmm”

I always try to challenge competitions as how they flow naturally, so maybe no (laugh). I also make effort to have an (positive) attitude towards life, so that I don’t have to be on edge all the time, or even when there’s something that makes me nervous, I could still revert into a state of mind that helps me smile and surpass the nerves.

In the past, I used to be very nervous in competitions, but recently, I already have a concrete image of how to jump, and such, so I’m not anxious anymore.

► Surprisingly, this maturing skater is also very natural in private.

Q: (To produce the best performance), how do you spend your days-off?

A: “My only days-off are New Year’s Day and New Year’s Eve so… (witty laugh)”

I go out for “hatsumoude” (visiting the shrine on the New Year’s Day), or to visit my relatives. Then, while travelling by plane, I work out the sleeping time to adjust myself to the time difference, and in free moments, I watch movies. (laugh)

Q: (To produce the best performance), what kind of movie do you watch?

A: “Japanese school-life and love-life movie”

The loud clashing noise (gashan) in action movies, or rustling and thumping noise (hara hara doki doki) in horror movies is scary, so my heart can’t handle it (laugh). So it’s better for me to watch movies with which I can relax at the same time.

Q: (To produce the best performance), what kind of music do you listen to?

A: “back number and ikimonogakari” (Japanese bands)

I don’t dare to listen to music with up-tempo (quick beat), and I usually listen to music that resembles a gentle push to my back (silent encouragement) when I have worked hard.

Q: (To produce the best performance), is there anything you want to stop doing, but can’t stop?

A: “It’s not like something I can’t stop doing, but since it’s sleeping…”

I feel like there’s a wall within me. Before competitions, usually on the first night in the hotel, my sleep becomes shallow no matter what, and on the next day, my legs will become dull. Even when I can drift into sleep, when I wake up and check the sleep monitoring app, I was woken up for 7 times even…

Q: (To produce the best performance), is there any habit that you want to fix?

A: “It’s natural!?”

As an athlete, I can’t remember my subconscious reflects, but (in daily life), as far as other people tell me, I’m quite “wild” (spontaneous), though this seems to be changing (laugh). I have also been told that I’m not good at conveying my thoughts into words, or “I don’t understand what you’re talking about”.

There are times when I reply seriously to friends’ jokes, or laugh at the wrong subject, or even laugh 1 beat slower despite not saying anything interesting. (laugh)

[missguomeiyun]

Homecookings [March ed.]

How was everyone’s March 2020??!

Here’s mine: Started off the month with staycation, which I didn’t get a lot done (nowhere close to what I had planned) but at the same time, I got quite a lot done. I’m referring to a newly self-taught skill, which is ink painting. I busted out my ink block FINALLY. Those ones where you gotta swirl & melt it in a water reservoir. It’s super old-school & it’s how oriental ink painting is supposed to be done (the liquid ink bottles are modern-style). The ink block has been around for so long; & for the longest time, I didn’t want to start using it bcos I didn’t wanna ruin it lol I wanted to “save” it. But you know what? LET’S GET IT!!!! Every day, I worked on a painting, & I actually ended up with 10 in total. It wasn’t as hard as I thought; I tried different styles, & after 10, I think I have a good grasp of the technique!

^ Just sharing one :)

I rarely talk about current events on this blog bcos it’s a place for me to document my food adventures as well as travel-related (but mostly food-related) topics, with the rare appearance of Kpop/Kdrama talk. But things have been CRAZY in Alberta! With the COVID-19 ‘formally’ entering the province early March, & ppl hoarding things, to school closures & online classes.. . now semi-lockdown, where only essential service is open, etc.. . The province has, is, & will be going through a lot of changes, as a whole.

To say the ‘official entry’ hasn’t impacted me/my life at all is a lie, however, the impact has been very minimal. Since starting mid-March, there has been daily updates regarding the cases by our Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Hinshaw. *My personal view only* Everyone’s situation is different, & I fortunately, am able to keep my lifestyle pretty much the same at this point. I’m a pretty big home-body to begin with, & as much as I love seeing my friends, I don’t see them that often anyway due to shift work *shrugs* so in terms of the practice of social distancing to my social life, in all honesty, not much impact. 

Well, what about my work?! Am I sent home to work???! No. Don’t wanna go into too much detail here, but I will share a little. As a medical laboratory technologist, PPE at work + hand-washing practice is “normal”, as in, there’s nothing to change about it. I may wash my hands more, but ppl that hang out with me know I sanitize/wash hands often anyway so. .. I’m still going to work as a regular full time, doing the things I do; we are an essential service & we gotta be open no matter what! The company has adopted some recommended guidelines put forth by Public Health, such as, “sick leaves” (+ follow up) have now expanded in definition, & staff gets mandatory temperature check at the entrance before we enter the facility. The biggest change at work has been the change in work volume - we are so used to busy, busy, busyyy & now it’s like “let me pick up the next phone call pls!”

Anyway, didn’t mean to start off with such a loooooong update ... Let’s start the real deal: homecookings this month!

Hmmm .. . what do you think I did with this?

^ KitKat-covered wafer rolls. I find milk chocolate reallllyyyy sweet so I melted some tiramisu KitKat with some brewed coffee (1. to de-sweeten, & 2. to make the mixture more runny). I crushed majority of the KitKat but I aimed to keep some wafers as large-ish pieces to fulfill texture-building. Then I poured the mixture on top, let cool, then cut into individual pieces.

^ I then up’ed my game, & nearly tripled the amount of coffee that I used the 1st time. The resulting melted KitKat + coffee mixture was very bitter - just the way I liked it. I didn’t use as much wafer rolls this time bcos I couldn’t; that’s all I had left in the house. But I had some chocolate mix left; thus I just scooped some over Oreo thins.

PS: Oreo thins wins!

PPS: For both experiments, I used half of the large KitKat bar! mmm.. coffee amount was pretty much YOLO-’d.

^ Kimchi + chicken mini tacos. Stir-fried up some chicken breast & cut up kimchi, & scooped on top of soft corn flour + wheat tortilla tacos. Added some mozza shreds & green onion after.

^ Another fusion soft taco, consisting of Costco fries & basa fish fillet that’s been cooked in pasta sauce. Decided to add some bacon ranch dressing as well. This was surprisingly a success! I’m not a huuuuge fan of fish, in general. I’ve never tried basa with tomato + herb pasta sauce. I was gonna eat the basa on its own like that, but then I thought, let’s fish taco-it! Got a nice crunch & softness of the basa in 1 bite :D

^ Beef + cabbage with flat rice vermicelli noodles. This is like my home-made bun bo hue but with a looooooot of cabbage bcos I love cabbage! I used the canned pho soup (diluted it with water), some fish sauce, & fire chicken sauce! Doesn’t look like much, but it was spicy!

^ baked salmon - used coarse sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, furikake, & white truffle olive oil. YUM!

^ another baked salmon. I know this probably sounds stupid, but I’m 100% transparent about it haha I have a foil sheet on my toaster oven tray, & I’m not a fan of changing it out every single time, so I’ve come to a consensus with myself that I’ll bake, but use some other dish as a vessel, instead of “baking” on a tray or pan. The last salmon, I used a white dish - it was SO hard to wash afterwards. So this time, I used one of these stainless steel dishes my mom has (& uses for steaming). It was less of a mess!

Anyway, what flavour is the salmon here? Salt, fresh ground pepper, garlic, & honey!

^ cheese tortellini with pan-seared chicken breast. I made the sauce using: milk, butter, salt, dried parsley, & 2 slices of Kraft mozza singles. Topped with more dried parsley & fresh ground black pepper. (Don’t worry! I had steamed broccoli on the side for my “greens” portion.)

^ Vegetarian bibimbap. The fried tofu was store-bought, but I cooked it in Korean soy sauce + sugar, so kind of like braised tofu. Mixed salad greens at the bottom, then rice, then the tofu; lastly, some sesame seeds + bibimbap paste.

^ Ramyeon with mixed greens + chicken breast. Gotta keep it healthy! haha you might find that this is weird - to put salad greens in soup. But let me tell you, use a small amount & try this the next time you buy these veggies. Like just try! If it fails & you don’t like it, you won’t waste too much of it. When you pour soup over it, the greens start to “cook” & decrease in size significantly. With these salad greens, this ‘sorta cooked but not cooked’ texture is another way I personally enjoy them.

A glass of milk.. . the base for dalgona “hot chocolate”. Do you think it worked or not?

I used 2 tbsp hot chocolate powder with 1.5 tbsp sugar & also 1.5 tbsp of warm water. I manually whisked for a loooooong time, but it didn’t really froth. It became more dense if anything. But anyhow, I ended up with a somewhat heavy product, but was able to *feel* there was some air in it. I went for it.. . scooped it on top of the milk.. . And.....

This happened! It did not build up on top, but settled nicely at the bottom lol. You try with hot chocolate powder & let me know if it worked for you or not! :P

^ Post-night shift brunch =] I try to eat somewhat cleaner when I’m on nights by doing less meat compared to my usual diet. I don’t know what it is. .. I just crave more vegetables + non-meats. So I made braised tofu (just soy sauce & sugar) & cabbage soup (seasoned with gochujang & salt, so it’s a little spicy). It looks really red but it’s actually very mild.

All in all, pls stay home if you can during this time. If the sacrifice isn’t done now, the result will be much more devastating later down the road.

Talk to you later~

[islanani-blog]

Allow myself to introduce my....self...

Ok so, it’s a new year, time for a new look…it’s time to break the mold of the old and be cool with what’s new.  Like that Tupac song goes…”it’s time for a change, let’s change the way we eat, let’s change the way we live, and let’s change the way we treat each other.  You see the old ways wasn’t working so it’s on us to do what gotta do, to survive…”

The New Year tells me that it’s time for a change...it’s time to reintroduce myself.  It’s time for IslaNani sucka’s!  That sounds good, don’t it?  IslaNani….it’s….it’s….well it’s the soul in my food, my travels, and how I feel when I see my family and friends.  IslaNani is a state of mind, a sojourn of the spirit, very Metamucil…just close them eyes, take a deep breath and when you reopen them eyes, see the world for what it was intended to be…beautiful, loving, and filled with those we care about the most.  So…what does all this mean?  Shee-yit, it means I’m back fool!  But I’m changing up the game while staying true to what got me here and that is sharing my passion for life, food, and still making dumb assed uncle jokes along the way.  So, you ready?  I’m ready!  Let’s get down!!

Ok then, I recently got back from a 19 day trip to Hawai’i and I have to say it was transformative.  Not Transformative like Bumblebee or Optimus Prime Rib…but like it provided me the chance to be with my family as we found new things to love about a place we have gone for the last 10 plus years.  It was really cool to see new things and go on new adventures in a place that had become so familiar and laden with the same haunts each jaunt.  Think of it like looking at yourself in the mirror all the time, same old you.  You say to yourself “I’m good looking but it’s the same reflection every time.” Then one day you realize, “Hey, I have really nice ear lobes…those are some nicely shaped lobes.  I never realized how good looking those things are.  I’m gonna go out and show my badass lobes to the globe.”  I also came away with a new found appreciation for my family relationships in general.  We even made some new friends that we will be in touch with for years to come.  That’s what got me thinking about a shake-up in my blog postings.  I’m still sorting this out, but I feel like mixing up food and travel will be a nice blend.  Basically when I travel, I find something good that I ate and I come home and cook it.  So why not bring the two together?  Food and travel go hand in hand like Charlie Brown and Snoopy, ball games and hot dogs, a white Speedon’t and that one European dude at the beach playing badminton by himself for some reason…just matches made in heaven.  I mean damn, they have a full channel dedicated to it.  Not the European Dude Speedo Badminton Beach Championships (or the EDSBBC for short), but you know…travel.  One day I’ll have to audition for one of those Travel Channel shows.  We call it, “Can’t Take Him Anywhere Nice” starring Uncle Manny.  But sadly, that dream will have to wait.  Until then, I’m gonna show off some sweet Hawai’i pics and take on a couple different ways to prep up musubi as well as some egg rolls.  So slap on those board shorts and that chef hat and let’s get to work motha sucka’s!

Egg Rollin’ with the Homies

Egg roll wrappers (thawed)

2 chicken breasts

1 bell pepper diced

1/2 onion diced

2 tbsp. of minced garlic

Taco seasoning to taste

This isn’t exactly a new one, but it’s something that the wife had on our last trip and she wanted me to make it for her.  So to start, in a medium sized bowl, rub the chicken breasts with taco seasonings then put a little oil in a pan over medium-high heat and cook the chicken breast until done, about 10 minutes.  Once done, remove from heat and place on a cutting board to cool.  While those breastesses cool down,  put the pan back on medium-high heat and add in the onion, garlic and bell pepper and cook for another 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Go back to the chicken and dice it up into small pieces, return the pan to the heat and mix in the chicken with the veggies and cook until it is all blended in.   When done, set aside and allow to cool for about half an hour.  While you wait, go like drink a beer or something.  Once you have waited for half an hour, or about 4 beers (because 4 beers in half an hour is about right isn’t it?) take out the egg roll wrapper and place a couple spoonful’s of the mixture on the bottom corner.  Wrap up the egg rolls and set on a cookie sheet, plate, or whatever flat surface you want to use.  From here you can pan fry them in oil, or if you are one of those do-goody “I don’t fry stuff because I’m healthy, but I’ll bake the sh*t out of it” types then that’s cool too.  Just put a little oil on a cookie sheet, brush a little oil on each egg roll and bake it at like 425 degrees or whatever temp you like.  Me?  I’m the “Fry-day is My-day” type so I puts ‘em in oil and eats ‘em up.  If I wanted to be healthy I’d eat a salad and run a mile.  So anyway, once these are done, you can set out some salsa for dipping or do it my way with a couple spoonfuls of sour cream mixed with Chipotle Tabasco for your dipping sauce.  This recipe feels very Guy Fieri, but who gives a spit, they taste good cuz!

Don’t Worry, Musubi Happy

Steamed white rice (sushi rice preferred but jasmine is ok for musubi)

Nori sheets

Portuguese sausage

Salmon

Teriyaki sauce

Furikake

What you want to do first is steam the rice.  While that steams, cut the sausage in long strips, then pan fry them on medium-high heat.  They will be done when they are a little brown and slightly crispy.  When done place on paper towels to cool but keep the oil from the sausage in the pan.  Now put the salmon in that same pan and on the same heat, drizzle on some teriyaki sauce and cook on one side for about 8 minutes.  Flip the salmon over, then, cook the other side for about 8 minutes, drizzling on more teriyaki sauce.  When done, remove from pan and set on a plate.  Next get the nori sheet and place on a sushi mat.  Cover the nori with rice, salmon, and Portuguese sausage.  Leave about an inch of space on the end of the nori so you can close and seal it.  Sprinkle on a little Furikake and then roll it up in the mat.  Taking a sharp knife, run it under some warm water and slice into equal-sized rounds.  With every other cut, run the knife under warm water since this will help the knife cut through the nori and not tear away at it.

So there it goes…my first post of the New Year.  Hope it was fun and informative because if not, too bad, it only goes downhill from here my dudes and dudettes!  If you decide to try these recipes at home, just take your time with it and have fun.  If you have kids, encourage them to help.  Give them the hot oil and frying pans as well as the sharp knives, then, leave them unattended while you go fetch another drink.  Nooo! I’m kidding!  Let them turn the oven on too…all right y’all, until next time, be cool.

As promised, I have a sweet ass video of Hawai'i! Turns out my inlaw's neighbor works for a great ocean excursion company called Trident Adventures and they took us out for a cruise early after Christmas. You can find them at www.tridentadventures.com and they are worth checking out. They had plenty of snacks and drinks for the kiddos plus they are just very nice people. The crew is great and run by military Vets so you get to be out on the water with our nation's finest. I guess the crew of Hawai'i 5-O was out on the boat as well as the dude from Aquaman so they have a pretty swank clientele list. Even Z list stars like me (I was in a Hollywood movie about Prefontaine for like point zero 2 seconds). Even though I didn't sign any autographs that day, the kids had a blast and saw half of the supporting cast from Finding Nemo. I'm talking full on Honu, Whales, small fishies...but hey, we were just around the corner from Disney's Aulani so it made sense...