Tastes from the Middle East in Brooklyn

Note: I'd like to dedicate this post to my friend Dina who introduced me to zaatar, lebneh, and most important of all: the wonder of Doritos dipped in yogurt.

Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food are great. With both you get a punch of flavors without the intensity or spiciness of South Asian food (which I love but can't eat for every meal). It's light but filling and there are many options for vegetarians. For these reasons, when I'm thinking of a place to eat out but not overindulge, Middle Eastern cuisine comes to my mind.

A few weeks ago, I checked out Bedawi Cafe in Park Slope. A small and cute location on Prospect Park West, Bedawi had excellent food and a homey feel. It was hard to narrow down what I wanted to eat so my sister and I decided to get an assorted plate. I feel like the picture here speaks for itself. Deliciousness. Baba ghanouj, foul (fava beans with tomatoes, garlic, parsley, scallion, and lemon), beet salad, lebneh, and black beans with plum tomatoes, scallion, parsley, and bulgur.

And because I can't get enough of lebneh (a strained tart yogurt that is almost cheese-like), I ordered a separate plate after downing half of the assorted plate.

This meal definitely rivaled a similar assorted plate I had at Turkish Cafe Restaurant on E16th St in Midwood. Open 24 hours, Turkish Cafe is a hole-in-the-wall with a family atmosphere. It's not as pretty as Bedawi but it does stay open on Christmas, which was convenient when my dad was in town and we were looking for a place to eat.

The full plates on the menu are all meat-based, but if you happen to be in this part of Midwood, I recommend stopping in for their appetizer mix. The small size coupled with the delicious fresh bread was enough for me, but for $4 more you can order the large. A mix of hummus, baba ghanouj, Russian salad, piaz (white beans with vegetables), cacik (yogurt, kirby, mint, and garlic), and Turkish eggplant with mashed green and red bell peppers and garlic. So delish! Next time I want to try their falafel--like finding good guacamole, finding good falafel is also a task.

Before telling you my lazy person's version of an assorted plate or mezze, I must go on a slight tangent about lebneh. If you haven't tried lebneh but you love plain (Greek or not) yogurt, do it. You'll thank yourself. Every time I think I can go vegan, something dairy pulls me back. First it was my discovery of the crisp taste of Dubliner cheese, intermittently because of goat cheese, and now more than ever, plain yogurt. I just love plain yogurt--whether it's with fruit and granola, on top of a taco (salad) in lieu of sour cream, along with a beans and rice/couscous dish, or alongside a spicy Indian meal, it makes my tongue happy. And a trick I learned from one of my best friends, it also tastes delicious with Doritos (the original nacho cheese version).

Ok, and now with my lazy person's mezze recipe (which is not so much as a recipe as a "let's-throw-this-all-onto-a-plate" technique).

What you'll need
-Middle Eastern flatbread, lavash, or pita
-zaatar
-sumak
-olive oil
-tomatoes (grape or cherry, but any will do)
-hummus
-fava beans
-garlic, lemon
-plain yogurt (Greek or not) or lebneh
-eggplant
-parsley or cilantro

Start by warming up the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat the flatbread/lavash/pita with olive oil, then sprinkle on desired amount of zaatar and sumac. If you're like me, sprinkle a lot. Warm in oven for about 7 minutes. Meanwhile heat olive oil and garlic in a pan. Before garlic starts to brown, add canned fava beans and grape tomatoes cut in half. Sprinkle lemon juice over it all and cook til fava beans and tomatoes are soft. For eggplant, cut up into small pieces, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake it until tender. When all the hot elements are done, place a dollop of plain yogurt and hummus on your plate, the hot stuff, and voila! a lazy person's mezze.

my new (old) thing

Ok folks, the following proves I can be passionate about other topics than food.

I've long been a bit skeptical about paying much money for clothing. Forever 21, Charlotte Russe and H&M--sometimes you can find cute (sometimes professional) stuff that isn't slutty (though maybe Charlotte Russe is more of a gamble on this), but as I get older, I'm starting to realize that I want higher quality clothing. But I still don't want to pay that much.

Now that I'm in New York, my new (old thing) is to shop mostly (if not exclusively) at nicer thrift stores. Sure, their prices range from the usual $3-4 Salvation Army fare to the pricier vintage, but even the more pricey thrift stores are worth it. My range of paying more means a shirt will cost me $11 rather than $3. I have not yet shelled out serious $$$ for truly vintage pieces. Still, I've found a lot of nice, interesting things to add to my wardrobe.

Some Yelp reviews I've read complain of thrift stores such as Crossroads in Williamsburg that just sell used J. Crew and H&M clothing, but I have no qualms about such selections. I don't need vintage to fill up my closet. I can get a gently used J. Crew sweater for less than $20. And this is probably the only scenario where I would given J. Crew's prices. And since H&M's prices have gone up since I started shopping there in high school, it works for me.

On my first trip to Crossroads, I walked away with a cute orange dress, a black and cream striped shift dress, and a pair of long red knit gloves with the amount received from the clothes I brought in to sell.

On my second trip, I would've liked walk away with more but because of better self-restraint and slightly too-small options in the dresses I liked most, I just purchased one blue patterned Joy Joy flowy skirt--perfect for the extended fall we've been having.

Next on the hits list is the Goodwill in Greenwich Village on W8th St. I bought two pair of pants (one Banana Republic, the other Gap), a pink and purple scarf, and a blue plastic bangle all for $33.22. This Goodwill seems to be a good stop for work-y clothes, especially pants, which I'm reluctant to buy at full price until/if I lose weight from all this projected exercising. If I can find it again, I will definitely go back. I get easily confused around Washington Square Park.

Doggy's Clothing (N 6th St bet. Havemeyer St & Meeker Ave) in Williamsburg is awesome for finer purchases. It seems the men's clothing here is overpriced but ladies, you can find unique skirts and dresses for $25-40ish. Not bad for some styles. Weeks ago I bought a beige full skirt that seems to be made partly out of twine? It's so fun and I'm not sure I would've found anything like it if not in a thrift store.

My trip to the Salvation Army in Downtown Brooklyn wasn't as fruitful. Here the prices were lower but so was the quality. I did snag a nice blue handbag for $10--so not a complete loss but I'm not too inspired to come back anytime soon. I found the Salvation Army in Clinton Hill to be a bigger hit.

Housing Works in Park Slope and Brooklyn Heights hold some nice items too and they aren't as expensive as I assumed from the outside. The danger here isn't just in clothes but housewares, glassware, records and books. I'm tempted to go back to the Park Slope location for a set of brown tea cups and a 25 cent "Learn Basic French Phrases" record.

Last but not least on this thrifting journey is Urban Jungle in Bushwick, right off the Morgan Ave. L stop. I actually came here before moving and loved sifting through all the retro dresses, skirts and blazers. There's so much to look through, but I think the broader selection means you're bound to walk away with something. The prices are also a happy balance between Salvation Army and Doggy's Clothing fare. It's also a short walk from the ever-so-cute and cozy Brooklyn Yarn Cafe.

In future paychecks (that's right folks, I'm now gainfully employed!), I will expand my journey in thrifting. Next on my agenda is the Goodwill in Chelsea and Beacon's Closet in Park Slope and Williamsburg.

A happy tummy week in Park Slope

As I've transitioned out of my friend's apartment and scoped out the neighborhood New York Sports Club as part of my 30-day membership (thanks Groupon!), I've had three positive experiences in dining this past week in the Slope.

Positive Dining Experience #1: Cocoa Bar on 7th Ave (between 3rd and 4th Sts.) where I met a friend to have coffee and have a productive "let's do work in each other's company" date. The coffee was yumcious but what really stood out was the vegan lentil pate sandwich--veggies, salad, and lentil spread on a small baguette. The size was adorable--I liked that it wasn't as overwhelming as some baguette-based sandwiches can be. Of the three experiences, I'd say this was my aha!/duh! moment. I should totally add spreads to my sandwiches to make them more interesting. I mean, not entirely a surprise to me as I've often used hummus as a base for pita sandwiches and wraps. But for some reason I never thought to put things like mashed lentils into my sandwich. This sparked a plethora of ideas to try: Trader Joe's olive tapenade spread (it's not just for crackers anymore), Trader Joe's eggplant with red pepper spread, etc. etc. Once I can afford to stock up on these yummies at TJ's, I'm totally experimenting with different sandwich flavors.

Positive Dining Experience #2: An impromptu lunch while I waited for my clothes to dry at the laundromat. Looking for somewhere close by and, in particular some place with soup options, I walked into Luna Burrito on 22nd St. and 5th Ave. I ordered the veggie soup ($4.50) and the guacamole with chips ($5.25). The chips were nice and crunchy and had that thicker tortilla taste than say a bag of Tostitos. I like it, it feels heartier, like the chip is working for me and I'm not working for the chip. The guacamole was somewhat weak.* I downed it mostly out of hunger but, as I find with many restaurants, it's hard to get that perfect bowl of guac.

The soup was better than I expected to be. I don't know if my generous squeeze of lime boosted it immensely (give me lots of lime and I'm a happy camper) or if on its own it stood up to my hunger, but it was very filling and satisfying--veggie broth, tomatoeyness, potatoes, carrots, and maybe a few other things. Very simple but very comforting on a cold day.

Positive Dining Experience #3: Shinju on 7th Ave (between 3rd and 4th Sts.). A great place for sushi on a budget, this provided the most bang for my ever-dwindling bucks. For a Thursday dinner for 2--that's four 6-piece maki rolls, the total with tax came out to $10.90. The mango/avocado roll I had was refreshing and the pumpkin roll (very apropos-for-the-season) was delicious. I don't know what else to say about this place except that I will be going back sometime soon to try out more of their rolls. If I can have a sushi smorgasbord for less than $10, then so be it! My dreams are coming true!


*Notice to readers paying careful attention. I'm still looking for the best guacamole recipe so if you think you have it, please send it my way. Also, if you have tips on picking out winning avocados, I'd appreciate those as well. So far I've just been crossing my fingers and coming out about 50-50.