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Zayna Mediterranean – Tuczon, AZ – Restaurant Review

January 2, 2014 / / 0 Comments

We had dinner at Zayna Mediterranean last August 2013, while we were visiting Tucson.  Zayna was close to our hotel and had gotten pretty good reviews on Yelp.  Overall, the adults liked the food but the children were not very happy.

We got there pretty late, after 8 PM, and the place was buzzing. The two waitresses could not really serve the full-restaurant adequately.  That meant that our drinks were rarely refilled, and they weren’t available to correct mistakes.  They were friendly, just overwhelmed.

The menu is standard Arab/Syrian food.  I had the lamb kifta ($12.5) and the skewers were quite tasty.  My oldest daughter liked the green beans and we all thought the buttered rice was very good.

My daughter, on the other hand, did not like the mujadara ($8) she ordered.  Granted, it was probably my fault for not explaining to her what a pilaf was – she thought it’d be a lentil and rice soup!  We ordered it without the grilled onions, so it did lack flavor and it was very dry.  For me, mixing in the yogurt sauce helped greatly, though it still was a pretty boring dish.

My husband had some sort of pita sandwich which he enjoyed, we all liked the fried potatoes it came with.

The dressed salads, however, were so sour that they were basically inedible to us.

The restaurant itself is pretty cute, the colored walls are decorated with huge photos of Damascus.  Two or three of them looked exactly like the ones I took when I visited over twenty years ago.

Zayna Mediterranean
4122 E Speedway Blvd
Tucson, AZ
(520) 881-4348
zaynamediterranean.com
Mon-Sun 11 am – 9 pm

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Trader Joe’s Classic Lemon Bars

December 29, 2013 / / 1 Comment

Lemon-BarsI got these to serve as the last course of my 13-course Xmas Eve dinner and they were perfect.  Indeed, these were very good lemon bars overall. They come frozen, and the curd is perhaps more cream-like and less sticky than that of a regular lemon bar, but it had the right degree of balance between sweetness and sourness, and they were the perfect size for an after dinner bite.  All in all very satisfying for anyone who likes lemon bars.

Easy All Purpose Flour Breadmaker Bread

December 28, 2013 / / 0 Comments

All purpose flour breadI didn’t get a breadmaker for Christmas. Telling my husband “I want the breadmaker they are selling at Grocery Outlet for $30″ apparently was not enough of a hint. He didn’t think I was serious, even after I told him “I’m serious, I want it”. So, after I failed to find the bread maker under the tree on Christmas morning, I sent him to GO to buy it anyway. I got it last night, but it didn’t come with bread flour or dry milk.

I could, I suppose, go to the supermarket and get those things – but I figured instead I’d look to see if I could find a recipe that used all-purpose flour. Indeed, there is an abundance of them but I settled on the one below because it was easy and got good reviews.

For being my first time making bread, I was quite pleased. The bread wasn’t perfect, but it was quite tasty with grilled cheese, and even more with plain butter.   The bread is a bit sweet, so it’d go great with jam as well, or honey.

On the minus side, I used the 58′ express setting and the bread didn’t quite bake all the way.  It was also quite crumbly; I was able to cut it with a bread knife, but it didn’t hold fully together.  It was a bit dense and tasted a bit too much of flour, which I’m not sure if is a good thing or not.  My oldest didn’t really like it, but my youngest did.  I’m going to experiment with other recipes, but given that I can make this in a little over an hour, with regular ingredients, I’m sure I’ll make it again and again – next time in the regular time setting.

Update I made this recipe again using the basic bread maker option.  The results were very good. The bread had a browner crust and a more complex, balanced flavor (my older daughter compared it to sourdough, but I still find it sweet).  It was still underdone, however.  I did cut it right away, rather than let it rest, but it was just as crumbly as before.  All in all, I’m not sure it’s worth the extra time.

Update 2 I made it for a third time at the slower Express setting. Camila thought it was the best, while Mike thought it was much inferior to the 3 hour setting. I was happy enough with it, but the 3 hour setting does produce the best crust.

Easy All Purpose Flour Breadmaker Bread

  • 2 tsp yeast
  • 3 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 cup hot water, bet. 115 and 125 degrees Fahrenheit
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. salt

Place the yeast, sugar and water in the bread machine basket and let sit until it foams, 6 to 12 minutes.  Add the oil, flour and salt.  Place in the bread machine and cook in basic or express.

Based on TKDLVR’s recipe on Food.com

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Chateau Souverain Estate Bottled 2003 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

December 27, 2013 / / 0 Comments

Chateau Souverain Estate Bottled 2003 Alexander Valley Cabernet SauvignonLast night, for our Xmas Eve dinner, we cracked opened a bottle of Chateau Souverain Estate Bottled 2003 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  We had bought the bottle at the winery’s tasting room back in 2008 for $25, and it’d been kept in my bedroom dresser drawer since.  I had been so busy preparing dinner that I hadn’t had the opportunity to chose a wine to serve with it, and this one was the first one I could reach.  It proved a good choice.

I liked the wine quite a bit. The tannins had actually softened with time, and I found it less bitter than my notes from 2008 indicate.  Indeed, it might have been right at the point when it was ready to turn because it was almost sweet.  It was balanced and easy to drink, perfect as a sipping wine but with enough fortitude to compliment the ribeye roast.

In all a good wine, but if you still have one around, you probably don’t want to keep it around for much longer.

White Hot Chocolate Recipe

December 27, 2013 / / 0 Comments

I personally liked this recipe for white hot chocolate, but nobody else was as fond of it as me.

  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 4 cups whole milk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • whipped cream for garnish
In a heavy pot, mix the white chocolate chips. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the chocolate chips dissolve.  Mix in the milk and vanilla extract. Continue cooking until the chocolate milk is heated through, stirring occasionally.  Serve and top with whipped cream.
Based on Paula Deen’s recipe at the Food Network.

Roasted Red Rosemary Potatoes

December 27, 2013 / / 0 Comments

This is a super easy and great way to make roasted potatoes. I particularly like it because I have a lot of rosemary growing by the side of my house.  I cooked the potatoes at 425F, as I was cooking them with another dish that required that temperature, but the original recipe has them cooking at 400F.  I think the added temperature had them dry out on the outside, and steam in the inside – something which my guests liked.  I prepared the potatoes about an our before roasting without them turning brown.

  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves, minced
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • sprinkle black pepper
  • 6 red potatoes, quartered
Directions

Preheat oven to 400 to 425 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the oil, rosemary, salt and black pepper.  Add the quartered potatoes and coat well.  Transfer to a roasting pan or baking sheet.  Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender.

Based on Robin Miller’s recipe at the Food Network.

 

Madeira Sauce Recipe – for roasts

December 27, 2013 / / 0 Comments

Sometimes the best things are the simplest things, and this super quick and easy Madeira sauce just proves it.  I made it to serve with a ribeye roast, but it could go just as well with roasted lamb, pork or venison.  It has a wonderful nutty buttery flavor that really complemented the beef.  It’s great to soak with bread too.  Make the sauce in advance, and add the pan juices and heat right before serving.

  • 1/2 cup Madeira wine
  • 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 1/4 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary leaves (or a sprinkle of dry)
  • up to 1/4 cup pan juices
Combine the Madeira with the beef broth and the rosemary in a very small pot and bring to a boil.  Remove from the heat and reserve.  After your roast is done, add up to 1/4 cup of the pan juices.  Mix well while reheating and serve.
Based on B. Smith’s recipe at the Food Network.

Perfect Ribeye Roast

December 27, 2013 / / 0 Comments

I’ve used this method for cooking ribeye roast (aka boneless Prime Rib) before, but as part of a bigger recipe. I figured I’d include it all by itself for easier reference. It can be served by itself or with a sauce.

These instructions are for a 6lb roast.  If yours is larger, add some additional cooking time.  This recipe takes a total of about 6 hours, but only about 5 minutes of actual active time.

  • Ribeye Roast
  • 4-6 garlic cloves, pressed
  • Kosher salt
  • ground black pepper
  • dried thyme

About six hours before your serving time, remove the roast from the fridge, uncover, dry surfaces with a smooth towel, and allow to sit uncovered at room temperature for about 3 hours.  This will dry the surface, giving it a good crust.

About 3 1/2 hours before serving time, preheat oven to 450F

Rub the roast with the pressed garlic.  Rub with kosher salt all over the surfaces. Sprinkle with black pepper and dried thyme. Put on a roasting pan and place in the oven. Cook for 20 minutes.  Turn down the temperature to 300F and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of about 130 F for a bright red medium-rare roast, about 90 minutes. Alternatively, once it reaches 125F, turn oven to 425F and cook for a few more minutes until it gets to 130F.

Remove from the oven. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.  Carve and serve.

Marga’s 2013 Xmas Eve Menu

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Xmas Eve Menu 2013: Back to the Past with an International Flavor

December 27, 2013 / / 0 Comments

Another year, another complex Xmas Eve menu.  This year, my 11-yo daughter Mika said she wanted a 13-course dinner.  She didn’t know why, that number just came to her head, but she wanted it.  I could have argued against it, but I figured with a little bit of creativity I could get there.  And Mika didn’t particularly care what the courses were, as long as she had 13.  And she did – even though I overcooked one of the courses so it ended up almost inedible.

The key to cooking and serving a 13-course menu all by yourself is advanced planning AND advanced cooking, as well as flexibility. To make it easier I decided to revisit some of my favorite recipes, which come from all over the world.  I did decide on a new one as my main dish,  Orecchiette al Ragu di Braciole, basically beef rolls stuffed with cheese and cooked in a tomato ragout, but it didn’t work out.  I made it the day before the meal, and discovered that the sauce was pretty bland and one-dimensional and the meat rolls were not what I would call attractive.  So decided we would just have that for dinner that night, and sent my husband to get a roast.

Roasts are great main dishes because not only because they are simple to put together, but because they look impressive on the table.  Sure, they are expensive, but it’s Xmas.  On the minus side, a roast requires the use of the oven, which means displacing other dishes.  My second and third courses needed to be broiled,  but my oven can’t bake at 300 and broil at the same time.  I baked them at 300, which wasn’t ideal for either – but I overbaked the shrimp, making them barely edible.

In any case, this is what I came up with.  At the end of the night I asked each guest what their favorite part was. There wasn’t a consensus (the soup, the bastilla and the roast were all mentioned), but at least not one said “the cheese”.

  1. Beignets au Fromage èt a la Menthe
    These Corsican goat cheese & mint fritters are delicious, but I did discover that they’re best if fried right before they are served.
  2. Camarao Grelhado com Molho Cru
    Unable to either grill or broil these Angolan marinated shrimp, I baked them and almost dessicated them. However, my guests did like the cumin sauce.
  3. Bacon Wrapped Bananas
    This recipe from Antigua doesn’t actually need a recipe. Take a thick slice of banana, wrap it with half a slice of bacon, secure it with a toothpick and broil it for 3-5′. Baking it at 300F wasn’t a good alternative, as it dried out the outside of the banana without making the bacon crispy enough. But it still tasted good
  4. Blood Orange Sorbet
    Sorbets are great as palate cleansers, and this store-bought one from Ciao Bella is just delicious.
  5. Mixed Green Salad with Gorgonzola Vinaigrette
    This salad is an old favorite, it never disappoints.
  6. Mushroom Soup
    Another old favorite that tastes better if cooked the day before. But make or add the dried mushrooms in advanced. Doing it made them so tough and chewy as to be inedible.
  7. Bastilla
    This Moroccan Chicken Pie was a favorite of several guests, including my daughter. I will admit it came out perfectly. Because it only requires 15 minutes cooking, I was able to put it in the oven after I took out the roast to let it rest.
  8. Lemon Sorbet
    A 13-course dinner deserves two palate cleanser. My second one was also store-bought, Häagen-Dazs
  9. Ribeye Roast with Madeira Sauce and Roasted Rosemary Red Potatoes
    Perfection! The roast was perfectly cooked, the Madeira sauce was delicious and gave it an unexpected nutty taste and the potatoes were easy and loved by everyone.
  10. Cheese Course
    Featuring Spanish and Italian cheeses.
  11. Chocolate Peppermint Cake
    My Grandmother’s recipe. It was great! I made it earlier that day, which allowed the mint cream to settle. It looked beautiful and was very tasty.
  12. White Hot Chocolate
    I thought it was delicious, but nobody else was as fond of it as I 🙁
  13. A Lemon Square
    Bought frozen at Trader Joe’s and defrosted. Delicious.

I served dinner with a Chateau Souverain Estate Bottled 2003 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

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Rougette Grill Meister Grilling Cheese – Product Review

December 19, 2013 / / 0 Comments

GRILLMEISTER-PACKAGE I found this packaged cheese at Grocery Outlet yesterday, and I went back today to pick up four more packages. My haste was due to the fact that at 50-cents a package (regular retails is $5!), they will disappear soon, plus they expired on Dec. 16th – two days ago.  I don’t know for how much longer it’ll stay good, but surely a few more days.

This soft cheese is made in Germany, and is specifically made to be heated before serving.  It doesn’t have a crust, per se, though the outer layer becomes harder, while protecting a semi-melted middle.  It’s very good.  While officially a camembert, it reminded me more of a brie, though it’s milder and less bitter than most of those. It had a slightly nutty flavor, which I liked.

It was also very easy to prepare. You can either put it on the grill or on a lightly oiled pan on the stove. Cook for six minutes, flipping from time to time.  That’s it.  The 3.2 oz portion is definitely dainty, and I wouldn’t buy it at its regular $25-lb price, but for $5-lb, it’s well worth it, even if I have to hurry and eat it all this week 🙂

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