Satiated...

I love good gyros, schwarma and doner kebab, but reproducing them at home...well, that's another story. Gina was wanting some meat today, and when I dropped by the grocery store, there were a couple packages of very thinly sliced beef top round on sale (30% off). I snatched them up. I coated the meat with my Turkish-style baharat, and marinated it in a simple mix of vegetable oil, onion, garlic and a little salt, that I put through the food processor 'til it was almost liquified. Sadly, it was too late in the day to cook the meat on the grill (I just couldn't work up any enthusiasm for grilling in the dark), but it cooked quickly and well in the electric skillet, with just a little bit of oil. We ate the meat in pita bread, with shredded cabbage, and a sauce I made from labnah (a tasty, sour Arab cream cheese, made from yogurt), tahini, garlic, cilantro and flat-leaf parsley, and some spices. The sauce was tasty to begin with, but really made the sandwiches pop. We are very pleasantly full...dinner was sooo good!...and we have enough left over for another meal.

Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year...

I shot my wife several options for tonight's dinner. She picked out the one that sounded best: tangerine beef. We used to get tangerine beef at a restaurant in Agua Fria, back when we lived in the San Bernardino Mountains. Orange chicken has always paled in comparison. Very thinly sliced, tender beef stir-fried (no crunchy batter here) in a not-too sweet sauce redolent of tangerines and a bit spicy with chilies. I found a recipe we thought looks good. I'll also fix some green beans stir-fried in a soy sauce-, garlic- and sesame-based sauce, and some sticky rice. Should be good.