Prince of Persia

I hated my last job.  While I actually enjoyed the people I worked with, the work itself was soul crushing and awful.  Maybe not so much the fault of the employer as it was the fault of the employee for not doing something he was really passionate about.  This has since changed and I'm doing work I truly enjoy.  One fond memory I will always have from my last job was a secret treasure hidden across the street known as Shamshiry.


Shamshiry is a Persian restaurant probably best known for their humongous portions of rice that accompany their dishes.  When I say humongous, I mean FRICKIN' HUMONGOUS!


Not only are the portions large, they're incredibly tasty too.  The kabobs are cooked and seasoned to perfection.  The rice is butter and savory and yet, at the same time, light and fluffy.   If you're a repeat customer you may even get a little but of the crusted rice from the bottom of the pan (absolutely amazing).


While the kabobs are my favorite, the menu is full of delectable items for you to explore.  And they do a terrific job of explaining each item and making it sound irresistible.  Example:

Chelo Kabob Kubideh
Kabob is the Persian word for meat or fowl cooked over a charcoal fire. There delicious strips of charcoal broiled ground meat are served with a snowy mound of rice topped with saffron. All the beef dishes achieve greatness when you add a raw egg yolk on the side, which you rapidly pour into the hot rice, continuing to toss it so that the egg coats all the grains as the heat cooks it. Stir in as much butter as you dare, and sprinkle in the brown powdered sumac that’s in a shaker on the table. Its tart spiciness is irresistible.

I mean, doesn't that just make you want to eat your screen!?  Whatever you decide upon, pony up for some of their fragrant hot Persian tea.  It really completes the experience and may help stave off the rice induced coma later...


Shamshiry Chelo Kabob
8607 Westwood Center Drive
Tyson's Corner, Virginia 22182
  (703) 448-8883     

 

Cool bookends

Looking for a way to keep your books from toppling over on the shelf and pancaking your cat in the process?  Tired of the same old book ends everyone seems to have from Ikea or Pottery Barn?  Check out my favorite bookend solutions:



1. Starwars (aka I never get laid) style.  The answer to your questions is yes, they do light up.  And yes, you're never going to move out of your grandmother's basement:

http://shop.starwars.com/catalog/product.xml?topcatID=1300264;product_id=1313610;category_id=1300760




2.  The "I'm so American I pissed red, white and blue!" style.  These will look great next to your signed portrait of Rush Limbaugh:

http://bobsgiftstore.biz/oscommerce2/catalog/index.php?Cpath=261&Sub_Cat=273-





3. The "Loving Unicorns doesn't necessarily make you gay" style. On second thought, yes.. yes they do make you gay.  Sorry.

My dog hates squeaky toys

Seriously:





I'm keeping anything of value far away from her... :)

Going Grocery

I love food.  I think anyone who spends more than 5 minutes on this blog and gets through the grammatical errors and off-color humor sees that.  I love food so much that it fosters a love affair with things related to food.  I love cooking, trying new restaurants, sampling local cuisines of places I visit, reading cookbooks and watching food shows.

I especially love shopping for food.  Few things make me happier than perusing the isles of a Whole Foods or visiting a local farmers market.  There are few other places where you can find the quality and variety of produce available in this area.  But as I found out Saturday, there is a place that does indeed stand head and shoulders above even Whole Foods in its selection and quality of not only produce, but meat, fish, spices and other assorted food stocks.   And for far cheaper than even discount grocery stores sell for.  This place?
Super H Mart.

If someone blindfolded you and marched you into an H Mart you would swear you were in some new Whole Foods store with its clean and modern design, well stocked shelves and wide open spaces to walk.   Then you'd notice things like instead of having a section devoted to cheese, there's one devoted completely to kimchi and you'd know you're some place special.

When you first walk in you notice many of the signage is in Korean.  Which makes sense because it is, in fact a Korean grocery store.   But you immediately forget about any signs or writing or any care in the world when you see the produce.  Dear god, the produce.  It's beautiful.  The most ripe and beautiful looking fruits you've ever seen.  Plump and gigantic tomatoes, fragrant herbs, crisp lettuces.... amazing.   And the variety is unlike anything I've ever seen.   Things like bitter melon, star apples and even durian (which smells a little like rotting flesh but is very popular in Southeast Asia.  I may have to try it!).

And the rest of the store doesn't disappoint either.  The freshest fish I've ever seen not swimming.  Tons of beautiful beef and pork.  Row after row of spices, noodles, rices, soups and even Asian cereals.  All waiting to be discovered by me and you.

I took a few snapshots while I was shopping there.   I would have taken more, but I was took busy being mesmerized by this place.   Take my word for it and just go, if you like food even a little bit, it's an experience that shouldn't be missed (and it's hella cheap!).

The outside of Super H Mart

Produce!

More produce!

This smell... no so good!

Cereals and health foods - The have cereals for students, expecting mothers and people who are "excellent".  I love it!

I have no idea why i found this funny... but I did

Power snack - Ingredients?  Power and snack.

Award for the creepiest looking packaging surprising goes to a can of "milk coffee"

For cod's sake...

Generally speaking, I'm not a "fish" person.  Growing up, the closest thing we had to an ocean nearby was a dirty lake and a river that was most famous for catching fire.  So, as you can imagine, fish never appealed to me very much.  Since moving to DC, I'm come out of my shell a little, so to speak, and have started to enjoy the delicate and wonderful flavor that fresh seafood can offer.   But before all this, there was one fish that spoke to me.  One fish I would be willing to look past even a nice hunk of beef for; battered and fried cod.

Oh yes, mild and flaky cod fillets, battered and fried to a golden brown and smothered in tangy tartar sauce and malted vinegar.  And chips on the side?  Why not!?

Now, I've had this deep fried delight everywhere from San Diego to Dublin, Ireland.  I've had some very very good fish and some not so great fish as well.  And in my experience, no one does it better than our very own Eamon's (a Dublin Chipper) in Old Town Alexandria.  The propreiter of this establishment, Cathal Armstrong (who also owns Restaurant Eve and the Majestic) is no stranger to fish and chips.  After all, he is a native Dubliner and therefore probably has a pretty good understanding of what makes this particular dish so special.

I've been visiting Eamon's for years since it first opened and I've been sure to tell all my friends/co-workers/ perfect strangers know that if you want the best fish and chips you'll ever have, head into Old Town and look for the giant E on King Street.  Though a little pricier than most of your typical fried fish establishments (you can get a nice friend fish plate across the street at Murphy's), I always felt that the quality of the food justified the slightly higher price tag  (the paper bag you eat out of doesn't help either).

Well, this weekend girlfriend and I just happened to be in Old Town running a few errands and trying to avoid getting soaked by the seemingly endless rain.  Now matter how we positioned the umbrella or zipped up our jackets, we couldn't escape that damp chill that an early spring storm seems to bring.  We both knew there was one food that pretty much made for this kind of weather; fish and chips.

So we headed over to Eamon's, ordered a large fish (me), a small (her) and a large order of chips with curry sauce.  We sat down at one of the big tables and watched out the window as the drenched masses walked up and down the sidewalks outside.

When our food arrived, we were a little taken back by what we saw.  Though it had been a while since we had both been there, it looked as though they had decided to cut back on the portions significantly!  It looked as though we had gotten about HALF THE FISH we used to get.  And the curry sauce?  We barely got a few little drops in the bottom of the plastic dipping cup.  When did this happen!?

Listen, I'm all about paying a little extra for higher quality food.  But it seriously looked like we ended up with about 8oz of fish for $13.   Did someone replace the cod with Chilean sea bass?

Eamon's, I love you.  Really, I do.  If I didn't, I wouldn't even have bothered with writing this post.  Maybe we just got the shaft on the portions this one time. Maybe our order got messed up.  Perhaps the guy at the register didn't like the look on my face.  Who knows?

But fish and chips is supposed to be a filling, satisfiying meal.  Not a light snack that makes you running for the fridge as soon as you get home.  So please, don't skimp on the portions anymore.  I don't want to have to start going to Murphy's and eating a lesser piece of fish just to get full.

Thank you.

Manliest toilet ever

Another thing to add to the list of stuff to buy when you run out of other stuff to spend your money on:




Yes. Toilet tattoos. I mean... why the hell not, right? Get yours here at Amazon.com



Thanks for the link Marco. I think...

DC area bikers rejoice

The Washington Post reported that DC is considering adding 2 new bikes lanes down the center of Penn Ave in downtown DC, along with a new biking land down the M street corridor. This is a welcome addition for many people in the DC area. It may not surprise you to find out that DC has the 6th largest percentage of bike commuters in the country, a number that has doubled since 2000 (these are all 2008 statistics, so they're likely higher now).


As a former (and hopefully someday future) bike commuter in the District, this news is long overdue. I used to ride 5 miles each way from Ballston to M street every day when the weather allowed for it and I found it to be one of the best experiences of my life. I got to avoid (and help reduce) traffic jams and burden on the metro, help the environment by not burning any fuels, I also saved money and got a lot healthier to boot. Not to mention, there's something very centering about spending the first 30 minutes of your day enjoying the fresh air and sunshine.

While my ride into DC was great (Arlington has a good network of bike lanes and trails), once I got into the District, all bets were off. No dedicated lanes heavier traffic along with angry and sometimes crazy cab drivers who took traffic signs and signals only as a recommendation.

So if you're a biker or if you just want to see less cars on the road, maybe give city hall a call or email to voice your support.

Corey Haim: RIP

I personally think vampires are involved somehow...



Corey Haim, 38, Dead

Eighties teen idol Corey Haim died Wednesday morning of an apparent drug overdose, according to Los Angeles police.

The Canadian-born actor, who starred in "The Lost Boys" but was probably best known for his roles with fellow actor Corey Feldman, was 38.

He was found unresponsive at his Oakwood apartment around 3:30 a.m.,according to KTLA-TV. His mother was at the apartment at the time of his death.

The actor, who has struggled with drug addiction, was pronounced dead at Providence St. Joseph's Medical Center in Burbank.

Police were called to the hospital just before 4 a.m. to investigate his death.

Read more here

New Toyota driving simulator

Did you wake up this morning and say to yourself "I wish there was a way I could test drive me one of them new Toyotas and not like.. ya know, die or something"?

Well kids, your wish has been granted. Now you can enjoy all the excitement and exhilaration that comes from driving a vehicle that accelerates all on its own, without any of the danger!

Enjoy:

http://www.toyotasimulator.com/


LULz

How to improve a thrift store paint in 3 easy steps

Step 1 - Buy $5 painting from thrift store













Step 2 - Add a dash of awesome sauce





Step 3 - Mount on the wall and let your friends marvel at your masterpiece.

Yo Fro Yo

Like most men, sometimes, I can be such a little kid. I still love going to amusement parks, I become giddy at the thought of buying new toys and still like going out for ice cream. Actually, any frozen treat will usually fit the bill and recently, my icy drug of choice has been frozen yogurt.

I love it's tangy, tart flavor, the mild sweetness and, of course, the bountiful choice of toppings usually available. Plus, although it's probably just as bad for you as a pint of Ben and Jerry's, it FEELS like it's healthier (ah, the bliss of implied healthiness and ignorance).

So yesterday Girlfriend and I are in Chinatown running errands and nursing a pair of hangovers. We sat down for some lunch at our favorite spot down there, Chinatown Garden. Something about wonton soup always makes my hangovers feel better.

Afterward, since we were already nearby, we decided to pop into American Apparel to grab a few new fresh tees. When we arrived we saw that American Apparel had themselves a new neighbor:




"oooohhh... herrrow!"

Frozen yogurt? Self serve? Count me in!


Now, I wasn't thinking about frozen yogurt until I saw the sign. I was actually a little full from lunch and my hangover wasn't quite gone all the way. We went into American Apparel, got our stuff and by the time we checked out we had talked ourselves into walking next door to... ya know, just check it. I mean, we weren't going to actually get any. We just wanted to see what the place was all about.

So 15 minutes later I'm in the car finishing my giant cup of tasty yogurt and thinking about how persuasive the power of frozen yogurt can be. :)

Although I've had better frozen yogurt (ahem, Pinkberry!), FroZen Yo's is pretty good. And their selection of flavors is pretty impressive. Their selection of toppings is also impressive with everything from gigantic blackberries to Captain Crunch, everyone is sure to find something (or things) they like. And since you aren't limited in the number toppings you can add (unlike most other places that charge you for additional toppings) you'll be able to make your yogurt treat as unique as you want it to be.

With frozen yogurt being all the rage right now, these kinds of shops are popping up everywhere. I think FroZen Yo does a pretty good job of setting themselves apart with their selection of rotating flavors (16 I believe), self-service (you pay by the lb) and friendly staff. The design store is clean and modern, if not a little generic. But I have to wonder how well they'll be able to handle the mobs of tourists that will surely descend on them in the summertime. Hopefully I'm wrong, but I predict long waits when the mercury starts rising.

One omission I would like to point out is the lack of Fruity Pebbles. Come on FroZen Yo, get your head in the game. You can't sell frozen yogurt and not give a man his Fruity Pebbles! What is the world coming to!?


FroZen Yo

1006 F St NW; 202.347.1313

Things I love

There are precious few things I truly love in this world. Here are three of them:

1. Commericals that show dogs doing people things. I have no idea why I find this so funny, but anytime I see a poodle driving a car, I'm going to start laughing:




2. Raspberry Lambic. Seriously. It's like the best tasting drink on the planet, plus it's got loads of alcohol. I would drink this shit every day if I could. But then I would A) be a complete alcoholic and B) My teeth would rot out of my mouth.



3. Steak. Perfect, delicious, juicy steak. How about a nice NY strip? Here's what you do:

Go to a real butcher. Have him cut you some nice thick 1lb strips. Bring them home and them come to room temperature. Heat up the grill as high as it will go. Sprinkle some kosher salt on the outside of the steak right before it goes on the grill. Sear on both sides for about 4-5 minutes and then put them on the top rack of the grill to finish for about 6-7 minutes.

Bring inside, let them rest for about 5 minutes and enjoy.

Saturday pancakes

You ever have a weekday that you wished was a saturday? When you look at the alarm clock as it's beeping at you and just pray that it could magically stop and turn your morning into weekend snoozefest?

For me, today was one of those days. It would be a perfect day to sleep in till about 10:30, turn on some cartoons and really enjoy and savor my favorite meal of the day, breakfast. Every one who knows me will tell you there are few things that make me happier than a great breakfast with a nice big cup of strong coffee and some fresh juice. One of my most favorite breakfast foods are pancakes. Easy to make and sure to please almost anyone, pancakes are generally my go-to breakfast food when I want to show my friends how much I care (even though they are like, retarded easy to make).

Now, to make truly great pancakes, you GOTTA make them from scatch. And no, I’m not one of those people who look down my nose at boxed pancake mix. Pancakes from a box have their place. But when it’s so easy to make y0ur own pancakes from scratch and you’re given so much flexibility in doing so, boxed pancake mix loses a lot of its appeal.

Here’s my favorite recipe for pancakes that’s both easy to make an enjoyed by many. Don’t worry about the fact that you’re putting cheese into your pancakes. You won’t taste it at all. I don’t know what it is about the ricotta cheese, but it makes the pancakes super moist and perfect. They’ll make you wish every day was a Saturday.

Ricotta Pancakes

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups flour
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1/2 cup ricotta
* 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
* 2 large eggs
* 2 tablespoons of fresh squeezed orange juice (you can substitute regular oj in here too)
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* Unsalted butter
* 12 ripe strawberries, sliced
* Pure maple syrup

Directions

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the ricotta, milk, eggs, vanilla, and orange juice. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, mixing only until combined.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it bubbles. Ladle the pancake batter into the pan to make 3 or 4 pancakes. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles appear on top and the underside is nicely browned. Flip the pancakes and then cook for another minute until browned. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add more butter to the pan, and continue cooking pancakes until all the batter is used. Serve with sliced strawberries, butter and maple syrup.

Where it all started

Some people ask me where the name PorkChop Sandwiches came from. Well, you have to wonder no longer: