I love Middle Eastern food, even though I've never eaten any

[jmowreader]

Part of our customer service is cutting wood for customers.

On Wednesday, a woman came up to us. "I need some wood cut." She pointed at a stack of $32/sheet South American Mahogany plywood and asked for 19 sheets, all cut in different widths. No problem. Get a forklift, get another associate, haul the stack of plywood back to the saw and cut all of it up since all I had was 19 sheets.

On the way to the register, she explained that she didn't bring the company credit card with her (yes, warning bells should be going off in your head) but she'd be back later in the day to pay for it. And she walks out, leaving me with $600 worth of custom-cut plywood.

On Thursday I get a call from her. "We'll be right down to pay for it." No show.

This morning, I was with a customer who was buying stuff for the dining room of his new Middle Eastern restaurant when I get another call...yup, you guessed it: "We don't want the plywood." My jaw dropped so far, so fast, that the Saudi gentleman I was helping asked what was wrong. I explained it to him. "Where is the plywood?" I took him to it. "How much is it?" I pulled out my calculator and did some figuring..."I will take it." Whipped out his Visa and was on his way with so much plywood in his van the back was sagging.

To thank this guy for making my week less-rotten (losing one of my best cats and $600 worth of plywood in the space of five days would have been too hard to take), I will eat at his restaurant. Any ideas as to what Middle Eastern dishes are good?

[bicentennial_baby]

1. I love Lebanese food

When I lived in Pittsburgh I had a Lebanese friend named Halim. He would go home on the weekends to see his family in Cleveland, and would bring back a week's worth of homemade Lebanese goodness! Oh, it's the best!

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. Their meats are fabulous

Kabobs are good..I like the filet mignon ones..Middle Easterners eat Halal meat which is essentially kosher meat. They also use a lot of ground chicken for meals and use sour cherry for rices.

All their foods are very healthy. I have a great little middle eastern market by my house (walking distance) I get fresh summer fruits and sweet lemons all year round.

They also make a lot of eggplant items such a babbaganoush (sp) which is eggplant ground with garlic.
They use a lot of sesame and tahini in some of their foods as well and many legume dishes.

If I were you I would ASK THEM what you should eat at their restaurant...you won't be disappointed if you like seasoned meals''lots of garlic, mint onion, and a spice called 7 spice (which is nutmeg, allspice cinnamon, corriander and three other spices I can't recall)

Dammit...now you did it..made me hungry...I'm going to market!





Wait..they're closed!

Gotta wait til mornin!

[Tinoire]

3. Oh you are going to LOVE it!

I can't even begin to recommend anything because well, the Middle East is an awfully big place and the cuisine is quite extensive! Let them treat you!

Take a date if it's more than a fast-food place. It will be a special meal. What country is it? Let us know what you had and how it went!

Salaam!

[Liberal Christian]

4. Middle Eastern food is wonderful

Some of the standards are

Baba Ganoush -- a puree of roasted eggplant, garlic, olive oil, and lemon, usually scooped up with pita bread.

Hummus -- a puree of chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, lemon, usually scooped up with pita bread

Tabouli -- a salad made of bulgar (cracked wheat), parsley, mint, olive oil, garlic, lemon

Falafel -- deep fried croquette-style balls made of chickpea meal and other ingredients

Kabobs are great. I love lamb, so I often look for something with lamb and seasonings. Goat is a very traditional Middle Eastern meat, also very tasty, but harder to find on the menu here.

Usually the menu has some good descriptions on it. Just look at what foods you like and have a sense of adventure. I took my youth group to a Saudi restaurant in Denver and most of them found something they didn't think was too weird to eat (and they were incredibly picky eaters).

[dawn]

7. Ooh yummy, I love Baba Ganoush! Haven't had that in ages.

[Astarho]

5. hummous

(a dip made from chickpeas) and mutabbal (dip made from eggplant) are good. Personally I also like falafels.

couscous is served with many dishes, and there are many dishes made from lentils.

tabouli is good and so are stuffed grape leaves

For dessert definately try the baklava.

[ProudGerman]

6. I once found some MidEast food, and loved it

Loved it so much so that I ate there exclusively the 2 weeks I did work in the building. The other contractors thought I was nuts, guess they didn't eat food with "funny names". Like Big Mac isn't a funny name for a food. Tiny little hole in the wall resaurant.

Absolutely loved the humus. There were only two items on the menu I didn't care for. I can't remember what they were for the life of me.

[pink_poodle]

8. mmmmmmmmm.......falafals.............yummy!!!!! -nm

:

[JCMach1]

9. Shish Tawook is wonderful as well

you should also try

Moutabbel (smoked eggplant... yum)

Anything grilled or cooked in a tandoori is basically good...

There are lots of good things!

[Kamika]

10. Kabob is the s*it

Only thing better then that is mexican :9

[Rabrrrrrr]

11. Since you have an "in" with the owner

Terll him you've never had it and you want a good feel for the variety of it, so should serve you what he really likes. Hopefully, it'll come with explanations and stories.

It's pretty much all wonderful food!

[blondeatlast]

12. It's the healthiest diet there is. Pin something down?

That I can't help you with; it would take too long!

[nuxvomica]

13. LOL, I had no idea were you were going with this

All the ME dishes I've had were savory and very satisfying. It really is "comfort" food. I have to admit to a juvenile delight in just pronouncing the names: baba ganoush, tabouli, cous-cous, etc.

[MuseRider]

14. So good so good!

Lucky you. It is all so wonderful. Enjoy yourself and ask for samples. Come back and tell us what you liked.

[Nikia]

15. I like couscous

I think that it is a good alternative to more standard things like rice or noodles.

[Intelsucks]

16. I had couscous once at a Moroccan restaurant in Paris and it was

excellent. I'm not sure if I can even get it anywhere around here.

[Karenina]

24. Forget restaurants!

Abdou cooked last night (he's Morrocan- grew up with 6, count'em SIX sisters. The man can COOK!!!) and I was passing by to get some CDs burned. Potatoes and meatballs. I CAN'T BELIEVE I ATE 3 PLATES!!! The only thing better is when his MOM is there. Then everbody is scurrying about all over town to get her special "ingredients." We all gather after finding them, :smoke: a few, listen to music or play a bit until she gives the signal... YUMMMMMM!!!!

[nuxvomica]

17. Cous-cous is great with Hunan chicken

If I have Chinese takeout left over and no rice, I just cook up some cous-cous and mix it together. It's actually a lot better than eating it with rice.

[hlthe2b]

18. Oh, you are in for a real treat!

Most here have mentioned my favorites... I'm sure your restaurant host will be glad to bring you a variety! Enjoy!

[absyntheNsugar]

19. Which part of the ME is he from?

Iranian food is vastly different than Pakistani, or Afghani...or Lebanese...or Israeli (i'm assuming thats not the case tho)

You cant go wrong with the kabobs tho.

[tigereye]

20. it's all good

sleek, hummus, mjuddara ,chicken dishes, spinach pies, and more. I've had mostly the Syrian variety. Wonderful food! Enjoy.

[Padraig18]

21. ME food is the s**t!

Ask for his reccomendations---you will NOT regret it, because it's ALL yummy! :)

[fortyfeetunder]

22. Baklava for dessert

As others have said, one of the healthier diets around. But I love me some baklava...a sugar addict's delight: nuts, honey, phyllo dough.

[Eroshan]

23. Do not order Sheep head soup

They put the whole damn head in there, eyeballs and all.

[0rganism]

25. Then we cancel out: I've eaten lots of ME food, but I don't love it

Too much gooey stuff with pita bread for my taste. But, as you can see, lots of people dig it. So YMMV.

For a real treat, try Ethiopean cuisine. Yeah, I know, I thought the same thing when I heard about it, but it's really delicious.

[mlawson]

26. Egyptian fava beans (Fool Madammas).

OMG, food of the GODS!!! And have melokhia (a type of herb soup, like spinach) with them, and red peppers, and pita bread!! Yumyumyumyumyum.... Oh, and a s---load of GARLIC with all of it.