Help me find the missing ingredient?

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That kind of trip means you are planning on stopping when there is something that seems interesting.

Stirling and I call getting lost an adventure. ;)

I have never had a problem getting lost while I was with someone! Definitely an adventure! :)

On my own, it was (and is) always horrible. :unhappy:
 
I recently completed a 3 state, 2 province road trip, solo, and had a blast driving. The scenery changed so much, as did the speed limits and traffic. I'd do it again!


Solo DL? I seriously could never do that. (I hate driving in Britain - it's too busy and everyone is so aggressive.) And how can you appreciate the scenery while you are driving?
 
That kind of trip means you are planning on stopping when there is something that seems interesting.

Stirling and I call getting lost an adventure. ;)

Three times I have been cross country on the road and loved each trip. One trip took us five weeks. Straight driving it is 2.5 days with two drivers. We would see signs telling us about local sites. Let's go. We got to see so many interesting. Stopped at a peacock farm. How often have you gotten to see about fifty male peacocks with their feathers spread in all their glory? Have any of you been to see the Petrified Forest? I was with a friend that grew up in the cement world of housing projects. Had never seen a horse, cattle or anything western. We stopped so he could watch cattle being branded and tagged with ear clipping. We drove through a mountain range in the middle of the summer. Snow on the ground at the higher level. Definitely an adventure. We never figured we were lost. We were somewhere. Just didn't know where at that moment and didn't care. He got to see parts of America he would never have seen in his lifetime. And it gave him the initiative to want to see more. :angel:
 
Solo DL? I seriously could never do that. (I hate driving in Britain - it's too busy and everyone is so aggressive.) And how can you appreciate the scenery while you are driving?

The middle of North America is nothing like the east or west coasts, not much traffic unless you go through the big cities. I probably wouldn't have been able to see as much scenery driving through New York or LA :LOL:

Oh, and GPS is my very dear friend.
 
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The middle of North America is nothing like the east or west coasts, not much traffic unless you go through the big cities. I probably wouldn't have been able to see as much scenery driving through New York or LA :LOL:

I suspect we have to appreciate scale here: Arizona would more or less be the size of Britain.

Wide open spaces? Just don't exist in Britain.

Open roads? Nah.

I like the idea though! I love the thought of jumping in the car (with someone else driving) and just heading in a direction to see what we find!

(I'd be inclined to sneakily plan ahead for places to stay though.) :blush:
 
:LOL: In the meantime, Stacy is gonna enjoy her trip, especially if it will result in finding the missing ingredient! This is like a mystery novel, it keeps us guessing....

Now, Stacy, once you find this ingredient, we do expect you to share!
 
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I remain convinced that it's the sour lemons that's missing. I'm tempted to buy some and send them to the OP as a gift. We have so many stores in L.A. that we have everything.

I think it's preserved lemons too. A very pronounced flavour.

Look forward to hearing the answer! :)
 
I suspect we have to appreciate scale here: Arizona would more or less be the size of Britain.

Wide open spaces? Just don't exist in Britain.

Open roads? Nah.

I like the idea though! I love the thought of jumping in the car (with someone else driving) and just heading in a direction to see what we find!

(I'd be inclined to sneakily plan ahead for places to stay though.) :blush:

DH and I rented a car and stayed in farmhouse B&Bs in Ireland for a week and absolutely loved it. The country roads weren't very busy and we loved the many signs that tell you where towns and ruins are. We made reservations for the first few nights and the last night, so we could get an idea of how long it would take to get around. It's one of my favorite trips.
 
Hello friends!

About 10 years ago, I had a broiled chicken dinner at a Middle Eastern restaurant in Lexington, KY called Aladdin's. The place has since gone out of business. For whatever reason this week, I've been thinking about the chicken.

I'm pretty sure it was called Athenian Broiled Chicken. It didn't seem particularly "Greek" to me though, and the restaurant served all Middle Eastern foods--shish kebabs, falafel, fatoosh...

I seldom order chicken when I eat out because I make it so often at home. My dad ordered the dish the first time we were there. I tasted it and it was amazing! Whenever we went back, I ordered it. It was served with rice and little pieces of pickled vegetables.

This week I tried to re-create the dish, and something's missing. This is where I need your help.

I made the dish with Moroccan spice blend, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. It was close, but something wasn't bitter enough. The lemon juice was right, I think. But there was something else in the spices that I missed. Today, I bought sumac and added it to the chicken when I warmed up a piece. The missing ingredient isn't sumac.

The taste I'm looking for was bitter but zingy. As you ate the chicken and rice, your mouth almost felt like it was drying. I know that sounds unpleasant, but the chicken from Aladdin's was amazing. It was juicy on the inside, crisp on the outside--which I captured. But the spices made it taste like nothing I'd ever had.

The rice had the same dry, bitter spice in it. Or maybe it was the pickled veggies on top of the rice that had dripped the flavor onto the rice.

I'll be honest--I'm more a pastry person. I love to cook and bake, but I don't know much about Middle Eastern food. Hopefully one of you uses the exotic spices that I'm unfamiliar with more often and can help. That chicken makes me think of being young and dinner with my Dad.

Much thanks!

:chef:
Has anyone suggested za'atar or ras el hanout?
 
Today!

I'm excited! Going to get the chicken today! I needed to go to Lexington for something else, so the four hour drive is justifiable! :)
 
Nooooooo

Website says they open at 11:00 a.m. Arrived
11aihz7.jpg
to find sign that they're on vacation! :( :( :(
 
You shouldn't have any trouble finding finding jars of preserved lemons in the supermarket but it is possible to make your own if you have the time (it's a bit long winded!)
 
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You shouldn't have any trouble finding finding jars of preserved lemons in the supermarket but it is possible to make your own if you have the time (it's a bit long winded!)

What is the advantage of preserved lemons? Aren't they very salty? Do you wash the salt off? Are they just for moroccan dishes mostly?
 
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