Tapas Paradise in St. Pete

Yesterday, I had a terrific tapas and Basque wine experience at Ceviche restaurant (http://ceviche.com/) in St. Petersburg, FL. Even though the temperature was in the low 90°s, I felt perfectly comfortable sitting outside on their covered porch (about one block from Tampa Bay).

Despite its name, the restaurant has four ceviche dishes on its menu compared to forty-three tapas dishes. It also has three kinds of paellas, cheese and charcuterie plates, and salads.

I had two seafood tapas and a Basque wine at the restaurant and took another two meat tapas home for dinner. They were all mouth watering.

The first seafood tapa I had was Mejillones a la Catalana (Catalann-style Mussels) - Sautéed mussels, sherry cream sauce, serrano ham, shallots, and garlic, with crispy baguette slices and lemon to squeeze. ($11)

I thought the first dish was great. Then I tried the Cangrejo Fundido (Crab Melt) - jumbo lump blue crab, manchego cheese, sherry cream, with small slices of perfect pita onto which I scooped the crab mix. That dish was out of this world. ($13)

The wine I had was a delicious white wine from Spanish Basque country - a 2017 Txakolina wine made with Hondarrabi Zuri grapes. The wine was a bit on the sweet side, and a perfect accompaniment for the two tapas. The winery that produces it is Rekalde, which is owned by the Hirutza family. The 9-oz glass was $13.

The two tapas I took home for dinner were also delicious. (They were on the edge of my modest spiciness tolerance).

The first was Albondigas - chorizo, pork, and veal meatballs in a spicy tomato sauce. ($9)

The second was Piquillos Rellenos - Roasted red peppers stuffed with veal, pork, and chorizo, in sherry cream. ($10)

The restaurant has flamenco performances three nights per week - Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

My server, Brittany, was terrific - customer-focused with a warm and ebullient personality.

I can't wait to go back.

Power AirFryer XL - Incredible Fries & Delicious Salmon Cooked Simultaneously

On a whim, I recently bought a Power Air Fryer XL. A customer in BJs noticed me looking at it, and she commented on what great fries and breaded cod it made. I had to give it a try. I'm really glad I did. It was extremely easy to use and produced great results;

The first time I used it, I tried breaded chicken. It turned out tasty, but not incredible. However, yesterday evening, I decided to try cooking salmon and french fries at the same time. The salmon was delicious and the fries were among the best I have ever had. They were perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

I used unthawed Alexia frozen fries, which I lightly coated with EVOO. I prepared the 7-oz. skinned, fresh, wild Keta salmon filet by basting both sides with EVOO and lemon juice, and sprinkling it with sea salt and pepper.

Then I set the temperature at 400° and the timer at 18 minutes. I put the fries in first. When the timer reached 11 minutes remaining, I opened the basket and inserted the salmon. At the same time, I turned over the fries. When the time reached 5 minutes, I turned the salmon over and shook the fries.

It doesn't get any easier than that. One great benefit of using a hot air fryer, is that it significantly reduces the calorie count of dishes.

The fryer inner and outer baskets are non-stick and are dishwasher safe.

The cost of my 5.3 quart air fryer at BJs was $79.99.

Beirut Bakery - Incredible Arabic Food in Redford, MI

For me, the gold standard for Levantine (Lebanese, Palestinian, & Syrian) Arabic food is the incredible, mouth-watering food my mother made.  A place that comes very close to that gold standard is Beirut Bakery (https://www.beirutbakery.net/) in Redford, Michigan.

As anyone who’s been to Beirut Bakery knows, it's far more than a bakery. If offers an extensive assortment of main dishes, side dishes, and baked goods, primarily for takeout. It also has a couple of tables where one can eat at their venue.

For a number of years, my brother has brought gifts of Beirut Bakery foods when he has visited us in Florida. So I have long wanted to visit Beirut Bakery and try more of the dishes they prepare. During a recent trip to Michigan, a special friend and I joined my brother and his son to have lunch there. It was the most delicious Arabic meal I have enjoyed in many, many years. It included stuffed cabbage rolls (Malfouf), stuffed squash (Khousa), stuffed grape leaves (Warak Arish), baked stuffed Kibbeh, meat pie, Labne yogurt spread (similar to Tzatziki), Hummus, Pita bread (Khoubiz), and Baklava. Everything was superb. I could easily have eaten there every day for two weeks.

Part of My Lunch

I have had Baklava many times over the course of seven decades. Theirs is among the very best.

Catherine & Baklava

One interesting item they carry is a delicious Lebanese olive oil.

They ship many of their foods; and some are carried in Whole Foods stores in their area.

Beirut Bakery was created four decades ago by Milad and Leila Hallis. It is now a family team operation, with daughter Catherine and son Mark working with their parents.