Bha! Bha! Persian Bistro in Naples, FL - Wow!

I recently discovered a terrific Persian bistro in Naples, FL. In searching the Internet for a restaurant where I could treat a special friend (and myself), I ran across Bha! Bha! Persian Bistro (https://bhabhabistro.com/), which had over 4,000 mostly five-star reviews on OpenTable, TripAdvisor, Google, and Yelp. It had a great menu which was a mix of traditional Persian dishes and innovative Persian dishes. On that menu, I found four Persian dishes that protagonist Javad “Josh” Shirazi in my novel Team Triad; A Nuclear Spy Hunt – Iran had prepared as a special dinner for his wife and himself.

The experience at the Bistro exceeded all my expectations. Every bite was superb; the atmosphere was excellent; and our server Cayan provided impeccable service.

My friend and I shared an appetizer of Kashke Bademjun, an eggplant dip with lavash bread. There are two versions of this dish. The one on the menu had sliced eggplant. However, when I showed Cayan the Kindle page of my novel which described the dish I wanted, he realized I would not be getting the correct dish. He immediately went and fixed the problem. The dish was great.

My friend’s main course was an evening special - lamb shank, which was tender and delicious. It was so large that she had enough to take home for another meal. I think the sauce was a Mediterranean tomato sauce.

My main dish was Duck Fesenjune (Khoreshte Fesenjun) in a pomegranate-walnut sauce with a mango sauce accent and topped with caramelized dried fruit. In Iran, this traditional dish was originally made with duck. It is now often made with chicken. It was fantastic. I have made it with chicken several times, and was happy to learn that my preparation was in the ball park.

The duck dish came with a side of saffron-topped white rice. However, I also ordered a side of Polo ba Tahdig, which I think bistro calls Tahdik. It is a type of rice in which the bottom of the pot caramelized the rice to a crispy golden brown.

We also shared a side of Mast o Khiyar, a cucumber-yoghurt dip/salad it bears some similarities to Greek Tzatziki and Lebanese cucumber-yoghurt dip. It was flavored with dill. I loved it.

For dessert to celebrate my friend’s birthday, Cayan brought a dish of Persian rice pudding, which was part of the Team Triad dinner. We both enjoyed it.

The wine I chose to accompany our meal was a 2016 Zenato Alanera red Veronese. It is reliably good. I would like to have ordered one of the wines from the Persian Darioush Winery in the Napa Valley, but their wines are a bit expensive for my taste.

We sat outside at a table on one side of the restaurant. It was very private. It was a bit chilly outside, but the heaters next to our table eliminated the chill.

The bistro is located at 865 5^th Ave in South Naples. We found parking right behind the restaurant.

I can’t wait to return and savor other dishes on the menu. I will definitely request Cayan as our server.

Simple & Tasty Prosciutto, Avocado, Greens, & Feta Salad

I created this simple and tasty salad to accompany a flat bread pizza I made for a family dinner. I initially planned to make a terrific-sounding fresh fig and prosciutto salad I found on-line at https://www.purewow.com/recipes/prosciutto-fig-salad-board. However, when I couldn't get fresh figs, I ended up changing four of the major ingredients. This recipe serves four, but can easily be scaled up or down.

Ingredients
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
- 6 ounces mixed arugula, watercress, kale & spinach (Publix sells this mixture)
- 2 ripe avocados, sliced. (There are great on-line videos for avocado-slicing techniques.)
- 3-4 ounces of thinly slide prosciutto torn into pieces
- 2 tbsps chopped sweet peppers (Publix sells a chopped sweet pepper mixture.)
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preparation
1. Stir lemon juice, EVOO, mustard, salt, & pepper in a small bowl.

2. Place greens on a salad board.

3. Top greens with avocado, prosciutto, peppers, and feta

4. Set bowl of dressing next to salad for diners' use.

A Delicious Persian Meal

For a recent dinner with friends, I decided to serve a (mostly) Persian meal. I was delighted with the results. 

The three principal dishes were Persian:
- Cucumber salad (Salad-e Shirazi)
- Chicken Pomegranate Stew (Khoresh-e Fesenjan)
- Bottom-of-the-Pot Rice (Polo ba Tahdig)

Dessert was Baklava, which is served from the Balkans and Greece all the way to Central Asia.

(I refer to the main dishes in this posting as Persian rather than Iranian because there are a number of different ethnic groups and cuisines in Iran.)

I love the cucumber salad, which is very simple to make, and would go beautifully with a wide variety of dishes. It contains cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, and herbs. Its dressing is fresh lime juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. I used small, seedless cucumbers from a nearby Middle Eastern store. I followed the recipe I found at: 
https://www.goodfood.com.au/recipes/salade-shirazi-persian-cucumber-tomato-and-onion-salad-20190617-h1fg57. Of the herb possibilities suggested in the recipe, I chose fresh parsley and dried mint.

The Chicken Pomegranate stew contains chicken breast or thighs (I used thighs), pomegranate molasses, walnut paste, onions, sugar, chicken stock, and a variety of spices. The pomegranate molasses is available on Amazon. I purchased the Al Wadi brand from Lebanon. This syrup is widely used throughout the Middle East. The walnut paste is made by crushing toasted walnuts in a food processor. This dish is delicious the first day, BUT is much more flavorful the next day. I followed the recipe I found at: 
https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/fesenjan_persian_chicken_stew_with_walnut_and_pomegranate_sauce/ It took me about four hours to make. 
(Not in the photo below are the pomegranate arils I added as garnish before serving.) It ain't purty, but it shore is yummy!

Khoresh-e Fesenjan

The Persians have several unique rice dishes. One is Polo ba Tahdig, which is extremely popular. A main feature is that it has caramelized rice or slices of potato or bread at the bottom and is topped with saffron rice when served. I tried one recipe a few months ago, and was not successful. However, this time I found a recipe with a very clear video explanation. It worked great. The recipe can be found at:
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/240606/persian-rice/

Polo ba Tahdig

The pastries I served were pistachio baklava, walnut baklava, and "birds nest" from Beirut Bakery (http://beirutbakery.net/) in Livonia, Michigan. They were incredible. Beirut Bakery makes the best baklava I've had, and I've had lots. The bakery came close to shipping the delivery on the wrong day. Fortunately, I phoned them to make sure the order had been shipped.

The wines I served were 2018 Martin Ray Chardonnay from the Sonoma Coast, Poggio Antico's 2015 Madre Tuscan red from Montalcino, and 2016 Davey Family Shiraz from McLaren Vale, 

Ciutat Comtal/Ciudad Condal - Great Tapas in Barcelona

The first meal I had in Barcelona was a mouth-watering experience at Ciutat Comtal (its Catalan name) / Ciudad Condal (its Spanish name). Each bite of each dish was really tasty.

It's very popular and doesn't take reservations. I was on a waiting list for 90 minutes before I got a seat at the covered outdoor cafe. It also has indoor dining. The extensive menu is in both Spanish and English.

Part of the Menu

I started out with Bacalao Especial (salt cod) with aioli for €10.95. If you're in Spain, you have to try at least one Bacalao dish because it's a major Spanish (and Portuguese) food. I tried several, and was always pleased.

With the Bacalao and the next tapa, I had a glass of Viña Pomal Crianza Rioja for €3.35. It was very nice.

My second tapa was Mejillones del Norte al Vapor (steamed mussels) for €6.30.

Time for another glass of wine - Raimat Abadia Costers del Segre - Cabernet Sauvignon & Tempranillo for €3.10. Also very nice.

My third tapa was Huevos Estrelladas con Jabugo. Fried eggs with Jabugo ham and potatoes. Jabugo is a terrific ham from the village of Jabugo in southern Spain.

Huevos Estrellados

My total bill came to €42.40.

The restaurant is located on the corner of Rambla de Catalunya and Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, one block north of Plaza Cataluña.

Poem to Antoni Gaudí

During my visit to Barcelona, I visited four of the great works of the architectural genius, Antoni Gaudí. The first was the Basilica de la Sagrada Familia (the Basilica of the Holy Family), an immense work which has been under construction since 1882. Two of the four were residences - Casa Battló/La Pedrera and Casa Milà. The fourth was Parc Güell, a beautiful park high above the city.

Basilica de la Sagrada Familia

Casa Battló/La Pedrera

In Parc Güell

Looking from Parc Güell over Barcelona to the Mediterranean

Frater Vester Qui Erat in Barcelona[i]

To Antoni Gaudi

October 1, 2019, Barcelona

I. Qui cherche, Trouve[ii]

Gaudi. not gawdy,

Was colorfully plaudible[iii] -

Bounded by nature,

But unbounded within,

His complexity was simple,

His simplicity complex.

He was myopically farsighted

But saw better than all.

His Barcelona creations

Are Gaudacious[iv] innovations

That generate sensations

Of astounding incarnations

Beyond adulation.

Basilica and park

Batlló and Milà -

A wholly-made family[v]

Of complimentary creatures

Featured a new DNA

That none could foresee.

I saw nothing he missed,

But missed much that he saw.

II. Heaven Scent[vi]

Perhaps he'd confess

That his constructs for life

 Built a path to his end:

A. His daily devotion

Led him faster to God.

B. He wouldn't take transport,

But transport took him.

C. His shabbiness without,

Despite elegance within,

Left him sadly bereft

Of emergency care.

[i] The title is a take-off on the name of the prayer - Pater Noster - the Our Father. The title translates to: "Your Brother Who Was in Barcelona." Appropriately, the “cel” in "Barcelona" is the Catalan word for “heaven.”

[ii] The title of this section, "Qui Cherche, Trouve," is my French motto. It means,  "He who searches, finds." Its substantive meaning is that the person who searches for solutions finds them. That was Gaudi.

[iii] "Plaudible" is a word I made up from plaudit.

[iv] "Gaudacious" is a word I made up.

[v] “Wholly made family" is a take-off on "Sagrada Familia" - Holy Family.

[vi] This section is about factors relating to his death.

Barcelona - A Great Place to Visit

Everyone I’ve met who’s been to Barcelona has told me how much they’ve enjoyed it. Now that I’ve had the chance to visit the city, I understand why. The city is interesting, lively, clean, safe, and walk-able. There is a great variety of delicious restaurants and cafes – both indoor and outdoor. There is a lot to see and do. The people are hospitable and English is widely spoken. On one level, it is a bi-cultural city mixing Catalan and Spanish people and their distinct languages. Among the Catalan people there is strong sentiment for independence from Spain. Barcelona is also a multicultural city, with large communities from of many different ethnicities. It has a superb transportation system of interconnected subways, buses, and trains. The weather when I was there in late September was perfect – with highs in the high 70s.

The only downside that I could see was that it was swarming with tourists – like me. Since it is such a terrific destination, it is visited by over 18 million tourists per year. It is the beginning or end point for many Mediterranean cruises. From Montjuic Castle overlooking the city, I could see six huge cruise ships in the port.

I loved the cuisine in Barcelona. There is a great variety of mouth-watering appetizers – Spanish tapas, montaditos (small open-faced, single slice items like crostini, or small baguette sandwiches), and Basque pintxos (also like crostini or canapes, but with a toothpick holding the topping to the bread). In addition to the small dishes, I tried a number of Spanish, Catalan, and Galician dishes. I took a tapas and pintxos walking tour, and a paella cooking class.

Prior to my trip, I did a lot of research on the cuisine and restaurants, and received great advice from friends. So I had a number of specific dishes and restaurants to try. I had reservations at a number of the restaurants.

The Spanish wines were also very enjoyable and reasonably priced. I took a winery tour to the Penedès region about an hour west of Barcelona, and another to the mountaintop Montserrat Benedictine Monsastery and the Ollmer del Mas winery, about an hour northwest of the city.

In the city, I visited four of the architectural wonders of the creative genius Antoni Gaudí – the Sagrada Familia basilica, Park Güell, Casa Milà/La Pedrera, and Casa Battló. I was so impressed, I wrote a poem to him, which I plan to post.

I also visited the incredible La Boqueria food market, the Cathedral of Barcelona, Montjuic Castle, the Gothic Quarter, and the Arc de Triomf.

I was lucky to be there during the annual La Mercè Festival in honor of the patron saint of Barcelona. I saw a fantastic parade, and great outdoor dance performances.

I walked for miles in the city, and never felt uncomfortable.

There were lots of wooden benches where one could sit and relax, or people watch.

Pickpockets are reportedly a problem, so I was very careful to protect my valuables.

As gifts for family and friends, I bought delicious Torrons, traditional Spanish nougats. I purchased them at Vicens Torrons, which has been making them for 300 years.

I also succeeded in my hunt for men’s tie clips to add to my collection. I found them at two places. The best was Militaria Barcelona, a great military antiques store. The other was a booth at the Mercat dels Encants flea market, the largest in Barcelona.

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.