VittlesVamp

Salad Days...& Frittata Days Too

Pandemic cooking for one means leftovers. For me, leftovers demand a bit of creativity. I'm not suggesting that eating the same meal a few days in a row might not be just fine - but I often crave change.

A go-to solution? Salads. All sorts of salads. Case in point: the Lamb Salad above, featuring slices of grilled lamb from the previous night's dinner, red leaf lettuce, some cooked carrots (also from the previous evening's repast), a few stray croutons, some olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, and a makeshift dressing that mixed together spicy olive oil and shallot vinaigrette from dinner the other night.

Another way to go? Frittata. Here's a snapshot of a recent beauty...

...highlighting previously sautéed zucchini and onions with some goat cheese. Already earmarking some leftover roasted Brussels sprouts and rice in the fridge for a frittata later this week. A bit of Gruyere might play well with those ingredients as well.

Salads and frittatas - where leftovers find new life!

Hummus Is Where The Heart Is

Finally was able to get to Philadelphia and see Mama Vamp.

Did we celebrate? My mother made a special request - that I bring cocktail supplies to make her something special that we could sip together. I packed up a shaker, a jigger, and small bottles of St. Germaine and Applejack. Montparnasse cocktails were shaken and poured into good crystal coupes. We raised them, toasted to being in good health and lucky enough to be together.

One round and we were hungry. Very hungry. Some things don't change. Thank goodness!

It was a beautiful Saturday and Philadelphians were out-and-about, masked up, sitting outdoors at local cafes. Wait times for a table were upwards of a half-hour. Not surprised. We kept walking and then saw it - Dizengoff - Chef Michael Solomonov's Center City Hummuyisa. In other words - a trip to Tel Aviv without the flight.

Yes. This was lunch. Gorgeous, light, fluffy hummus. One platter topped with roasted cauliflower and pistachios, and another with roasted brisket, beefy in a rich tomato and onion sauce. Swiped the plates with freshly baked pitas and thick slices of Persian cucumbers.

Oh, yes.

It made me question why I haven't made Solomonov's hummus recipe as of late. The difference between the homemade stuff, using his recipe, and the stuff in the market? They aren't even close. A comparison isn't fair. Solomonov's hummus is revelatory. The secret ingredient? Ice water. Seriously. Ice water.

I may have been leaning on my "Meat and Greek" combo throughout the pandemic, but "Hummus and Friends" may be my next go-to. It'll make me think of Mama Vamp. And, I have a strange feeling that even if I start making the hummus at home, I'll be visiting Dizengoff again with my mom the next time I am in Philly.

Her face lit up tasting its creamy goodness. Maybe the company had something to do with the smile too - but that hummus sure didn't hurt!