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Ode to Ghareeb Nawaz

One day Betsy and I were on Devon street, looking for some good Indian food.

“I want to find the cheapest food on Devon. I want some cheap Indian food!” I said to Betsy.

One of the first places that caught my eye was at the east end of the Indian area of Devon. It was a small, simple looking place that seemed like “hole in the wall” joint, if you know what I mean. It looked really cheap! But it also looked super busy--and it seemed like most of the people in the restaurant were actually Indian/Pakastani. A good sign.

Anyway, we continued to go all the way down Devon but found nothing looked quite as intriguing as this first little restaurant.

So we decided to be a bit adventurous and checked out Ghareeb Nawaz! Boy, what a treat we were in for! We found one of the gems of Chicago.

This place is amazing. Everything is super cheap, homemade, with huge portions. Betsy’s favorite, Gyros Paratha (an Indian style Gyro), is only $2.50. And it is huge! And AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS! The curries and rice dishes run about $3.50 - $6.00. Naan is $0.50 for a huge piece. And the menu is very large. At the main counter there is a sign with every item they serve and a picture of the item. It is a bit daunting, especially if you are not that familiar with real Indian food!

 

Despite the price, the food is simply delicious, and tastes very authentic. Granted, I have never been to India or Pakistan, but the food just seems to have the non-American, full, exotic taste. And judging by how busy the place is, I am guessing it must be pretty close to the real thing.

That said, it probably would be a good idea to have somewhat of an idea of what you want to get before you go. We love the Gyros Paratha, and I have tried one of the curry dishes, which was amazing. Last time we went there, I was a bit adventurous randomly picked something from the menu. I ended up ordering the Shami Kabab. I think my brain was more adventurous than my tastebuds, because I wasn’t able to make it through these minced meat patties. Part of the reason was that I didn’t even know what I was eating at the time! Luckily, my lovely Betsy rescued me by sharing her Gyros with me! That being said, I am eager to try some of the suggestions found at this review site:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/ghareeb-nawaz-restaurant-chicago

And the address:

2032 W Devon Ave
Chicago, IL 60659
(between Seeley Ave & Hoyne Ave)

Give it a try!

Sailing!

So, we are going crazy with the water and can’t enough of it. Yesterday we went sailing!

view of downtown Chicago:

Captain Jake was kind enough to let us on his boat. Many thanks!

Arrgh!

What’s for dinner?

So I know lots of people like to joke around that they married certain people for their cooking abilities. Well, I’m starting to think that there is way more truth to that then we’d maybe like to admit.

Well, seriously now. I have an amazing husband. Because of….many things. But more specifically, on any given night he can make me this:

Thas right. Pad Thai.

The recipe will come to you on his own time (he has been more and more excited about posting recipes, I think) so for now just drool over the picture.

Yay! But what’s for dessert? Well don’t think I won’t leave our meal alone without some sort of reciprocation. In honor of my old roommate Gretchen (who recently became engaged…Gretchen wherever you are I hope you know your work on my wedding cake is legendary…someday I will be brave and venture your gateau basque…) And in honor of the beautiful fall harvest, (??) I made one of my favorite desserts:

(Please, click on the picture and admire the work I put into photoshopping it to perfection. Ok, I’m not a pro at photoshop, but the torte was delicious!)

Bavarian Apple Torte!

CRUST:
1/2 cup soft butter
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla OR
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup flour

Mix and pat in bottom of greased 9 inch round pan.

FILLING:
8 ounces soft cream cheese
3 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Whip and spread over crust.

Top with:

3-4 cups grated or thinly sliced apples
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (or more)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sliced almonds (optional)

Cover and bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes,  then turn heat down to 400, take off foil, and cook for another 25 minutes.  Guys! This is super easy! You don’t have to arrange the apples like I did. It will blow your mind with how delicious it is!

As you can imagine, this is enough food for more than just two of us. We really need to be better about inviting out friends for dinner.  I suppose having too much food is hardly a dilemma. However, we hate throwing food away. And this happens sometimes. So, who wants to come over?

Kayaking!

Last Saturday Micah and I decided to go kayaking on the Chicago River.

I belong in the city.

At the end of this video, I was approaching a pipe that was letting out water with such great force that I got soaked. Micah did not therefore stop the video in time. Miraculously, I have no hard feelings against him. Haha.