Vacation Plus One

I have recently started to appreciate the numerous blessings of travel. To see and experience new places and things, see how diverse our world is. To eat awesome food. Maybe the best part. Having the chance to spend the time traveling with my husband, getting to know each others' likes and dislikes, developing more patience for each other, as we work through the stresses that travel can bring. And finally to come home and appreciate all the comforts I have waiting for me. We have indeed been blessed to have the means and opportunity to travel over the course of our marriage. Not big trips all the time. But even a 1.5 hour drive to Mystic, Ct. was memorable in its' own way.

As the weather heats up in New Jersey, people around me are heading out on "holiday". I guess our generation is still young enough that we associate summer with vacation, as if we were still in school, and with June around the corner, the "summer vacation" bell is ringing loud and clear. My brother left today with his wife for Florida. My friend A.A. and her husband are traipsing around Italy.

We were very fortunate to have just returned from London with our daughter. It was a wonderful 6 days, and I like to look through our 500+ pictures every few days. I don't always do that with vacation pictures, but something's different this time. Our Plus One. Vacations in the past always felt like something was missing. The husband and I would take pictures of each other in front of landmarks, or shyly scour the crowd for a kind stranger who would take our picture, without running away with our camera. It was awkward. And sad, to come home from vacation but look at pictures of each of us alone, as if we were on the trip by ourselves. Where was the proof of all the cool things we did together?

At least this time we had the baby in our pictures, her face capturing the excitement and adventure of our London journey. We even managed a few family pictures, courtesy of my awesome host, A.A.

I thought having a baby would make the journey more difficult, but it was not the case at all. It was nice to plan things for the three of us, and wonderful to see her enjoy herself. It made us enjoy what we were doing even more so.

So to my brother and A.A., take your next vacation with a baby, I promise it will be even more fun ;)

(Noor seeing the world through her own eyes at the Museum of Science)

English Fish and Chips in the Garden State

Since being back from London, I have been craving fish and chips. We had it once, and it was quiet delicious. So I scoured the internet for a traditional recipe, hoping for something to recreate the light, crispy, non-oily batter I was treated to in London at Ahmed and Areeg's favorite chip shop. As it had happened many times before, I found what I was looking from one of my favorite Food Network chefs, Tyler Florence.

I tried to be as authentic as possible, so my fish was accompanied by chips (a.k.a. American fries) and mushy peas.

Here is how you can recreate the meal.

Let's start with the chips, which was handled beautifully by my sister. I was skeptical at first when I heard her method, but they turned out delicious.

Peel and slice potatoes into finger sized pieces, about 1/2 inch thick, by 2 1/2 or 3 inches long.

Add to deep fryer, or pot filled with oil you want to deep fry in, WHILE the oil is cold. Turn stove on medium and let potatoes cook several minutes, until almost cooked through.

Turn heat up to medium high, and cook a few minutes more until chips are brown and crispy. Drain on paper towel and season with salt.

On to the fish, courtesy of Tyler Florence, from Food Network. This recipe makes a ton of batter, perhaps enough for 8 pieces, so cut in half if you need to.
Ingredients
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (12-ounce) can soda water
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 (8-ounce) cod or haddock fillets, cut in 1/2 on an angle
1/2 cup flour, for dredging

*Tyler uses rice flour here, instead of regular, but I did not have. I thought mine was still great with the substitution.

Directions
Heat 3 inches of the oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Combine soda water and egg and pour into the flour mixture. Whisk to a smooth batter. Spread the flour on a plate. Dredge the fish pieces in the rice flour and then dip them into the batter, letting the excess drip off. Fry the fish and chips for 4 to 5 minutes until crispy and brown. Drain on paper towel, and serve immediately.


One last thing: the mushy peas. The real English mushy peas are some sort of dried peas, soaked overnight...blah blah blah. I bought home a bag of frozen, organic peas, cooked it on the stove top for just a few minutes.


They would have been delicious as is, but I wanted mushy peas so I mushed them. They were still delicious.


Bon appetit.

The one regret from my London journey

The title is misleading really. I have few regrets, as my friend Areeg saw to it that we experienced everything there was in the city. It was a busy and tiring few days but it was worth it. From the Tower of London, Harrods, and onwards to the wonderful, amazing (and free) museums, my feet were not happy, but I was.


Especially when I saw what a wonderful time my daughter had. This was Noor's third vacation. At the ripe old age of 14 months, Noor had several stamps in her passport. London was probably the most child friendly city I have ever been in. From old gentlemen, to teenagers, everyone seemed to love and appreciate kids, always turning to smile and play with Noor, and Areeg's daughter Sulafa. At one point a woman and her son were running to catch their train, when they caught Noor's eye. They both stopped to play with her and make her smile, before they went on.

And what a kind city it was. At one point I waited at the top of a stairwell for my husband to help me bring the stroller down, 6 (yes SIX, I counted) people asked me if I needed help bringing it down, including one man who was limping himself. It was a great renewal of faith in the kindness of strangers.

We were fortunate to visit the Mosque of Central London, while not an impressive building from the outside, it was quiet different on the inside.


The East London Mosque on the other hand had a great presence on the outside. But the inside left much to be desired.


At times it felt like we were not in London, but an Arab country. Walking through the parks, we would see groups of women in flowing jilbabs, congregating on the grass, enjoying a picnic lunch. At one point we saw a few girls with a portable hookah in the gardens at Regent's Park. This next picture shows a storefront we walked past a few times. In the midst of expensive hotels and pristine residential buildings on the posh Cromwell Road, it seemed both out of place and right at home at the same time.


So back to my one, teeny, tiny, forgettable regret: I did not eat enough. I wasn't sure what to expect when it came to food, as London does not have a reputation for good food. Though food was an afterthought on our trip, as we were too busy trying to make it to all the sites, I quickly caught onto the fact that while British food was not so desirable, the ethnic food was simply amazing. Especially anything with lamb. I am not a big chicken person, so I can't say if that was as delicious, in fact I did not have chicken once in six days.

We had some fantastic meals, delicious Arab and Pakistani food, classic fish and chips, mushy peas, good sushi. We became addicted to the flat white, a delicious concoction between a cappuccino and a latte, with two shots of espresso. And spent the entire week devouring delicious croissants and pastries, which were as delectable as you would find in the best bakeries in NJ/NYC. Except in London you could find them on any street corner. And how could I forget my first taste of French macaron, amazing cookie type creations. Thank you Areeg for introducing us.

(not my own picture)

But I know I missed out on what is apparently an amazing ethnic food culture. I thought perhaps it was just us who loved the food in London so much, after hearing the opposite from friends. But then my husband told me about an article, where the great Joël Robuchon himself, a man with 25 Michelin stars to his credit, shared my enthusiasm for London cuisine. In an exclusive interview with a London newspaper, The Standard, he said said he 'would argue that London is very possible the gastronomic capital of the world.' If you know who Robuchon is you would know the gravity of that statement. I hope to one day be able to return to London, this time to take the foodie tour of the city. Until then, my mouth waters.