This week's video + recipe: juicy, flavorful chicken shawarma
Plus a garlic sauce that you won't be able to do without
Hi friends!
Where has August gone?? It’s almost September, which means I’ve been trying to squeeze in all of my summer cooking before the season ends.
I’ve been on a quest for good chicken shawarma in my area, but sadly I haven’t found anything close to what I’m looking for. Many places I’ve been serve shawarma that’s crumbly-looking and dry, so I wanted to find a way to make it at home that captures what it should be: fragrant, moist on the inside, and covered with a browned, charred crust on the outside. And there’s a unique ingredient in my marinade for a savory boost (hint: it’s something I add to basically everything these days).
Making chicken shawarma—and the accompanying garlic sauce*—at home is actually quite easy and so delicious. This is also a great opportunity to enjoy homegrown produce like lemons, cucumbers, tomatoes, and fresh herbs (mint + shawarma = magic). And even if you don’t eat chicken, I imagine that tofu would taste just as great.
This is a little pop culture nugget for all of the Marvel fans:
That happened a loooong time ago, so here’s the backstory for that scene in the movie.
Anyway, you’ll definitely want to check out the video (added a few new graphics and musical elements), and here’s the printable recipe for chicken shawarma with garlic sauce:
Last thing: if you want the whole shawarma pita sandwich experience, try making my pita or hummus recipes!
*I know with the mention of garlic sauce, your first instinct might be to run far away, but I assure you that my version is fairly mild, and the shawarma is truly incomplete without its creamy, aromatic counterpart.
The latest inspiration
Related to my video, I discovered you can also use koji to marinate chicken!
This French seafood dish, supions à la Provençale, is squid sautéed with garlic and parsley until brown and crisp on the outside. It looks so tasty and summery!
Grilled corn and cotija in guacamole? Very intriguing…
I’m going camping in a couple of weeks, so I’m very excited for s’mores. Maybe I should upgrade to a salted caramel one like this:
I’m a sucker for melted chocolate in cookies, so here are some beauties…
The latest from my tiny kitchen
An adaptation of one of my recipes…I baked my signature miso chocolate chip cookies after recording the last video but decided to mix things up a bit. I subbed some of the all-purpose flour for dark rye flour and sprinkled candied bacon on top for that sweet and salty vibe. (I learned my lesson that cooking bacon in the oven requires more baby-sitting than I realized.)
This is what I love about making food at home—you can make things however you like (bound by the laws of physics and chemistry, of course) and riff off of your tried-and-true recipes. Have I told you how much fun cooking is? 😂
Thanks for spending your Saturday with me! Have a great weekend and savor the last bit of August! I’ll see you all in a couple of weeks. 😎