TAJ MAJAL RESTAURANT 7/29/19 Brooklyn, New York

Mulligatawny Soup.

Nan Bread.

Shrimp Poori.

Meat Samosa.

Chicken Tikka Bhiryani.

WEIRD TACOS INSIDE THE GOLDMINE

Rice-A-Roni, Tomato, Spanish Olives, Jalapeño Pepper, Pimento flanked with Avocado topped with Codjita Cheese, Iceberg Lettuce topped with Sour Cream and a Stuffed Grape Leaf.

Refried Beans, Ground Beef, Tomato and Deli American Cheese and Iceberg Lettuce topped with Sour Cream with a couple of Ore-Ida French Fries on the side.

SPAM and American Cheese flanked by Iceberg Lettuce Korean Bean Paste.

Chicken Cutlet, Refried Beans, Tomato, Diced Onion topped with Codjita Cheese. Flanked with Iceberg Lettuce topped with Sour Cream and Fresh Jalapeño Pepper.

Sausage & Peppers (Frank & Sals), White Cheddar, Trappeys Hot Sauce, Fresh Jalapeño Pepper. Flanked by Iceberg Lettuce & 2 chunks of Provolone Cheese.

Chicken Cutlet, Refried Beans and a Cheese of an undeterminable nature flanked by Iceberg Lettuce and Sharp Provolone Chunks.

THE LAFFA BREAD MADE ME DO IT

I Blame this all on the Laffa Bread.

This barely warrants a posting but well,... The Laffa Bread even it being from a package does warrant a posting. I had a "Eureka" moment and decided to use Ground Chicken as opposed to "Chop Meat" (Ground Beef) and this came out gangbusters.

Speaking with my friend Stanley on all things Bread we were discussing the Pita Bread without the pocket and yes I was familiar with this as well so when I came across a possible candidate at the local corner store I took a chance and was correct in my purchase, cloud like puffiness and lacking of a pocket, just what the Chef ordered.

Caramelized some Onions, Peppers and quite possibly Garlic.

With the addition of a Hot Sauce extravaganza courtesy of my Christmas gift from Christina this topped it all off.

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS - TACO BELL YESTERDAY, BURGER KING TODAY, Brooklyn, New York.

This is not so much a photo of FOOD as it is a journal of places and Menu's but whatever !

A lot lighter on the pocket than the bill I was presented with at the Manhattan Taco Bell location.

This is more Like It.

The extensive
Taco Bell Menu board.

I will have one of everything please.

This is why they RULE.

Inexpensive Menu and as you will notice just one penny below the next numerical dollar denomination in some cases.

Kings Highway TB facade.

A 'nother Taco Bell photo.

 Taken "on the clock" somewhere on a One Hour PC job.

And this leads us to BK or Burger King which I adore and have but once a year (on the average).

Unfortunately on this day I was not in the best of moods and to aggravate me further was the caterwauling screech and din of what seemed thousands of high school students amongst me so this will just be a photoplay, BK ever the awesomeness it is. Eff Mickey Dee's

Hot Dogs ?!!!

Well this is new for them and I am yet to try one but boy do I want to.

Cristina and my serving tray.

These were not so great as the "Cheetos" moniker implies. Much like the Dunkin' Donuts Reeses Donut, please stop using tried and true names ya' Bastards !!!

The Cheetos Chicken Fries were just that. A Chicken Tender "Fry" shaped powdered in Cheetos Flavored Bread Crumbs.

Boy was I NOT impressed.

The French Fry. Essential with a Burger.

courtesy of the Prisma app.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE - THE GRILL PAN

It started off as a route to veer Cristina away from squandering money on take out Food. 12 dollars a pop for a mere Grilled Chicken Salad is the going rate but when the same can be prepared at home for a vast fraction of the price the looting bin shall become vanquished.

I learned of "seasoning" a pan and this was an entirely new concept to me but season I did. Nearly thwarted with caution of smoke and stench I placed a fan in the kitchen to postpone calamity. 

No calamity ensued.

This important step completed I was ready to cook.

Marinated in a base of Balsamic Vinegar & Olive Oil this came out quite a wonder and I knew this just from looking at it during preparation.

CROUTONS,CROUTONS,CROUTONS.

I asked Cristina just what was in an Italian style Grilled Chicken Salad as the Restaurants do and was informed Grilled Chicken, Romaine Lettuce, Italian Croutons (caesar style), Caesar Salad Dressing and as a plus Bermuda Onion.

This worked out gangbusters and I consumed the entire plate in record time, will I have this again ?

A resounding (in Jon Anderson's timbre) YES.

Next up and only a day after the Grilled Chicken Salad was prepared a bit of Top Sirloin for some home made Steak Fajita's. Seasoned in Olive Oil, Lime and Dry Spices.

STEAK FAJITA on a Flour Tortilla.

Asian - Thinly Sliced Chicken Cutlet Marinated in Sesame Oil, Rice Vinegar, Honey, Diced Garlic and a Dash of Soy Sauce. Cristina said this will come out Sweet with a Zing and it did but not so sweet, the Sesame Oil is quite overpowering, this was Delicious.

I started off some Sausages in the Grill Pan and finished them off in the Oven to Pan Fry some Sausage and Peppers.

A pre-Cheesed Burger.

CHICKEN POT PIE THROWDOWN 2016

Just what happens when you feed a man a Chicken Pot Pie every day consecutively for a week ?

I wouldn't know, took me a bit longer than that.

Pictured above is a Marie Callendar's Pot Pie.

Like many comfort Foods and SPAM I indulge in these items on a fairly annual basis but the Pot Pie bug bit me after hearing two stories in one day. Caroline spoke of ordering one from Chicken Delight sparking my interest and I also heard that my friend Kenny had his Pot Pie stolen from him by a raccoon from his backyard which to us who know Kenny this could only happen to him.

Cristina gifted me a Marie Collander's Chicken Pot Pie and at $5.99 it is in the upper echelon of frozen fare foods but this was noticeably greater in weight than the "others" that I was raised on (Swanson, Banquet).

Part of the fancy schmancy cooking directions was to wrap the outer edge crust with aluminum foil, I am surmising this was to give it a crispier texture which it did achieve.

The Green Peas were snappier and more freshly flavorful than my previous experience with frozen fare and the Chicken was also superior being of my beloved white meat variety.

Marie Collander triumphs over Swanson and Banquet but I am not surprised. Next on the list is Swanson and Banquet to give them a fair trial.

7/31/16 - Swanson - The one I was raised on since the age of I cannot remember.

The Chicken, Carrots and Potatoes are of an inferior level to Marie Collander's but only just, it will be harder to differentiate between Swanson and Banquet however as they are quite similar as I recall.

The Peas are a lot less snappier and probably thigh meat for the Chicken. The outer Crust lining is just as I recall and unlike M.C's preparation process no extra foil is needed to fancy things up as this is just fine and quite succulent on its own. As a matter of fact this whole Pie is pretty much Crust in its own quite comforting and yummy way. Could probably consume about three of these to be truly full in the belly but this brings me right back to Lunch period from my childhood.

Swanson shall always have a special place in my heart as I am quite sure it was the first Pot Pie I ever experienced.

8/12/16 - Banquet - The package boasts 20% more Chicken but this looks very much of the dark kind, not that matters tremendously as a Pot Pie to my knowledge was never recipe wise traditionally of the "white meat" kind and I can even imagine that Pot Pies were made from leftovers at the beginning of their history.

I was raised on Banquet Pot Pies maybe a decade or so later in my history so this is a long time friend, here we go.

General consensus is I cannot differentiate between a Swanson and a Banquet, might have to have a blind taste test in the future. Not Gourmet but totally munchable "what I grew up on" frozen fare.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Cristina's Chicken Cutlet Combo 3/31/16

Cristina wanted a Fried Veggie Sammich (Peppers, Onions & Garlic) but I also needed my Meat so we decided to add home made Chicken Cutlets. 

So Far, So Good and as far as Good this is what was achieved.

Cristina also prepared this dish from scratch aside from the Frying of the Cutlets aspect.

I am always skimpy on the Oil for health and monetary reasons but Cristina poured it on and do you know what?,...

Golden, Tender, Oily Perfection.

So don't skimp on the EVOO. Life is what you make it.

Just Look At Them.

Rule number one is not to show an eaten product in a Food pic but,...

OH YES.

HOME ON THE RANGE, where the deer and the antelope play, (and Leftovers for a week).

OH WHAT AN AWESOME SIGHT.

This was just magnificent and perhaps the crowning glory. Pastosa does indeed make a mean Stuffed Shell and bring on the competition.

This served as a Wonderous heat up and serve dish. I prepared the home made Sauce with extra Garlic and served a Tally Whacker amongst Tally Whackers feasting.

No such thing as Too Much Garlic Never, Ever, Ever.

1/15/16 - Home Made Sauce, the only way.

1/16/16 - Pork Cutlets from Frank & Sal's, they looked great but were a little gamey, oh well.

Potato Salad on the side.

1/17/16 - Aah Yes, home made Chicken Cutlets Breaded and Egged by Christina with Barilla Pasta, Broccoli Rabe and an Egg Ball, waste not want not.

1/18/16 - That's One Spicy Meatball, Red Pepper Flakes for character.

Fussili with Sauce, Grated Cheese & The Meatball.