November Noms

I was studying at the library and starved for food, and a friend passed by and shared half her sandwich with me--God bless her. But I couldn't conceal my confusion. It was a frozen sandwich.
I was unaware that you could buy whole, frozen, baguette sandwiches wrapped in parchment paper.
They go directly in the microwave. Parchment paper on.
I worry about this world that doesn't have time to fix itself a sandwich.

Matt took me to another Middle Eastern eatery in town. The Palestinian owner plays old school Egyptian music from black & white movies of the '40s.  Obviously, I loved the owner. The food was fabulous and fresh.
AND he offers free tea while patrons wait for their food!! So cute. It's a fragrant, heavely, pink-coloured sage tea. I have yet to find out what makes it pink...  

SO not paleo. Finally went out for brunch at the hippie breakfast place down the street. Real maple syrup! Real coffee! Real food! HUZZAH!
 I asked for creme fraiche and the waiter said they don't normally have any...but then he returned with a ramekin FULL OF KEY LIME CREME FRAICHE leftover from a special from the day before! HEAVEN. 

More real food in Chicago, at a NY/Jewish inspired diner with REAL smoked meat and lox that they fly in from NYC. Smoked meat hash with scrambled eggs and 3 cheeses. Fluffy and so, so, Montreal I could cry. 

...but their challah sucked. It was stale and dry. 

carrot and pomegranate salad

someone was really, really mad at me. But the milkshake was great. 

TURKEY TAILS! I/Matt took this scary picture for my Grandma,
who didn't believe turkeys had tails.
She kept saying "habibti...turkeys don't have tails. you bought the ass."

Quails marinating in yogurt and syrian spices.

Quails aren't in demand here at all for some reason. I'd be met with dumbfounded looks at grocery stores when I'd ask where the quails were. I was at the Soulard Market in St. Louis this May, and I asked the bird farmers (? they aren't really butchers...? What would we call them?) if they raised any quails. One stall told me to come back around Thanksgiving, and one told me to come by the following spring. EVEN then they don't raise them! Weird.