Takeout Time: Shawarmaji

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The chicken shawarma arabi style at Shawwarmaji.
The chicken shawarma arabi style at Shawwarmaji.

After taking Oakland by storm, Chef Mohammad Abutaha opened a second location of his Shawarmaji last last year not far from Santa Clara University.

The fast-casual Jordanian street food eatery opened with a more limited menu — just chicken and falafel — than its East Bay sister establishment that also features a shawarma blend of beef and lamb. However, when I visited two weeks ago, I was told that beef-lamb finally will be offered in Santa Clara starting sometime this month, if all goes according to plan. So, get your appetite ready.

For the uninitiated, shawarma is vertically spit-roasted meat, marinated in yogurt and spices, that is shaved to order.

The proprietor.
The proprietor.
Art on the walls.
Art on the walls.

Unlike the Oakland location, the twirling towers of meat aren’t on display behind the counter in Santa Clara, but in the kitchen.

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Summer’s Silky Marinated Zucchini

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Zucchini get blotted of excess moisture, then pan-fried, and finally layered with aromatics.
Zucchini get blotted of excess moisture, then pan-fried, and finally layered with aromatics.

Don’t get me wrong — I do love zucchini bread, that all-American, tender teacake creation.

But it was the Italians who made me love zucchini’s savory side.

They definitely do have a way with this staple summer squash.

Maybe it was making Stanley Tucci’s much ballyhooed take on the classic spaghetti with zucchini alla Nerano last year that sealed the deal on this newfound appreciation for it. In any event, I can’t seem to get enough of zucchini this summer.

Case in point, when I spied the recipe for “Silky Marinated Zucchini,” I knew I had to make this simple dish.

It’s from “Portico” (W.W. Norton & Co.), of which I received a review copy, that explores the Roman Jewish repertoire of cooking.

It’s by Leah Koenig, the Brooklyn-based author of seven cookbooks that have spotlighted the world of Jewish cuisine.

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Time for Thai Cornish Game Hens with Chili Dipping Sauce

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A simple marinade, a toss on the grill, and an easy chile dipping sauce to finish are all that's involved in making this punchy Thai Cornish game hen dish.
A simple marinade, a toss on the grill, and an easy chile dipping sauce to finish are all that’s involved in making this punchy Thai Cornish game hen dish.

You know that favorite, forgotten shirt you stumble upon one day in the back of your closet, and rejoice?

That’s what I think of Cornish game hens.

These small birds are usually hidden away on a low shelf in the grocery store freezer — if you’re able to find them at all.

When you do, and throw them into your shopping cart for the hell of it, you remember just how good they are and how you really ought to cook with them more often.

That’s what ran through my head after one taste of “Thai Cornish Game Hens with Chili Dipping Sauce.”

The recipe is from “The Outdoor Cook” by America’s Test Kitchen, of which I received a review copy.

Perfect for this time of year, this cookbook is filled with 150 recipes for cooking on grills (both gas and charcoal), griddles, planchas, rotisseries, pizza ovens, and smokers.

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Feasting At Lily on Clement

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Turmeric fish with rice noodles at Lily on Clement.
Turmeric fish with rice noodles at Lily on Clement.

Spend any time with Chef Rob Lam and it won’t be long before you’re howling with so much laughter that your insides hurt.

He has an outrageous sense of humor, along with a mischievous air about him that my late-mom would have surely described as “looking like he’s up to no good.”

On the contrary, what he’s up to is actually all good at Lily on Clement in San Francisco, where he’s turning out boldly flavored, contemporary Vietnamese dishes.

A couple weeks ago, my husband and I took my aunt to lunch here. While I picked up the tab, Lam added a few dishes on the house that he wanted us to try. Good thing my Chinese American auntie has a hearty appetite!

Chef Rob Lam.
Chef Rob Lam.
Take your pick of bar or table seating inside or a few tables outside.
Take your pick of bar or table seating inside or a few tables outside.

Lam, who also owns Perle Wine Bar in Oakland, opened Lily on Clement during the pandemic, and thankfully, managed to survive. In addition to dinner six nights a week, the restaurant also offers brunch or lunch, Friday through Sunday, which encompasses a la carte options, as well as a $32 two-course prix fixe that includes a specialty beverage, too.

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Presenting BTS — Of A Different Sort

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BTS -- as in the sandwich.
BTS — as in the sandwich.

Get ready for BTS coming your way.

Nope, not the South Korean boy-band sensation. But the summer classic of bacon, lettuce and tomato elevated with the addition of shiso.

Yes, a “BTS” sandwich.

You know that Sawako Okochi and Aaron Israel, co-chefs and co-owners of Brooklyn’s Shalom Japan restaurant, coyly knew what they were doing when they coined this sensational sandwich, the “BTS,” even though, technically, it really out to be a “BLTS.”

Semantics aside, this carefully crafted sandwich is all about the details. A cinch to make, it includes a couple of steps that make all the difference between a mundane sandwich and a great sandwich.

This marvelous recipe is from the new cookbook, “Love Japan” (Ten Speed Press), of which I received a review copy. The couple wrote the book with the talented food writer, Gabriella Gershenson, an editor at Wirecutter.

The book includes more than 80 home-style Japanese American dishes that cull from Okochi’s Japanese roots and Israel’s Jewish heritage, a blend that has proved winning at their unique Brooklyn restaurant.

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