Bacon Naan Roll

Are you ready for a fun twist on a familiar breakfast idea?

I think for most of us, bacon is a breakfast staple. If not, well, I won’t tell you to change your life, because you are probably healthier than I am. Keep it up!

For the rest of us, this sandwich is heaven! Bacon is already MVP of breakfast sandwiches and even tacos, but at least in my experience, it’s rarely billed as the star, except in that one Harry Potter book where Mrs. Weasly made a stack of bacon sandwiches for Harry and Ron, and then I spent probably too much time wondering what plain bread and bacon taste like together. Probably delicious, but I still want something more to go with the bacon, you know?

And here, we get something more! I’ve learned that plain bacon sandwiches are kind of a British thing (I think) and in London, I tried a variation on that classic updated with cream cheese, scallions, and tomato sauce and wrapped in soft, griddled naan instead of smashed between two pieces of bread. This wrap, the bacon naan roll, is the signature breakfast dish at Dishoom, and if you go to London and land in the morning, seriously, Dishoom should be your first stop. Run, don’t walk there immediately, even with your luggage still in tow. They have multiple locations so chances are there will be one near your hotel.

I’m not going back to London anytime soon, but lucky for me, this could not be simpler to recreate at home. I whipped up a batch of scallion cream cheese, fried up some bacon, and added hot sauce to the sauciest gourmet ketchup I could find. All of that got rolled up in soft, homemade yogurt naans, which I would highly recommend. However, store-bought will do if you don’t want to bother with making naan first thing in the morning (but honestly the level of effort is less than french toast so I say go for it)!

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Bacon Naan Roll

Inspired by Dishoom’s famous breakfast roll.

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened

• 3 scallions, thinly sliced

• 12 strips of bacon

• 1/4 cup spicy tomato relish (see notes)

• 4 naan (homemade recipe below)

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a mixing bowl, add the cream cheese. Whip on medium-high speed with a whisk attachment until lightened and fluffy. Add in the scallions and fold to combine with the cream cheese.

2. In a large, heavy skillet, cook the bacon until just crispy. You don’t want it over-crisp for these sandwiches so the bacon can easily fold up in the naan. Drain bacon on paper towels and set aside.

3. Wipe out your skillet and place a naan in the skillet. Cook for about 30 seconds on each side to warm the naan. Transfer to a plate and wrap in a clean dishcloth. Repeat with remaining naan.

4. Assemble the naan rolls: Spread a layer of scallion cream cheese onto each naan, as much or as little as you like, though indulging here is not a bad idea! On top of the cream cheese, spoon a bit of the tomato relish and spread around. Place 3 strips of bacon on top and fold the naan up into a roll, either in a cylinder like a closed taco or like a burrito with one end open, if your naan is big enough. Enjoy warm!

Notes:

• The tomato sauce on the bacon roll I had in the restaurant reminded me a lot of the “house-made ketchup” a lot of restaurants insist on serving. So, to approximate it, try buying the fanciest ketchup you can, or if you can find it, I found a sauce called “tomato Irish relish” that had the exact consistency I wanted, and mixed with a tablespoon of hot sauce, the perfect sweet-spicy flavor I was looking for.

If you want to make your own naan (recipe adapted from Power Vegetables):

• 1 1/3 cup all purpose flour, plus more for dusting

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 1/4 tsp baking powder

• 2/3 cups plain, whole milk yogurt

• olive oil, for cooking

1. Whisk together dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, then stir in the yogurt. Knead the mixture with your hands to fully combine into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least one hour.

2. Heat a cast iron or other heavy bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Divide your dough into 4 balls, and roll each into 8-inch disks.

3. Cook one at a time in the pan. Drizzle the pan with a little olive oil, then place a dough disk in the pan. Cook for about 1 minute on each side, until bubbles start to form and the dough looks a little puffy. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining dough. Keep warm covered with a clean dish towel if using right away.

Roasted Mustard Broccoli & Tikka Masala Sauce

There are two kinds of people I’m just never going to agree with:

1. People who don’t like leftovers.

2. People who don’t like vegetables.

If you identify as one of those types, we can probably be friends, but you may not want to come eat at my house. If you identify with both of those statements, well, we can still be friends but I’m going to judge you, harshly.

I won’t address the issues with leftovers today, but I do want to talk about vegetables. If you say you don’t like them, then the only explanation I can think of is that you are just doing them wrong. Why do people hate vegetables so much? Why don’t they get more love? Sure, this may be the era of superfoods like kale, and ok, we’ve discovered how to turn cauliflower into almost anything, but I want everyone to be excited about vegetables for what they are, not just trying to rationalize eating them for wellness or using them as virtuous replacements for other ingredients.

Vegetables are delicious! I mean, truly, the flavor and variety is so astonishing! Why can’t they get more starring roles?

I think about this a lot whenever I go out to eat. The meat dishes on the menu sound good, sure, but I always find myself drawn to the appetizers or vegetable sides, where the more interesting things are happening. Oh, you roasted a chicken and paired it with mashed potatoes? Yawn. I can do that. You turned broccoli into tacos? HOW DID YOU DO THAT?? I MUST TRY IT!

When I was in London this past Winter I went to dinner at Gunpowder, an Indian restaurant on the South Bank near Tower Bridge. I ordered the mustard fish and the mustard broccoli (I guess I just like mustard?). The fish was incredible, full of flavor and steamed to perfection in a banana leaf. But it was the broccoli that grabbed my attention. What I had expected to be a simple plate of grilled veggies came out as a pile of thick, charred broccoli stems arrayed atop an orangey, spiced sauce and accompanied by a steak knife. A steak knife! Anytime you get a knife with your veggies, you know it’s gonna be fun. I think the man sitting next to me agreed. We both uttered a “whoa” when the server placed the broccoli in front of me, and looked at each other in shared admiration of broccoli asserting itself in such a way.

The knife turned out to be necessary for breaking down the florets, which were large enough that I felt like I was doing cruciferous butchery. The sauce revealed itself to be a tikka masala-ish mixture that paired so well with the smoky, charred broccoli, I was kind of astounded that I’ve only ever had it with chicken. Why does it never get paired with veggies? It’s the perfect compliment. I mean, especially for cauliflower, which just tastes like whatever you add to it, right? But the broccoli added just enough of a bitter contrast to really counter the rich, creamy sauce. I loved it so much I knew I’d be adding it to my home repertoire of main dishes.

And here we are! I roasted the broccoli for simplicity and because I don’t have a grill. You can finish it under the broiler if you really want that charred, smoky flavor. The sauce is a fairly basic tikka masala, and served with a side of rice, makes a really full, rich meal for a weeknight that nevertheless won’t weigh you down. I think the sauce would also be excellent on it’s own to have in your arsenal, for nights when you’ve got some meat, tofu, or really anything extra sitting around that needs a little help (see? Leftovers! Maybe I am addressing that issue today).

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Roasted Mustard Broccoli & Tikka Masala Sauce

Broccoli & Tikka Masala both adapted from Bon Appetit. This makes an excellent side dish or a hearty main served over basmati rice.

For the Mustard Roasted Broccoli:

• 2 small heads broccoli, broken into florets (or cut into thick steaks)

• kosher salt

• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

• olive oil, plus more for pan

• 1 tbs whole grain mustard

• 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

• 1/2 tsp amchoor powder

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp turmeric

For the Tikka Masala sauce:

• 3 tbs ghee (or butter)

• 1 small white onion, thinly sliced

• 1/4 cup tomato paste

• 6 cardamom pods

• 3 dried chiles de arbol

• 1 tsp ground ginger

• 2 tsp turmeric

• 1 tsp garam masala

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 1 tsp cumin

• 2 tsp kosher salt

• 1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 3/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for serving

1. Make the tikka masala sauce: heat ghee in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, tomato paste, cardamom pods and chiles, and cook until onions are softened a bit, about 5 minutes. Add in the spices and salt and cook another 4 minutes, until spices start to darken and turn fragrant.

2. Add in the tomatoes and their juice and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently and smashing the tomatoes against the sides of the pot with your spoon to break them up as they cook.

3. Add in the heavy cream and cilantro and stir everything together. Simmer 40 minutes, until starting to thicken.

4. Remove sauce from heat and blend until smooth, using a blender or immersion blender. Return to the heat and simmer another 20 minutes.

5. While the sauce is simmering, make the broccoli: heat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil, then blanch the broccoli florets, two minutes, until bright green. Drain and dry with paper towels.

6. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mustard, paprika, amchoor, cumin and turmeric with enough olive oil to form a thick marinade, about 2 tablespoons. Add the blanched broccoli to the bowl and toss to coat everything thoroughly.

7. Grease a rimmed baking sheet and spread the broccoli in an even layer. Roast for 15-20 minutes until crispy and starting to char at the tips (you can finish under the broiler if you want a little more char).

8. To serve, Spoon a thick layer of the sauce in the bottom of a serving dish and arrange the broccoli on top. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.

Berlin & Prague

Berlin

When I told people I was planning to go to Berlin, the most frequent response was “why?”

I didn’t really understand this reaction. All I’ve been reading for the last few years is how vibrant Berlin has become, how interesting to visit, how offbeat and arty. That sounds like a fun place to visit to me, anyway, and I wanted to experience it for myself.

So did it live up to the hype, or am I now going to be replying to others with skepticism when they tell me they plan to go to Berlin?

Well, let’s see.

First, the good:

• Berlin is actually pretty scenic, in it’s own, austere way. You’ve got to be into a graffiti aesthetic, maybe, to really consider it “beautiful,” but I was charmed by the river and the forceful architecture.

• You can explore a lot of it, and quickly. I planned to have about a day and a half in Berlin, which was enough time to hit the highlights as long as I completely disregarded the health of my feet, which I did. I want to just say sorry and thank you to my black booties. You were good to me, I’m sorry our journey had to end in a hotel trash can in London.

• There’s more to see than you might think! There’s Haus Schwarzenberg, Alexander Platz, Museum Island, Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenburg Gate, the Tiergarten and the remnants of the wall on the East side. You’ll see a ton of street art, architecture, history, and one tiny little guardhouse.

• German food = carbs! Since I was visiting in winter, I took full advantage. I started my first day with a giant beef-stuffed onion and ended with a massive doner kebab sandwich the size of my head, which I ordered entirely in German, dankeverymuch! Breakfast was a giant cinnamon bun, or Zimtschnecke. Isn’t that such a great word? I never did get to try the city’s famous curry wurst, my stomach just didn’t have the room, but I guess I have something to look forward to next time, because…

The not so good:

• I couldn’t thinking that I’d arrived in Berlin a few months too soon. All the closed outdoor bars I passed along the river and shuttered biergartens made me realize it must be an amazing place to visit in Summer. In the first week of March, the city still feels a bit like it’s in hibernation.

• Apart from a range of sightseeing, I also experienced a full range of weather, from sunshine to rain to hail, sometimes all three at once.

• I also got spit on by a passing cyclist, which was kind of the low point, obviously, but since my high school German hasn’t stuck with me enough to decipher what he yelled at me as he rode past, I can’t really say what he found so offensive about my presence.

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Prague

The reaction when I told people I was going to Prague was a bit more positive. It seems like everyone I know has been to Prague at some point or knows someone who went to Prague. Judging by the amount of tourists in Prague, I’d believe it if you told me visiting the Czech Republic had now become mandatory for the entire human race. Copenhagen and Berlin felt quiet, Prague felt FULL.

My mom, who had met me in Berlin before we took the train to Prague, confirmed this for me. This was her second time in the city, but her last trip was in the early 90s, when many central European countries were just emerging from behind the Iron Curtain. On that trip, she said it was hard to even find an open restaurant! In 2019, it was a completely different story, with the tourism infrastructure firmly in place.

Every other shopfront had a board out front advertising the best goulash, dumplings, and various pork parts I didn’t even realize people could eat. All, of course, to be washed down with a pilsner. And in between the restaurants, there are infinite ice cream shops advertising various soft serve flavors swirled into Prague’s most famous pastry, the chimney cake, or trdelník. And if you are full from all the pork knees and ankles and various carbs, there’s a million tourist shops where you can buy a marionette version of whatever celebrity you wish.

If it sounds like I’m coming down on Prague, I promise I’m not. I really loved it, and I don’t think I’ve ever been anywhere else that felt so Europe, Capital E to me. But the transition from a Berlin that felt like it was sleeping to a city absolutely mobbed with people was a bit shocking.

But it’s ok. Because if you look past all the people pushing you and making you late for boat tours, the architecture and age of Prague can be truly stunning. In the Old Town Square, you can stop and stare forever at the Astronomical Clock and its intricate workings. Then there’s the Charles Bridge, which was built by the Romans in 1402 yet is somehow still sturdily standing. You can make the violently windy trip across it to the other side of the city, and hike or take the tram up the winding, cobblestoned streets to Prague Castle. The tram will be easier but the hiking will help with the beer.

Oh, did I mention Prague is a beer city?

While you are up atop the hill by Prague Castle, skip the Starbucks and head over to the Strahov Monastery and try their house beers, brewed right on site. Or, you can head back down the hill and choose to believe the sign claiming the oldest tavern in Prague, and stop in for their beer, also brewed in house and just a tad unfiltered. There, you can linger too long taking portrait mode photos with your giant mugs of beer and miss your river cruise. Totally worth it.

Once you’ve had your fill of beer, head out for just one more meal of stews and dumplings and potatoes. It’s ok, it’s cold outside and cabbage is a vegetable, I promise.