Oscars Party: "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Argo" Inspired Middle Eastern Appetizers



 Whenever you watch a movie that is set in the Middle East, you don't really get to see much of the cuisine. Mainly because a lot of the movies that take place there involve killing of terrorists (Zero Dark Thirty), or the rescue of American citizens (Argo). The truth is Middle Eastern food is not just kebabs and gyros. There are a lot of vegetable dishes, and healthy grains. Below dishes are perfect for big groups, and are very easy to put together. You can do them in the morning, and just forget about these appetizers until the party. This way, you'll still have time to catch up on the nominated movies. I've been on a roll this week, watching one every night. I watched Zero Dark Thirty last night, and let me just say during the 20 minute capturing of Bin Laden in the dark, I barely took a single breath. It was amazing. Tonight I'm watching Argo, and I'm really intrigued to see what all the hype is about (also really curious about Ben Affleck's hair do!). 



 

No, this is not a January Detox post

I hate January, and the forced “I'm on a diet” stance everyone usually takes. I went out to get lunch yesterday, and the salad counter had about 30 people in line, and the other counters had zero (actually, I don’t hate that part, no waiting in line for me). I know we eat more sweets in December than we probably do the rest of the year, but does that mean you have to eat lettuce for the duration of January? Isn’t that the reason everyone looks miserable in January? And do these detoxes ever work, or just make you depressed? Can anyone stand it long enough to lose weight, and actually keep it?