Top 10 DIY Food Geek Projects

I found this really cool post on Lifehacker and had to share it. It's more for those on the adventurous side or for people who have lots of time to kill.

Highlights:

• Brewing your own Beer and Soda
• Making KFC style chicken at home
• DIY Smoker
• Homemade Pizza Oven

If someone tries any of these do let me know in the comments!

Hit up the link below for the full article.

Top 10 DIY Food Geek Projects

The Deli (Karachi)

From the moment I landed in Karachi, my friends were hounding me to go to The Deli. I had never heard of it before within hours of touching down in Karachi I was on my way to Zamzama. I should tell you guys, my favorite food in the world is sandwiches, so I was expecting a lot from The Deli. Unfortunately, I was thoroughly disappointed.

First Impressions

I walked into The Deli expecting to see, well, a deli. And by deli I mean a full fledged New York style eatery with giant pieces of meat hanging in open meat lockers and meat slicers preparing cold cuts to take out. Perhaps I'm a little too optimistic.

What I walked into, instead, was a cozy little Mediterranean style cafe. The dull light colors and the sunlight from the large windows gave The Deli a very relaxed effect. We picked out a table for two in the corner. I realized how these are much harder to come by in most Lahore where restaurants are much more expansive and the table-for-two's are usually placed next to random pillars (very annoying).

On the whole, I was quite happy with the decor and the seating of the place (after I'd gotten over the fact that The Deli was, in fact, not a deli.

The Food

We ordered the Spicy Prawns on Bamboo Stick, the supremely popular Roast Beef with Wasabi-Ginger Mayonnaise in Panini and the Chateaubriand with Mushroom Sauce. One out of the three was really good and it wasn't the panini.

The prawns glazed with a spicy/tangy sauce that tasted really good and frankly, they were really fun to eat off a stick. I was told later that I should have tried the Mezze Platter, so if you guys go soon, do check it out.

The panini was okay. There was nothing spectacular about it. It had barely a few slice of roast beef, I could barely taste the wasabi-ginger mayonnaise and the panini was soft and almost mushy. It tasted like something you could have made at home.

The steak and the mushroom sauce that accompanied it were decent. That's about it.

Conclusion

My favorite part about The Deli was it's relaxing ambiance. It's the kind of place where you can spend a whole Saturday afternoon drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes. Additionally, the waiters are friendly and very efficient which makes the whole experience more enjoyable.

The food is not impressive at all. The Deli should try and focus more on their sandwiches, especially if they want to make deli-style sandwiches. I don't understand how their sandwich has gotten so much hype.

Perhaps I was served an uncharacteristically bad sandwich or maybe the chef was having an off day so I do plan to visit again and try some of their other sandwiches that sound amazing, but for now I give the food a low rating.

Food : 5/10

Ambiance: 8/10

Service : 7/10

Pricing : 650 per head

Phone Number : 021 - 35838954

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Red Apple

From what I can remember, Red Apple's chicken kabab roll was the first paratha roll I ever had. This was in Khadda Market around ten years ago. Ever since then, my yearly trips to Karachi included almost daily visits to Defence all the way from KDA just for a Red Apple roll.

Things have changed since then. Hot & Spicy opened up almost next door and the popularity of the kabab roll skyrocketed in Lahore as well. Defence is now littered with joints that will serve you every variation of kabab rolls known to man. Chicken seekh kabab chutni roll? You got it. Mutton bihari garlic mayo roll? Done! Beef chicken pineapple fruit salad mithai roll? Maybe.

Late to the party was Red Apple which finally opened up a few months ago. It seems to have gained a decent following as it is the only kabab roll place that people seem to know by name besides Karachi Silverspoon in Liberty.

First Impressions

Red Apple has been made into a proper fast food place in Lahore and by that I mean they have seating and you’re not forced to eat in your car. The seating area is decent but I don’t really see many girls / families wanting to go and sit inside. It doesn’t have the best of crowds.
My advice: Stay in your car.

The Food

I had a chicken chutni roll and a chick milai boti cheese roll and to be honest I found it hard to distinguish between the two. Both tasted pretty good though. I tried the beef seekh kabab roll as well and that was pretty decent too. All in all, the food wasn’t something that was a world apart from other kabab roll joints. Perhaps I was expecting more from it out of sheer nostalgia.

I will say, however, that the food was not greasy at all, which makes a big difference with kabab rolls for me. Most other similar places I’ve eaten at have food with enough grease in them to power a small car. Additionally, they serve their chutnis in small holders as opposed to dumping them in big plates which makes for a much cleaner experience if you’re eating in your car. You really don't want your car smelling of chutni for the next five months.

Conclusion

Red Apple makes for a decent meal especially if you are looking to sit and eat somewhere and not just take away. If nothing else, you can always get it delivered if you live in Defence. Red Apple has upped their game by providing online delivery services. If you guys are looking for a cheap eat that's a little better than road-side food, Red Apple is the place to go to.

Food : 7 / 10

Ambiance : 3/10

Service : 5 / 10

Pricing : 200 per head

Phone Number : 042-5747008

http://www.redapple.com.pk/lahore/

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