The American Gem

To America’s City

For this past Father’s Day weekend, my parents and I packed up our bags and embarked on our six-hour (should have been 4.5 hours) drive to Washington DC. After too many stops, my “slow” driving and multiple texts from my sister, Nina, wondering where we were, we finally made it to the nation’s capital!


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Our first stop was Cava, a Mediterranean cuisine in Chinatown. In our colorful mix of organic arugula, my mum and I shared it with falafel, hummus, tzatziki sauce, spicy harissa (emphasis on spicy!), pickled red onions, tomato and cucumber salad, mint, kalamata olives and feta cheese. It was an eruption of five different zesty flavors in our mouths and the perfect summer lunch to have before taking on this beautiful city.

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After shopping and walking through the heat and humidity in Dupont Circle and Georgetown, we made it to Das Ethiopian Restaurant in the heart of Georgetown. It was such an authentic place because of the way they served our dinner. All four of us shared one large dinner plate that consisted of Chicken Doro Wat, Fish Asa, and Eggplant & Carrot Wat. We were also served with fresh injera, an Ethiopian bread. There were no forks but our hands to enjoy the meal. All I have to say is Ethiopia, your food is magnificent.

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Nina scheduled a boat ride for the Monuments by Moonlight. It was pouring rain and the lightning was nonstop but that didn’t stop us from fully enjoying the ride with our mango moscatos and jazz music! I caught this picture of the Lincoln Memorial right when lightning struck-isn’t it neat?

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We’ve lost count how many times we’ve made our way to Washington but we always look for different ways to explore this majestic city. So on Father’s Day morning, we took Capital’s Bikes and went from Massachusetts Avenue to the monuments. From quickly dodging all the people to taking on uphill roads to witnessing international yoga day in front of the Washington Monument,  it was an adventurous way to start the day but I was beyond ready for brunch!

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For our Father’s Day Brunch, we went to a cute Italian restaurant, Lavagna, in Capitol Hill. We cheered to mimosas and bellinis in honor of our Dad’s first mimosa ever! I took on the classic, Chicken & Waffles. Needless to say, I was in heaven.


Meet the man we celebrated this weekend

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My Dad is out of this world brilliant. He’s a man of few words but his actions speak volumes of the loving supportive man he is. He’s a genius at all things technology. He takes forever to tell his stories. His humor keeps our family alive. He hates the cold but will always keep his heart open for London and New York City all seasons of the year. & he holds an M.D. which obviously means My Daddio 😉

I end this post with my dad’s favorite and daily mantra,

“Don’t worry, be happy.”

P.S. As always, thanks Nina for a wonderful weekend in your city!


Pesto Pizza Phun

And I’m a-hopin’ for Raleigh

If you really know me, you would know that I love to cook and that there are very few things that make me happier than cooking for my family and friends. I am living in Raleigh, North Carolina this summer for my internship with Curamericas Global (best place ever!). I wasn’t sure how I felt about being in Raleigh until I found out how many of my friends are here for the summer as well. So of course, I had to invite them over for a home-cooked dinner!


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I have cooked a lot of things over the years but pizza hasn’t made its way to my kitchen often. I was quite skeptical at first but I was determined to make something new and something different hence the Basil Pesto Mozzarella Chicken pizza (such a creative name, right?). Surprisingly enough, it was so easy to make! After approximately 15 minutes in the oven, the whole house was smelling of roasted garlic and basil pesto. It came out so beautifully but most importantly, it tasted absolutely delicious. If you’re interested in the recipe, check it out here!

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One thing I always make sure of whether I am cooking just for myself or for my family and friends is to make it as colorful as possible because the more colorful it is, the more I am using the food pyramid. There were greens, vegetables, cheese, wheat and chicken in this meal. I decided to pair the pizza with a simple salad consisting of arugula greens, red onions, avocados and feta cheese with balsamic vinegar for dressing.


Meet Moustafa and Usha

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Moustafa who I lovingly call Moose, is a new friend of mine who aspires to be a police officer. We clicked immediately as we both share the same sense of humor, love for adventures and our favorite pastime, messing with our indian princess, Usha. Usha has been a dear friend of mine since we met in the fall of 2013. She’s full of kindness and can talk for hours with just about anyone and I absolutely adore that about her. You know those people you meet who instantly become family?  She’s one of them.

They loved the pizza and salad! Even the 105 degree weather didn’t stop us from a wonderful night of intellectually stimulating conversations, laughing with each other and adventuring in Raleigh. Can’t wait for many more meals and adventures with them this summer!