Just put some sauce on it? Really?

            Now how many times have you heard that line? Sitting in Zaya’s on Friday afternoon I wondered to myself, “Why should I have to coat my Roasted Chicken Panini Sandwich in five different types of sauce to create some sort of flavor? I just forked out nine dollars for a junior sized sandwich!” Does no one else see the problem with this? Personally I think it’s all some kind of conspiracy. Honestly how many college students can afford to pay nine dollars for one meal? Our parents sent us here with boxes of ramen noodles and Capri Suns! And may I remind you that this nine dollar meal does not even include a drink. But hey we’re starving college students with nothing else but a sketchy cafeteria that closes at eight to depend on. So we fork out the Dooley dollars or God forbid our own money and buy from Zaya’s anyway.

            But back to the food! My Roasted chicken Panini sandwich was a mere bite size morsel consisting of a few pieces of chicken, lettuce, onion slices, tomato, and some very suspicious hot pink bits in between two thin pieces of panini. As I took the first bite I nearly choked on the dry lump fighting its way down my throat. (Just kidding! But seriously this was pretty bad). Honestly I don’t know where I’d be right now if it had not been for the life saving glass of water that happened to be sitting beside me. Then I had to remind myself what exactly I was eating due to the extreme and almost unbelievable lack of flavor. Seriously Zaya’s a little salt and pepper never hurt anyone.  

            I wish I at least had something good to say about the service but unfortunately Zaya’s takes a “10 minute wait” to the extreme. I personally only go to Zaya’s under extreme desperation and it leaves me a little peeved when I have to wait a year for my food. My stomach doesn’t understand the concept of time or waiting! Needless to say I will not be buying any more Roasted Chicken Panini Sandwiches from Zaya’s in the future… unless I’m being held down and tickled. Harsh? Maybe. But so was my tiny, flavorless, nine dollar, Roasted Chicken Panini Sandwich and that’s just not cool.

*Photographs from http://www.edupics.com/ and grilled-recipe.blogspot.com

Yummy, yummy, I've got loveeee in my tummy!

And on the first day God created the heavens and the Earth. And on the second day He brought forth the firmament and separated the waters from the land. Now we all know how the rest of this goes but what happened after the seventh day? On the eighth day the heavens opened up and there cloaked in heavenly glory descended the best food known to man….Roti! Hal-le-lu-jah!!!  Where would I be without Roti? Probably a good bit lighter but alot less happy and that’s just not cool!

For all the people who must have been living under a rock and are not familiar with the wonderful glories of Roti, Roti is a type of West Indian flatbread or skin made mainly from flour, wheat, salt and water. This dish is typically eaten in the Middle East and the Caribbean but in my opinion caring is sharing, and everyone should have the chance to partake in Roti and all its awesome amazingness. You’re probably thinking “What’s so special about some bread?” Well imagine this warm buttery flatbread wrapped around steaming hot curried meat, shrimp or vegetables. Can you say perfection? As a child growing up in Trinidad, Roti was always a huge deal in my family. It was up there with school and church. I will always remember the trips my mom, brother and I would take around the Savannah to buy fresh Roti from sidewalk vendors. The poor Roti never stood a chance and was literally inhaled in a matter of minutes. 

So would I recommend this dish? Hello what do you think!! You have not truly lived until you have tasted this dish! The heavens will open up, angels will start singing, the planets will align and the world may slow down. So go out and try it but a word of warning…. its a little hard to find!

Phototgraphs from en.petitchef.com and nevisblog.com