The United States of Fried Chicken

A blog dedicated to Chicken and Waffles, America's greatest culinary contribution.

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Washington, D.C. 

 I LOVED THIS PLACE. It's a family owned joint uptown called Highlands. DC is gentrifying quickly so it's nice to see local small business spots instead of the more corporate feeling DC food scene. The coffee was great and the Chicken and Waffles comes with eggs which is perfect for breakfast. Check them out. #unitedstatesoffriedchicken

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Denver, CO.

I’m starting to catch up on my Chicken and Waffles adventures over the past year or so! Several months ago, I went to Southern Hospitality in downtown Denver, CO and found a Chicken and Waffles entree on the menu. Solid meal - worth a try, but nothing too special about it. That makes 10 states and the District of Columbia! #unitedstatesoffriedchicken

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The United States of Fried Chicken turned 2 today!

I can't believe it has been 2 years!!

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St. Paul, Minnesota.

This past weekend, I flew to the Twin Cities for the wedding of the year aka #andremilypalooza in Stillwater, MN. The trip was very quick, but I had a wonderful time reconnecting with some old friends and exploring the American Midwest. This was my first time in Minnesota, and of course, I wanted to try and find a place that served Chicken and Waffles. Through yelp, I found this place called the Daily Diner in St. Paul. According to their website, "In addition to serving classic diner fare and inventive original dishes, we also serve a much higher calling by providing vocational training opportunities for men and women transitioning out of homelessness and poverty."

It turned out to be a really cute restaurant with fun decor and amazing parmesan hash browns. The Chicken and Waffles was good, but not great (although, I did love the syrup!).

With this meal, I have now taken my United States of Fried Chicken journey to 9 states (VA, NC, TN, IL, CA, GA, NY, MI, MN) and the District of Columbia.

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Detroit, Michigan.

Over Labor Day weekend, thousands of Muslim Americans (including yours truly) descended upon downtown Detroit for the annual Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) convention. To cater to conference attendees, several food trucks came through with Halal food options. I was certainly very excited to find that a Chicken and Waffles truck would be amongst them!

Needless to say, I tried it! I ordered the “Lil D” from the Chicken Coupe truck and it was deeeeelicious. The sweet chili maple syrup was outstanding and both the chicken and the waffle were great too!

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I stumbled upon this amazing Instagram account @tishacherry and the hashtag #ArtintheEats and I LOVE IT! Of course, this particular piece of art is especially awesome because of the Chicken and Waffles. Check out the hashtag on Instagram for more - there's even a halal chicken and rice Tupac image!

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My Go-To Sugar-Free + Whole Wheat + Spinach Waffle Recipe

Hey everyone! I made some legit delicious and healthy waffles this past weekend for our family Mother's Day brunch. I used the "Waffle of Insane Greatness" recipe as my benchmark and made various substitutions to make it more nutritious (added spinach and used whole wheat flour) and sugar-free/less fatty (used splenda and fat free half&half). 

This recipe makes about 4 waffles.

Ingredients

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup fat free half and half or buttermilk

2 (or more) handfuls of spinach

1/3 cup light olive oil (do not use extra virgin olive oil)

1 egg

1 teaspoons sugar substitute (like Splenda)

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

(Optional) Dark chocolate chips, blueberries, or bananas

Organic maple syrup, fresh berries for serving

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix well. In a blender, blend the half-and-half (or buttermilk) with spinach until fully blended. Use a sifter to add the green milk mixture to your mixing bowl. Add the light olive oil, egg, sugar substitute (splenda) and vanilla and mix well. Let the batter sit for 30 minutes.

Preheat a waffle iron. Do not use non-stick spray on the waffle iron; the oil in the batter will allow the waffle to release easily. Follow the directions on your waffle iron to cook the waffles. Add chocolate chips or blueberries to batter to make different kinds of waffles.

Serve immediately and enjoy with maple syrup and fresh berries or other fruit.

Tip: Store leftover waffles in single serving ziploc bags and freeze. Reheat in counter-top oven when you want to eat them (like you would do with Eggo's).

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24 Mind-Blowing Ways To Eat Chicken And Waffles

You're the chicken to my waffles. Maple syrup me.

I've been MIA for a while, but i came across this (very relevant) buzzfeed list. The chicken-and-waffles combination has really become a popular and widespread phenomenon - probably thanks in large part to hipsters in large urban metropolitan areas.I can go into how i feel about that in great depth, but I'll spare you all. I hope this list of variations on the classic Chicken and Waffles concept inspires you!

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Brooklyn, New York

A couple of weeks ago, my cousins and I drove up to New York City for the weekend and since I hadn't yet tried Chicken and Waffles in New York, I made it a point to visit Pies 'n' Thighs in Brooklyn! I had high ambitions on my way there to not only try their Chicken and Waffles, but also somehow have room in my stomach for a piece of pie and one of their famous donuts. Needless to say, that was quite impossible and I was more than content and satiated after destroying an order of their Chicken and Waffles. I ordered the fried chicken breast with the buckwheat waffle that came with a berry topping and cinnamon flavored butter. Before I describe the yumminess of the chicken, I just want to take a second to show love to the idea of buckwheat waffles. I don't really even know what buckwheat is, but when it's used to make a waffle, it works. Ok, back to the chicken. It was GOOD. Well seasoned, expertly fried, perfect balance of crispy exterior and juicy, succulent meat on the interior. Tasted like a piece of fried chicken from the south which was nice to find in this hipsterville/yankee town.

Now that I've done New York, my United States of Fried Chicken journey has taken me to 7 states (VA, NC, TN, IL, CA, GA, NY) and the District of Columbia... 

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Durham, North Carolina.

Last month, I drove down to North Carolina to visit my friend, Leslie, who is at UNC Chapel Hill for grad school. For brunch she took me to Durham for a local favorite in the middle of “Black Wall Street” called Dame’s Chicken and Waffles and I was able to cross off another state from the list. We arrived around 10:30am and had to wait over an hour and a half for a table for 2- that’s how popular it is. It was definitely worth the wait!!

I ordered “What a Classy Hen” with a sweet potato waffle and a vanilla almond shmear. Oh my, the chicken was so perfectly seasoned and fried! The sweet potato waffle was near perfection. And the flavored butter shmear was such a perfect thing to add.

What made the experience even more pleasant, was the great service from the host and waiter! The next time I’m in North Carolina, I’m there for sure.

And the United States of Fried Chicken adventure continues…

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Nashville, TN

Wow. Just looking through my food pictures from Nashville is making my mouth water (and probably clogging my arteries too). A couple of weeks ago, my best friend and I met up in Nashville, TN and ate our way around the Music City. We also saw the sites and enjoyed the country music at Centennial Park, Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, and the legendary Bluebird Cafe.

Anyway, back to the food. I can now add Tennessee to the list of states where I have consumed fried chicken. I ordered fried chicken and a waffle at the Loveless Motel and Cafe and it was GOOD. Some other culinary highlights include the red velvet waffle that we had for brunch at Tavern by Vanderbilt University, the tender and juicy beef brisket with sides of collard greens, fried okra, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and cornbread (shared between me and Kiersten) at Bar-B-Cutie, and the sweet potato fries with house-made BBQ sauce at Puckett's Grocery and Restaurant. I also finally tried Waffle House for the first time since it was right next door to our lovely and super cheap hotel, and I was definitely pleased with my experience! I really wanted to try Nashville's famous Hot Chicken from Prince's, but we went over there on Monday afternoon and it was closed! 

All in all, Nashville is a lovely city with so much to offer!

And the United States of Fried Chicken quest continues...

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I ate my way around Nashville last weekend with my best friend Kiersten! Will post all about the deliciousness soon including the chicken and waffles in TN experience.

Pictured here is an order of beef brisket with a side of mashed potatoes and mac & cheese and cornbread-that-look-like-pancakes from Bar-B-Cuties.

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Baked Mac and Cheese

I found this recipe online somewhere (can't find the source anymore, but it was probably on foodnetwork.com) and adopted it to my taste. It's perfect for Thanksgiving or any other time.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

5 cups whole milk, or more if needed, hot

4 large egg yolks, lightly whisked

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 cups cheese: asiago, cheddar, fontina, parmesan

1 cup cheese for topping

1 tablespoon Old Bay (optional)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

>1 pound elbow macaroni (i prefer the curly pasta)

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 cup panko bread crumbs

[OPTIONAL] store-bought marinara sauce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 10-by-10-by-2-inch baking dish and set it aside.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until lightly golden brown, 1 minute. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the hot milk, raise the heat to high and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, 3 to about 5 minutes. Whisk in the eggs until incorporated and let cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the thyme, cayenne and all the different cheeses until completely melted. Season with salt and pepper. If the mixture appears too thick, add additional warm milk, 1/4 cup at a time.

Put the cooked macaroni in a large bowl, add the cheese sauce and the parsley [and a few tablespoons of the marinara sauce, or more if you’d like], and stir until combined. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

Combine an additional cup cheese and sprinkle evenly over the top. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake until the dish is heated through and the top is a light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

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Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic and Chives served with Balsamic Onion Glaze

This is my favorite mashed potatoes recipe that I've used and perfected over the past few Thanksgivings. Bon Apetit!

Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

5 pounds potatoes, Yukon gold or small red

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons garlic, minced OR whole roasted garlic

2 teaspoons freshly minced basil and/or rosemary

1/2 cup milk

½ stick of Butter and some olive oil

2 teaspoons salt or Tony Chachere seasoning

2 teaspoons of Old Bay or Cajun seasoning

1 teaspoons white pepper

1/2 cup chives

  Directions

Add cut potatoes (only semi-peeled) into a large pot and cover by about 1-inch with cold water. Place over medium heat and simmer (do not boil) potatoes for 15 minutes or until fork tender.

Mash potatoes in large bowl/pot with potato masher.

In counter-top oven, roast several cloves of garlic with a sprinkling of olive oil for about 15 minutes or until fork tender. After roasting, smash the cloves with fork.

In pot, add oil, garlic and rosemary/basil. - Lightly saute over medium heat until slightly brown. Add to the potatoes.

Add milk, salt and pepper, butter, and olive oil and mix thoroughly. Add chives and mix again.

Balsamic Onion Glaze

Ingredients

balsamic vinegar

onion(s)

garlic

salt and peper

fresh basil

rosemary

olive oil

Directions

For the Balsamic Onion Glaze, peel a bunch of those cute tiny onions or cut up a small/medium sized onion (as much onions as you’d like) and put in an oven safe bowl.

Add a tiny amount of salt (or a pinch of salt, as they say), freshly ground black pepper, one chopped clove of garlic (and a couple of whole garlic cloves if you love garlic like I do), crushed red pepper, a dash of basil (fresh is best, but dried oregano is good), and a couple drops of extra virgin olive oil

Add enough balsamic vinegar to cover all the onions

Place the bowl in one of those countertop oven toaster things for about 15-20 minutes (I made this number up, but it sounds about right). You want to make sure the onions are cooked, but not burnt. If the level of balsamic vinegar gets too low, feel free to add some more.

Serve the mashed potatoes in a large bowl with the onion balsamic glaze in a separate bowl. When you serve the potatoes onto your plate, use a spoon to drizzle (or drench) the potatoes with the delicious glaze. This dish tastes great with steak, chicken, or seafood. Bil hana wil shifa!

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We just finished week 1 of the holy month of Ramadan! Wishing you all a happy, blessed, and productive month. And in the spirit of chicken, enjoy this brilliant Ramadan-themed Nando's commercial.

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Driving from DC to Chicago with Project REACH.

For the past 4 years, I’ve been volunteering with an emerging DC-based Muslim-led community development organization called Project REACH.

On Thursday night June 13th, the Real Talk youth program went on a road trip to Chicago to visit the Inner-city Muslim Action Network (IMAN) and attend their Takin’ It to the Streets festival in the Chicago South Side.

While extremely tiring, the drive and our time spent in Chicago was rewarding, thought-provoking, and fun! The youth and volunteers from DC were able to explore a different city and observe the similarities and differences between the 2 cities. Experiencing the Streets 2013 festival was especially rewarding because it provided an opportunity to see a group of artists, activists, and scholars come together to promote social change and justice through creative expression.

For more pictures and to keep up with what Project REACH is doing in the inner city neighborhoods of DC, like their page on Facebook and follow @dcprojectreach on Twitter and Instagram! Also, watch this video recap of the trip.