From Aisles to Indulgence: Rewarding Myself with Cold Brew and Sweet Baklava at the Mall Food Court After Grocery Shopping

Hello, Hivers! How's your day? I hope all is good. It is a story about being a plain housewife and my duties and responsibilities. One of those tasks is grocery shopping. I, my son and daughter-in-law went to the mall, but they decided not to go with me while grocery shopping. They wanted to roam around the mall, so we went our separate ways. Pushing a grocery cart through packed aisles, ticking off items from the list, I find myself making spontaneous buys even if it wasn't on my list. My grocery cart was heavier than I intended and my energy was drained. After I swiped my card at the cashier, I knew exactly what my next move would be. A well-deserved treat to recharge myself I put the grocery bags at the baggage counter and went to the food court. I called my son but they were inside the saloon having their hair cut. He told me it takes an hour because they chose the special offer that has massage. So I decided I had to go all alone.

So I made my way to one of the stalls, already anticipating the indulgence that awaited me, a cup of cold brew and a flaky pieces of baklava.

I like cold brew because it has lower acidity and bitterness than iced coffee and a smooth flavor with subtle nutty undertones.

Baklava is a layered dessert made of filo, chopped nuts and sugary syrup or honey.

So many foods are displayed. This is Lahmacun, a Middle Eastern flatbread topped with minced meat commonly beef or lamb, with minced vegetables and herbs including onions, garlic, tomatoes, red peppers, parsley and some spices as chili pepper and paprika.

The bread on the left is called Sucuklu Pide, a Turkish flatbread topped with slices of spicy sausage called Sucuk. In the middle is Mixed Pide, a Turkish bread whose common toppings are mozzarella, ground beef or lamb with eggplant tomato mixture, spinach onion and sumac. On the right is Kiymali Pide, an oval flatbread with minced ground meat and vegetables topping.

Baklava is a traditional pastry.

I sat in the quiet corner as I waited for my order. I watched people pass by, families, couples having conversations and other solo shoppers. When the beeper sounds I immediately stand and get my orders. As the service crew handed me the tray, the aroma of the cold brew hit me first. I took an inhale letting the scent to power me up. As I settled back into my place, the first sip of my brew was everything I needed. The smooth bitterness covers my tongue. One bite of baklava gives a sweet crunchy filling of fine nuts. Sweet bitter contrast somehow works in perfect harmony. As I took my last sip, I felt energized. This reminds me that there's always time to pause and savor something good.
This is all for now. Thank you for taking the time to read my post.

Photos taken using Samsung Galaxy21 5G
Photos Edited through Canva