Pumpkin getting a bit seedy

              Let’s lead with your Pumpkin Update for the week. Beyond the Equator has released 5 Seed Butter varieties that are nut free. Then what is in there? I pick the crunchy and rich flavor of chia, flax, pumpkin, sunflower and hemp as my top fave.

              Unsweetened comes with a green label and creamy goes blue. All three have been fun and filling on apples, crackers, bananas and even some rice. After farming in Louisiana for years, makers went beyond the equator to Bolivia for pure soils and got into Andean superfoods. So there. These are labels to read, because you’ll be carrying your 5 Seed Butters around with you. Hope you love your pumpkin as a health food, too. More holiday finds:

              * Bailey’s Red Velvet is a natural for those who already love this flavor, so closely related to fall and perhaps childhood. Here’s your adult version in a pink pour labeled Georgetown Cupcake, limited edition. Have your cupcake and drink it to, they say, as they swirl Red Velvet into Irish Cream for your holiday hostess presentation. No calories, right? For those of you who serve French toast to your holiday guests, you’re gonna want a bottle of this for “marinade.”

              * Austin Cocktails – Grandpa Fred liked his 5 p.m. on-the-dot cocktail, and his granddaughters Jill and Kelly figure you might, too. On National Sister Day the two were inspired to create a ready-to-serve cocktail line and Austin Cocktails has blends perfect for sisters – and other relatives – to enjoy while hashing out the day or planning the next adventure. Got to give it to these women. Their New School Gin Mule with ginger, lime, spice, tonic flavor, agave and premium gin bottle of naturally-flavored goodness hit the spot. And my sister was states away when I enjoyed this convenient cocktail. Perfect Bergamot Orange Margarita, Peppered Maple Blood Orange Bourbon Cocktail, Ruby Red Cocktail and Cucumber Vodka Mojito are other flavors this Texas-based company has dreamed up through sister power.

                      Darragh Doiron is a pumpkin spice supporter, craving it baked, savory and  sweet. Bring on the season with her by contacting her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Mighty Sesame meets Caulilini

            Confess: have you ever played with sesame beyond the hamburger bun topping? What do they taste like by themselves? How many of those tiny little suckers would it take to feel satisfied? I have a jar in the pantry that could last for years. When I do remember to toast some a pan with a little olive oil I love to experiment with eggs and vegetables. But then I forget again. Tell me you have tried tahini to top your foods. This rich, nutty sesame sauce now comes in squeeze bottles thanks to Mighty Sesame. The convenience and possibilities are there before you. Open Sesame. (I’m sure all the food reviewers just have to go there.)

            Traditionally this stuff would squeeze right on carrots, falafels and sandwiches. Now it’s an easy squeeze into exciting dips and marinade and salad dressing… Let’s keep going. Try it for your next PUMPKIN season fix.

            How easy is it to keep around to squeeze onto crackers or apples? If your lunch is a Bento box, reserve a space for this tahini. You can quickly whip up hors d’oeuvres for a party now, too. I love the flavor alone and how you can altar it with lemon, pepper, etc. into something new and fun. (vegan, keto friendly, dairy and gluten free) The company has TahiniBars, that are also in amazement to me. Little snack bars have a delightful sandy texture that melts in your mouth and get this: Flavors are vanilla, pistachio and cocoa nibs. It is very much on the healthy side but does not come off like health food.

Caulilini

CAULILINI® baby cauliflower is dinner and a show, as it the stems go very green when cooked. But I like this Asian-style variety raw. It’s flashing uslong edible stems and blonde, open florets that are sweet. I get that they'd put you in the mind of broccoli. Some people love their veggies, especiallly when they're this fun. Mann Packing reps sent me  CAULILINI® Baby Cauliflower to promote a variety of prep options, including plant-based tacos for your next Taco Tuesday. Why wait? Try them as soon as you can with tahini.
Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie deep into the pumpkin spice season. Share your ideas and questions with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Pecans deserve a festival

 

Pecans get to play in Groves

                      It’s the big 50 for the Groves Pecan Festival and we’re all ready for some pecan pie, and fun.

                      I turned straight to the pecan section when I received the book “Cork and Knife: Build Complex Flavors with Bourbon, Wine and Beer and More.” Matt and Emily Clifton, founders of Nerds with Knives blog, have done a little science – and genius contemplating -  to create some flavors that won’t quit. She’s from the Upper West Side and he’s from Britain, so, they’re open to a whole wide world of goodness.

                      A twist that caught my eye is Bourbon Sloppy Joes with Cheddar and Pickled onions. Don’t stop there. Gaze at photos and recipes for pears poached with hibiscus and rose, plum and rosemary galette with red wine syrup, chicken thighs with white wine, Meyer lemon and fennel and seared scallops in gin with brown butter and tarragon. Learn to cook with brandy, rum, tequila, wines, beer, sake, gin and more. They view the liquor cabinet as an extension of the pantry.

                      Back to the pecans, please. Turns out this couple would make Bread Pudding with Cinnamon-Whiskey Apples, and that sounds just like what we’d do with them in Southeast Texas. Now, they make Cheesecake Bars with Pecan Crust and Bourbon Caramel for the holidays. They claim that holiday gifts of the bites will make your neighbors forget about all the times you put out recycling while dressed in less than your best.

                      Get the book and make some of these delights to celebrate the Groves Pecan Festival, Oct. 24-27 in Groves.

                      More delish:

         * Jarlesberg Cheese Snacks – You know how there’s real, simple yogurt, and that conveniently packaged, sugary and colored stuff geared to kids? You really have to read the labels. Now cheese can be cheese, and go easily in your lunch. Jarlesberg has added individually wrapped mild, mellow and nutty cheese sticks to their line. I’d pack one of these to go anywhere. They taste a little more gourmet than you may be used to in this format.  There’s a 60 year old Norwegian recipe that makes it taste so good. I read up on this cheese, which has holes like cheese from other countries. Now I’m on board with the Norwegians. Remember, just as in a fine wine, it’s good to read your product’s tasting notes. That’s where I got the nutty note. Once you read about it, the “nutty” really comes out. Learn more at www.jarlesberg.com

                      * Borden Kid Builder -  I still don’t know if Mom ever knew my lunch money was going to chocolate milk. That was a little carton of fun for a stretch of elementary school. If you still crave it, Borden how has little packable bottles of Kid Builder, which is 2 percent reduced fat, no sugar added milk with 50 percent more calcium and protein. Parents and kids should love that in glorious chocolate. I’ve tried it and it’s so rich and creamy I made 1 12-ounce serving last three days in an attractive juice glass. Felt classy drinking chocolate milk from a glass in the morning. Like I was on vacation. And guess what? There’s strawberry, too!

                      Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who is on board with kid foods and big-kid gourmet foods, too. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Not so hard to get into a pickle; Tuesday desserts

 It's not that hard to get in a pickle.

                      Okay, so maybe they’re not real pickles, but they sure look good in a fall kitchen display. And they could impress visitors. Just look how much time you must have spent growing, harvesting and pickling your produce. Or not.

                      I like the idea of pickles more than eating them. There’s such a thing as quick pickles but the ones I just “put up” are even quicker. I raided my mom’s condiment pantry and found a jar of “fire and ice” pickles she made some time ago. That’s the sugar and hot sauce trick on store-bought pickles. Love them.

                      There were only two pickles left in a jar of spicy liquid. I further consolidated other jars of capers, peppers, etc. and then cut up a store-bought squash my sister brought over. I packed the yellow slivers into the “new” liquid and have a jar full of fresh something to admire before I crack it open to enjoy.

                      If you have more faux pickling ideas, share them with our readers.

                     

              It’s Tuesday. How about desert?

                      For 20 years Mary Younkin has remembered how a berry sauce concocted of nothing but frozen berries and sugar transformed bowls of ice cream. She shares Five-Minute Berry Sauce for your own pleasures, including cheesecake, brownies, cakes and yogurt.

                      She follows up her book “The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook” with “The Weeknight Dessert Cookbook” giving readers a grip on coconut lime cookies, brown sugar peach cobbler and pretzel avalanche fudge. Need something to take to all those school and church dinners? Younkin can make you popular. But tell everyone where you got this recipe. It’s a Page Street Publishing Co. book subtitled “80 Irresistible Recipes with Only 5 to 15 Minutes of Prep.”

                  Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who loves pickle and other ideas from readers. Share with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com