Making Do and finding comfort, together and alone

                  You don’t know how good you have it until it’s different. While I’m always up to a challenge, I don’t expect the whole world to have to go it along with me. If I ever made a joke that most American pantries have enough to feed a family for weeks on end, I didn’t want to have to prove it.

                             We’re together, alone for a stretch and we’re giving it our all. Some food writers are craving comfort food. I’m in a “making do” mode.

                             After Harvey flooding when a house guest noted we were down to eating leaves out of the yard, I corrected her that we were harvesting fresh herbs I’d planted on purpose.

                             It’s always been the advice to rotate pantry goods each hurricane season, but it sounds like many of us haven’t been doing so. And grocery runs for self quarantine times have focused on potato chips. It’s time to get creative and I’m still praying the lights stay on and we always have safe water.

                             I’m looking at fresh food first, then to what’s frozen, then the cans. Here’s what we’ve been creative with at our house:

                             * Tortilla pizzas with cheese, tomato sauce and toasted pecans. It happened and they’d have passed the taste test under any circumstances.

                             * Relish with a fresh Serrano pepper that was waaaayyyy hot; avocado mayo to calm that down, crunchy jicama  (the last of the first one I’d ever bought) green onions and oregano from the garden and waaaayyyy tart cranberries that my niece convinced me were easy to cook with sugar for Thanksgiving. Umm, those cranberries were still in the freezer, but not forgotten.

                             * Eggs cooked in seasoned oil and topped with home-grown oregano

                             * The last of the radishes, sliced and substituted for crackers with cheese.

                            That comfort food angle does have its appeal and marketers are on the job to make sure I have experienced the following:

                  A crumb of comfort

            New York is famous for slices of pizza, but I didn’t know that crumb cake was a thing over there. Clarkson Avenue Crumb Cake Company is shipping comfort food to your door in classic form as well as blueberry, salted caramel and gluten-free. Cakes are made in the USA with natural ingredients and are preservative free. Forget coffee break. I didn’t mind that some of my crumbles mixed in with an over-easy egg for breakfast. We all need to start our days best as we can now! You’ve got to give them extra credit for flavors of the month: Danny Boy for March was a chocolate stout cake with Irish cream topping. See what they did there?

                             Just the Cheese – One of my home “accidents” is already a thing and now it’s a winning thing. That time a glob of cheese came out like a crunchy disc in my skillet resulted in a heavenly bite I’m always trying to recreate at home. Just the Cheese is an actual product made from 100 percent Wisconsin cheese baked into mini bars and bites, and has been for sale. It is now the first-place winner in the Natural Snacks category of the prestigious World Championship Cheese contest. That’s the “preeminent cheese authority in the world,” proud Just the Cheese makers tell us.

                             My sample of jalapeno cheese, low-carb bites were oven baked to caramelize the texture. Wisconsin Cheddar is another of their popular flavors for on-the-go snacking. Tip: I served these for breakfast as an egg side dish. It was Just the Cheese… and the egg.

                  Absolutely Gluten Free Potato Crisps are hyperbolic paraboloids that come in a canister, so we’re familiar with that concept. The new deal is that this no-artificial ingredient brand is guilt-free for our gluten-intolerant snacking partners in Culinary Thrill Seeking. Sometimes you’ve got to have that stand-by salty crunch and these crisps are ready to please.

                  Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who knows food is still a big topic no matter what’s going on in the world. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Avocado toast: Soon as you can

                 

                             Plan on avocado toast (later? soon?)

                             Culinary Thrill Seekers, please share your tips on “making do” in tough times. Let’s be about creativity and making the most of what we have. I’ll be sharing some go-through-the-pantry tales, but I’d already planned to talk about avocado toast, which I hope is in our near future.

                            Avocado toast has been a thing, yet it’s still raising eyebrows as a breakfast go-to. As much as I’ve heard of it, I haven’t actually experienced it that much. While it seems like an extravagant brunch thing, how much more labor intensive is it to peel an avocado and spread it on toast than to assemble any other flavor you’d like on your toast or tortilla? Year’s a go I’d heard avocado referred to as poor man’s butter. Now I think it’s a beyond butter luxury. Try it with eggs, seeds, nuts, yogurt or cheese. A friend recently treated me to the new Toasted Yolk restaurant in Beaumont and insisted I snap a photo of my avocado toast. It’s such an indulgent serving of total goodness that you can’t see the avocado. But it is soooo there. I hope avocados and other “luxuries” are in our near future.

                  Easter hopes:

                      Family farmer owned Welch’s is proud to let you know that fruit is the first ingredient in their gummy snacks molded into little flowers, eggs, bunnies and chicks. Check Target for egg-shaped packaging or little pouches that will be welcome in Easter baskets. As an adult, I have the self-control to make one of these little bites last a very long time. So, these will be welcome for all sorts of fun decorating projects, too.

                      Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie riding it out with everyone else. Share your ideas with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

                 

Texas peaches are my jam

                             I have the fondest Texas Hill Country memories of Fischer and Wieser flavors. When raspberry-chipotle blends came out, I had to educate people on how to pronounce the pepper and convince them that sweet and hot is a valid taste sensation. Look how far we’ve come.

                             Now in their 50s, they’re spending a season on peaches, boasting a line of  12 peach-based products and also the Gillespie County peach season, mid-May through mid-August and the bounty from about 600 acres of trees.

                             Jalapeno Peach Preserves are now my jam. But Amaretto Peach Pecan Preserves should not get jealous. I just have to leave Old-Fashioned Peach Preserves on the shelf a while. I’m telling that jar to be patient. I’ll come back to it! Das Peach Hous Peach Salsa, for fish tacos, grilled chicken or tortilla dipping became a side for my tamale dinner and my husband emptied the jar behind my back.

                             I’m sticking the Harvest Peach & Hatch Pepper Sauce behind something in the fridge, to hide it. A culinary thrill seeker would immediately see amazing possibilities for breakfast and beyond with these knockout favors. But the old standbys are kept at the ready for a reason.

                             I attended Tiger Landry and Christy Brown’s art opening at The Music Studio at the art deco “Kyle Building” in Beaumont and hey! I spotted Fischer and Wieser flavors spread over a block of cream cheese with crackers. Classic and popular. See, I’m not the only one who lights up when she sees this brand.

                 

  Everything’s gone gourmet

   Who thought of putting pretzels and white chocolate into the peanut butter? And the toffee? It’s nearly too much. No, it’s just right. bNutty is so sure you’ll like flavors such as Crazy Cocoa and Raspberry White Chocolate that you’ll for sure want a logo coffee mug or apple slicer from their web site. One taste of something like Blissful Blueberries will make you wonder how you could have overlooked the humble peanut’s butter for so long. These flavors and crunches are memorable. This gourmet is real. Your artfully sliced apples will be so happy to be paired with these sensations.

                            

                             Mikey’s

                             Grain-Free English Muffins have just eight ingredients and fit into four diet situations, presenting a breakfast/snack canvas for those who can’t eat grain, gluten, dairy or soy. I enjoyed an “original” slowly and felt it was moist and had a soft, eggy texture. The simple ingredients list: Water, eggs, almond flour, coconut flour, apple cider vinegar, egg whites, baking soda and sea salt.

                 

                             Mikey just didn’t want to mislead customers into thinking a gluten-free label meant you were getting a better-for-you product. He nixes artificial stuff to make grain-free, Paleo, soy-free, milk and lactose-free, gluten-free products that he wants you to love. There’s a great big Mikey’s line and they sent me a crate full to taste for you, readers. Pockets come filled varieties such as “Cauliflower & Broccoli Cheddar Cheese Style Pockets.” Note the wording, as this is a plant-based cheddar cheese in a toasted crust. It was the top pick of those who tasted it with me. “Buffalo Style Chicken Pockets” and “Cheese Pizza Pockets” were also on the table. I did especially enjoy the gran-free crust. These were satisfying choices. Cassava flour tortillas would be a new venture for us here in Southeast Texas. If  the nutritional substitute gets you eating more like you’re craving, please, go for it!

                             Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie always ready for a new adventure. Share yours with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

             

Put crunch in your eggs and go paleo/keto sweet

                       

Here’s your Lenten egg update (like your fall pumpkin updates): That panko you bought for some fish meal months ago isn’t going to get any fresher at the back of your pantry. Crisp it up and top your breakfast eggs. Add spinach and mushrooms for a more hearty meal and waste not-want not this season.

                      Paleo Baking at Home

                      The Paleo Running Mamma puts “corn” in quotation marks because almond and coconut flour  - not corn - goes into her Honey “Corn” Muffins. There’s nothing corny about wanting to eat better, so read Michele Rosen’s book and learn how to create “oatmeal” cookies, double chocolate cherry cookies and even bagels from a bagel snob.

                      Pumpkin alert! She’s got bread and pie recipes that don’t need to wait for fall.

                      Rosen recalls memories of being in the kitchen with Mom and realizing there’s science and magic to baking that yields both delicious and beautiful results. She’s tested a lot and it seems she’s perfected. Now that it’s getting warmer, I’m gazing at her Creamy Key Lime Pie that gets help from honey and coconut cream.

                      Sweet and more healthy

                      ChocZero came into my life a while ago as one of those natural lines that is trying to make us more healthy, not trick us. The Maple syrup features monk fruit extract and liquid vegetable flour, which are relatively new concepts to me but very nice in flavor. It’s also a much nicer read than the syrup my husband likes but I make a point of downgrading every time I serve it to him.

                      So, ChocZero now has baking chips with white chocolate and real cocoa butter that will perk up your spring baking. Try the Low Carb Yum’s White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Keto Cookies, or go right to packaged low-carb ChocZero milk chocolate squares. Satisfaction supplied with no kitchen cleanup. You’re covered.

             

              Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie so ready to plant and harvest herbs from her own patio. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Lent is attracting eggs

                 

                             In Law of Attraction manner, pickled and marinated vegetables are being gifted their way into my life. A friend’s famous pickled green tomatoes that she’s talked about for years were a hostess gift to share with others. Artichoke hearts soon followed, then a big jar of eggplant and other vegetables in a spicy oil. After enjoying each of these items, there was seasoned liquid left over to use some other way, such as to incorporate into a salad dressing.

                             The eggplant’s first stop was to pair with eggs for breakfast. It sure perked up my morning.

                             Lent, the meatless season

                             Culinary adventures in Lent are a welcome “challenge” to me. I’m about spring cleaning the pantry, poking around to find that hidden pickled ginger or those poppy seeds that really ought to be used up by now. This year I’m also going through my my late mother’s spices as well.

                             I ought to create some interesting things to share with readers.

                             I encourage Culinary Thrill Seekers to share how they use this season of reflection.

                             Waiting for Cajuns

                      If watching “Wild Kingdom” inspires you to write a cookbook, you might be Cajun. When asked to name the four seasons, you say “Onions, Celery, Bell Pepper, Garlic,” you might be Cajun. These notes, some jokes and recipes came with some good mixes in a Louisiana Crawfish Man gift box I received during the holidays.

                      This sure has me in the mood. Good thing I have some crawfish broth in the freezer. I’m going to make a gumbo while I wait for the vendors that will be at Cajun Heritage Festival, a Southeast Texas Arts Council presentation, set for the Carl A. Parker Multipurpose Center in Port Arthur on April 4. Tell your friends and pack the house.

                   Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who expects a lot of eggs and crawfish to come into her life this Lenten season. Share your experiences with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com