Simple pepper jelly makes it fancy

                             My mom kind of cheated on pepper jelly. She’d basically melt some inexpensive store-bought jelly of any flavor and infuse it with devilish tiny slivers of red cayenne my dad grew. I was of high school age when she figured it out, or I’d have been raised on it. She put it lovely Mason jars because it was so lovely, but she was happy to share her quickie method.

                             I touched base with an aunt who keeps multiple varieties of mustards on hand and she made a sandwich and offered a jar of a friend’s homemade pepper jelly. She mentioned she’d have to hint to the friend it was the last of the gift, in hopes she’d receive more. The jar was dated 2017. Imagine. The peppers in there had probably been grown and processed weeks before Hurricane Harvey flooding changed our lives again. Now we’re in another pickle. May God’s good things keep growing and nourishing us.

                             And now you have been blessed with my Mom’s pepper jelly tip to boost your spirits.

                  Hide the cheese

                  June was National Dairy Month, so hopefully you celebrated cheese. But when a precious little slab of Parrano Originale Cheese got to my house, I was not quick enough to hide this “something special” so my husband saw it everything. I had to share it right down the middle, which I managed to do for three days, doling out the nutty flavor and buttery aroma of a “fine aged Parmesan with the smooth, creamy texture of a young Dutch Gouda.” I put the company’s words in quotes as they more poetically express what is superior about this cheese, and why a family would fight over it. While parrano.com has lovely recipes, such as a cranberry turnover that looks beyond appealing, I’m on the simple idea side such as serving this cheese on an antipasto platter with olives and cured meats, or melted into a tortilla with salsa or chopped peppers. Just maintain your dignity when going for another sample.

                             Gayo Azul Gouda Holland Cheese is another contender for your sandwich, with pepper jelly (see above). Look for the Blue Rooster on this line that goes back to the ‘50s with Caribbean roots. Dutch cheeses were prized there because they were aged and could be stored without refrigeration. I enjoyed a block marked “mild & creamy” that I enjoyed alone. I mean alone from any embellishment such as even a cracker and alone as in no one I had to share with. I figure all the cheese lovers in Nederland – with their Dutch background – should also enjoy Gayo Azul.

Spa Girl Cocktails has a “spring collection” that invites you to “Drink Clean, Live Happy.” Cocktails in a can? The pear version, paired with a patio evening, hit the spot in such a clean way, and it packed a fresh punch. The short of it is you get flavor without expensive, sugary and artificial mixers. Spa Girl flavors of cucumber, peach and pear come in little cans or bottles and “regular” size. Enjoy them straight up or mixed with rosewater, lemons, mint, melon juice, berries or Prosecco. Keep it simple, or go to town with your own “clean” ingredients. Forbes has profiled entrepreneur Alisa Marie Beyer about her business path that lead to these products touting premium plant-based vodka, that are vegan, gluten free, low in calories, sugar and carbs and ring in at 48 calories a serving. It’s a pleasant treat you can look forward to without guilt and the flavors are as delicate as promised.

                             Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who will take elaborate steps to make things simple. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Drinks, vessels and looking good when you toast

                             I hope the Dads out there had a eventful Father’s Day. Every  month Dads need hugs, or phone calls, or little drawings made with crayons.

                             My dad would always ask for lima beans and my husband asks for ribs on special days. Simple requests. Here are a few more thoughtful things that could make someone’s day, for Dad or otherwise:

                  Elevated drinkware for many moods

                             When I see the sturdy, sleek lines of  Fressko’s stainless steel insulated Camino Cup in “coal” with barista-friendly measurement lines, I’m envisioning Darth Vader relaxing with his coffee and going over his things-to-disrupt list for the day. I imagine a barista holding up this durable cup, that resembles Darth’s helmet in a way, with the most grown-up sippy lid and calling out “Mocha latte for Darth?” The cup comes across as a most efficient means to keep your coffee hot on the go.  The light green pastel “minti” cup should have a spot of tea and maybe fit in my moped drink holder as I pick up some French bread on my European trek.      Fressko’s tall glass flask with a bamboo lid and metal filters is meant for travel, but I envision it just for the patio, with a lemon or cucumber slice to flavor water or tea in the afternoon. It’s all about the mood (and the beverage).

             “Be kind to mother earth, to others, and to yourself” is the Fressko message. You’ve hit it when just the sight of the empty cup on the shelf can put you into the mood of a good heft in your hand, a flavor to savor and a moment to yourself. Sometimes the splurge is being kind to yourself. Visit www.madebyfressko.com to get this feel.

Oh boy! Soursop!

Maybe you think you don’t know what creamy soursop tea tastes like because you were calling that big, prickly and green fruit a guanabana. The two words are like a rose by any other name. Still no? Don’t worry, I didn’t realize it either, but I’ve seen them in markets. It’s my favorite of many quality flavors in the JAF TEA set, crafted from Ceylon tea, called the world's finest black tea. I can taste the difference in Organic Darjeeling, the English Breakfast, and Ceylon Supreme, but I’m especially excited about the fruity flavors, which highlight the more familiar grapefruit, lemon and Black Tea Forest Fruit. The set came in display box where the packets were cradled like little gems in their paper partitions. That makes selecting fun, but I’m keeping the soursop to myself. See what else their artisnal, small-batch processing offers. Teas are packed in Sri Lanka within days of plucking and you can inhale the fragrant essential oils. www.jaftea.com

                  Yes to handsome

                             You can’t imagine how much I love sharing Culinary Thrill Seeking and the feedback I get from readers. You’ve got to wonder how I can possibly link some of these topics to food, such as the KeepIt Handsome line of men’s grooming products, such as Fibre Matte to hold the hair and daily conditioner. Well, wouldn’t looking and feeling your best pair well with a night out with your sweetie? At your favorite restaurant, in the park or even stuck at home? Good advertising helps spread the word on good product, and a look at KeepItHandsome.com should hook men of any age into an old school barbershop mood of luxury that you can “keep” at home. Tip: Women will  likely enjoy everything about this line, too. It smells great, works great and is not as pricy as similar brands. Father’s Day is coming up soon, you know.

                             Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie ready to enjoy Southeast Texas and beyond. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

How Big is Texas?

  Dianne Bayes, right, goes in over Debra Bustos for the shot of Flat Bob and Flat Kelli at Tia Juanita’s Fish Camp in Port Arthur.

                             You can join in an epic road trip with three Lone Star travel professionals trekking the Texas perimeter, clocking about 3,100 miles.

                             That total is longer than the 2,907 miles from New York City to San Francisco. Diann Bayes knows it’s 852 miles from Orange to El Paso, but she was thinking “bigger.” So she rounded up Morgan Taylor and Debra Bustos to travel the outline of Texas, which includes the coastal beauty of Port Arthur. The stretch between Orange and Galveston hit at lunchtime, so the group enjoyed alligator bites and pistolettes at Tia Juanita’s Fish Camp to refuel, and got a table visit from singer Hunter Courts.

                             Texas is a state of mind, these women agree. They know people all along the way and naturally everyone wants a visit. They’re even taking Flat Bob and Flat Kelli from Texas Country Reporter on their journey.

                             They’re packing a lot of fun into their trip and you can follow along at HowBigisTexas.com

Cast Iron Keto

           

            “One Pot” does not need equal mushy meals. Cast Iron Keto: 75 Low-Carb One-Pot Meals for the Home Cook authors/bloggers Alex Lester and Lauren Lester prove it with photos of succulent shrimp posed atop paella and a fully, white side of cauliflower rice next to ginger-spiced Classic Indian Chicken Curry. I wish they could prove it to me in person with a plate of crispy pork belly collards with kimchi. They update everything with a little savory twist, as if subbing rice for cauliflower and Portobello mushroom caps for burger buns was not already enough shakeup for some cooks. I embrace it all and I’m only past the Land section and into the Sea pages. Nut-free pesto and Reuben casserole just make me want to get into the rest of the pages.

            I appreciate that authors note they will not pretend that their Southern Gumbo stew remotely comes close to the read deal in flavor or texture – what with that pile of riced cauliflower in the middle of the bowl – but I sure would gobble up a serving of the rich broth with andouille, chicken thighs and shrimp. You’ve got to give and take for the keto lifestyle.

                  The bowls, such as ahi tuna poke salad and surf and turf Caesar salad, that could be my favorite. It’s possible that I’ve tended to eat this way with some unexpected combos and garnishes (think edamame and shredded greens) but I’ve just failed to assemble them so attractively into a bowl. It’s very appealing to the eye and also makes it look like you have even more delicious food for your meal. And please, don’t knock walnut chili until you have tried it.

                             Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie ready to enjoy Southeast Texas and beyond. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

A lot going on...

                 

                             Considering I’m still staying “Safer at Home,” I had several adventures, including all the dishes I crafted from the English cucumbers of Jim & Dodie’s Big Adventure, featured here last week. (Find them on Facebook!) Simple vinaigrettes, creamy dressings and even a wasabi blend dressed these crisp beauties. One of my favorites was topped by walnuts that I toasted with a teriyaki glaze for even more crunch to the salad.

                            I just heard Monsignor Kelly Catholic High School has stations of the cross in a wooded area so I took one of these salads with chicken to enjoy in a peaceful setting. It seems every mosquito there had beat me to it so that was a quick walk.

                             A local foodie gave me another tip that God Grace African Market has opened at 6120 College Street in Beaumont so I ran in there and left with spicy plantain chips, a loaf of sweet bread, a can of egglant and a bitter kola that I’m told will “clean out your insides.” Now that’s Culinary Thrill Seeking.

                            June is National Camping Month, so adventure continued with an indoor camping experiment with Dandies. Creamy all-natural vanilla marshmallows sounds fancy, so how about giving them a name like Dandies. Okay, someone has already made and named these plant-based little pillows with real vanilla and vegan cane sugar. They appeal to gourmets, those who want to indulge and avoid several food allergies and all those little stuck-inside wanna-go campers of any age. If you’re  pitching a tent in the living room and gazing up at the stars on charts, you can pop a batch of sheet-pan s’mores, in the oven to give the family what many consider the best part of camping. Camping equals marshmallows, right? Hey, I softened some up in a little covered skillet set out in the sun and came back later to a heavenly warm and sticky treat. Go to www.dandies.com for more sophisticated Dandies ideas.

            Lucky with luxury

            The Original PeachSkinSheets.com has a 20-point list of why you will also call them Softest.Sheets.Ever. I’m gonna be like all those people who write rave reviews on how they want some on every bed. With moisture-wicking, thermal-controlled, easy-breath, pill-resistant hypo allergenic miracle sheets that really fit the mattress, I’d take more in Sage, The Real Teal and maybe an extra Eggplant top sheet to wrap myself in during TV time. This fall I may crave more in Pumpkin Spice. You can order swatches to feel for yourself and you will also become a PeachSkinSheets praiser. An unexpected extra wow is that the wrinkle-resistant softies don’t need a press for a smooth edge on the top sheet fold down. I have never been so excited to call it a night since these simply elegant sheets have gone down. They’re just sheets, people. But every extra is appreciated in detailing like the peach-colored packaging with a  P logo zipper pull. Bring it on. 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie ready to enjoy Southeast Texas and beyond. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com