Local books

New releases are stacking up. Read some of these while I continue to add more to this space.

Some Texas books are in this mix, including one by Penny L. Clark, an area historian I’ve had the pleasure of meeting over the years. She’s writing in “Images of Aviation: Beaumont’s Civil Air Patrol in World War II,’ filling in gaps on the short-lived but vital operation. You just may know some of the men and women pictured in this book. It’s from Arcadia Publishing, www.arcadiapublishing.com. It’s one of those neatly packaged issues on very interesting topics. Some others in this line are on a rack at the Nederland CVS on FM 365. “The Vanished Texas Coast: Lost Port Towns, Mysterious Shipwrecks and True Tales” by Mark Lardas features ships, the military, the Galveston hurricane and something I didn’t know. The USS Seawolf Submarine, honored in Galveston, was sunk by friendly fire. The Battle of Sabine Pass is a chapter topic. History Press, historypress.com, put out this book. “Texas True Crime Miscellany” – The Flapper Bandit had claimed she was from Beaumont. But her real mission wasn’t collecting news. She was set to claim some bank money and locked folks in vaults to get her way. Another woman aimed and got a man in a courthouse. She said he’d done her wrong, but some bystanders got her bullets, too. Disappearing men, oil field voodoo and double crossings appear in this Clay Coppedge book from History Press. Bone up on 18 obscure Texas cases.

It’s sweet to support local business and what could be sweeter than honey spoons, up front and center at The Golden Cup coffee shop in Nederland? Stop buy and give them a swirl.

Here’s some more stuff to get you Culinary Thrill Seeking: True Scoops Is it a good idea to create powders so that those who avoid labor-intensive kitchen experiences can make delicious ice cream at home? True Scoops is truly good and easy. At first I thought I’d misunderstood, because you can use an ice cream maker, which I don’t have. I took the option of whipping the powder with half and half, freezing the mixture into ice cube trays then popping cubes into the blender and freezing that mixture to perfection. Another powder created a fantastic chocolate sauce. The process was waiting-intensive but not hard at all. It tasted like the one-and-only time I churned for homemade ice cream. I had a sense of satisfaction of creating and eating. Thanks go to Shelly and Kelly who craved ice cream and created a business. Check out their adventures and wares at www.maketruescoops.com Avocado reset I wonder how people in other states enjoy avocados. In Texas, we go straight to the guac. I remember reading it was once called “poor man’s butter” with a price point below those rich, yellow sticks. I know a man who eats them daily and spreads them onto sandwiches. Avocados, those green guys with the pit, are showing off in Utah, where BetterBodyFoods has released a naturally refined, 100 percent avocado oil spray that is new best friends with my morning egg. With a high 500 degree smoke point from the “king of oils.” There’s no propellants, preservatives or synthetic chemicals coming out of this green can of avocado goodness. Zyn The “amaZYN” thing about Zyn non GMO drink powder is 200 mg of curcumin from turmeric. That’s a thing now, but piperine from black pepper is new to me. It increases absorption. You know I love all things pepper. But these electrolyte powders, mixed into your water bottle, taste like Mango Pomegranate, Strawberry Yuzu and Passion Fruit Lemonade. While you get a tasty refresh, consider this irony. You’re getting cooled down with a drink that is committed to sustainable sourcing from solar-powered, community-based farms. That sun… always working for us. www.drinkzyn.com Piedaho I was going to start out by being amazed that the rhubarb plant actually does create an amazing pastry, just like I’ve seen in recipe books all my life. But now the focus on Piedaho’s beautiful offering could be the delicate and detailed dough flowers and leaves covering the sweet galette. It comes to your door from www.piedahocom. There’s not enough room to describe my pleasure in this space. You have to see for yourself. Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who would love to year about your culinary adventures. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

When it takes guts A plethora of new books and products put gut health out there as a topic. Several of us don’t eat right or could always eat better. Learn bit about it and consider making some changes to feel better and be your best.

Be “out there” about your gut health Proclaim it. Tiiga, Nature’s Hydration is a Baobab Electrolyte drink mix that touts its mission: Hydration, immune support, gut health. Gut health may be a new buzz phrase, but if we all took care of ourselves we could all feel better and maybe pay it forward in the universe. Crazy talk? Eating better is a real thing for many of us. The Tiiga folks are combining the African superfruit baobab to promote sustainable practices and help us all feel better. My Raspberry Lemonade and Orange Mango got me in the right, hydrated direction. Check out www.drinktiiga.com then get your gut in order with finds below: “Better-for-you” cocktail All this kombucha talk! Would you be more willing to venture into the fermented “health” food world if your first taste was in a cocktail? A probiotic cocktail? Let KYLA, an Oregon-based brand, offer you cans of light, crisp, fruity, “multidimensional” flavors with gut-friendly probiotics. Please, let’s focus on the flavors that pop, because unless you need to know it is low-calorie, low-carb, low-sugar, vegan and gluten free, you’ll just be focused on the lovely fruity fizz. KYLA Riviera and KYLA Sunbreak Series are welcome summer treats. www.kylakombucha.com The Gut Health cookbook You don’t see many cookbooks start out with a diagram of your digestive organs in the “know your gut” section. But a few pages in and Chipotle-Braised Pork and Rice will sooth your fears. Freekeh Sal and nutrient -rick kale pesto may be new concepts, but photos of delicious meals should win anyone over. Food can make us sick and food can make us better. This book says it will work for “anyone and any gut.” Put me down for sweet potato tacos, Summer Rolls with Tofu and Peanut Dipping Sauce. Don’t miss bacon in Super Cobb Salad when you can saute mushrooms in smoked paprika and chili powder. The America Test Kitchens book is “Cook for Your Gut Health” with Alicia A. Romano. “Quiet your Gut, Boost Fiber and Reduce Inflammation,” the cover reads. Inside learn how to tweak your spaghetti and whip up a pineapple-lentil salad to go with grilled pork. Welcome better health as you enjoy your better diet. Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who has guts when it comes to trying new foods. Challenge her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

These came along… Sometimes, you’ve got to focus on the body. Here’s a roundup of some ways to make it fun. Wanna get Swealthy? Allulose has been around for decades and RxSugar wants to get clients swealthy – sweet and healthy – with its line of 0-calorie, 0-net carbs, 0 glycemic line. Look for pancake syrup, liquid sugar, organic chocolate syrup and what looks and acts just like white sugar for your coffee. The very week someone I care for was avoiding sugar, these were welcomed into my life. Sure the syrup for daily French toast cravings tastes a little different (than the high fructose poison that I label the bottle). Adjustment is worth it when you’re trying to get better. These did accomplish their reason and I’m excited about recipes at www.rxsugar.com, including one for carbonated drinks. The chocolate sauce is thin, so watch out as you drizzle, because it is actually so good you wouldn’t want to waste a drop.

Rose petals and strawberries Do you pair your syrups with coconut rice pudding, maple cake with champaign buttercream and cocktails delightfully named “Love That Hat?” Get with the times by going old school with infused barrel-aged smoked maple syrups. Vermont-based Runamok Maple has brought back Strawberry Rose Infused Maple Syrup that does more than impress your tea party guests. This flavor is both delicate and bold and instantly drops you into the past. Make it modern with your own twist. This is in the focus on health roundup because it is high-quality and a little goes a long way. It’s good for your soul. Royal Leaf Achieve more is the message on the bottle. Royal Leaf Caffeinated Guayusa Tea in original and lemon & honey are pledging to bring sustained energy, enhanced focus and enriched health to your game. Amino acid L-Theanine gives this elegantly-packaged blend a sustained, relaxed and uplifted crash-free energy. www.royalleafetea.com offers a bit the science behind your strong, cool drink. Amazonians have enjoyed this tea throughout their history and it’s becoming my own-personal buzz word. Gianluca Mech This is a whole line that keto folk may already be into. Beautiful glass bottles with a vintage apothecary look offer Slim-Kombu to support gentle cleansing; Dolce Respiro to support a healthy immune system; Lino Rabarbaro, a regulating tonic and there’s much more in the line including a mushroom soup . There’s even a Keto Lemon Vanilla Mini Cake. There’s fiber and protein and this notice on the box: “Not a low calorie food.” The Cocoa & Hazelnut Spread includes plants like pineapple, papaya and fennel. Powders become creamy warm and cold beverages that deserve your best drinkware. Zuppa al gusto di Asparagi powder, heated in water, became an intriguing soup course. www.gianlucamech.com A BOOK NOTE The Scarlet Kingfisher I met a birder who asked me if I like to read. He handed my “The Scarlet Kingfisher.” There will always be birders that are new to me, but I began to “get it.” Robert Henry Benson, the man standing beside me, was the author of this novel about discovering a new species. Our hero, Dr. Beach O’Neill, is a Texas A&M researcher who finds himself in the path of nefarious characters who want this bird that isn’t supposed to exist. The search will shut down business and take down lives. The love of birds knows no bounds for good and evil characters. Readers get a taste of campus politics, coastal locales and both the mundane and thrill of bird counting and study. I love that the author I met became something of an expert in ornithology, drama highlighted by low-battery cell phones and snakes. That’s the novel life, and that’s Texas. In real life, Benson grows native plants at his Normana-area farm, and loves birding (surprise!), photography and falconry. Darragh Castillo is a Port Arthur area foodie ready to try something new. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

You can eat the zucchini leaves

We were so proud to see zucchini the size of mini pickles flourish in big patio pots. We got two babies… appetizers they were. Then they stopped. But oh, those leaves kept coming. So I looked around and discovered you can eat those greens. Into the pan they went with a little olive oil. Sometimes they were chopped and boiled into a rice dish. I felt a surge of health with every bite. If you’re one of those “Oh, there’s so much zucchini in my garden” people, you’ll feel doubly blessed with this new secondary harvest.

Edward & Sons Do you know how the Smarties candy roll family got into vegetarian convenience food? The “about” section for Edward & Sons Trading Company is a scrapbook of travels following a son as he travels the world and picks up the idea for what’s now Instant Miso-Cup Soup in Seconds. It’s organically made with love and tofu. They do coconut and lots more. My story is about Let’s Do Organic Sweet Potato Flour. I made some boss pancakes for a Sunday breakfast and later a church study group family brought sweet potato burgers to my house for dinner. Get in on this trend. I then tried the family’s cassava flour for what I called a fried pancake. It was a luxury and turned out with a different texture I’d call starchy and sticky. That sounds weird, but I told my husband to pretend like we were enjoying these on travels to South America, where yuca roots are big. I’m going to try their chocolate chip cookie recipe, too. Learn what this family is creating for you at www.edwardandsons.com They can also get you to the new Ecuadora brand of plant-based healthy stuff. I tried and loved Hearts of Palm Lasagna sheets. The hearts are grown on certified organic farmland formerly used to raise cattle. Low calorie, low-carb and grain and gluten-free “pasta” is ready to go from a can and my family would not have known it wasn’t traditional pasta if I hadn’t brought it up at the last bite. It was easy and guilt free. Parma I finally get nutritional yeast as a concept. Parma, a woman-run company, mixes it with walnuts, sunflower seed, hemp seed and various spices to make powders to jazz up popcorn, eggs, pizza etc. Better Than Bacon and Original have made me really, really happy. Vegans and keto folk may rejoice at the wonderous upgrades this plant-based product will give your foods. Play, play, play with with it. www.eatparma.com Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie playing around with her food, even when it is health food. Join her via darraghcastillio@icloud.com

Babies have it good these days. Organic foods, and a chic Bibbrella to pose for high chair pics. My sister got excited over the soft fabric printed with a world map, prominently featuring – by chance – Galveston. Black and white stripes on elastic sleeves you can push up make a baby look like a little French traveler. A slit for the chair and straps so you can fold up that mess make this BPA- and PVC-free product practical for hungry, messy little cuties aged 6 months to 3 years. She promptly put this selection from www.bibbrella.com to work on her Alabama grandbaby, who I must say could charm the bibb right onto herself for second helpings.

Icy Donuts Groves I’m already a fan of this new place’s foods, even though I haven’t yet been in person. Some avocado smoothie, breakfast eggrolls with an amazing crunch, creamy, fruity drinks and donuts came into my life. I’m hearing they strive to create healthy versions of all these goodies and they’re also famous for Vietnamese coffee. The Icy folks are at 3855 Main Ave., Groves. Lola’s Fine Hot Sauce Lola means grandmother to the family that brings the heat from Des Moines, Iowa. Fresh and natural ingredients start in the original, with red jalapenos, habanero, garlic, lime juice, vinegar and salt. Now, are you ready for Lola’s progressions? Because of “extra” ingredients I’m better able to enjoy the Trinidad Scorpion and Carolina Reaper versions. This time I’m saving the Ghost Pepper for last. Green Jalapeno? My fave. I’ve established I’m all about the hot, but I want to exit a Taco Tuesday believing I’ll live to see another. So, the verdict is, like they say at www.lolasfinehotsauce.com, the mission is to use the world’s hottest papers for flavor, not intense heat. Delicious and doable. Who doesn’t? Surprise. There are gummy bears in my chocolate bark. Or peppercorns or edamame. Oh, you go for more traditional options? If a friend loves you enough to send a Chocogram, chances are they’ll order the flavors, message and tin that’s perfect for you. Birthday Cake and Kitchen Sink are also hit-the-spot combos from Jessica Cadenelli, who has crafted an experience that has to make you smile. Order from www.iloechocograms.com because, who doesn’t? Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who melts at the thought of babies, doughnuts, hot sauce and chocolate. Don’t you? Connect to her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Shrimp at home

I plated cold shrimp and spinach salad on a square blue plate and couldn’t help but post it. Likes came in and someone asked where I was eating that fancy meal. Home, I replied. Turns out, I’ve mastered the package of cooked shrimp available at supermarkets. Instead of cooking the cooked shrimp more and shrinking them, I simply let them soak in cold water and drained them. They looked great and were still a bit chilled. My apologies to author Jim Labove of Cotton’s Seafood. His books detail harvesting fresh seafood from Sabine Pass waters and flavoring it with leaves collected by moonlight and ground into file powder. Well Jim, we do the best we can these days. Got to shop from the market.

Bubbie’s Hawaii Mochi Blood Orange is trending this summer, like pumpkin spice in the fall. Bubbie’s Hawaii Mochi is bite-sized into 90 calories. Super-creamy, flavorful ice cream is wrapped in sweet rice dough. I think we southeast Texans need a little longer to get used to this style with Japanese roots. My husband asked “why.” I think the best aspect is that the dough is like the candy coating on one of America’s fave candies. So it melts in your mouth. The dough keeps your sweet treat from melting onto the sidewalk. Varied flavors of ice cream are very good and I suggest you try it to keep the mochi movement going. The more I try it, the more I go for it. www.bubbiesicecream.com Bravus Brewing Co. Who eats all their oatmeal? What if it’s brewed into a nice can of stout? What if it’s non-alcoholic near bear? If you’re down with all that, I present to you Bravus Brewing Co. and their successful experimentation. They’ve got the flavors. Since 2015 this Anaheim, Ca., company has been perfecting the centuries-old brewing craft by packing experience, not alcohol, into their cans. There’s plenty of reasons to reach for one. The taste ought to sell you. I do like a dark and foamy when I go crafty, so Oatmeal Stout was a great choice. Blood Orange IPA is trendy, light and delicious. Amber Ale is another foamy good deal. www.bravus.com Kyla Hard Kombucha Blood Orange raises a hand again to sparkle with Kyla. Keep reading. Kyla Hard Kombucha - Tepache is a fermented drink made with pineapple rind or peel. Peach Tepache with a hint of peach, pineapple, cinnamon & cayenne pepper and Sunset Trio with a hint of passion fruit, orange & guava are a couple of winners in this batch. Kyla Cocktails From the Riviera Series, Crafted & Cultured = Shiso Mint Mojito, Bergamot Blood Orange Fizz and Pom Pom Collins. Anything in either line is just right for summer. www.kylakombucha.com Fire Dept. Coffee Bourbon, whiskey, rum and tequila are off-duty flavors, but they sure perk up your morning coffee. Vanilla Bean Bourbon Spirit-Infused Coffee Fire Dept. Coffee’s “impossibly crafted” smooth and aromatic blend that is a small-batch “YES.” The artistic fire-hat wearing skeleton on “Skull-Crushing Espresso” serves as your warning. As a lover of powerful punches, I love the concept, taste and look of these offerings that support first responders. Forget an image of an overworked firehouse coffee pot of stale brew. Stations have gone gourmet. This coffee is upscale and the crew who thought it up is rightfully proud. www.firedeptcoffee.com Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who might make you wait to eat until after she photographs your meal. Share what you’ve been enjoying with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com