Breaking of the bread

 

Just a few decades ago you weren’t having a “meal” unless you there was bread. Now it’s sort of a luxury for those keeping carbs at a distance. I had the pleasure of making new acquaintances recently. When the setting sun shined through some “holy” bread, I found symbolism in the breaking of the bread, bread and water and good conversation. Good thing cameras are so handy.

 

Bread and water are the basics. Here are some other liquids that enhance our tables:

Livvy – Pineapple Hibiscus is one of the Livvy wine-based hard seltzers with dandelion, licorice and ginger roots. In Texas, we may prefer Prickly Pear Lemonade, but there are plenty of reasons to www.drinklivvy.com. They’re focusing on real fruit juice and other good stuff. I’m finding it’s all good stuff out of these slender, calmly-colored cans.

Zoup – Two guys and some oregano is behind a casual soup franchise. I’ve shared Zoup! Broth with you before and now you can get jars of something new: Seafood broth that’s good enough to drink. Southeast Texas has fresh seafood and Zoup! can add depth to all of it. Lobster, shrimp and crab goes in there. Confession: I may already have confidence in my cooking, but I may be lazy. Zoup! said it was good on it’s own and that is exactly how I served it. Go to www.zoupbroth.com to get something that lives up to label claim that it’s Good, Really Good,

No Need to Pretend – Don’t think powdered oat milk or ice cream mixes are “pretenders.” They’re real things on their own and I’m enjoying Upright Instant Oatmilk for an easy breakfast mix. Look for the Upright giraffe on the package. I tried it in HIJINKS, a powder inviting you to create your own signature ice creams in your blender, and befriend snapping turtles. If you can’t think of your own, try their tips for add-ins to create Blueberry Goat Cheese, Matcha Mascarpone and Bourbon Brown Butter. I didn’t happen to have all that when I got the craving, so I’ll tell you, blueberries, vanilla and walnuts became my signature on Sunday. www.uprightoats.com www.hijinxicecream.com

Stop the Stink with Purggo. A hemp case holding bamboo charcoal will absorb odors a whole year with a main ingredient you could eat (see video at www.purggo.com) but I’m good with slicing open the sleek hemp casing to use those sustainable charcoal bits in my garden. That’s also in the video. It looks like a fancy pillow but you attach it to the back of your headrest. It’s fancy and it has been a working conversation piece in my car.

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who loves how flavors shape our memories. Share yours with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Have you read the one about the tequila diet?

 

Foodie books from a crime novel to a flavorful add-in make this week’s culinary topics. Let’s start with blue agave, which plays well our “diet” book.

Maverick Spirits – Puro San Antonio is noted on an artistic bottle of noble blue agave blanco. It’s a fine smooth selection from a variety of Texas-proud blends. Scents of dry wine, apple blossom, roasted agave and white pepper fill the glass. The “lush mouthfeel” is mixing with fresh sliced peaches someone gifted me. A copper hybrid pot still is making agave spirits in Texas, because what is called Tequila must be made in Mexico. Now both regions can be proud of their flavors. Fly your Texas flag and put your boots up for sips of this Maverick. www.maverickwhiskey.com 

Now, the books: 

“The Tequila Diet” book began when Chef Dave Martin from Bravo’s “Top Chef” returned from Italy and switched from wine to tequila and dropped pounds. His exploration began and now he presents hints of the concoction in pineapple salsa, Anejo Caramel Sauce and sauces will transport you to Mexico. Birria, fajita, queso fundido, rices, and tortilla casserole make this diet. I love the pickled carrots, onion and jalapeno I find in some restaurants and now I can make my own, with tequila in the mix.

Playing with your food is Marie Saba’s calling. “Don’t Worry, Be Ha ‘pea’ “ is her book of 101 Deliciously Clever Food Puns. It’s whimsical and downright playful, says “Bon Appetit,” and me. Imagine alphabet cereal letters spelling out most of a phrase and a photo of an actual foodstuff rounding out the whimsy. That’s how we get phrases like “Don’t go ‘bacon’ my heart” an “You’ve got ‘kale.’” I think I’ve seen “Planet of the ‘grapes’ “ and “Okra’ Winfrey,” that’s just a give away. Saba’s humor is like my husband’s. He can’t break from the Oprah-Okra connection.

               “The Fragrance of Death” – Chef Sally’s latest adventure opens at an artichoke festival booth. She’s lost her sense of smell and taste. Not good for a chef. Then her booth neighbor turns up dead. She grew up with his sister. I love all the cooking and dining references in Leslie Karst’s story. There’s her new cop boyfriend, family Italian dinners, vineyard adventure… I’m not done with this book. I’m savoring it.

“BOSH on a Budget” – Not much in the kitchens of Henry Firth and Ian Theasby look like mine. I have a can of jackfruit on hand, but I wasn’t thinking of making larb. And shiro wat & one-day injera is new to me. Curry combos are exciting to me. They serve them weekly. The pair are international best sellers and this book came from baking lockdown loaves and battling rising grocery prices. Just like a few of their dishes, they are new to me. Personable, talented and creative, this pair is having fun in the kitchen. Salted Caramel Sticky Toffee Pudding, Turkish-Style Pizza and Bombay Potato Salad are some dishes that look fancy but will help you keep cash in your pocketbook. Did I mention these are “Big Flavors” and “All Plants?” They’re all tempting. Think back to what “pennies a serving” looked like when many of us were younger. These plated dishes look like full out gourmet spreads.

Picture This: You’re playing “The Photography Trivia Deck” from a cute box that looks like a little camera. You could keep score with friends, but it could be more fun to recall your high school days with a Pentax and the pungent charm of the darkroom.

What’s the name of Switzerland’s museum devoted entirely to photography?

Museum of de l’Elysée.

When was Nessie photographed?

1934.

There are all manner of photo topics related to art, technology, etc. As much as you think you know, you’ll probably get answers to questions you didn’t know you had. We go back in history and let’s face it. Now “Instagram” has had history. Prep to be up on this fun game. Darcy Reed gives us this selection from www.rockynook.com

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie “booking it” to her reading chair. Share your finds with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Pumpkin Spice season approaches…

The yearly Culinary Thrill Seeking Pumpkin Updates begin with a mud mask. Then get a peek at plant-filled products, with a little style thrown in. Thanks readers, for indulging me here, but remember to keep indulging yourselves.  

There’s “food” in my beauty routine: Food, maybe not, but most of these have edibles thrown in. Don’t eat things mentioned here. Zionhealth’s Pumpkin Mud Mask with French Red Clay and turmeric curcumin opens the season for me. www.zionhealth.com gets you to good-smelling nourishment for use 2-3 times a week, when the pumpkin isn’t in your coffee.

OSD – Don’t eat the OSD Beauty Coconut Body Scrub… it smells so good and feels so silky you’ll be tempted. A woven exfoliating cloth makes your experience nearly “too good,” but you can handle it. You deserve it. A blueberry scub is also in the line of new vegan products from OSD, meaning Only Skin Deep. www.osdbeauty.com

Luxaderme New York – Acai berry, sea kelp, safflower, camellia japonica… pick from plant or pick where you want to nourish and restore. Sheet masks, gloves and booties for your challenged spots get deep care with a luxury feel. Natural art work puts you in the botanical mood as you relax with these treatments. They are plastic negative in that they remove two ounces of plastic from the environment for every ounce used. Very cool. www.luxaderme.com

Listen – FactorFive is for those serious about their skin care and a video at www.factorfiveskin.com fills you in on how our skin can be trained to “listen” for what it needs.

Dr. Nigma – If you believe healthy skin starts in your gut, Dr. N. could have your back, and science for your skin in the form of a resurface/hydrating cleanser. Supplements and other products are made in Switzerland. I’m resurfaced for sure and feel pretty good about it. www.healthydoc.com

Activate Yourself – And here’s something manufactured in the U.S.A.  ActivatedYou has aminos, green and citrus stuff to make your morning, day and body better. I’m trying Essential Skin Food, with 6 plant-based skin nourishing compounds. A capsule a day can support “plumpness” and encourage healthy cell-turnover. With collogen support, it’s any easy   way to feel and look better. I’m trying it, and I do. To both. www.activatedyou.com

It Works – Plantifique uses peach, avocado and strawberry to improve your feet. The less I say about this foot peel mask the better. Looks gross, feels great. I’m not alone. Read the reviews. This is trending. www.plantifique.com

Other fancy things:

And when you dine out get festive with a billowy dress that protects from the sun’s rays from Constant Sol, the softest vegan leather bag from Urban Originals and Famolare sandals for walking on waves. The Constant Sol people are using fabrics from Japan and Italy to style sun protection into dresses and cover ups that look great on models and real people. Maybe you haven’t been thinking of your skin, but we know more about protecting ourselves now. The Solana dress is pretty perfect for a day at the beach and I’ll let you see the photo my sister tried to sneak of me in the Desert Taupe color as the satiny dress billows in the wind. Urban Originals asks shoppers to choose kindness as they shop for just so many styles of vegan leather bags, backpacks, etc. Each and every one is cool and I feel I’m rocking an East West black bag that goes from crossbody to shoulder. It’s just big enough to fill with coupons and paperwork to look fashionable on errand day. It’s the Famolare shoes that are knocking me out. Remember the wavy soles from the ‘70s? They’re sooooo back and for every nostalgic fan there’s a new-to-the-shoe lover digging those wedgies and sandals. Summer Daze is flatter wavy-soled look made with a low-carbon footprint. You can get “high” like you used to with the big waves.

Get the look from www.constantsol.com; www.uobags.com; www.famolare.com

Minty Fresh – Therapeutic Grade Peppermint is the first ingredient listed in Migrastil Migraine Stick, a roll-on to pop in your purse. Spearmint, lavender and coconut oil also roll out to sooth the wearer. These area already my go-to scents and the roll could not be more convenient. I go for the temples and neck. www.migrainestick.com

Stop the Stink with Purggo. A hemp case holding bamboo charcoal will absorb odors a whole year with a main ingredient you could eat but I’m good with slicing open the sleek hemp casing to use those sustainable charcoal bits in my garden. That’s also in the video. It looks like a fancy pillow but you attach it to the back of your headrest. It’s fancy and it has been a working conversation piece in my car.

 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who believes a little greenery can boost everything. Share your plant cuttings and eat your greens. darraghcastillo@icloud.com

 

 

Cut to it: knives elevate the task

I know people always complaining about their home knives. Once I tried good ones, I understood all the pressure I’d been applying for a less-than-satisfying cut. A good slice is enjoyable in the making and your home-grown vegetables deserve no less than superior presentation. I’ve been using knives that were wedding gifts from 30 years ago. Many chef-quality knives are very expensive and some blades are pretty amazing for a very affordable price. Cutluxe has an Artisan Series with pakkawood and www.cutluxe.com offers tech terms such as full tang, German forged steel, talk of degrees… I’ll “cut” to the chase to go on about the Santoku and slicing-carving knives I’m trying that tackle recalcitrant meats and melons to my daily jalapeno with ease. They are ergonomic and a pleasure to use. I’m chopping/dicing smaller now,  because it is so much fun. Even salsas look better. I’d venture to guess these knives are a vast improvement to those most household cooks use daily and they come in $30-$40 ranges and up. Other series in this line are equally attractive and you may have a hard time choosing. But I can’t wait to carve the Thanksgiving turkey but I see lots of bell peppers and onions in my future before then.

Blue + Yellow – Everybody at the religious study group was talking about how much they loved parings of blueberry and lemon. If you think your computers are listening, they must have good taste. The next day I saw that woman-owned Rule Breaker Snacks has created the limited edition Blueberry Lemonade version of soft, plant-based snacks without the top 11 allergens. But, with real blueberries. I got some quick as I could and they put me in mind of at treat of my youth: Blueberry muffins at Luby’s after church. I think they are that good and they are for sure a 2022-adult version that is very good for kids, too. www.rulebreakersnacks.com

Steeped – The people at Steeped Coffee have doubtlessly earned countless merits since Culinary Thrill Seeking has last touted the freshly-ground, nitro-sealed single serve bags. Dunk, steep and go with great flavor. Did you know there was a specialty coffee expo in Boston? How could one sample at each station? I’m betting the Breakwater Blend organic French roast was a fave. These bags are conversation starters, travel companions and game changers. You don’t have to go to Santa Cruz to get yours. Take Your Moment at www.steepedcoffee.com

Fava Fave – My Taco Tuesday fused with a Meatless Monday with a box of Upton’s Naturals Fava Bean Protein Crumbles. You recall what a fictional character proposed with fava beans? The vintage mustachioed gentleman on the box is straight out of Chicago, and created fave crumbles that give you the flavor and mouthfeel of taco meat. They are “Vegan for a Reason” and these went nicely into lettuce wraps for an easy, fun meal. H-E-B can hook you up. www.uptonsnaturals.com for plenty more ideas.

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie “cutting up” with the best. Share your flavors with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com