Onions are 'sweet' gems in this house

 

The Texas 1015 Super Sweet

Santa left a sack of onions by my fireplace. That’s not a mixed message to a foodie. That’s the best gift ever, suitable for sharing. I confess it was me that bought the big, red mesh bag of onions from my favorite produce stand in The Valley, on my way back from Harlingen. This place gives orange and pineapple samples, boasts a selection of Mexican pottery and also has some adorable cats running about. I could nearly make a meal of onions sliced through the mandoline and sauteed in various sauces. We gifted some precious onions to foodie friends. When a guest spotted the rest of the bag, displayed as proudly as our holiday décor, he shyly asked if we could spare another. Granted. A Texas Super Sweet is my kind of gift, too.

 Onions for breakfast - If the warm octopus salad doesn’t get you in the mood for healthy eating, just flip to shrimp and “grits” from yucca or tacos with jicama shells. Healthy substitutions don’t have to be a “trick.” Go with the delicious flows in “Spice Kitchen: Healthy Latin and Caribbean Cuisine.” Hell’s Kitchen winner Ariel Fox shares 110 winners in a book that takes us from breakfast of Raspberry-Key Lime Morning Bread to Rum Cake for dessert. Her intro stories may introduce us to new flavor combos, but she’s willing to remind us of the very basics, like cooking eggs. I’m trying her ways now. I love this book and her personality. Simple Lime Vinaigrette gets me ready for resolution season. It features juice of two limes, Dijon mustard, coconut sugar, sea salt an avocado oil. Now, here’s an onion reference. Pickled Onions and Peppers is a cooked concoction the author puts on “just about everything.” She shares her recipe for this blend with coconut sugar, apple cider vinegar and allspice in her breakfast section. Sounds like this could be best friends with eggs.

 A little ghost pepper for breakfast never hurt either. FreshJax mixed it into one of their sea salt blends and I tried it on a slab of heirloom potato and tried the Campfire smokey on the star of this week’s column: the onion. So I’m “fired up” on this Jacksonville, Florida family of organic spice makers who took it from farmer’s market to big ol’ deal. My baked potato gets sriracha salt and I’m for sure trying maple cinnamon, with Himalayan pink salt, over ice cream, pancakes and oatmeal and in coffee.  I’m sure the onions won’t get jealous. Oh what the hey. I’m pretty sure it’s good on onions, too. Learn how spicy peppers can be family, and how the family is working against hunger at www.freshjax.com P.S. Their salt-free Spicy Popcorn Blend perks up other faves, including sauces, pizza, pasta an veggies. I contacted a Florida friend who read all about the family and is getting interested.

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie mad for onions. Share you adventures with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com #culinarythrillseeking

Get blending with hummus variations

 

  All good southerners have been trained to have nibble fixin’s in the pantry, in case visitors drop in. These days, I’d consider hummus a good option. Keep a can of chickpeas ready to blend with olive oil and lemon juice (I should get some tahini) and you’ve got something to set out with veggies or crackers. Forget company. Sometimes you just crave the stuff. I served happy guests then confessed there was a big dose of cottage cheese in the blend. Before mixing, I added bell pepper and onion so I got a lovely color and flavor. You can try other beans, too. So maybe it is not technically hummus if you substitute white, pinto or black beans, but you’ve got a healthy-option bean dip in any case. Did I just make you hungry for hummus? Get blending.

It’s for Dawgs – If crunchy, creamy, natural peanut butter is your deal, remember it could be your dog’s fave, too. Paw Power Nutrition explains why their blends are better than some nut butters humans eat. They make it sound so good you want a taste. Reviews indicate many pet owners have felt the same way. Um, I’m not a pet owner. But when pumpkin and blueberry versions came to my house for dog acquaintances of mine, I investigated and then I sampled. I’m a fan. The texture of the nuts was so fine and I’m feeling this is simply a superior butter. Fill a toy with this butter and keep it in the freezer to keep your pup occupied longer. Hide their meds, offer it straight from a spoon or a lick mat or distract them at nail clipping time. Cook them healthy treats. I heard from dogs I know who sampled different blends. Owners say it was a hit all around. Bone up at www.pawpowernutrition.com

My Pretties:

Rocking It – Tsuri means rock. Foodies into lavender and yuzo for aromatic body care and washing their produce in a key lime based product, rock it with The Tsuri Company. Creator Ashli Goudelock is a certified formulator cultivating a community of women recognizing self-care is a needed thing. This Alpharetta, Georga-based company entices with Yuzo + Ylang Ylang Body Oil Bar and Cashmere + Vanilla Body Crème. This is a whole new way to enjoy cashmere, with “skin-identical ingredients.” I’m sampling some of these luxurious products that uplift you and your home surroundings. I could go on, but you can go to www.thetsuricompany.com

Ink & Bumps – There are certain aromas I associate with good, healthy living. The rose hip, lemongrass and lavender in Bump Oil from Ink Oil are drawing me in to New Year’s Resolution season. It’s designed for reducing the scaring and itching of stretch marks and there’s a silhouette of a woman with child on the label. That’s not my condition, but I’m loving this fragrant spray as a skin-nourishing uplifter. Nor am I “covered in tattoos and dog hair,” but I know where you can get a T-shirt with this sentiment. www.shopinkoil.com gets you to special soaps and such to care for inked skin. I’m here for the bonus blends.

 Darragh Castillo is a Port Arthur area foodie who would dine with the dogs. Share your culinary finds with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Cute bags; It's soup month

January is National Soup Month in America, but guess where I’d like to spend it? Italy for the wedding soup? Gazpacho in Spain? I’m thinking Vietnam with pho for breakfast. I just looked up if it would be weird to have a basic egg pho early in the a.m. and it turns they eat this flavored broth to warm up in the morning. Good hunch, huh?

I used Zoup bone broth, which is good enough to drink from the jar, added kale and dropped in an egg. Winner. I’ve shared Zoup before with readers. This time I tried the concentrate of Beef Base with Bone Broth, Chicken Base with Bone Broth and Savory No Chicken Base Vegan Broth (which I won’t explain here). www.zoupbroth.com will help you celebrate the rest of January.

 

Cute Bags 

Keep it Fresh – I’ve got the cutest raw linen flax bag with a green zip that’s great to carry to lunch. Guess what’s in it. Leafy Greens. But I may go back for a berry or veggie bag. Ambrosia Produce Bag is a “moist bag” designed to keep leafy greens fresher in your fridge for a long time. Because sustainability is always in season. So I got a bag and put some delicate butter-type lettuce in there and kept that bag sealed so long I was cautious about unzipping it. No worries. I enjoyed a salad with just a hint of oil and freshly-squeeze oil as dressing. www.ambrosiaproducebag.com 

The Revolution Will Be Brewed – When a great coffee company makes stand-out tea that actually isn’t tea but everybody calls it that and likes it…. You may be enjoying a cup of Kahawa 1893 Red Tea Rooibos. This is a South African plant brewed as tea and it is very, very loose leaf. Kahawa means coffee in Swahili and the founder of this brand is a woman who saw that women were doing most of the coffee labor without owning the land. Take the coffee vibe quiz that starts with the tools of your brew. I’ve enjoyed this line of coffee before and guess what, the tea is equally impressive www.kahawa1893.com has some style, too. Mug and tote messages have humor and meaning. Respect the Drip is a message many of us can relate to. Excuse me, my rooibos is calling. It also deserves respect.

 Reminder: Tomatoes are technically berries. But you don’t need a reminder that you love ‘em. Or that they go with jalapenos, cheese and (a touchy subject in Texas) barbecue flavor. Just Pure Foods has packaged crispy tomato chips into little 50 to 60 calorie bags that are yummy and fun for foodies on a health kick. I had some out for my gluten-free buddy, but she never showed up, so I’ll have to check out www.justpurefoods.com for more.

To Healthy Hair – Pea sprout extract sounds like a weight-loss diet fad but it is a serious ingredient in a product to create the appearance of thicker, fuller, healthier-looking hair. Pureauty Naturals Biotin Hair Serum Advanced Formula is proud of all the natural stuff in their product. I read up that biotin is a vitamin of the B complex found in egg yolk, liver and yeast, but you can just pump this smooth syrup to rub into your scalp for a soothing treatment. The reviews are off the chain. www.pureautynaturals.com

 Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie souping it up in January. January is also birthday month for her and Port Arthur rock queen Janis Joplin. darraghcastillo@icloud.com  

Hats off to 2023. Enjoy with The Duke

 

Hats off to the New Year – When “memories” pop up on Facebook, all my best ones are in a particular hat. I got it in New Orleans and took some smokin’ selfies on about a decade of travels. People complimented the hat, and I just felt good in it, so the photos reflected good times. One day, my favorite hat blew into Sabine Lake.

       I’m starting out the new year with “Dallas,” a camel Bellissimo fedora that’s now one of the nicest things I own. This hat came in a box, y’all. It’s lined in red, feels and look just right and elevates my confidence. “Nice brim” is a frequent compliment I get from men and women and it’s returned with a knowing nod. The brothers who started this company are already supplying bespoke hats to the stars and I feel like one of them. I can’t wait until the Dallas and I go to Dallas.  www.bellisimohats.com

Cocktails with The Duke – Americana, celebrity tidbits, a fish taco recipe and libations of intrigue are blended into André Darlington’s fun read. “John Wayne: The Official Cocktail Book” mixes movie-specific themed drinks in with what would be an insult to JW fans to call “trivia.” All the better if you make some of these with Duke tequila or whiskey. Some of my faves were inspired by “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.” I saw it for the first time after enjoying the book. The Pilgrim involves rye whiskey and sparkling wine, and is a reminder that Wayne’s character refers to newcomer Jimmy Stewart’s character as “Pilgrim” 25 times. Lasso, Island in the Sky and Leatherneck are more macho mixes. I love the look of Rattlesnake, from “True Grit” and the bite scene. This whiskey-absinthe drink is a yellow green with two dashes of Angostura bitters for garnish. The liquid dots on top resemble a snakebite. For more “bites,” try Monument Valley Popcorn with seasonings including rosemary, ancho pepper powder an chili powder. Happy viewing.

Get a jolt out of this – I’ve spent New Year’s Day the same for about 7 years straight, watching the futuristic scenarios Twilight Zone Marathon. I feel like I have a wand of wonder right out of this series. It’s the NuDerma Professional high frequency skin therapy wand. That’s ozone you smell when zapping zits and calming fine lines with neon and argon. Mushrooms are trending, and there’s a mushroom-shaped glass tube head for cheeks and forehead. The Y is for arms and legs, a comb is for hair and scalp and the tongue, bent and rod do their wonders elsewhere. I admit the box intimidated me for a while. Electricity, glass and your face all together. Can’t argue with results. Videos will give you confidence and when I talk about this to friends and family, they are righteously curious and wanting to check out more at www.puredailycare.com

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie ready to rock 2023 with all y’all. Share your great ideas with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com