Port Arthur is officially Cajun and we have the "real gumbo book.

 

Port Arthur is now the official Cajun Capital of Texas and we’ve got the goods to celebrate. Gumbo is one of our favorite foods and Jim LaBove has a new book about it. No matter how much you already know, you’re sure to learn something new from the man who grew up harvesting seafood out of Sabine Pass waters with his dad. Cotton’s Seafood fed the area. LaBove’s many books and drawings, which often pop up at farmers markets and craft booths, share his “Cajunisms.” Look for talkative Jim and his ever-smiling and friendly wife, Dodie. You’ll leave as friends.

               His latest release is “The (Real) Gumbo Book,” offering “A Deep Dive into the Lifeblood of Cajun Culture.”  If you’re lucky enough to have met LaBove, you know that his writing is just like having a conversation with him. Drawings of local ducks, boats, musicians, kitchen tools and even the plant that gives us file help complete the feeling of being down on the bayou.

               I always say everybody should think their own grandma’s gumbo is the best. There’s room for plenty of good recipes, though. I’d love to try all the different duck and seafood ones discussed in this book. Just follow the recipes.

               Here’s what LaBove says: “Gumbo is an evolving dish that seems to be in a constant state of evolution. Her opinion aside, my Mama would be the first to tell you to make gumbo the way you like it and make the final recipe your own.”

In “The (Real) Gumbo Book,” Get the basics on the components of what makes various types of gumbo sing:

·       *  Roux? Basic and important.

·        * Eggs? Sometimes.

·        * Sausage? If you like.

·        * Holy Trinity? We need that.

·        * File? A thing unto itself.

Lagniappe:

·                Okra and the Cajun Diaspora is a chapter title that makes our bowl of gumbo seem legendary.

·        Learn about dried shrimp and water gumbo

·        The glossary includes words such as lapin, La PAN, Cajun French for Rabbit and

poisson rouge, as in redfish.

Flagship Mailroom and Emporium features some of LaBove's oeuvre. You can shop online at www.cottons-seafood.com. Now as for me, I gotta go get some gumbo.

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie already awaiting the next crawfish season in Port Arthur. darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Dare to try a kimchee bowl for a fermented breakfast?

 

What if you took a shopping list of foods that make many people wary and served them up for breakfast? Kale, onion, garlic, rolled oats, eggs and avocado are in the Small Town Cultures Kimchi breakfast bowl. My eyes got big when I saw the photo and now my supply of this lovely yellow jar is getting low as I work up the nerve to try it. Recipes for fermented Small Town Cultures products can make everything from burgers and faux burgers to drinks such as Jalapeno Paloma to gut-friendly nachos and smoothies. A  jar of raw-fermented pro-biotic sliced red onions looks like a pink jewel. Red onion, water, salt, sumac berry and white tea make these a side dish to anything. That's why I'm almost on empty while energizing my diet. Get into the www.smalltowncultures.com world for flavor and health. Meet you there for breakfast. 

“The Horror Movie Night Cookbook” is not for everyone. The food is for me and the movies are from someone whose tastes I tolerate. You get gourmet and fun stuff and may I mention, adult beverages in this book from Richards S. Sargent, who plans some “killer” parties. Drink up for product placement, knife wipes and more while watching these spooky tales. The subtitle is “60 Deliciously Deadly Recipes Inspired by Iconic Slashers, Zombie Films, Psychological Thrillers, sci-Fi Spooks, & More.”

Anticipate:

• “Contagion” from 2011 seems on target with The Pandemic,  a banana liqueur, Scotch and Sherry concoction.

• “Shaun of the Dead” – There’s  an I in Meat Pie featuring elbow macaroni and The Winchester, an apple Schnapps named after the pub the gang holed up in.
• “28 Days Later” offers A Feast, Jones of omelet muffins and homemade apple sauce with The Monkey Brains shot. With a dropper, drizzle Irish cream liqueur on the bottom of a shot glass full of vodka and lemon juice and add grenadine “blood” and what you end up with looks enough like brains as to be creepy.

• For dining pleasure while viewing “Night of the Living Dead,” the 1968 classic, try Burial Plot, a dessert of pudding, whipped cream and crushed Oreo dirt, and sip The Farmhouse, a drink named for an iconic break-in scene.

 

The Farmhouse

1 ounce mezcal

1 ounce apple grandy

2 ounces amaretto liquer

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 dash of angostura bitters

1. Add all the ingredients to a shaker over ice an shake well.
2. Pour the contents into a rocks glass over ice and serve 

“The Cousins are Coming!” – This title encapsulates all the excitement and planning of classic cousin love. Dallas educator Kay Jones describes planning of shows with costumes and characters, laughing at styles in vintage family photos and popcorn movie night. When they’re pooped from a full day and piled into a sleepy heap, they even blame the cat for a naturally occurring “mystery” common to most kid sleepovers. Peter Trimarco’s cover illustration shows the host family kids literally climbing a tree to look out for the approaching car full of cousins. The part that resonated to this foodie is that simple mac and cheese is the dinner of choice with a passel of kids needs feeding. Memories… 

“Hillary Flies to the Moon” – Even ladybugs dream big. In this book, a real cutie bug hears about a full red moon while in class and falls asleep dreaming big. From the moon there’s a black hole and a mission. This Jongleur Books paperback is from a team of 6 and good to read aloud to children. I figure we are close enough to NASA to merit interest in Hillary’s tale. 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who is pro probiotic. Share with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Culinary "Trill" Seeking at Trill Burgers

 

 

Keeping it Trill

Forgive me for showing off. I experienced Trill Burgers. Yeah, it was good.

An OG smashed burger with Trill Sauce was what a burger should strive to be. Celebrity buzz was a great add-on. But maybe the most fun part was telling people I actually got in to this hot ticket spot in Houston. There’s a wait for those juicy burgers.

Bun B, formerly of Port Arthur, is now famous in Houston. If you didn’t know, he was half the legendary hip hop duo UGK, with the late Pimp C.  They merit a popular display in the Museum of the Gulf Coast music hall of fame.

So this new restaurant is done in yellow and black on Shepherd Drive. It’s a former James Coney Island and it’s the talk of the town. A new Texas Monthly story proves my point. The burgers are famous and I enjoyed an OG with smashed all-beef patty, Trill Sauce, pickles, caramelized onions and American cheese on a potato roll. It’s a classic and worth the wait. “Good Morning America” thinks it’s good, too.

Going is an adventure with parking lot attendants guiding constant flow. People are taking photos they’re so excited. It was kind of like getting into a club. The security guard counted off rounds of who could get in next. Once you make that cut, check out bright yellow picnic table seating, a merch booth and more excited music foodies. Murals include compact Port Arthur, Texas lettering in a corner.

While in Houston, I mentioned to area vendors I’d been to Trill Burgers and each time they asked me to fill them in. They’d heard good things but had not yet braved the line. I felt like a celebrity as they called staff over to hear my experience.

Trill, if you didn’t know, means true and real. It’s the real stuff.

 

Trill Tips for When You Go:

·        The line moves fast. On the hot day I went, cooled water bottles were provided outside.

·        No cash is accepted. Bring the plastic.

·        Bun B’s photo is a pop up on the burger box. It’s like he’s dining with you.

·        Take photos. Everyone else does!

·        Selfie spot: A neon Keep it Trill sign is over the soda machines.

·        Look in the branded fridge for fruity flavors of Cool Cup Juice.

·        Make sure you tell everyone you’re from the Port Arthur area!

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who’s proud of Southeast Texas flavors. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

 

Are your friends easy to entertain?

 

Will You Entertain These Ideas?

If you can’t pronounce charcuterie, try a Mezze Platter for the “mingling hour.” An arrangement of olives, cucumbers, hummus, etc. is just right for informal entertaining on the patio, or “lazy” entertaining, as Dawna Pitts calls it. Boy, would I like to be invited to one of her lazy parties. But the fancy ones, perhaps with can can dancers, sound good, too. Get her tips on everything from recipes to lighting in “Entertaining Is My Love Language,” which has enough ideas for social calendars to the end of my happy days.

She includes one of my fave place card ideas, writing names in metallic pen on sleek, green magnolia leaves. Her book itself could become a centerpiece. She described a display of cookbooks and peacock feathers as a theme. Entertaining is a world where being yourself helps others relax and everybody wins.

Meals Parasites Hate

- Hey kids! Dinner is ready and it is Intestinal Parasite-Cleaning Soup. What? But it has clove powder and pumpkin seed garnish!

While Dr. Christina Rahm’s “Cure the Causes Cookbook” could be a target for junk food lovers, readers should hopefully know eating right helps us feel better. Think kale is not your friend? Just try something different for a change.

The soup title above could be daunting. I’m much more likely to enjoy a colon cleansing number called The Detox Salad Our Gut Will Love featuring raw cabbage cayenne and hemp seeds. Green Eggs involves kale and a pinch of Celtic sea salt. Then there’s Stuffed Cucumber Salad. A boiled potato is part of the mixture that goes into a scooped-out cucumber.

Other foods that can help you: Sauerkraut to develop the digestive tract’s boundary work; turmeric in a smooth soup for rheumatoid joint pain; green tea for irritation; and broccoli to help reduce autoimmune diseases…

Recipes include bone broth for stovetop or Instant Pot, Loaded Cheesy Potato Soup; and Orange Radish Salad with a Citrus Vinaigrette. The Viral Slayer begins with 6 New Mexico chilies. Aren’t you willing to try something new for a whole new you?

 Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie ready to hear your tips. Share with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com 

Craft projects "loom" ahead

 

                       I was thrilled to find my childhood potholder loom in a closet. It still works, but of course, there are no mechanical parts. I enjoyed weaving potholders on that metal frame and imagined I’d sell enough to travel the world. The market fell for kid-made potholders so once all the relatives had one as a gift, my entrepreneurship faded. Decades later my daughter acquired a plastic loom and we looped together. I had a hunch that this craft is still a “thing” and found several modern styles and weave patterns on Pinterest. You can even make your own loops from old T-shirts. I love upscale crafting but was determined to weave up the loops I had. So that’s how a bride’s kitchen color theme became one of my new projects on my old loom. Still fun.

Handcrafted – My vial of ozone protects against fungi (and reduce wrinkles). Thinking of a fairy tale? Glozone: Ozonated Face Oil is a true story. Except for the local honey harvested ethically, the Illuminessence line is plant-based and cruelty-free for your largest organ, skin. Fearless Founder Janna Fackrell heard 1,328 chemicals were banned from cosmetics in Europe and the U.S. had banned just 30. She wanted to go higher for what goes deeper into your skin. The quick news is that Make Me Blush tinted lip balm and blush is one of many well-thought-out products at www.illuminessenceorganics.com. Got itches, maturing skin, needs for pain, hair, sun screening and beards? Browse for all of that. Frankincense and rose hydrosol are components of aromatic You Are Luminous daily moisturizer with SPF 30. Back to adventure stories: This business supports Sacred Hearts Healing Center, a spiritual community with shamanic guidance supporting veterans. 

“Inside the Texas Chicken Ranch” – I suppose it could be that this title up north, decades after the hit movie, could make someone think this was a recipe book. Down here in Texas, we know LaGrange isn’t famous for casseroles. Jaymie Lynn Blaschke offers “The Definitive Account of the Best Little Whorehouse.” You might crave chicken after reading it, but I guarantee you’ll want to catch this movie and sing along. The real Miss Edna shared a plethora of bawdyhouse stories and the book has images of the parlor that has apparently been visited by many a politician, college boy, etc. This version is more gritty than the catchy musical, but that wig-snatch from Marvin Zindler was a real thing. His early law enforcement career images of his younger self nearly make this a book within a book. So some legends are at least as good as the real thing. Could the doggie Reveille be a part of all this? Did a merchant who expressed displeasure over the Chicken Ranch wake up to a yard full of returned merchandise? Or worse? This is a story that will keep on telling itself. I did not expect to read this revised, expanded and updated book so thoroughly, but I just could not stop! This kind of business in Beaumont and Port Arthur was briefly referenced.

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who wants to hear from you. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com