Don't 'trash' the rice cereal

 

Don’t you love a good bowl of spicy Chex mix, or Texas Trash around the holidays? I tend to make a batch of that and enjoy it as a “meal” sometime the last week of the year. It’s about the only time I have reason to reach in the pantry for Worcestershire sauce. So I saw a stack of cereal boxes with those familiar squares and bought just one box to make a small batch. I wish they’d had wheat but I got corn. About a week later, I realized it was a box of crisp rice cereal instead of the square shapes. Total frustration for a short while. Then I remembered the wonderful spicy concoction my sister’s relatives from India make. I searched how to create chevdo from the crispy rice and I’m completely satisfied. This one basically calls for toasting cereal and nuts in an oil with spices. I used olive oil, curry powder, toasted fennel seeds, garam masala and coriander. There are several variations and I simply used what I had with great success. Many fans in India have this with their tea. I gifted some to a man who asked if it would be good over yogurt and I think that’s a great idea. This is good stuff. But if some “traditional” Chex mix comes into my life, I’ll be good with that, too.

 Kelp is on the Way! - I'm seriously fighting my husband for a little bag of kelp. Crunchy chipotle Kelpie Chips are our favorites, but does he know about the salt & pepper variety I stashed away? Zesty pizza could give us a run for our folate, magnesium, iron and vitamins A and K1 money. Snacks from the Sea Kelpie Chips are the gateway snack from under the sea to your snack bowl. Go for the crunch and stay for the flavor, carotenoids and sustainability. www.snacksfromthesea.com

 Season of Understanding – Surprise! It seems much of the world prays, fasts, looks to the light and celebrates through different belief systems. A children’s book, “ABCs of the World’s Religions” starts with Altars, Buddha and Christmas for A, B and C and covers much in a digestible format. The Rev. Vicky Michela Garlock, Ph.D, and illustrator Raman Bhardwaj made this a fun, educational journey. It has won awards and, I’m sure, opened hearts.

Quotes to Get You Thinking – There’s a story in Arwinder Kaur’s book, “Living While Human.” The message and intent can easily be found on several pages of lists at the back of the book. Follow some of these for a kinder 2025:

 ·       Read more.

·       Do things like plant trees and edible gardens, for yourself and for your neighbors.

·       Larn how other kids and people live in different parts of the world. Make a connection.

·       Stop, wait, reflect; just be. Do not rush.

 

 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie celebrating all the things of all the holidays. darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Hostess Gift Alert!

 

  

Hostess Gift Alert!

Headed to a party? As your hosts and hostess welcome you, why not show them some holiday love right back with a foodie-appropriate gift to leave behind? Do some research. You probably already have a hint if your friends are spice lovers, so here are some ideas for that crowd. Here’s to good and spicy cheer!

Speculoos - Think a windmill cookie would sell in Nederland, Texas? Schär's knows everyone loves a rich, crispy spiced cookie. Now if you crave a fancy bite with no gluten or lactose, lucky you. In addition to the windmill design, I’m enamored with a squirrel design that captures the holiday spirit. These are Speculoos, by the way. Schär's Gluten-Free Panettone was a surprise. I’ve seen the signature handled boxes on holidays. If you are willing to give fruitcake a chance, you’ll like this light bread toasted for breakfast or with a whipped cream topping for dessert. Raisins, citrus peel and spices bring you back in time.

“The Vedge Bar Book” – U Got It Bad is watermelon based with chile pepper syrup. Nordic Sunset includes aquafaba (You just go ahead and look that up.).Beet Mind Eraser? Well vodka and vermouth are ways to get me to approach a veg I generally avoid. Sensing a theme here?  Kate Jacoby and Rich Landau run this place in Philadelphia’s Tiger Building. But that’s not all. The light bites part includes rose petals in chocolate fudge and Kumquat Bars should appeal to locals with these trees in their back yards. Lima Bean Pistou on Toast? My dad would never have imaged his fave veg like this. Oh, this is beyond…

A Spiced Life – Everyday Spice Blend is your basic, then you get the Sorella Spices layers. Spices are truly an everyday need and this family goes with garlic, paprika, sea salt, oregano and black pepper. Use it daily from eggs in the morning to main dishes at night. Butchers Blend takes those and adds onion, rosemary, parsley, lemon verbena and (surprise!) spearmint. What? The Italian Blend is also on target with aroma and anticipation in each jar. This Chattanooga, Tenn. company is into pure, grinded stuff to elevate your daily meals. Thank a stay-at-home mom for this.

Texans Love Salsa - How could I possibly follow a recipe when making salsa? Here in Southeast Texas it is a food group and I whip it up with what’s on hand so sometime there’s more garden tomatoes and sometimes there are a friend’s green onions. But I sure can fall in love with another family’s recipe. A Ball jar full of Villa México’s Black Salsa is a roasted, smoky mix of  fresh tomatoes, jalapeno and garlic. Such depth! With eggs or chips, it’s a meal. That’s right. Who among us has not made a dinner of chips and salsa? There’s no preservatives, colors or artificial flavoring. It’s not just me. The salsa won $10,000 to invest in salsa making from the Sam Adams Brewing the American Dream pitch competition. Presenting for the business, Momma King’s daughter, Bessie, won the contest and $10,000 to invest in salsa making. Villa México’s Black Salsa can currently be purchased directly through the business website: https://www.villamexicocafe.us/salsa, and ships nationwide.

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie all into the flavors of a Southeast Texas celebration. Share your ideas with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Save the date for history

 

Save the Date for History – Jars of candy and a fairly serious looking family highlight the April page in the Jefferson County Historical Commission 2025 calendar. Manos’ Confectionary on Procter Street in Port Arthur is pictured in the 1920s. In addition to fueling sweet tooths, this family supported the Saint George Orthodox Church on Thomas Boulevard. Our own Babe Didrikson Zaharias gets June and the Sabine Hotel porch looks inviting as a July spread. The W.E. Hall Hardware Company and a 1953 CavOILcade parade are more historical highlights. Want your own? Jennifer Trenbeath, the JCHC coordinator, can set you up, at no charge. Call her at (409) 835-8701 or go to jennifer.trenbeath@jeffcotx.us ; www.facebook.com/friendsofJCHC

She says County Historical Commissions exist in nearly all 254 counties of Texas and act as the county-level liaison to the Texas Historical Commission.  The JCHC currently has 15 active appointees and four advisory-level members.  The mission is to preserve, protect and promote the rich history of Jefferson County, and the calendars are one of our tools to share the county's history with history lovers and citizens of Jefferson County

Read on for foodie and entertaining books and goodies just right for the holidays!

“Vegan Japan” - Tamago Sando is egg salad, made with tofu and turmeric for this book. Japanese potato salad is Russian inspired with cucumbers, tomatoes and canned corn. New to me! Yaki Tomorokishi is Japanese street corn seasoned with soy sauce, and liquid smoke. These 70 comforting plant-based dishes look amazing and Julia Boucachard shows that we can make them. We can STYLE them into magazine spreads and impress all our vegan friends. Don’t worry, you can enjoy Cucumber Tsukemono, - cucumber sliced with ginger, rice vinegar and sake – all alone if you don’t hang with those kind foodies.

“Rosé Revolution” – Hear the wish of Maria Jose Lopez de Heredia of the International Wine Academy. “Let me die drunk and full.” When families live a passion of the land, the fruit and the wine, it is consuming. A coffee table book on this ancient wine includes its history and future from land to bottle to glass. Have you noticed rosé is often presented in clear glass bottles to show off its rosy hue? The irony is the blend that “tastes like summer” is easily damaged by the sun’s rays, even from pour to sip. Rasmus Emborg and Jens Honoré  take us to snow-covered vineyards and cobweb-covered cellars to bins of dewy, just-plucked grapes.

Lights All the Time – Who says you have to wait for the holidays for a dancing, colored light show around your house? The power was actually off when Linkind smart solar spotlights, which works with AiDot and LED solar pathway lights arrived at my house and they literally did light up my life. I aimed a blue light at my blue bottle tree, and red and green also jazzed up my patio. Now I can turn the corner and spot my house from way down the block. Pretty fancy. www.linkind.com

                 Hot Cocoa Popcorn? – You heard right. Sweet Chaos Popcorn keeps coming out with new temptations. This latest crave is drizzled with sweet white frosting. Real cane sugar and sea salt, Non-GMO popcorn popped in coconut oil with no artificial flavors or colors is your upgraded snack of the season. Don’t stop creating Sweet Chaos in your life. www.sweetchaos.com

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie reading up on a fabulous holiday and new year. darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Garth House is local “Beacon of Hope”

One of the unique aspects of Pour Les Enfants is its’ “street appeal.” I try to explain the elaborate tent with tablescapes and wine, where the yellow street markings are still visible underfoot. Likely you’d have to have been at one of the 34 benefits for the Mickey Mehaffy Children’s Advocacy Program to really get it. New on this year’s scene is spacious digs so new that boxes of office equipment were still on the ground. It’s a needed expansion. On Thursday, supporters “partied” around those boxes. Marion Tanner, executive director, writes that more than 17,000 alleged victims have been interviewed over the past 33 years. This group is for abused children to tell their stories in a safe space. Everyone agrees they wish there was no need for this group to exist. This benefit, with auctions and a positive spirit, unites the cause. People who work with these children and their families showed up to keep these programs funded. Between petite lobster rolls and stuffed flounder with sundried tomatoes in a white wine burre blanc sauce, there were donations that combined high-end wares with those willing to spend for a good cause.

I think I heard right… a doggie was auctioned for $8,000? Well, it was adorable. Someone got a Jeep Wrangler.

Silent auction fan? Big bids went to something called a Dark & Handsome Big Ass Candle. Also hot: foodie and entertaining goodies from locals such as Bando’s TexJoy and Fred Miller’s.

Take a peep at some of the gifts and service offered at the live auction and consider. Maybe you could get something together to benefit charity. People bid on packages called Whisky Business; Lakeside Oasis with nights on Lake Travis; Pipkin Ranch Waterfowl duck hunt (cleaning included) and an Astros package.

Feel you could offer other support to this group? Call (409) 838-9084 about volunteering. 

 Corn Pudding Pairing - Did you ever think to pair corn pudding with Riesling or Rosé? Ga Ga, of “Ga Ga’s Corn Pudding,” would want you to. Scalloped Potatoes ala Odds & Ends, is a delish way to mix up your left-over cheese and open up a red blend. Actually, does leftover cheese ever happen to you? “Sipping Sense: Uncorking the Flavors of Wine, Entertaining and Healthy Cooking” is Stephanie Browne’s fun book of family recipes. With some lessons, like recognizing bitters and salts, some fun times and darned good recipes, she is guiding us toward umami in meals. Mom’s Texas Cake is a rich chocolate treat, and it goes with Muscato or Cabernet Sauvignon. I’m telling you, this is food anyone can make and everyone will love. Good, but with ingredients that are familiar and will present the hostess as a wine appreciator as opposed to a wine snob. Cheers.

Hey Grandma! - Do you have a special order from your grandma? Mine would be her unusual sand tart chocolate chip cookies. "When Grandmas Cook" is a great children's book celebrating what grams around the world share, what they are called and some little bit about the dish. What a gift for little foodies! I'm sure Mexican abuelas in Port Arthur are making tamales like the one in the book. Italian nonnas make pasta with a rolling pin (mattarello) and flour (farina). Borscht requires a baba's kivsh (ladel) and sour cream to make it pink. Jollif, palak paneer, cornbread and mandu are other global goodies. Bottom line: When grandmas cook, they are saying "I love you" in their own special way. Margot Mustich wrote the words and Alette Straathof created the pictures. Remember to tell grandmas that you love them back! 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie warming up to holiday fun, friends and flavors. Share your seasonal favorites at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Pumpkin spices you haven't considered

 

Pie is just the beginning of pumpkin. If you haven’t been enjoying fall’s favorite flavor in soups, muffins and more, you may have missed a joy ride in Cinderella’s transformative coach. New books cover flavors from around the globe and even how to grow a pumpkin. Cook your décor and don’t forget to roast the seeds. Get spicy with these:

“Homemade Ish” – Her Chex mix has bacon. Sold? Turn the pages in Lauren McDuffie’s book on recipes and cooking tips that keep it real and you’ll get hooked on every page. Take short cuts and don’t be afraid to use can goods and store-prepped finds to get you started. The magic is in what you do at home. Mall pretzels use pizza dough. There’s even a buttery, toasted idea for combining all your cereal remnants. Gourmet and potentially very healthy stuff is in this fun one. Here’s the pumpkin: Pumpkin Patch Muffins with Salted Honey Butter starts with a can of unsweetened pumpkin and spice cake mix. Easy. Good.

Turkey in Pumpkin Seed Sauce - This mole has no chocolate and isn't three pages long, Beth Dooley and Gary Paul Nabhan write in "Chile, Clove, and Cardamom: A Gastronomic Journey into the Fragrances and Flavors of Desert Cuisines." This book takes us around the world and I want to stop and smell the cuisine at each site. Serve this "pumpkin" dish with rice or blue corn bread. Imagine the aromas in Sea Scallops in Tamarind Glaze and Desert Succotash (with cactus and cumin). Your desert pantry should may include legumes, lentils, almonds, pecans, caraway, agave nectar, fenugreek and cihiltepin. 

 Pumpkin Soup from Indonesia - Tinutan uses pumpkin or butternut squash, cassava, rice, corn and bamboo shoots in a soup, good for breakfast or lunch. I've never shaved the corn off a cob for breakfast, but I'd love to get a serving of this hearty bowl of colorful, fresh ingredients. Pergedel Udang is a shrimp fritter, Gang Asam is braised rib and Goreng Ikan Balado is fried fish with caramelized onions and chiles. Sri Owen has updated the artistic big yellow book "Indonesian Food" with newer ways, and I want to try them all. Lots of spices, flavors and textures will make you look at foods we have here with different eyes. 

 Grow  your own pumpkin! Did you ever imagine yourself taking a paintbrush to your male and female pumpkin blooms to pollinate them? Well, did you imagine toasting your own pumpkin seeds and enjoying fresh muffins? The all-new "Square Foot Gardening" 4th edition book will give you the know how. Maybe you crave rosemary, tomatoes, spinach, cabbage and other goodies from your small space? Build your garden with these easy steps with this book, labeled "The World's Most Popular Growing Method to Harvest More Food From Less Space." 

Let's talk tuna. One tip is to take an empty 1-inch tuna can and put it flush with the soil... when you water, you can know when you've given an inch of water!

 Tea Time – Salty Caramel Pumpkin Black happens to be my fave in a batch of indulgence that is extremely low cal, even if you are a sugar and honey type of tea lover. Get packets of beautiful herbals and teas packaged as Blood Orange Rooibos Reserve, Scarlet, Guava Gold, Rose Chamomile, Turmeric Ginger and Mumbai Chai.  Make it in a clear pot so you can watch these leaves and buds unfurl to flavor your brew. Feeling generous? I hope so. Invite friends for tea and review www.tearunners.com for gifts that will as peaceful as your after your cup.

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie enjoying pumpkin with all the spices. darraghcastillo@icloud.com

What's in a LaBove Mug? A romantic sunrise water-side date!

 

What’s in a LaBove mug?

Listen to this tale of a perfect sunrise date.

Remember Jim LaBove of Cotton’s Seafood? He wrote all those books about catching seafood from Sabine Pass and getting it to restaurants? He’s been updating his illustrated Cajun Christmas cards with recipes and such, and he’s got his and her mugs in his line. That’s just because they are cobalt blue and pink. I’m a cobalt girl myself.

These mugs debuted at Port Neches Art Walk and the hottest cards were a Cajun Christmas Tree, Mosquito Elf, Santa Alligator and a baby racoon. He’s illustrated them all. Look for a recipe on the back of some.

Now, here’s how LaBove would fill a mug at sunrise.

What’s in Jim’s cup?

“For me, there is only one brand and type of coffee - that would be EIGHT- O-CLOCK brand and their 100% Colombian variety.  When I am feeling like doing something a little different, I will sometime put a teaspoon of hazelnut flavored coffee (again Eight-O-Clock) in with the 100% Columbian.  It gives the coffee a little touch of mysterious.  I was taught by my father, Cotton, to drink and appreciate black coffee but on days when we go crabbing, Dodie and I will bring along a thermos full of hot, Eight-O-Clock, 100% Columbian and a bottle of Carolins Irish Cream.  Just as the sun is rising over the marsh, we will pour ourselves a cup of coffee and a (big) glug of Carolins and somehow it makes the morning's splay of pinks and blues more vivid.  The marsh is home and having a good cup of coffee at daybreak brings back some of my best memories.”

Are you kidding me?

I want to go along for sunrise and this special coffee, but it sounds too romantic to crash an on-the-water morning date with his wife, Dodie. I take every opportunity to mention that she was a cheerleader for the New Orleans Saints.

Want your own mug? Next chance to visit with this family and purchase your haul is Nov. 14 at the famous St. Mark’s Chili Supper & Bazaar. www.cottons-seafood.com is your Christmas Cajun connection.

Racha Siracha Sauce – It’s good to be the king. “Racha” in Thai means “king” and I’m hot for the complex flavors in Racha Organics Siracha Sauce.  This authentic Thai Sriracha sauce grows its own racha peppers on an organic farm in Thailand. They say it is “multidimentional.” I say you’ll want multiple squeeze bottles for home, desk, car, friends…  It’s small-batch, gluten-free and vegan. USDA Organic-certified. Available at  https://racha-organics.com AND Amazon at $11.99 each.

Loving Foods, Planet –  When you want mango salsa and a low carbon footprint? It’s time for a new book that shows you it all starts with your fork. Our choices can help cool the planet, says Cathy Katin-Grazzini. This plant-based chef has a book that should be savored slowly. “Love the Foods That Love the Planet” is full of thoughts and recipes, including: Asparagus Recoup Soup with Crispy Croutons, Salad with Baby Roasted Beets and Citrus, Pretty Apple Packets and things that are new to me and very exciting. Let’s enjoy everything around us.

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie filling her cup with stimulating coffee, warm pumpkin tea and cozy thoughts. darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Put on your gratitude goggles and keep them on

 

I hope you don’t wait until Thanksgiving to be grateful. “The Gratitude Goggles” is a lovely children’s book reminding us not to feel down for not having what others have. Instead, put on those goggles and be grateful for birdsong, blue skies and the people who love you. Easy, right? A little prompting helps people of any age. Andea Mendoza-Vasconez, PhD wrote this book that Rita Nilson illustrated. I’d suggest kids read up and decorate their own sunglasses with shiny bits and make their own goggles. Look around everyone, there’s good stuff everywhere!

 

Pour Les Enfants Beacon of Hope – The Garth House Mickey Mehaffy Children’s Advocacy Program, Inc. will host its 34^th gala at 6 p.m. Nov. 21. Join the fight against child abuse in our area. Text GHPLE24 to 53555

Gratitude Now! Here are some stocking stuffer ideas and more.

·        Make a date! Rock Point’s National Parks 2025 planner is good to go now. As in November is Arches National Park month and you can plan out your month on pages of orange, blue, mauve and yellow as sun sets on a Colorado Plateau of monoliths, ridgeline, rivers and high desert. This well-planned planner has plenty of space for ideas as you record your days though images of Acadia National Park, Yellowstone, Yosemite and more. Grateful for natural beauty? Take note.

·       Go Sour! - It’s the cans. Shiny round tins with a “press” area to get to the sours inside. I remember them, but from when? Billed as Retro Sours! They are harkening back to childhood era more recent than my own. The kids who loved them are now grown up, so fill their stocking with the tangerine, mano and citrus they’ll recall fondly. This is an Iconic Candy sold on It's Sugar: https://www.iconiccandy.com/

·         Schär GluteFree has three newbies in the line: Blondie Bites, Brownie Bites, and Mini Honeygrams. Wink: You don’t need to be avoiding gluten to enjoy these. Mini Honeygrams are can be counted for a mini snack that will sweetly crunch up you mood. These “honey-kissed cookies also come in on-the-go packs.  These are upscaled versions of your gram’s graham cracker.

·           “Birdsong” is a layered view book with Margarida Esteves’ art that will wow little kids. Thick pages with cardinals, mushrooms, flowers, robins and the like accompany a rhyme to inspire children to listen to the dawn chorus our birdies create.

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie ready for all that all the upcoming holidays bring. Mosty family, friends and flavors. darraghcastillo@icloud.com

As the spirit moves you

     

Skeletons are big this year as décor. Towering big. My husband has acquired his first two bendy ones that have been a source of entertainment. A small one is on the door and the big guy is arranged on the couch, holding the stuffed possum from the Museum of the Gulf Coast gift shop. Skeletons don’t scare me much as I appreciate the one that lets me walk around.

Eat chocolate responsibly this season, and think about dearly departed as we observe All Saints Day and All Souls Day. Here are some tidbits to consider, as the spirit moves you.

Hot, Hot, Hot – A friend accepted an invitation and asked if there would be an array of hot sauces available. Challenge on. I arranged a turntable of red sauces, green ones, powdered and flaked peppers. I’ve been two occasions recently where jarred, pickled jalapenos have knocked people out. I have to keep in check lest I eat half the jar’s contents.

I just ordered a meal in another state labled as “Hot, Hot, Hot” and the server made sure to mention it had “long” peppers. Long peppers come out between pepperoncini and poblano on the Scoville Scale of heat, I learned later. So the delicious dish fell on my own “mild to sweet” rating that I would share with a toddler. Regional difference.  -

Also, don’t ask me if a dish is “hot.” I hit heat different.

 

Bruises easily – Subarashii Kudamono Gourmet Asian Pears rock their own myth/legend. Rounded and not what we call “pear shaped,”  they are crisp and soft, sweet and solid all at once and are known as a symbol of beauty and longevity. A well-packed box of the fruits arrived intact and tempting. With varieties named EliSan, New Pear, SuSan and the like, pears come with textures from juicy and firm and tastes such as mild, richly sweet, complex and clear. Oh wait, try the “lush.” We should all take time to slow down and enjoy such as culinary experience. www.wonderfulfruit.com will let you in on this.

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie. Share your ideas at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Sucker for Screams

 

                 

                  I can’t say why buttered popcorn and an old horror flick is so appealing this time of year, but Iphigenia Jones gets it. The author of “The Turn of the Screwdriver” gives us fun quotes and cocktails inspired by Anne Rice, Mary Shelley and Edgar Allan Poe.

                  Try sips of:

                  Wuthering Flights, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mudslide, Greyhound of the Baskervilles and White Russian is for Witching. Here’s a cool grog just right for the season:

                  The Legend of Slushy Hollow

                  2 ounces dark rum

                  1 ounce water

                  One half ounce freshly squeezed lime juice

                  One half ounce honey or simple syrup

 

                  Combine water, dark rum, lime juice and honey or simple syrup in a blender. Add a generous amount of ice cubes to the blender.

                                                                                                 

Blend the ingredients until you achieve a slushy consistency. Add more ice if needed to reach the desired texture.

                                                                                                 

Pour the slushy grog into a glass.

 

 

                  Vegan Chocolate Brownie Mix – The Mightylicious brownie mix called for vegan yogurt, melted palm or coconut oil and perhaps the addition of nuts or chocolate chips. The think I forgot was to use coffee instead of water when stirring up this easy mix. If you’re avoiding gluten but seeking flavor, www.mightlicious.com has some options you’ll love. These brownies mixed up as quickly as they went off the platter.

 

Buckstin Brewing Company - Brewski fans who love the Nederland site, know that the Beaumont hangout is also chill. It was the cauliflower crust pizza that drew me in. My table loved the thin crust and the way all the other toppings merge for a crispy burst of flavor. The staff could not be more friendly. It seems like everyone on the clock is there just to serve you. 

 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who can enjoy pumpkin spice season both truly and ironically. Share with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Pumpkin spice gets competition

 Pumpkin spice gets competition

A carved out pumpkin bowl holding a cream cheese and pumpkin spice dip was the hit of a recent party. The maker suggested this sweet dip with graham crackers. The flavor was exceptional and the presentation was an upgrade.

If you like calming pumpkin spice on everything this time of year, consider another spice blend sure to snap you awake. Tajin is the spicy chili lime and sea salt blend rimming glasses and leveling up street corn. Love for the fiery Mexican flavor has spread across the country. Oregon’s famous Tillamook Country Smoker Beef Jerky has a Tajin version that will surprise those who get lunch boxes packed for them. It’s a “yes” for me. 

OREO Addicts - I don't often go down the cookie aisle, but when I do there are OREOs. They used to be my husband's favorite and now we simply try to have smaller bites of "everything in moderation." I came across some OREO Thins Tiramisu Creme Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with that creamy, coffee flavor. I shared a few with a friend so I would not eat all the handful I had brought with me. Nice try. She loved them so much she went to the store and shared some with me so that she would not eat them all. Another irony is that I was originally looking for the Coke Oreos, which I later found and the sharing happened all over again.

"Turtle On a Post" - The late Senator Carl Parker shares memories of growing  up in the "golden" age of Port Arthur. He notes a booming economy of the '40s and '50s. 

"Downtown was thriving, and big bands made regular visits to our world-famous ballroom at Pleasure Pier," Parker recalls," in "Turtle on a Post." 

This ”back when” section mentions movie theaters, Nacol's Jewelry, the Sabine and Goodhue hotels, The Port Arthur Club, clothes lines, Texaco Reservoir as a swimming hole and the Brown Ice Cream Wagon, pulled by a horse.

The book of myriad topics is a collection of memoirs as told to Jim Sanderson, writer-in-residence at Lamar University. Museum of the Gulf Coast hosted a book signing. You can pick up your own copy in the gift shop.

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie savoring fall flavors and scents… until it is time to enjoy the same at Christmas. Share with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

El Refu is a Port Arthur Tex-Mex Extravaganza

The Mexican Heritage Festival kicked off a season. More ways to honor Hispanic Heritage Month, through October 15, include a visit to Our Lady of Guadalupe’s shrine, honoring Lucian Adams and other heroes with a reflection at Golden Triangle Veterans Memorial Park and enjoying the culture’s food and music. Have you tried this still-new Port Arthur venue:

 

El Refu – This restaurant is a Port Arthur Tex-Mex extravaganza. This place is fun. Your eyes don't know where to go with all the interesting decor on the wall, the sizzling food passing by or the friends you're likely to see. As a foodie, I've enjoyed everything I've tried. This place is fun from the parking lot to the table. Bring on the salsa. Please notice the benches offering shout outs to area groups.

Beatles at Church - Here Comes the Son was the general theme for the recent annual Beatles Service at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Beaumont. Bright colors and joyful voices included a service with music including "Help," "We Can Work it Out" and "In My Life." If you sing these classic pop tunes at church, they take on a personal, spiritual meaning. Parishioners were so friendly. I met a man who lives along the Port Arthur seawall. A Beatlemania foodie like me had to love the creative after party buffet labels. Themed dishes included Get Back Mac casseroles, Please Pease Me Salad, Hello Jello and I Am the Eggman deviled eggs. Hard to pick a fave, but I was a "big fan" of what looked like a traditional southern pecan pie made with walnuts instead. It was labeled "I Am the Walnut." I'll have to wait a whole year for the next Beatles service. 

The World's Better Cup - There's bunches of reasons to try Cambio Roasters. The taste and is a huge one. The packaging is another. Aluminum K-Cups can be recycled. Though I've got my eye on fashioning tiny succulent planters from what resembles wee garbage cans. These cups hold  Cambio Roasters, an eco-conscious coffee brand with some 100 percent organic arabica beans micro-sourced from family farms. 

 Pretzel Pick - Ever heard of an extra-dark pretzel? Could it be for people like me, who like everything just a little bit more crispy? Why that's just what they mean at Uncle Jerry's, where they are making Pennsylvania Dutch pretzels in classic ways with newer preferences. They're all impressive. I mean, I want more. Try whole wheat low salt, oat bran regular and all the things Uncle Jerry 's is cranking out in Lancaster, Pa. www.unclejerryspretzels.com 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who considers October through Mid-January some of the most flavorful months of the year. darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Modern Creole: Do you know where your turkey necks will end up?

 

The holidays are coming. Do you know where your turkey necks will end up?

Southeast Texans with Louisiana ties may already make their turkey necks into gravy. Chef Eric Cook’s recipe for Smothered Turkey Necks is for those who never knew how they could “perfume a kitchen.” He writes that if the smell does not entice you, you are truly missing out on one of the deepest poultry flavors that you can experience.

The chef loves Steen’s cane syrup and cane vinegar and suggests including them in your “everyday pantry.” His book is “Modern Creole: A Taste of New Orleans Culture and Cuisine.

Creole White Beans simmer all day when you’ve got chores around the house and let the neighbors know something good is going on in the kitchen. The “smell can be intoxicating” and would make a good scented candle, he writes. Tasso ham and a pound of bacon go in his pot.

Recipes include:

·        Pan-Fried Frog Legs with Garlic Butter

·        Chicken Gizzard Grillades with Stone-Ground Grits

·        Artichoke Boulettes with Green Remoulade

·        Merliton Slaw with Caviar Ranch

·        Muffuletta Salad

·        Monday Red Beans and Rice (for wash day)

·        Whole Redfish Court-Bouillon

·        Seared Group with Satsuma Beurre Blanc

I am ready to pack a go-bag and head to New Orleans right about now.

 

Manuel shares Creole heritage at Museum of the Gulf Coast

Remember Rita Manuels gumbo from St. Mary Hospital? Remember her on the Pete and Rita Zydeco show? You know she’s a photographer, too.

Zydeco Memories: Past and Present will open at Museum of the Gulf Coast with a reception from 4 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 5. I’m hearing that some of the famous musicians she has photographed may be bringing their scrub boards and other instruments for a little jam session. I don’t want to miss that. The show will be up in the Dunn Gallery through Dec. 28.

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie ready for some Creole flavors and zydeco music. Share your culinary adventures with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com