Gratitude has your back

 

Genuine gratitude has my back. Every. Single. Day.

Clean towels, a hot meal, fizzy water, a tiny chunk of dark chocolate… all good.

I’m so happy to find a penny on the ground that I go out of my way to walk around and find them. Keeping it humble is a means to keeping it happy. People who practice gratitude seem to find each other. I found this book, and I want to share it:

“What I Know About Gratitude” – If you want to find happiness, find gratitude, reads one sunny, yellow page. Also, find this book and read a few pages every day. Keep it handy and re-read as necessary.

I believe, as many quotes in this Gibbs Smith book suggest, that the more you practice the G word, the easier it becomes to frame situations in the light of gratitude. I kind of go by this one from Bob Dylan:

“Even if you don’t have all the things you want, be grateful for the things you don’t have that you don’t want.”

Things in that category for me include a boat, a closet full of too-fancy-for-me shoes and a second home that needs maintenance. If I get invited to ride on a boat, in my comfy shoes, my gratitude is flowing. Also, taking care of one home is enough on my plate. Here are some other gems from the little yellow book:

 

·        “When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” – Willie Nelson

·        “When eating fruit, remember who planted the tree.” – Vietnamese proverb

·        “I live by two words: Tenacity and gratitude.” Henry Winkler

 

Mark the Year - Let your July birthday friends know that Henry David Thoreau said "The white water-lily is the queen of river flowers."

"There are always flowers for those who want to see them," Henri Matise said on the Gladioulus book mark. 

This collection, starring Cosmos and Oscar Wilde in October, is called "Mark the Year: A Floral Bookmark for Each Month." What a great gift maker for you book loving, gardening friends. Fortunately Gibbs-Smith (www.gibbs-smith.com) includes two of each because it's hard to let go of these flowery beauties, even if it's not your month. I'm a January carnation, with a message from Marcus Tillius Cicero: "If you have a garden and a library, you have everything." 

Let's part with the September Morning Glory message from a Texan who is famous for her love of wildflowers. It's Lady Bird Johnson, who said "Where flowers bloom, so does hope."

Pack the Snacks – Area Titan football bans may want to check in to the Arctic Zone Titan Expandable lunch pack in sharkskin gray. Fancy, huh? School, work and day tripping are reasons to need some nourishment and temptations at the ready. My favorite on this model is the shoulder strap and the two ice walls because otherwise I’d need to figure if I wanted my yogurt cup cold or the boiled egg on top. It’s sleek and high performance. I like the shoulder strap but there are four other ways to carry, including a backpack attachment.

Lots of capital letters are used in the description, because they are all registered marks and such. Let them speak for themselves: • SuperFoam® insulation with Therma-Flect® radiant barrier • Leak proof, easy clean interior lining with Microban® • Double capacity when expanded • Includes 2 Ice Walls® www.arcticzone.com

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie very grateful for all the joy sharing food brings with friends and family. Share your ideas with her at panews@panews.com

Bruno is the wine guy

Spoiler Alert: Shawn Bruno is on the menu, for later.

The Bruno family is part of Port Arthur’s history. Did you fill up at Alamo Service Station? That was Roy Bruno’s place. Have you sipped Bruno & George wine? Shawn Bruno and his wife, Misha, own the winery in Sour Lake.

 

When a bunch of area birders invited me to a wine tasting at Carabba’s Italian Grill, I was psyched on many levels. I’d heard Shawn Bruno instructs some of these. It turns out he

 did not host that California Wine Tour, but he is expected back. He told me he plans to serve his Party of 9 tempranillo, a Spanish red wine, named in honor of his dad and his siblings, on July 29.

At the sans Bruno tasting, the restaurant was full of tables enjoying conversations and pairings such as Shrimp & Scallop watermelon Ceviche with Threadcount sauvignon blanc and Linguine & Grilled Shrimp with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce and Belle Glos Balade Pinot Noir. This cream sauce was a high point in my evening.

Amy, an even coordinator, kept the evening on point as area “celebrities” of religion, politics, law enforcement and society breezed passed tables.  This is a happening place. Lots of hugs and handshakes went down before the Parmesan Crusted chicken with Arugula came with Kendall Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay.

At the bird-lovers table, it turns out I was the only one who had never been to Alaska. One had even lived there. We spoke of moose being as common as squirrels, daylight all the time and bears catching salmon.

A new trick: We observed servers had their thumb in bottle indentations as they poured wine. Some may try this at home. Then the Grilled Pound Cake arrived with Decoy Merlot.

What a fun foodie evening.

Bruno reminded me that his winery features a birding trail, especially pleasant during spring and fall migration. That’s another story…

 

“Table for 51: Lessons Leaned from Sharing Meals Across America

” – Foodies, Shari Leid’s book is not focused on what she ate, but what she learned from her meal companions. I know we’re usually about every detail in the sauce, but her food notes may be simply “over eggs and toast” that the women shared their lives. It’s a travel memoir inspired by her own story. Abandoned as an infant in a cardboard box in South Korea, Japanese American parents raised her. He parents experienced being interred in camps during World War II. Her father believed she would not be accepted and Leid challenged herself to reshape beliefs. Her Texas stop was with Taylor, a photographer, at Kalimotxo happy hour in Austin. The author felt energized by the younger woman’s magnetic personality and the value of engaging with people of all generations.

 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who loves to meet new people through culinary experiences. Reach her via panews@panews.com

Peppers go with fish… and everything else

 

I love to get invited to a friend’s house in garden season. I found a basket of banana peppers on her counter and they made a great meal even better. I recall my dad grew these long yellow-green babies and called them wax peppers. Her gang goes with banana.

This family has a skill at frying fish, so I’m linking all the following topics in honor of these great cooks. The “Simple Pleasures” author though all grandmas had a garden in the back to harvest fresh ingredients for each meal. We’re all a lot of Culinary Thrill Seekers. 

Fish in a Jar – Something fishy for your hostess? I got a multi-pack of Tonnino that looked like a flight of fish, with little jars boxed like a row of gemstones. That pinkish fish glimmered in olive oil that raised the anticipation. I could imagine the pop of the gold lid and the release of aroma.

Tonnino has released the first-ever salmon in a jar. It’s wild-caught Alaskan salmon that also packs omega-3s and protein. Skip the fish prep with these jars. This brand has impressed me in the past and this new thing is another winner. I know you can create a variety of recipes with the contents, but my favorite plan is to simply pop it open and dish it onto a platter with cheeses, peppers and a loaf of bread. I’m transported.

Other options include on salads, in pasta or with grains or roasted vegetables. It also begs for a bagel with cream cheese or with avocado toast.

Get a bunch of these little jars to throw in picnic baskets. They also look stunning lined up on the pantry. www.tonnino.com.

                     Fry Some Fish – If you haven’t fried your fish in seasoned chickpea flour, maybe it’s just because you haven’t thought of it. But your gluten-free friends have, and they may already be using 41Grains brand, which is dryland farmed in Montana. My daughter and put a southern touch on their Fish Batter Mix and we were pretty proud of ourselves. www.41grains.com has videos on the farming technique and info on why they soak their lentils before frying them into crunchers to keep the oil content down. That was a pleasant surprise to read. “From our family’s farm to your family’s table” is the motto. I feel a little invested in their pride in developing an impressive line of products. They say the browning mix is a big hit. Not surprised.

“Simple Pleasures” – Reasons to hang out with cookbook author Jodi Moreno: Her grands came from Italy and she thought every grandma had a garden and dried pasta on the washing machine. She makes a tinned fish spread into a travel history with mustard, sourdough and appropriate pairings. Serves it right out of the cans… She’s into popcorn for dinner. Her cat’s in the picture.

Italy and Mexico figure into some of these simple foods full of beauty and flavor. I learned salsa macha, part of her tortilla and egg breakfast go-to, includes sesame seeds and peanuts. Her Poppy would request a thousand of his wife’s pancakes and Moreno now serves her version with a maple syrup and butter compound. Breakfast salad with butter lettuce and quinoa is also a breakfast for this woman. Pickle brine goes into potato salad and she roasts beans to make them crispy. While many of these dishes look old-country classic, some have just a few solid ingredients and call you home. In addition to “Simple Pleasures,” is the author of “More With Less.”

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who keeps green onions going right outside her door. She wishes she had the same luck with peppers. Share with her via panews@panews.com