Rao's brings the pumpkin spice to Port Arthur

 

Port Arthur welcomes a new stand-alone Rao’s Bakery to Port Arthur. This spacious spot shows why the area has been sweet on Rao’s since 1941. Colorful cakes, fragrant coffees and cookies to go are all pretties ready to tempt. This shop crossed the line from the Nederland site to 3340 FM 365 in Port Arthur. More than a bakery, it’s a gathering place. Meet a friend now. They have plenty of pumpkin spice offerings. I checked.

 

“Brunch Season: A Year of Delicious Mornings from The Buttermilk Kitchen” – I’d have begun with No-Waste Asparagus Grits if this were spring. But it’s Pumpkin Spice Watch season, so I’m flipping to fall in this book. What’s on the seasonal menu? Let’s start with: Pumpkin Scones, Homemade Roasted Pumpkin Puree, Pumpkin Bread French Toast with Homemade Whipped Cream, Roasted Pumpkin, Balsamic Mushroom and Crispy Sage Scramble and Ali’s Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Maple Glaze. Chef Suzanne Vizethann ran into some bland brunches and changed things up. She headed to Maine and spreads tables with this kind of fare all year long. A perfectionist who learned to tone things down, she considers these recipes, by season, as simple, when you get down to the freshness of it all. Take her advice and invest in kosher salt. She prefers Diamond Crystal.

Teriyaki on the Prairie - When I think of pioneers going west, panning for gold and building little houses on the prairie, I don’t imagine them craving a bite of teriyaki jerky.

I was curious why this flavor is popular in the jerky community. It seems a sweet and savory umami blend pairs well with the natural flavors of beef. Good deal. Once a labor-intensive method to create a strip of leathery nutrition to fuel you as you raised a barn or rounded up the herd, jerky is now a gas station favorite.

Old Trapper makes it easy to fulfill your jerky needs that come in many varieties. Today I’m sharing the ease and pleasure of their Double Eagle Coins of Teriyaki Beef Jerky. They are thin rounds that would fit on your breakfast biscuit. Juicy and fulfilling, they taste satisfying and won’t hurt your teeth. This is about the most convenient jerky I’ve come upon. It’s salty-sweet, slow smoked and lean. This snack is a treat on hikes and road trips. The jerky community thanks you, Old Trapper.

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie ready for sweets and snacks and umami. Share with her via panews@panews.com