Oysters get the Port Arthur treatment Everybody associates Port Arthur with seafood. As the Texas Outdoor Writers Association planned a February conference in Port Arthur, Vizi Caldwell styled a Port Arthur Oyster/Bacon Portabella Stew to set the mood. Knowing Cajuns live here, her “Port A” seasonings included red pepper, paprika and a dash of Tabasco or Louisiana Hot Sauce. Area outdoors writer Chester Moore earned many accolades at the Excellence in Craft writing awards at Museum of the Gulf Coast. Visitors enjoyed Museum exhibits and artist/writer Sam Caldwell, Vizi’s husband, called the experience a “stunning treat.” The Portabella stew recipe ran in a Coastal Conservation of America newsletter and is reprinted here by Caldwell permission: Port Arthur Oyster/Bacon Portabella Stew Ingredients: 1.5 pint fresh, raw oysters, undrained 4 slices bacon, cooked & chopped 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted 8 ounces portabella mushrooms, sliced One half red bell pepper, diced 1 teaspoon fresh thyme 1 teaspoon fresh dill One fourth cup celery with tops, chopped 1 and one half tablespoon parsley, chopped 1 small red onion, chopped 1 and one half quart half and half Port A Seasoning to taste: Suggestion: Salt, pepper, cumin, crushed red pepper, paprika, dash of Tabasco or Louisiana Hot Sauce Preparation: Get your oysters ready— reserve liquor, rinse oysters gently. Fry your bacon crispy, remove bacon and saute onions and celery in rendered bacon fat and butter until translucent. Remove from pot. Saute mushrooms with thyme until golden brown. Add half and half to the pot with reserved oyster liquor. Simmer a moment, then add all the remaining ingredients. Cook on low for an additional 5-7 minutes until oyster ends begin to curl. Ladle stew in bowls and garnish with chopped green onion. Serve with oyster crackers, or crisped flour tortillas. Who ordered pizza? Don’t fret if you missed National Pizza Day in February. There’s a National Pizza With Everything (Except Anchovies Day) coming up on Nov. 12 this year. My husband has famously said he could eat pizza every day for a month and I challenged him by making variations for a couple of weeks straight. He never wavered. There are soooo many variations, and you may as well dress the part for them: Bring Me Some Pizza Socks For the price of a slice or two, these non-slip comfort babies have a message for friends and family. Prop up your feet and the non-slip ink announces: “If You Can Read This, Bring Me Some Pizza.” A saucy pizza design goes up the legs of these Lavley socks are designed years of wear and slovenly days to remain bright, soft and well fitting. Husband won’t take them off. Little GF Chefs The one time my husband helped me make pizza, it was from this kit designed for little kids. Little, fun, adventurous cooks I might say. Bonus: Ingredients made this very tasty pizza safe for those with diet restrictions like Celiac or other allergies without sacrificing “savory pizza-liciousness flavors.”Little GF Chefs is a subscription with all sorts of ways and cultures to go. The pizza came with wee spice packets a cool rolling cutter and a checkered table cover. We felt like a couple of kids having fun with this box goodies. Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie always looking for culinary adventures. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com.

Lenty things Does Lent make you want to pop open a can? Of fish? Safe Catch’s Wild Mackerel is a North Atlantic catch in olive oil that makes me feel healthy with just a nibble. A pristine white can’s tab pulls back to reveal a neat little steak soaking in very delicious oil that I consider a treat. Even if the spring/Lenten season calls for fasting, you can still have very healthy and very good food. Safe Catch is very into fishing our waters in the right way. Read on:

Safe Catch Do wild sardines sound wild to you? Who made them so fancy? Would you think of opening a little can of fish as your birthday meal? Care and consciousness has elevated the noble tuna fish to gourmet status, even when it comes in a little round can. Learn how Safe Catch tests every tuna and salmon for mercury at safecatch.com.You can also sort for recipes based on gluten-free, keto and other diets and those friendly to pregnancy and kids. Bone up on their precautions and you’ll feel good about eating these products. Wild Pacific Pink Salmon looked so fetching in a pink/salmon toned can that I based my birthday meal around this luxuriant fish. Seafood always says celebration to my family and these are easy staples to stock. The company promoted salmon poppers with cranberry for the holidays and this fish, the official salmon of the American Pregnancy Association, could be my official seafood stock up of the Culinary Thrill Seeking pantry. Also, I’m upcycling the cute little can for succulent plantings. Spicy Spin Do you know your harissa? I knew enough to know I love it, but a new offering explains the spice. Mighty Sesame Harissa Tahini squeezes right out of a bottle to elevate your eggs, tortillas, meats and vegetables. So handy and so flavorful at any time of the day. Mighty Sesame Co. calls it the first-ever harissa flavored tahini. (Epicurious anointed original Mighty Sesame Tahini The Best Tahini You Can Buy). Look for this paste of roasted hot red peppers with other spices and herbs on Israeli, Moroccan, and Tunisian tables. The chili paste is often combined with garlic, olive oil, cumin, coriander, caraway and the combinations are as varied as grandmas’ gumbos around these parts. Gluten-free glee Are you ever tempted by the foods your gluten-free friends are enjoying? One of mine noted it is not a “choice” for her, though she’s managed to find products to adapt to her already-fabulous cooking style. I continue to point my finds to her. Absolutely! Gluten-Free offers new blueberry and key lime flavors in their line of grain free coconut chews that I’m savoring in real time. I’m enjoying as I write this very sentence. It’s moist and flavorful and they transport me to Florida for a breezy taste of Key Lime. Also to wherever blueberries are their best. These little individually-wrapped goodies are billed as real, wholesome and delicious and are also vegan, with no eggs and dairy. www.absolutelyGF.com Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie working to live simply and love large this Lenten season. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Drive Through for Seafarers

Drive-through for Seafarers The first time I heard of Mexican Street Corn in a cup, I was intrigued. But I never imagined it would rise to cocktail fare status. Carly Andrews Oubre did her chef magic with this dish in the name of good works. Sabine Pilots hosted the Port Arthur International Seafarers’ Center Drive Through Cocktail Party this past week at the Pilots’ new home on Jimmy Johnson Boulevard. But guests got mainly an outside glance as they drove past hospitality tents. The food came in a sweet little box and the libations where in wee bottles designed to take home. This socially distanced affair benefitted seafarer programs and got some of Oubre’s cooking to appreciative supporters. Her menu included Apple Pie Oat Truffles; Mini Croissant with Smoked Salmon, Dill Cream Cheese, Capers & Red Onions; Bacon, Jalapeno & Cheese Quiche: and French Onion Stuffed Mushrooms. Lemonette Gourmet Lemon Dressing I was too young in the ‘70s to arrange a trendy brunch, I sure recall the few “grownup” experiences I enjoyed at fern-adorned establishments in Houston. Remember crepes were a thing? Now Lemonette takes me back in style and flavor with a line of lemon-based salad dressings and marinades such as Zesty Cumin. I’ve tried Lemon Garlic and Mediterranean Herb over fresh vegetables and every bite is just… special. The California product is Non GMO and vegan so it’s great on grains, but also good on poultry and fish. I say these kids today get fancy fare more readily than I had back then, so hey, the modern crowd should take to Lemonette with equal gusto. It doesn’t taste better just because it has the word “gourmet” in it. It’s just got better, flavorful and natural ingredients. Jar Goods This one is all about the tomato. The Jar Goods creator knows you’re busy and her father-in-law has a great sauce. Melissa Vitelli and her sister-in-law became “inner-aisle disruptors” by producing Jar Goods. It’s simply good, beginning with Classic Red. We went to Classic Spicy first and worked our way through Classic Vodka and Vegan Vodka-Style, too. WE sure get the makers’ concept that it’s smart to have something good on hand in the pantry and there’s zero-guilt in using someone else’s sauce to feed your family. Also, they make the point of wondering why people tend to use jarred pasta sauce for pasta only? There are dozens of easy meal ideas when you have Jar Goods this good. www.jargoods.com