Support the arts, by eating pralines

 

Becky Guidry at Museum of the Gulf Coast can’t stop talking about pralines. And fans can’t stop buying them. MOGC’s gift shop is already brimming with Janis Joplin T-shirts, local books and other cool swag. Now Trinity Pralines & Things, which have a local tie, is getting all the talk. I didn’t think Becky would let me leave without buying some. Of course, she was right about the creamy bites of heaven. She keeps selling out so make plans to get out there. Steven Franklin of Baton Rouge served two tours in Iraq, got a job in Port Arthur, met his wife in church and now works in Houston. He returns to attend Harvest Time church on Sundays and his passion is making pralines, according to Becky. Now he’s making Butter Rum. Call (409) 982-7000 to make sure someone didn’t beat you to them, but remember, there are countless more reasons to visit the Museum.

 

More Crunch, Less Waste – I’m admittedly obsessed with food-saver containers and I can rarely relate to people who say they have to throw rotting food out. There’s something new I’m loving. Veggie Saver looks like a pouch sewn from… a straight up, old fashioned cloth diaper. If you have an issue with that image (which conjures up natural fibers and love of Mother Earth) then you may have an issue with eating your veggies in the first place. My  jalapenos and radishes have found home with carrots and bell peppers and they are happy. And fresh. You are to keep this pouch moist and in your crisper drawer. Then you are to eat your loot. Now I keep going about my daily business thinking, I can’t wait to go check on what’s going on in the Veggie Saver. I have not been disappointed yet. I’ve been crunching. www.veggiesaver.com

 

That’s Not so Nutty – Some folks just shouldn’t eat the very foods that make others so happy. Health reasons. Fortunately, the people at Parma! have taken a good thing and made it better for a target audience. Best part, it tastes great for all of us. Parma! is vegan Parmesian “dust” that I’ve had the pleasure of sampling on eggs, popcorn, ‘taters, etc. Just shake it on and enhance the flavor of just about anything. Walnuts gave texture. It helped foodies who could not process cheese or wanted to go vegan. Now there’s a nut-free pumpkin-seed based line with flavors Garlic Basil and Jalapeno Bacon Vegan Parmesan. Insert a “WHAT?!” here. I really love this stuff. If you are allowed to get nutty, Chipotle Cayenne Parma!, Garlicky Green Parma! and Better than Bacon Parma! can be your friends. www.eatparma.com

 

Spice Cubed – If you have a crush on garlic or ginger, join the club. Little cubes of these crushed spices pop right out of Dorot Gardens freezer packs. If it was peeling and chopping that was keeping you from going gourmet for dinner, just keep some of these handy. Convenience is an appreciated thing, and the flavor is intense. These things are so crazy easy that I just had to mess it up. I’m used to “defrosting” but the beauty of these babies is that they pop out so easily when they are just pulled from the freezer. Try it yourself: www.dorotgardens.com

 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who always listens to what Becky Guidry at Museum of the Gulf Coast has to say. Reach Darragh at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Drink Up! It’s Culinary Thrill Seeking’s Beverage Roundup

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     Bev Roundup  – We all thought we were sophisticated in the ‘80s when Bartles & Jaymes wine coolers broke out. Who could have imagined what “open bar” could mean a couple of decades later? Here are some trending bevvies to imbibe:

·        Glish – Ginger and I go way back. But a California family really got to know the spice when the pandemic brought them to “dare” ginger. They created three bespoke Glish flavors of sparkling water, which they refer to as The Universal Fizz. Try Chai-Spice Ginger, Yuzu Ginger and (my fave) Mango Ginger. www.drinkglish.com

·        Bad Ass Mom Classic will have you on your nose. “On the nose it reveals aromas of pear, melon, peach and white flowers,” reads the card. There’s more, and less. It’s a sparkling dry, non-alcoholic wine for moms. We’re all about playing pretend with our kids, right? It comes in little green bottles. And these grapes will offer great vibes. www.badassmom.com

·         Zaddy’s Corpse Reviver – Who put fennel in a can of gin seltzer? That’s why a skeleton is climbing out of a sewer on the Corpse Reviver label. Zaddy’s blend with orange and lemon is the conversation starter here. Next “Gin-Eration” cocktails are pretty low cal, if that’s what you’re going for. Those who like fun branding are in luck. Those who just came here for interesting flavor will also be revived. www.drinkzaddys.com

·        Buzz Tea – Original, peach and half and half are Buzz Tea options. Deer Park’s H-E-B is listed is the nearest place to pick up some 24-ounce cans of pretty strong alcoholic tea. It’s as hard as you want it for backyard parties. www.buzzteaco.com

·        The Original Clubtails is a 1 pint pop-open cocktail in flavors like Blue Hawaiian and Pink Lemonade. You can share with a friend as the 10 percent alcohol by volume packs a sweet punch. Summer evenings, back yards and this stuff. https://clubtails.com

·        Super Vitamin C Cocktail – Packets of Passion Fruit Antioxidant Powder are packaged in a shiny outer bag with lots of big words. I recognize those this powder promotes: collagen production for healthy skin, immune system and antioxidant activity. Called “Science for Beauty & Wellness,” because “Healthy Skin Starts Within,” it’s the patented liposomal technology for optimal absorption and delivery to cells that’s the new thing. After all that, I’ll say this powder tastes better than most. Natriopathic Practitioner Nigma Talib says younger skin starts in the gut. www.healthydoc.com

·         RĀ.D8 – Sea buckhorn gets underutilized omegas to your skin, and that’s one of the easiest ways to explain all the good this collagen-infused sparkling tea helps enrich your skin with a beautiful glow. It packs a lot into a skinny canned drink that tastes good. A beverage disruptor/scuba diver and former model bring us this concoction in “elevated flavors.” www.gnusante.com

·        Gen Z – Real Boomers are putting out transparent purified water they want Gen Z, people who have never owned a flip phone, to buy. This attituded printed right on a fantasy artwork label of a skinny refillable bottle/can, ups the interest. Curious? www.drinkgenz.com

                 ·        Thaiwala – Reminder: We are “southern” and we liked sweet tea. Not all of America     drinks tea like we do and not all the world enjoys tea like so many Americans. Ready for something fun? Thaiwala is billed as “crazy good and all natural” Thai tea. I was not prepared for what came in boxes of original and unsweetened, but I enjoyed every sip. It was think and concentrated and called for an equal amount of dairy. Half and half if your diet allows. I want to play with this from powdered and skim to soy and almond. Cut to: I did have some with thick coffee creamer and it was over the top. So we’re still not done with the possibilities. Make a Thai Fighter cocktail with bourbon and a cinnamon stick, blend into your smoothie or add tapioca pearls for bubble tea. Leave it to people in Portland, who are so good at coffee, to help us enjoy a taste of Thai tea. www.thaiwala.com

·        On Ceremony - Striving for zen wakefulness? Get your foam on with Rishi Teahouse Matcha. I suggest you are already serious about your Japanese green tea powder ceremony before enjoying this line. Tencha requires shading the tea garden 3-4 weeks prior to harvest to elevate the chlorophyll and enhance the L-theanine. If you understood that at all, get out your whisk and enjoy this low tannin, high caffeine umami. www.rishi-tea.com

 Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie keeping hydrated. Share your Culinary Thrill Seeking with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Survive the sriracha shortage

 

Have you been affected by the sriracha sauce shortage? It’s a big deal to go without your favorite heat in my case. People started sending me stories on shortages due to a rough growing season. Restaurants are limiting packets and even one of our own Vietnamese stores in Port Arthur has a one-per-customer sign in the bottle section.

 This is serious. Fortunately, my favorite go-to is Tabasco. But now I’ve been craving sriracha like crazy. The flavor and even the sight of the bottle makes me think of fun times.

Weak Knees

#greatonanything is on a Bushwick Kitchen dish towel, adorned with the famous bottle’s silhouette.

My first real bite of Weak Knees Gochujang Sriracha was a chopped raw jalapeno. Pepper on pepper and I liked the crunch of the raw with the sweet of the sauce. Later I considered my main dish: stuffed bell pepper. It’s like a good representation of the pepper family was invite to this meal. www.bushwickkitchen.com

And now for somethings completely different, as the folks from Monty Python say:

Another Use for Olive Oil - If your lip & cheek tint expires at the same rate as summer, you're on track. Because Mason Grove Farm uses fresh ingredients such as East West African shea butters, tallow, beeswax and jojoba, olive and daikon oil. It's yummy and so fresh you should use it in three months. Slip this simplicity in your beach bag. www.shopmasongrovefarm.com

Poke A Dot – Obsessed with organizing your crafts or makeup? Poke A Dot keeps tubes, brushes and compacts in little spaces you create. Stick slots in the holes and you’ve custom-designed your own kit. What a control-seeker’s dream. Folks at www.pokeadotorganizer.com are on task with this sleek box ideal for travel. It’s durable and stackable.

Okay to be Diffused – I love health stores with aromatherapy diffusers going full blast. I haven’t found the right recipe for a knockout blend to permeate my home, but I have found a very nice diffuser. The Everlasting Comfort wood-look is shaped like Jeanie’s house in “I Dream of Jeanie.” Go for the colored light show. This  big-ol’ magic bottle holds lots of water for a longer run time. We’re all trying to keep calm these days. This relaxing tool helps with focus. More from these guys:

Type Away – I’ve just now acquired the luxury of the Everlasting Comfort mouse pad with memory foam wrist support and a longer wrist support for my keyboard. It makes a difference and feels fabulous. Just wipe them clean with a damp cloth when needed. I’m gonna say, these feel of a high quality but don’t cost that much at all. Maybe I look smarter with cool tools, but it’s the saving-of-the-wrists that count. It’s another winner from www.everlastingcomfort.net

Furry Friends in the Kitchen – A dog I’m related to got an impressive rub with the Furzapper Glove. With a single stroke of the “nubby” silicone glove, fur that wasn’t connected to the actual dog, came up on the glove and there was more after that. Best yet, dog mom said, it also worked on furniture, such as the couch and kitchen table legs. It will make her feel better about her furry friend checking on dinner. Consider what it will do for your car… and know dogs love a sudsy bath massage, too. www.furzapper.com is the source. The box says the glove is good for horses, but I’d keep them out of the kitchen.

Like a Thinking Cap – I’ve decided I don’t care if I look a little weird wearing The Headache Relief Cap. It feels GREAT! It keeps in the freezer and I’m wearing it to keep a cool head during yardwork, even if I don’t have a migraine. If you see me, honk, because I’ll feel good. The form fitting gel cap can be frozen or warm. It snugly fits your head like a hug. You can put it down over your eyes if you want, or use with oils. It’s your own thing, TheraICE Rx knows what they are doing and you’re probably going to be rid of that pain really fast. It’s naturally easy. Feeling great is what the makes the wearer stylish. www.theraicerx.com

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie seeking hot stuff. darraghcastillo@icloud.com

 

Never get ‘board’ of impressing your guests

 

Everybody is stressing on how to pronounce charcuterie. Forget about it. Eat it. Soiree and Vine in Nederland has been impressing locals with eye-popping spreads at various gatherings. They’ve got some wonderful ideas.

Boards are trending and here are some ideas to play with:

Notice that the “c word” is never mentioned on the cover of “Boards: Stylish Spreads for Casual Gatherings.” Inside this America’s Test Kitchen” book, food stylist Elle Simone Scott’s tips show you that boards are both easier and more thoughtful than you may have imagined. Their appeal is outright in the art of the spread, not just the flavor pairings within. This is for the Culinary Thrill Seeker at her best. Do the lift, swirl, smear, trail, lift and herbal garnish for a beautiful balance. Go for themes such as DIY Bloody Mary, movie night breakfast parfait, etc. Boards are all the rage now, but I hope we never go back to a time where we aren’t excited to showcase our beautiful foods with friends. In college I learned the secret of bringing a cheese spread to parties. I signed up quick for potlucks and a block of cream cheese was the basis of many highly-favored and low-cost contributions. Now spreads can be stars of charcuterie boards, still with the basic-but-flavorful combos of parsley, lemon juice, garlic, olives, scallions, salmon, honey-rosemary, basil, etc. Elle Simone Scott likes to include a homemade feature of every themed board. Go ahead and get packaged veggies and crackers to arrange, but focus on that thing you did yourself and fans will go wild. Level Up with lobster, pulled pork or even mac and cheese. If people love it alone, they’ll love it on your beautiful board. I love making every meal special. The only problem with creating a board for your own personal meal is that your serving just can’t be as big as your platter every night. Wait a minute… little hummus pot, big swath of celery, pepper and cucumber…. I can do this…

The Oils – What do you get when you go to www.sunshineinabottle.com? The story of Sciabica Olive Oil, that’s been told since 1936. But I’ll bet they weren’t promoting their balsamic blend as a hot, sticky mess. Times have changed and those who just a few years ago never cooked with olive oil are going crazy for flavors such as lemon, garlic, basil and Mediterranean Medley. It’s soooo good to start your morning with a lemony fried egg. Play with your oils and discover this Italian-to-California story of sunshine in a bottle.

 It's Not Bacon? – I opened a jar of red pepper heaven with such a texture. Great garlic smell, mouth feel… it’s not bacon? I learned that Ronda’s Fine Foods has a thing they do in Spain. It’s Romesco sauce and that texture is ground almonds. Toss it into pasta or pour it over cheese. It’s charcuterie board WORTHY. It’s for sandwiches, eggs, crackers… They are doing this correctly in Spain and with www.rondasfinefoods.com, you can do it at your house.

 Make Food, Make Art – After discovering an amazing thing called Romesco sauce, flavorfully fashioned from nuts, I pick up a beautiful cookbook with an option for a nut-free Romesco sauce. Some people can’t have that but Moriah Sawtelle, who wrote and photographed “Elevated Everyday Paleo,” lets them know they can make art. For dinner. If your perfect fall day doesn’t already include butternut beef stew, if you never thought of combining blood orange with fennel or put grapefruit in your guac, please give this a read. Sawtelle gives a great intro to all her concoctions and gives us all hope that we’ll reach for sesame seeds and mint or what have you when preparing our Atlantic char or carrots or whatever we find at market. “60 Simple-Made-Special Recipes for Healthy Everyday Cooking” is what we have here. You don’t need to be Paleo, but you will be inspired to be creative.

 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who never gets “bored” of sharing new food ideas. Share yours with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Have a personal picnic

 

In Port Arthur, there are plenty of picnic spots. I love the sea wall for one. But a little backyard spread and a good book is a great way to recharge. I call it a personal picnic. Here are some things you could invite: 

I caught the Fyre Festival doc, on the failed luxury music festival on an island where ticket holders were expecting seaside dwelling and fine foods. Instead they got emergency tents and foam boxes of subpar sandwich fixings. I think if they all got a swag Daydream Towel from Nectr, patrons would have been a little more chill. Makers of the unique ridged skinny drink cactus cooler holders make a thin-yet-absorbent big beauty that looks like a Persian carpet. You’d be some unimaginative nincompoop if you didn’t pretend you were on a flying rug. You can “fly,” or relax, at the beach, pool or couch. This towel will support you on Culinary Thrill Seeking adventures.  www.nectrbrand.com

“Watercolor Snacks” – Maybe you are already “that avocado girl” who can paint up a half avocado with that pit peeking out that’s just ready to become your guac. Maybe your artistic skills go all the way past avocado toast to gooey grilled cheese and even pizza with fresh basil. But you want to also become that enticing woman who can also draw up a fresh-baked croissant, bacon and eggs and a short stack of pancakes. Sushi. There’s always a new variation of that, right? “Watercolor Snacks: Inspiring Lessons for Sketching and Painting your favorite Foods" is the publication you want to pull out of your summer reading bag. Volta Voloshin-Smith has found a “recipe” for blending Cadmium Red Light into your Ramen Bowl painting, circling the meatballs over your spaghetti and toning those ice pops into images that will give you beauty brain freeze. I like way she thinks. Pour yourself a glass of wine, then paint it with her tips. www.rockynook.com

Turmeric is trending – From a root that looks like a creepy crawly to a golden powder in travel pouches for coffee, smoothies, hummus and angle hair, Fiji Joe Turmeric is making me re-think this spice. Gonna say, it has not historically been my fave. That is probably because the little jar in my mom’s rack was probably 20 years old when I first opened the lid in the ‘80s. Yeah. Let’s blame Mom. Then they just weren’t talking about all of turmeric’s health benefits from preventing inflammation to restoring hair vigor. And smoothies were just not what Mom served her family. But she was always on for culinary thrill seeking, so I think she would have been playing around with what Fiji Joe brings to the table. Or the little pouch perfect for summer travel. One pouch allows you some for coffee and later tea as the day goes on. www.fijijoeturmeric.com offers testimonials and a view of something I can’t resist: a pretty jar to recycle. Update: I baked a sweet potato and sprinkled turmeric on top and blended it in with a schmear of butter. Results: Colorful, flavorful health on a plate.

Sunny Days – It would be better to apply Maui Vera mineral sunscreen and sunburn and after sun gel in Hawaii, because it’s a reef-friendly formula. Okay, we can enjoy The Healing Touch of Hawaii here just fine. In fact, aloe, peppermint and noni is a cool infusion you can rub in just to sit on your patio in this heat. Coconut, aloe and avocado are in the sunscreen. The sun is natural, but it can do a number on you. Go to nature to get healed. www.aloha@mauivera.com

 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who suggests eating outside eat least once a week. Share your experiences with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com