When friends bring the basil...

 

When friends bring the basil, we make the pesto. I was thrilled when a friend brought a tall clump of basil cuttings that were larger than any plant I’d mastered. People say it’s easy to grow, but I say it’s easier for me to eat it. I rooted some (fingers crossed) and of course made pesto. A little trick I learned is that walnuts make a good sub for pine nuts. They’re easier to find and less expensive on the whole. If you have other ideas, let me know. Pesto is great on pastas, breads and other vegetables.

This is why I went right to basil in the index when I started enjoying a coffee-table quality book called “Plant-Based India: Nourishing Recipes Rooted in Tradition” by Dr. Sheil Shukla. One option: Sheero with Grapes and Basil has been a treat for the author since childhood. It’s a warm pudding of cream of wheat or semolina topped by fragrant basil leaves and grape slices. The photograph shows thinly-sliced purple grapes that make me want a knife good enough to replicate the look. Healthy, flavorful options help home cooks celebrate combos of rice, nuts and vegetables with nuances of coconut, vanilla, cilantro in seemingly endless variety.

Autumn in Switzerland means milk boys lead cows descending from a season of enjoying juicy grass in the Alps. They’re ready to give the milk that makes Swiss chocolate famous. Cocoa beans on the Milkboy Swiss Chocolate label that also features a classic Alpine setting made me think about how far the rainforests are from these mountains. I’d never thought about how it’s the milk that the Swiss are so proud of in their blends. Milkboy is thinking about stability in those rainforests so they’re using certified product. I’ve only tried the rich powder that transforms a cup of warm milk into a creamy cocoa experience. It was so good I could pretend there was snow outside. Use this powdered base for other warming beverages, too. www.milkboy.com

 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie ready for a change of seasons, as long as it’s mild enough to support her herb garden. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

 

Venture into the Man Cave

 

Sugar Plum makes crazy-good chocolates and has branched out into something they call “Damn, Man Snacks Guys Love.” That’s sure to bring a smile to faces. Two women and one man pigged out on Texas BBQ Peanuts, Memphis BBQ Almonds and we unwrapped nibbles of alligator, pork antelope and wild boar.

In turn-around flavors, Sugar Plum gives you the award-winning sweets.

Ever get nostalgic for your childhood fruity cereal, grandma’s apple pie and pancakes and syrup? But you wish there was some high quality chocolate holding it all together? The Nostalgic Chocolate Bars linefrom Sugar Plum Chocolates  also has milk and cookies and peanut butter and jelly selections, all in their triangle-scored oversized chocolate bars. Sounds a little crazy but I have tester witnesses that these flavors blend seamlessly into these bars for a great experience. As the label reads, “a little taste of happiness.” Umm, there’s also a pumpkin spice. www.sugar-plum.com

 

Some too cool for school things guys will also like:

·        Write your own back story with a glass flask of Johny Bootlegger Fox Hole Fruit Punch, a malt beverage shot with a fall hue. But the story at www.johnybootlegger.com has a pretty good story already. Fun flavors for those with imagination.

·        For just 10 calories, Celsius Live Fit offers Arctic Vibe, a can of sparkling frozen berry drink with essential energy to accelerate metabolism and burn body fat. It’s a cool one in a slender can for a slender body. www.celsius.com

·        Loki is enhanced seltzer with hemp-derived Delta 8. That is 5 calories of conversational refreshment. Try it with friends. It’s more than a novelty. www.siploki.com

·        Liquor Whaaat?! Cream Filled Beavers are no joke. They’re delicious cute-shaped dark chocolates with rum truffle and Champaign cream filling. Fun to give, fun to enjoy. But I’m hiding my stash. www.liquorwhaaat.com

 

For Me: And to light up the evening, I’m enjoying a Vita Mia soy candle in grapefruit. It’s orange, smooth, uplifting and to me, smells like shopping in a boutique or getting a hotel spa treatment. If you’ve wondered what Man Cave or Boho would smell like, got to vitamia-ca.com and pick one from a company on a mission to spread “warmth and love through the universal language of lifestyle.” Oh, how those kids talk today. But know what, I get it and it’s very good. It’s “my life” at www.vitamia-ca.com 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who loves to go into the man cave. But she brings extra vegetables, just in case. Share your adventures at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Kids rule the kitchen

 

 

Kids in the kitchen is about the best family value I can imagine. We love to hear what Liam Madisetty and his family are cooking up for dinner in Alabama. My nephew and his wife are raising their kids to garden, cook and experiment. We get pictures of the process from garden and chicken yard to plate. Let’s get more kids in the kitchen. Books like these will begin their love of connectivity with the creation process:

Gaby’s Latin American Kitchen has live photos and cute illustrations. A doggie and smiling tacos take us through projects peeling plantains, filling papusas and crimping empanada de pollo. This season, let them make a Russian Salad Christmas Tree with yellow and orange carrot rounds as “ornaments.” I didn’t care for gazpacho as a kid, but this lesson/presentation would have convinced me to make it and love it. Gaby Melian is a professional chef with a big smile and purple sneakers. This America’s Test Kitchen book will have your kids smiling, too.

“Kids Can Cook Anything” is another America’s Test Kitchen offering with great range. Brown Rice with Lime Dressing, Garlic-Feta Cucumber Salad and Pasta with Kale-Basil Pesto sound like dishes a lot of so-called grownups I know would give a hard pass to in favor of cheeseburgers. I love how little foodies are coming into their own. How to stem kale and how rice cooks are some side lessons.

Pumpkin alert: Pumpkin Muffins from this book sound like winners. 

“B is for Beekeeping” - A is for apiary, B is for beekeeping an C is forericastestkitchen.com comb. I’m all about the E for ecosystem as we learn how bee- and bird-friendly practices are in our communities. But I didn’t know bees could forage for food up to 5 miles away. Those little honeys are working hard and Justin Weiss wrote this book inspired by his homestead life outside of Dallas. Non-profits and the families who read this book will gain from his efforts. Winda Mulyasari illustrated this colorful book, A portion of all sales of this book will be donated to organizations such as Pollinator Partnership, the Bee Conservancy and Project Apis m. For more information, visit www.bisforbeekeeping.com, or follow the author on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BeekeepingBook.

To the Queen – If we are all remembering Queen Elizabeth with a spot of tea, this brand will set you up. In praise of the high quality of Adagio Teas I’ve mentioned the pitcher that lets fans brew cold tea, like we love here in Texas. VarieTEA is a precise variable temperature kettle that lets you heat water to 150, 165, 180 or 195 degrees and keep it warm. This is what you want for your more delicate herbal blends. If you want to straight boil, for coffee or something, you can do the classic brew as well. www.adagio.com

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who stared young in the kitchen. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

The Shroom Report

 

People are posting pics of the crazy mushrooms our wet weather has encouraged in yards across Southeast Texas. I found a patch that looked just like a browned marshmallow topping over a holiday pan of sweet potato casserole. But I would not eat anything I found. Foraging sounds fun, but I’m not an expert. The Fantastic Fungi documentary is trending for me now as I enjoy store-bought mushrooms raw, sauced and otherwise.

Here’s news on mushrooms and other things to calm you: 

“Food You Love That Loves You Back” – Rorie Weisberg makes you want to cook amazing spreads and the photos make you confident you can. She makes classics better for you and they could not be more gourmet. This book has mushrooms with balsamic garlic, breaded veal in wine sauce, cauliflower farfel, chestnut soup, frittata, dip, soup, ratatouille, etc. www.fullnfree.com offers better-for-you ingredients and gluten- and grain-free recipes with video demos.

  Fruiting Body is a new mushroom term I’ve picked up. Strawberry Passionfruit is the flavor of a Troop 6-mushroom blend that may support gut health, enhance energy, healthy stress response, antiviral responses and more good stuff found at www.trytroop.com. Let me tell you it is delish and a pleasure to take.

               FreshCap has powders, capsules and gummies that focus on focus as well as clarity and mood. How about Lion’s Mane, Turkey Tail, Reishi, Cordyceps, Maitake and Chaga in one powder? Okay by my fave is cola flavored Ultimate Complex gummies that smell just like some roll-on lip gloss I had in junior high. I can “focus” on those good memories. www.freshcap.com

Here’s the point - “What’s the point?” my friend texted when I told her I got cans of 66° Beverage Co. dealcoholized wine. Did she not see the notation that it is CBD Hemp Infused? I like Red best of the collection of canned beverages. White and Rosé are no slackers, though. This has lower calories than wine with no hangover, makers say. It was fun to try, so my friend just missed out  www.66bevs.com began in 2013 and Courtship Wines Inc. is in Buffalo, N.Y.

Black Sheep – Crispy, sweet merengues are a favorite of mine and Black Sheep has a twist. At 5 calories a serving, you’ll get no gluten but will get CBD in flavors such as cappuccino, chocolate and birthday cake. These packets become conversation starters when you give them to friends. www.blacksheep-cbd.com

Barbecue – It’s okay to begin your barbecue game in California if you are “obsessed with quality” like the Kinder’s BBQ Sauce. I’ll even forgive the “bbq” abbreviation. I love the flavor of Roasted Garlic, Cali Gold and Mild sauces that will rock your meaty meal without high fructose corn syrup or modified food starches. Like a rub? Kinder’s has that, too. Sliders, ribs and the usual suspects benefit. Go to www.kinders.com for ideas like pizza, chicken salad and apple pudding, no kidding.

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie willing to forage for food. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com