Wait for it… great bites have their seasons

Like a kid in a ketchup commercial, I’m in “anticipation” mode. The season is about to change toward cooler temperatures, that faint scent of burning leaves and the traveling sound of marching bands practicing for games.

Living in the moment is good. But this issue is about anticipating. We’ll go with slow heat for the perfect omelette; some dishes to set the tone for the Groves Pecan Festival and a way to start in on candy corn season. If you don’t get the ketchup reference, please look up the 1970s era Heinz commercial. Now, don’t let me keep you waiting:

 

Eggs with Feta – This is a lesson, if not a recipe. A little feta can upgrade your eggy breakfast, but this is about timing. A great way to go is a tiny skillet sprayed with oil. Slow heat is what gets me. My plan to put the pan on high for a minute to ease the time gives me poor presentation and a sticky skillet to clean every time. I’m jealous my husband is so much more patient on this technique. Go low heat and longer time for your perfect slide. You probably knew this. But do you do it?

Pecan Primed – Craving Pecans? We all do around here this season. The Groves Pecan Festival is set for Oct. 10-13, 2024, and it’s time to get cooking. When “Baking for Fun: 75 Great Cookies, Cakes, Pies and More” arrived from the Food Network Magazine line of cookbooks, I started at the index. Beer-Spiked Brownies with Pecan Frosting caught my eye, as did Dark Chocolate Pecan Bars. Air fryer fans will love a pecan brownie temptation and a Chocolate-Toffee Pecan Tart can finish off your season. Every page has a great recipe, tip or photograph, so get cracking on these and other lusciousness that doesn’t even involve nuts. But you’d be nuts not to try ‘em. EXTRA: Here’s about the most Lone Star thing in this book, a recipe for Spicy Texas Sheetcake with dried guajillo chile peppers. The frosting has pecans and cayenne.

Candy Corn/Pop Corn – Take those “circus peanuts” and marshmallow chicks. Not for me. I’m a sucker for candy corn, the seasonal sugar rush of Halloween. Sweet Chaos now has a Candy Corn variety in it’s “Deliciously Disruptive” line of non-GMO popcorn popped in coconut oil. Gold star with me for sharing my sample because I could have eaten it all… I’m also sharing everyone loved it as much as I did. Bring it on. www.sweetchaos.com

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie ANTICIPATING great things for the rest of 2024 and beyond. Share your excitement with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Viva Tex-Mex… and Southwestern flavors

 

 Sometimes we’re surprised that our Mexican food isn’t like everyone else’s. Tex-Mex is our own thing and we love it. But, hola, Mexico is a big country. Some places are known for wheat and bread instead of corn and tortillas. Other regions bundle tamales into banana leaves instead of wrapping them up in corn husks.

We may be panicked that a combination plate in another state may not include the refried beans and yellow queso we have come to expect. I remain confident I’ll like whatever Mexican meal I’m served, anywhere. I recently experienced some Southwestern fare that has inspired me to gather all my pepper/cactus/turquoise-themed dinnerware, jewelry, etc. and carry out the season with spices, beans and tortillas of Mexico.

 I’m talking about tamales, enchiladas, migas, avocados, chilaquiles and tacos. If I create something that is not exactly authentic, I’m still going to savor every bite and dream about the “real” thing enjoyed on a beach or mountaintop with a view. 

Here’s some of what I rounded up. Try these out for spice:

·        Rice, with some savory spices in the cooking broth to add flavor and color.

·        Black beans are convenient, healthy and great hot or cold in salads. 

·        Yellow corn: Air fried, creamed, canned or frozen. Use as a side dish or mix in.

·        Green jalapeno rings, fresh or pickled

·        Red onion, minced fresh as a garnish

·        Green peas. I usually don’t go for these at all, but they make a colorful add in when you get just a few per serving.

·        Orange carrots, any way you like.

·        Pumpkin: I froze some last season and it’s of the consistency that cooks right into a chili or stew.

 

Eat a Cookie, Today – That’s actually an Isabella’s Cookie Company motto. Kind of a challenge, huh? This Redondo Beach company claims “unparalleled gourmet perfection” and an aspiration to make every cookie dream come true. I’ll bet their board meetings are fun. The Apple Fritter Cookie, The Dark Mocha Monster Cookie and The Sugar Rush are choices in their “unrivaled in variety” options. Take note they are proud of using high-quality, pure and fresh ingredients. Vegans can accept their cookie’s too, from www.isabellascookies.com

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who loves a good Taco Tuesday and sees no reason not to extend the Tex-Mex night into the rest of the week. Share your ideas with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Books and beverages... Let's Pair.

 

Good books call for a cozy chair, and how about a nice sip of something? Hot coffee, sparkling water or perhaps something a little stronger. Try Culinary Thrill Seeking with these reads and pairings:

“Ghostlight Keith Carter” - Have you ever just looked at bark, or moss or feathers and thought, Keith Carter would love this? Do you know just enough about the swamps, marshes, baygalls, bayous and fens of Southeast Texas to be a little spooked? Have you set up a bottle tree? Carter lives in and loves this area and is known worldwide for his striking black and white images of the birds, wildlife, nature and people we see every day. But his photography shares his artistic vision in a artsy, folksy way that connects us all and makes us appreciate what we have here. This new University of Texas Press picture book includes a story by Bret Anthony Johnston.

Pairing: Moonshine in a tin cup. If you can’t get some, homemade, I calculate wine of your choosing in a stemmed glass would contrast nicely with these earthy themes.

“Texas Lithographs: A Century of History in Images” - All things Texas from Audubon shore birds, San Antonio Missions and images on sheet music and yes, politics, are covered in this 500+ page book. Galveston lovers are especially represented. It’s the parting scene titled “Galveston’s Awful Calamity – Gulf Tidal Wave, September 8, 1900” that will shake the reader. Survivors stumble through wreckage in the forefront as the gulf continues to pour in as a parting-of-the-red-sea effect. There’s more. For some Texas history, try a good port wine and sit in a leather library chair.  Ron Tyler presents this heavy-with-history University of Texas Press issue.

“Sobremesa” – I pick Mezcal con Agua Tonica to sip while reading this cookbook. Rub a cut side of lime around your tumbler edge and cover the edge in chile lime or agave worm chile salt. Add good quality mezcal, orange peel and tonic water. Now you’re good to go with just about anything on any page of “Sobremesa: Tasty Mexican Recipes for Every Day” by Susana Villasuso. Sobremesa means “over the table” which implies friends and family need to be part of this. We’re going beyond our beloved Tex Mex with baked scallops with charred jalapeno and red pepper butter, served in shells. Shredded Salmon Salad, Pork Belly and Pinto Beans in Sala Verde and Adobo Verde Roasted Cauliflower Tacos are making me weep! Finish with iced cream made from frozen mango, served in a cone and dotted with flower petals.

"Your Outdoor Room" - Consider levels, stairs, mood and themes for your outdoor space. What do you want to do there? Chill out while working from home or hide an ugly view? Theme? How about beachy, Japanese, Moroccan tile or desert? Colors? Plant patterns? Upscaling bicycle spokes into a plant trellis? We've got some things to think about, but Manoj Malde's book, subtitled "How to Design a Garden You Can Live In," has content inspiration and photos. I want to live in these pages. Pairing: May as well design an outdoor bar. Let's do something tropical. Maybe rum punch in a hurricane glass. We'll need some fruit rimming the glass. And lots of friends to admire our work. 

“We Shook Up the World” – How music was made and legends made combine histories of two history makers. “The Spiritual Rebellion of Muhammad Ali and George Harrison” is the subtitle of Tracy Daughtery’s University of Oklahoma Press book. It’s a thoughtful blend of the era as these two made their own impressions on culture. Beyond nostalgia, it’ a paring in and of itself. Read, re-live and learn. Did you know “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window” came from intense “Apple Scruffs?” These were fans who hung out at the studio. Some actually broke into Paul McCartney’s house and stole his trousers. As for a beverage paring: This is a long and well-documented read. How about a spot of tea with the lads. Though I read white wine is what Harrison enjoyed in the studio.

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie pairing adventures and flavors. Share your crazy ideas at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Reader shares tips and (seed) buttering up Culinary Thrill Seekers

Sharing foodie ideas, perhaps over a meal, is the good life to me. I always invite Culinary Thrill Seeking readers to share and this week we get two quickies from “ J h.” I love it when something may sound way out there at first and then you think of those salty/sweet ratios and realize, hey I want to try this. Here they are:

 

·          Balsamic and vanilla ice cream is a must. You have to try it.

·          Another fav is cayenne on peanut butter.

 

J h, I’m into both of those ideas. I’ve heard of the first in gourmet circles and the second makes sense as in Asian peanut sauce with spice, so why not try it on a cracker. Thank you! Readers, let me know if you try it.

 Next Topic: Tahini

 Usually, a bowl of creamy hummus dusted with red paprika is my trusted presentation. Recently a waiter placed a dish of the chickpea spread in front of me with a small well in the center. Green olive oil and some whole garbanzos filled indentation and made a spectacular centerpiece with puffed pita. In future, I will always plan to reserve a few peas to pop on top of my hummus.

Or, on top of my chickpea dip, which is what I call it I simply empty the contents of a can of chickpeas into the blender with seasonings. I know, that is not authentic hummus, as explained by my Lebanese friend, so I call that a dip.

Once Again Nut Butter offers a Creamy Sesame Tahini with Lemon made with seeds sourced from Mexico, Peru, Africa and Nicaragua. Yep, this is the nuance my chickpea dip was missing. Now I can serve authentic hummus with pride.

               Hummus is so easy when using a blender because you can double the amount and have some leftover for lunches. It’s easy to pack and fills you up. Remember to pack veggie dippers such as carrots, cucumbers, bell pepper and celery.

               In a pinch, or on purpose, you can use peanut butter in your hummus, but I think we’re getting back into the “good-but-not-authentic” category. I’m adding cocoa powder and sweetener to make a chocolate hummus for fruit and graham crackers. Remember to recycle your empty jar for culinary experimentations and attractive pantry storage.

 

On a date! - This one is for their great-grandma. She was diabetic and loved sweets and dates, so brothers Noah, Aaron, & Jonah, founded Bahamii for clean eating. Their American-Iranian culture already worked with a sweet date background and they designed these bars in flavors such as chocolate almond, honey and cinnamon and coconut vanilla. Sooo good. The Farsi word 'Baham' means 'together, like on a date, (main ingredient) and the two "i"s on the end are like two people in a date. Athletes, kids and snackers will want to go on this date. 

 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie waiting to hear your reader tips. Help others eat like you! Share at darraghcastillo@icloud.com