Vegans, crawfish lovers and kitchen cleaners

I admire both the discipline and creativity of the vegan lifestyle. This Culinary Thrill Seeker is not ready to convert, because I admire the crawfish lifestyle as well. This week’s column has tips for all y’all who do either of that, from the most clean and stylish kitchen you can have.

 

But can you find another vegan? If you had eggplant, lentils and pomegranate, would you think of combining them into one dish? How about a Caribbean twist on okra with sweet potato, coconut milk, cilantro and Scotch Bonnet? I’d try that, a chickpea salad sandwich and Taco Tuesday with jackfruit. Vegans take a lot of heat, especially in meat-loving Texas. The dishes in “Vegan Cooking For Two” have 200+ mouth-watering ideas, including fig streusel and other desserts. So say you are bold and for your health or what have you find a black-eyed pea salad with peaches and pecans to your liking, the situation could be, can you find the second vegan to dine with? Hey, just call me. I’ll help you. America’s Test Kitchen has produced another winner with “make it a meal” and “level up” notes and explanations on why these combos will work for you.

Butter Boards

Decadent butter boards had their moment, which was maybe a whole week. I never got to try one. I knew it would be too dangerous to make my own. And yet, I have a pretty good idea for the Port Arthur area Cajuns who love their crawfish. Here’s an idea for your crusty loaf of French bread:

• Mince up crawfish tails, Cajun seasoning, maybe some fresh green herbs and onions with a bit of lemon juice and work them into softened butter – or cream cheese. Spread it on French bread and stand back.

 

Luxury Towels and Clean Cups

I’d never considered I could up my kitchen towel game. I mean they are there for what they need to do. But what is that? Drying, cleaning and maybe covering dough? Towels do the work. My friend hosts family parties with a dishtowel on her shoulder. They’re fashion accessories as well as potholders for her. When Thyme & Sage informed me, I got it. The Cleaner, The Cook and The Multitasker come in sets and I’m loving the elderberry. The most-textured cleaning towel has thirsty loops for counter maintenance. The Cook has a finer weave for jobs such as lining bread baskets, wringing out vegetables and putting between the pot and lid while cooking rice. Wait, do you do that? Does anyone in Southeast Texas or nearby Louisiana cook rice that? Please let me know if you do, because that was a product suggestion.  Anyways, the multitasker has two sides, but you’ll be one-sided pleased with all the colors and designs at www.timeandsage.com 

Kuppy  is so genius you’d wish you’d thought of it. The simple perforated silicone piece sits on your counter waiting for a hand-washed water bottle or wine glass to top it. Bam, you have a sleek drying rack. Keep it up and you’ll be a pro at regularly washing those hydration bottles so the gunk doesn’t build up at the bottom. Summer is coming and Texans need to drink up. Kuppy is your friend: www.getkuppy.com

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who has her crawfish days, her vegetarian days and her salad days. #culinarythrillseeking, darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Try something a little different

 

Giving things up and/or making positive changes is a Lenten thing. Maybe eat a little less and donate a little more. Try simple foods or try new things. Kale should be big. And maybe rice and beans. And oatmeal. But if you’re going to indulge, here are some healthier picks to get headed in the right director.

 

The Marsh in Marshmallow – Maybe you never thought about how marshmallows are made. Hearthy Foods makes some sweet square babies from grass-fed gelatin. What a huge difference this makes. You can snack on the French Vanilla variety that is also gluten and soy free and halal. Pink Himalayan salt makes the rest of the amazing difference. Hearthy Foods Inc., www.hearthyfoods.com is bringing a line of good stuff to consumers.

 

Crunchy Loops – You’ve probably never had baked red lentils the way Harvest Snaps does ‘em. Crunchy Loops are satisfying little circles of flavor that top my childhood fave of another crispy round which shall remain nameless. These are both “fun” and delish and I’m a little less guilty about enjoying the gluten-free plant protein snacks in Kick’N BBQ and Sour Cream & Onion. They impressed some health nuts I know. I was glad to share and glad there was plenty left over. Get your own from www.harvestsnaps.com 

 

It's still chocolate – Would you pick up a sweet dark chocolate bar with the words “not a low calorie food” on the label? Consider it if you are an adventurous diabetic craving sugar-free yum made with fermented mushroom extract. I enjoyed my second bite even more than the first one and my husband enjoyed more than the one block I offered him. Maca, lucuma, vanilla, monk fruit and cinnamon make Macalat bloom into “gentle caramel-like sweetness.” So it is sugar free, but not calorie free, because you simply can’t have it all. But have this treat from www.macalat.com

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who would love to hear from readers. #culinarythrillseeking darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Golfers need to eat!

Pumpkin Spice and other updates Obligitory Fall Flavor is actually the name of the Pumpkin Spice Doughp cookie dough (that you can bake if you want to). September is National Recovery Month and the creator of this dough called Doughp and pronounced “dope” has a back story she turned into a success. #Doughp4Hope is a national giving back campaign regarding mental health policies. Engage in in a conversation, over this thick and rich concoction made with “better” healthy ingredients. This announcement is part of the annual Culinary Thrill Seeking Pumpkin Spice Update. But please note that Avocado Brownie Vegan Brownie Batter is also a winner spread over sliced green apples. Yummy and healthy. That’s your “obligation” to flavor and better choices. They call it ‘legit” dough.

Truffles, peas and Jarlsberg Can’t stop thinking about Susi Gott Séguret’s “Cooking with Truffles: A Chef’s Guide” mentioned here recently? Combine her truffle passion with a hobby I’ve just heard about. Melfies. This is people taking selfies of themselves while foraging for mushrooms. I looked it up and it’s amazing photography. When rains made shrooms appear in my compost pile, I tried to get a melfie, but couldn’t contort myself just so. The truffle book is very beautiful. You can purchase it here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1578268184 Jarlsberg In Norway, people once called this “extra” cheese. Jarlsberg Cheese is what you’re looking for today, so get to a computer and go to Jarlsberg.com to make any day more special. Harvest Snaps green pea snack crisps have a great bucolic label. The package says they are manufactured Calbee NA, LLC of Boardman, Or. I’m hearing headquarters are actually in Fairfield, California. I hope they eat them in all the states. www.harvestsnaps,com Darragh Doiron is a Port Area foodie who’s always got a eye out for new flavors. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

A quick hot sauce check

Hot sauce check A spicy gentleman I know posted that he was in a culinary pinch, without his favorite hot sauce. This lead me to dash to my own kitchen and do a pepper sauce check of my own. There was enough Tabasco bottles and other blends to last many households a lifetime. They are used at nearly every meal that fresh or powdered peppers are not. I rounded up a few for my own posting and then a Port Arthur friend became concerned there was a shortage in the stores, but not to worry! That’s how rumors get started. This anecdote is to indicate just how much I love my hot sauce and to tease about a brand appropriately named Hellfire, that I am not quite ready to discuss. Wow, that was hot. At this juncture I will simply say a drop of this stuff was one of the three top heat rushes of my life. Until we meet again, please, season responsibly. Harvest Snaps What if popping a crunchy, cheesy snack was not a guilty pleasure? Popper Duos, out form Harvest Snaps, has a Salsa & Cheddar ball boasting two flavors in one bite, and if I close my eyes I get the taste of the melty bowl of cheese depicted on the bag. The bag of Yellow & White Cheddar is just as good and I’m truly trying to share it. The cheesy flavor made them a great side for morning eggs, a mid-morning snack, a luncheon salad topper and an afternoon snack. By share, I meant share it with my whole day. The secret? These are green pea crisps and they won’t set you back in the guilt department. Veggie-based snacking has its perks. Sprout Living It was the Coffee Mushroom that intrigued me. It turned out to be my favorite flavor in the Epic Protein line from Sprout Living. I imagined myself curled up on a log bench enjoying a mug of this concoction with a gnome. The mythical creature and I would talk about the Chocolate Maca and Vanilla Lucuma, too. Those were my top picks of superfood powders to mix with water or blend into a smoothie. It’s filling “food” on the go and the info booklet labels it “cleaner plant nutrition that tastes better too.” I do say it is several steps above other offerings that come out green in your cup. Other varieties are Green Kingdom, Original, Pro Collagen and Real Sport. If you’re already into this, you should already be sold. If this is a gateway mix for you, go in: care@sproutliving.com Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who is one of the “some” who like it hot. Share your culinary advetures with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Cauliflower has gone from “steamed punishment” to being the “It” vegetable. I’m late to the party, but completely on board.

I join millions of kids and some previously uninformed adults in a crunchy, textured THANK YOU to Lindsay Grimes Freedman. She takes cauliflower from happy hour to deserts in a cute little book where in image of this ever-appealing vegetable is raised and bumpy to the touch with a pink background. This publication, “Cauliflower Power: 75 Feel-Good, Gluten-Free Recipes Made With the World’s Most Versatile Vegetable” puts you in the mind of bunnies and unicorns and pajamas with feet. Never has this veg been so approachable.

Freedman puts cauliflower in strawberry ice cream, everything bagels, serves them with kale pesto and coffee cake and bacon-like bits and…. I’m crazy for it . Who makes Tropical Kale and Cauliflower Popsicles? This Lady. To my big thank you, I think I hear her whispering, “You’re welcome.” 

                  Harvest Snaps

                             Say the kids are in the back seat and want a snack. Green Snack Crisps anyone? The world has changed, snack wise anyway. Harvest Snaps has new stuff and new looks for other stuff, all crunchy and flavorful. Farm direct baked peas are going into crunches flavored as sharp and creamy white cheddar. Black Bean Snack Crisps come in a smoky and spicy southern style barbecue. I’m all about that spice. Red Lentil Snack Crisps go tangy and zesty tomato basil.

                             Salad Toppers crisps are calling to me with chipotle and garlic butter flavors. Imagine that topping an on-the-go bowl of eating the rainbow. Crunch, baby.

                 

Luckybars           

What has more protein than two large eggs and cute little Paw Patrol pups on the label? It’s Luckbars, one of those all the good stuff and not the rotten stuff “crunchy moms” avoid. The deal is, they’re very much like the adult version, only little for little hands and sweeter tasting (though called low in sugar) and more like the “kid stuff” they’re used to. I sampled flavors such as Pirate Peanut Butter Chocolate and Strawberry Sandcastle. These are protein bars that won’t get sent back in the lunch box.

                  Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who – as an adult – loves cauliflower. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com