Kathy's Mermaid Lounge

Kathy’s Mermaid Lounge

The great outdoors has been our refuge in this season of distancing. We crave connections and our porches, patios and backyard spreads have enabled us to visit friends and relatives, a few at a time. Have you styled your outside this season? One beach-loving woman I visited has a name for her poolside space: Kathy’s Mermaid Lounge. This covered area is surrounded by vines and comfy seating and artwork depicting alluring mermaids. I have no doubt that once a guest has experienced this hospitable lounge, Kathy receives sea-themed décor that goes right into the mix. Kathy’s beach scene fairy garden for a friend made a big hit. Mermaids obviously attract other mermaids. My mother hung up two souvenir signs proclaiming our patio French Quarter/Bourbon Street. Passersby sometimes wave and ask how things are in the Quarter. Maybe we’ll refer to it as Jeannette on the Quarter. One more thing: Flamin’ Hot Cheetos were served at the lounge, with tasters weighing in on how hot these actually are. That spicy orange dust covers one of my favorite snacks in a bag, but they’re mild on the heat for me. Others steered away, recalling past attempts. If you have a Flamin’ Hot Cheetos experience, please share it with other Culinary Thrill Seekers. Delta dining I barely lost a bag of green beans over Laura’s power outage, but Delta took most of us by surprise. “Sweet Chaos“ is handmade kettle corn and a fitting title for the trepidation of our outer-rim Delta experience. This was my first time to eat my way through the wind, visible from the window. We ate through losing power and forced ourselves to stop and go to bed at night fall, lest we begin to trip over our empty bags and bowls. We felt we were going to be pretty OK in the end and like so many, we knew we would be trying to save food from the freezer to eat later. Here’s some of what went down, from the freezer and otherwise: When bags of Sweet Chaos, kettle corn arrived, I had literally planned to budget the calories of each bag as a meal. That’s how much I love popcorn. Vanilla Chai and Maple Brown Sugar were the flavors and they were good as you can imagine with their real cane sugar background and popped in coconut oil. Delta had me eating these in public so I did have to share with my husband. He claims he doesn’t go for popcorn like I do, but no one could refuse these. www.sweetchaos.com Mushroom Jerky by VEGKY “Vegan ain’t boring!!” reads the label on mushroom jerky flavored with wasabi, curry, etc., and I’m loving what they call a “minimally processed and bursting with flavor” product. It does have a meaty texture but is easier on the teeth than beef. It’s called an umami-rich snack high in fiber. I would for sure buy these again. www.vegky.com Pop Bitties are like thin little rice cakes but with actual flavor. Air popped ancient grains such as whole grain sorghum and brown rice are corn and gluten-free. I was supposed to share them with my gluten-free friend. I saved a few for her the bag though so give me a little credit. They came in flavors such as vegan white cheddar and they certainly satisfy you as a snack and a base for something more substantial, like a yogurt dip. Absolutely Gluten Free gives us Raw Coconut Chews in time to give all your nutty friends holiday pleasure. Are chocolate and cacao nibs my fave, or is it the cranberry option? I’ll have to finish both bags before making a decision. My gluten-free friend did get to sample these and got back to me with thumbs up. www.Absolutelygf.com We weren’t hinting at all when a friend posted that he had power but we wound up on his patio to charge phones and he made us avocado toast and another family brought muffins. It was kind of a stone soup sharing that we can all use at times like this. I ended up at Kathy’s Mermaid lounge for the third time wish salmon from my freezer that she was going to cook on the grill. We couldn’t start the grill, but we ended up full of good vegetables anyway. The top mermaid requested we bring a little something to mix with strawberry flavor and duplicate a beverage she enjoyed in Myrtle Beach. Mionetto Prosecco was a good choice bringing a welcome, bubbly atmosphere to the gathering. It seems endless summer here – perhaps because of hurricane season? – but note that Mionetto Prestige Brut and Mionetto Prestige Rose Extra Dry are also light but fancy and festive choices that will carry you through the holidays. Mix it up or enjoy it from the bottle. Just promise to enjoy the rest of 2020. https://usa.mionetto.com/us My faithful childhood friend offered carport pasta in Delta’s aftermath and ice packs to-go, in addition to a friendly face. Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who wonders what else 2020 will bring. Share your Flamin’ Hot Cheetos experience with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com. Happy 31st Anniversary, Chris.

Covert black-eyed peas pear with wine wins

                             My mission to completely rotate the pantry, including every powder and spice, has stalled at beans. Peas actually. The black-eyed variety, highly celebrated on New Year’s Day, then less remembered when more flashy beans get transformed into dips or beans and rice meals dotted with sausage.         

                             I soaked some dried peas from my stash and it seemed I simmered them two solid days before they softened. Then there was the dejected half-bag I found in my late mom’s freezer. I reconstituted them with love. Then I found one more half package hidden in there, and also a can on my shelf.

                             Somewhere through these quarantine discoveries, my husband scowled and announced he does not “care” for black-eyed peas.

                             Well, I’m on a “making do” mission, and I couldn’t let a little setback like that discourage me. I began to hide the peas. There was BEP hummus. BEP dip. BEP sauce. He’s on to me, but I’m really moving product here and I give myself gold stars for creativity.

                  What’s the fizz?

                             My first taste of Perrier in the ‘70s was underwhelming. Now I can’t get enough of the bubbly. It’s so…. satisfying. It’s calorie-free. It’s fun. It’s pretty in your glass.

                             I call it fizzy water and it’s a real treat. I don’t abuse the pleasure. I relish it. SodaStream came into my life. I resisted it, but it has become a daily perk. I avoided this machine for years until the makers offered to let me try it. My mom would have been cautious of the canister you must insert into the back. She was also had a ban against canned biscuits and microwaves, for safety purposes.

                             I could not believe how easy it is to use. Plug it in and put the bottle that comes with it into the right slot and select your level of fizz. Lots, please. I punched the button and got a woosh and a show. The bubbles look amazing going in and last while you pour out our concoction.

                             As for flavors, when I treated myself to cans, I went for lemon and lime. Now I’m playing with a drop of vanilla, ginger juice or a rosemary infusion. The thing is, there are plenty of recipes for homemade syrups to add coffee, fruit, chocolate and other flavors to your water. Guess what. The bubbles are enough of a treat for me. I still want it calorie free. Unless of course, I get to play with gin or wine or something.  I learned that people were carbonating the cheapest of wines and calling it “shampaign.” Get it? Sham? I simply added some bubbly water to some red wine and guess what? Wine coolers are officially back.

                             Wine wins

                             It started in 1887, and in 2020 I’ve learned a new word: perlage. It’s to do with all the bubbles that bring aromas of exotic fruit, apple and white pear to you. Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG has creamy perlage, good with refined appetizers, risottos, white meats, fresh cheeses and light pastries. I believe it would go well with Mother’s Day. We all are craving something extra special these days. Why, Mionetto Prosecco and Rose are released as the “Prestige Collection” and are even packaged in attention-getting curvy bottles.

                             All the fruity flavors a delicate and the bubbles are what you came for. Relish them. In these times, make every day your special occasion. Please do give these Italian sparkling wines your attention (you don’t really have to involve your mother here).

                             The Wand

                             Little disposable tools called The Wand and The Pour are out to help the (studies show) 75 percent of wine drinkers who get headaches from histamines and sulfite preservatives found in red and white wine. Maybe you’ve seen what looks like little flyswatters for a glass or bottle filters demonstrated on popular news shows. A father and son team of scientists spent 5 years developing Phoenix Technology to alleviate headaches, congestion and flushing without affecting the aroma, taste or color of the wine. I have been sensitive to this in the past so I tried this product with pleasant results. For more information, go to drinkpurewine.com

                  Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie in the middle of this with all of you Port Arthur News readers. Contact her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Craft beers, prosecco spark gatherings

                             My Mom was in traveling party of the month club back in the day and she said this group of theatre and book lovers considered themselves connoisseurs of beer. This was the ‘60s an ‘70s where readily available options included your national labels and some seasonals.

                             When we invited her over to sample a six-pack of Texas craft beers I’d won in a door prize, she scooted on over and we tried blends with funny names, hearty flavors and unique blends. Banana and candy? I like the darker ones and my husband prefers lighter, and the fun part was finding out that you may not prefer the one you thought you’d like best and vice versa.

                             It was a fun night that also included rounds of duck on crackers, pretzels, pumpkin-spiced nuts and a Field Roast vegan loaf.  It was a “different” sort of gathering to have small bites spaced out over the evening and every new thing sparked another turn in the conversations.

                             Here’s what was in the pack:

                  Ale Mary, El Hefe Weizen from No Label Brewing of Katy

                  Legal Holiday is a Winter Warmer style beer brewed by Legal Draft Beer Company in Arlington,

                  Ale Mary is a Belgian Pale Ale style beer brewed by New Republic Brewing Company in College Station, TX

                  Crush City IPA is a American IPA style beer brewed by Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co in Houston, TX.

                  Mionetto holiday

                            Mionetto Prosecco is promising “luxury wines at various price points” to “sip away” while interacting with fruitcakes, as in the literal hard-as-rock ones and the various personalities in families.

I used to wonder why people raved about Champaign for the holidays, but now that I’ve discovered the sparkling joy that is prosecco, I’m board. Look for distinctive Mionetto bottles for your own enjoyment or as valued hostess gifts. I tried the classic Prosecco DOC Treviso Brut with a suggested retail price of $14. This is what you get: “Aromatic notes of honey, black licorice, and acacia blossom appealingly mark the palate of this cuvée. This wine can be served chilled on its own or used to create your own holiday cocktails.” Try Mionetto’s Chin Up cocktail, from master mixologist Justin Noel. It’s a combo of scotch, honey and apple juice.

Mionetto Rosé Extra Dry goes for about the same price as does DOC Organic Extra Dry Prosecco . The latter merges delicate fragrances of acacia blossoms and strong tastes of golden apple, pineapple and orange. Can you believe all that can go on in a glass?

Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG (suggested retail price $19) even brings wildflowers into the mix.

 Now the Mionetto’s Cartizze DOCG Dry (SRP $35) has a ribbon embedded into the bottle, so no wrapping needed. This is the stuff to enjoy when you can truly concentrate on all the bubbles and flavors. Please, use your best glass for this one and enjoy with cake. Expect this: “A multi-faceted bouquet releases seductive impressions of apple and pear, alongside notes of citrus and glazed almond. On the palate it is crisp, well balanced, and elegant.” Can you stand it? Get shopping.

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who is taking extra walks to keep up with holiday feasts. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com