Mama Cass has my soap

 

Ever heard of a Mama Cass soap dispenser? This is not official merch. It was a creative gift.  Let me back into the story. As a kid, I wondered if the ghost of Mama Cass lived in my mom’s Tabu soap display.

Received as a gift, back in the ‘70s, this soap bar had a face carved in it and was encased in a rounded red and black plastic stand. Maybe it resembled a grave marker in my mind. The rumor was that the singer died from choking on a ham sandwich. Pretty scary as a kid. When I would get up in the middle of the night and head to the bathroom, I always gave this soap container the side eye and a wide berth. What if this ghost offered me a sandwich?

There’s no rhyme or reason to this kid logic. But it was a good story to share at the senior center happy hour where my aunt lives. This party starts at 4 p.m. on Fridays and it’s a blast. We’ve met other residents’ families and I guess this story made an impression. The son of a resident proudly presented me with a sticker he made of Mama Cass pasted onto a modern pump soap container. Her hands are on her hips hands and she looks pretty stern. But I’m sure she’s okay with me now, and maybe simply contemplating new lyrics from her resting place in my pantry.

Cass Elliot of the Mamas and the Papas recorded many hits including “California Dreamin’.” This song had more meaning for me when I was in college and worked at Bennigan’s. It was on a loop and I heard it all shift long. It’s beautiful each time.

Tabu by Dana appeared in the early 1930s. I have a decades-old bottle of my mother’s and  I’m gonna say, it is past its prime. But I love having it. Even fresh, this scent is a bit strong for me. Makers call it “The very essence of sensuality and passion.” Base notes include patchouli, amber and musk. Also, I don’t have the sort of evening gown always depicted on the glamorous women in the ads.

 

 "Purpose Under Heaven" - The sisters, staff and clients of St. Mary Hospital are collected in a book to make us all proud. Port Arthur News clippings and photos tell a story in this book, subtitled "A Legacy of Service at Christus Southeast Texas St. Mary." Of all the medical breakthroughs, expansions and personal stories, a particular photo caught my eye. A sister is peeking through a giant concrete planter shaped like a basket and covered in seashells. The cutline reads: 1936 Sister Reginald's garden basket. She's smiling, but I'm also wondering if her everyday look was a bit more stern... Thank you, sisters, the people of Port Arthur have loved St. Mary's. For your copy, ask for Becky at the Museum of the Gulf Coast gift shop. 

 

More, Please - I didn't realize San Antonio was holding on to a "secret," dubbed America's favorite vegan bakery. Like a fan says, Southern Roots makes "donuts" more like a pound cake, in various flavors, dripping with icing. So good. So good. So good. At southernrootsvegan.com it's a pride to say this small business is woman-owned; black-owned; dairy, egg and soy free; and school friendly. This foodie says they are adult lunch-box friendly as well. These recipes are why Southern recipes are so celebrated. Dare you check into the monthly dessert subscription? 

 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie still playing with her food. darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Modern Creole: Do you know where your turkey necks will end up?

 

The holidays are coming. Do you know where your turkey necks will end up?

Southeast Texans with Louisiana ties may already make their turkey necks into gravy. Chef Eric Cook’s recipe for Smothered Turkey Necks is for those who never knew how they could “perfume a kitchen.” He writes that if the smell does not entice you, you are truly missing out on one of the deepest poultry flavors that you can experience.

The chef loves Steen’s cane syrup and cane vinegar and suggests including them in your “everyday pantry.” His book is “Modern Creole: A Taste of New Orleans Culture and Cuisine.

Creole White Beans simmer all day when you’ve got chores around the house and let the neighbors know something good is going on in the kitchen. The “smell can be intoxicating” and would make a good scented candle, he writes. Tasso ham and a pound of bacon go in his pot.

Recipes include:

·        Pan-Fried Frog Legs with Garlic Butter

·        Chicken Gizzard Grillades with Stone-Ground Grits

·        Artichoke Boulettes with Green Remoulade

·        Merliton Slaw with Caviar Ranch

·        Muffuletta Salad

·        Monday Red Beans and Rice (for wash day)

·        Whole Redfish Court-Bouillon

·        Seared Group with Satsuma Beurre Blanc

I am ready to pack a go-bag and head to New Orleans right about now.

 

Manuel shares Creole heritage at Museum of the Gulf Coast

Remember Rita Manuels gumbo from St. Mary Hospital? Remember her on the Pete and Rita Zydeco show? You know she’s a photographer, too.

Zydeco Memories: Past and Present will open at Museum of the Gulf Coast with a reception from 4 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 5. I’m hearing that some of the famous musicians she has photographed may be bringing their scrub boards and other instruments for a little jam session. I don’t want to miss that. The show will be up in the Dunn Gallery through Dec. 28.

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie ready for some Creole flavors and zydeco music. Share your culinary adventures with her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Jam with Janis in Port Arthur

            To “Jam with Janis” is No. 61 in E.R. Bills’ new book, “100 Things to do in Texas Before You Die.” Oh, and there’s an image of a bucket on the cover. The listing encourages people to visit Museum of the Gulf Coast and see the Joplin collection in her hometown. Bills notes the following on the legendary singer: “A misfit in her hometown and the subject no small amount of scorn and ridicule at the University of Texas, Joplin moved to California and became a superstar in the music world, belting out psychedelic blues and gut-wrenching soul as powerfully as few artists before or since have even attempted, much less achieved.”

            Some other local mentions:

• Eat at the Old Orange Café, with down-home service and Cajun-smothered catfish.

• Bring beef jerky to the Big Thicket National Preserve just in case you see Bigfoot.

            I’ve enjoyed some of the big ticket stops, such as the Big Bend and Johnson Space Center. I’d love to travel with Bills and explore some of the smaller stops for adventure and dinner as the Intrepid Texan.

           

            Cowboy art and chili recipe

            Cowboy life Joe De Yong was the only protégé of famed cowboy artist Charles M. Russell. You’ll read that tidbit a lot in the new Alamar Media release “Joe De Yong: A Life in the West” by William Reynolds. Get ready for a beautiful book featuring art, history, photos of letters and a peek at the life of costume design, scenic sketch art and historical advice in the wild west movie world that created classic pictures such as “The Plainsman” 1937; “Union Pacific” 1939; “Buffalo Bill” 1944; “Red River” 1948; and “Shane” 1953.

            Readers even get glimpses of working with Cecil B. DeMille. Come along on a ride with DeYong and learn a little about a lot. Culinary Thrill Seekers, here’s a recipe, sort of, for chili, he wrote in a letter to “Mackey,” his friend Maxine. “Get Gebharts Canned (chili with beans) and add 1/3 chicken gumbo soup. It cuts the edge peculiar to canned stuff and adds fine mild flavor.” The hand-written recipe is followed by a typed note which is a joke about two drunks staggering along a railroad track. One says it’s the longest stairway he’s ever tried to climb. The other says it ain’t the number of steps that bothers him, but he never saw such long banisters in all his life.

            Darragh Doiron is a January birthday girl, just like Janis Joplin. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Hi, How Are You?

 

Hi, How Are You?

Do you know the famous frog on Guadalupe, across from University of Texas in Austin?

Daniel Johnston’s painted work with the eyes on stalks and the “Hi, How Are You?” greeting has a great history.

I always check on it when I pass by. Not only is it still there, but the building now houses a restaurant that acknowledges the guy. It’s called Thai, How Are You?

It is seriously fun. I loved the food and also that students filled the place discussing their summer plans. The soundtrack included “Do You Remember” by Earth, Wind & Fire. I was jamming, but I couldn’t help but thinking all these students loved to go there for the “vintage” music.

Museum of the Gulf Coast

What, me worry? I’d never linked Mad Magazine to the Atomic Age. After a lecture highlighting both the fear and humor of the duck and cover age, I learned this attitude fit in during an era where cities such as Houston performed walk outs so office workers could find their way to the nearest fallout shelter. Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow is a temporary exhibit up through May 24.

Visit the fallout shelter mock up erected in the museum for an eerie experience you won’t soon shake. Now, here comes the culinary note: An Atomic Cocktail Hour after the lecture included samples of  ’50s-era concoctions such as the Sputnik, Oppenheimer Martini and the Duck and Cover.

The event was a blast.

How do they shred the Kataifi?

Reading this is not going to that question, but it may introduce you to shredded fillo dough. Don’t worry, Athens does it for you. I cannot describe the flaky, buttery goodness that comes from crunching into a nest of baked shreds.

The box shows shreds wrapped around shrimp. Or think about chocolate, cheese, and anything the Greeks, or you, might like. Make a nest or a wrap, butter it up and bake a bit. Even an inexperienced baker like me can make an impressive showing. I know others could create even more wonders.

Just filling Athens Mini Fillo Shells with cheese has made my family several sets of appetizers and made breakfast special. Those come out of the box ready to fill with sweet or savory goodness.

Look also for Athens baklava, spanakopita and fillo sheets. Don’t be intimidated. It takes just a little bit of skill to get started and your creations get easier and more beautiful and more delicious every time.

darraghcastillo@icloud.com