Always thankful, ready for joy

                           

  Joy is one of my favorite sentiments of the season. A run by Missions Attic in Port Arthur can help you quickly furnish your table and home for guests. Bowls, serving wear, dishes and trees greet shoppers. It’s all sold for a good cause to help your neighbors.           

                             “Thanksgiving” should be an all-year sentiment for us. I have a silver Avon ring that scrolls out the word  “grateful” that’s everyday wear. The pointy letters often get caught in fabric, so that reminds me to be grateful for clothing and every little thing. So here I’ll mention I was grateful to begin Thanksgiving day with a small turkey sandwich breakfast that included za’atar from Ruth, jam from Jody, bread my church gifted to parishioners, coffee blended from two friends and a napkin from my mother. It takes a village. Give back more than you get.

                            

                  Try something new

                             Tried-and-true favorites are as important as innovation as we gather for the holidays. It’s easier if the “something new” appears as a sample from another cooks’ table.

                             It’s amazing what they do with Brussels sprouts these days. My hosts cut them in half and charred them and the sauce included grapes. From childhood on, this vegetable was something I avoided. They were only boiled back in my day. Even the woman who made the dish agreed, she did not used to like them as a kid, when serve bland and boiled. These “modern” sprouts had me going back for more. Today I love them raw and shredded and sautéed with bacon. Give speouts a chance.

                             Vegan Holiday

                             Just to prove my point above, the recipe for Caramel Apple Brussels begins with a question: “ Have you been a Brussels sprouts hater all your life?” Tommy McDonald writes. He notes you can’t really blame kids for hating them boiled or steamed.

                             McDonald is head chef at Field Roast Grain Meat Co. He lives with his family in Seattle and shares memories of growing up with all the fresh flavors of the region. These are good stories in a book filled with beautiful photos and fresh vegan ideas. “Field Roast: 101 Artisan Vegan Meat Recipes to Cook, Share & Savor” is about the “meat” of the grain. You know those jokes about not watching sausage being made? It’s a bit different when you’re kneading and cooking with grains, apples, etc. to make a roast or stuff a sausage. Field Roast makes products and this book helps with ideas on their usage. Flavors can take you around the world with Little Saigon Meatloaf, Cornmeal-Crusted Oyster Mushroom Po-Boy, Whitebean and Eggplant Crostini and Picadillo Empanadas.

                             Field Roast sent me a Hazelnut Cranberry Roast ‘en croute” with rosemary, candied ginger and sausage stuffing. It was so good my mom decided she was going to acquire another to share with some friends. I had double portions that night. The roast gets baked and is ready to serve in about an hour. More good news:  I was invited to bring a vegan or vegetarian covered dish to an event and I have a Celebration Roast with traditional stuffing and mushroom gravy still in the freezer to look forward to.

                             Darragh Casitillo is a Port Arthur area foodie who is loving how the community comes together to show off their cultural flavors for the holidays. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Pour Les Enfants

                             Cabo or Vegas? A children’s museum party? Celebrity chefs at your home?

                             Tough choices, but they all are Pour Les Enfants. This 28^th annual benefit for Garth House, Mickey Mehaffy Children’s Advocacy Program, Inc., featured a catalogue of auction packages meant to entice big spending. Generous donors are needed to keep this important program going.

                             If you don’t have a luxury vacation home to offer up, how about your time? Marion Tanner, executive director, said more than 800 young clients were interviewed in 2018. The need has been rising for this program’s services to support children who have been abused. Volunteers are needed to help these children, Tanner said.

                             Their mission: To prevent child abuse and neglect and to lessen the trauma to child victims of sexual and severe physical abuse during the investigative, prosecutorial and healing process.

                             Love and dollars are needed. This benefit included a silent and live auction with a pirate theme, dinner under a stylishly festooned tent featuring Robert Louis Stevenson Grilled Veggies and Buried Treasure Shrimp Paella and the live auction. This was a seriously good time for a serious cause. 

 Versi

                             Perfect Pumpkin Update

                             Naomi Nachman grew up in Australia and started a personal kosher chef business. Flipping through her book, I could have stopped at the crazy easy avocado and chickpea salad, but I’m glad I didn’t. Not only can she help limited-space dorm students whip up fish with honey mustard and crunchy chip topping, she brings us our seasonal Pumpkin Update.

                             Pumpkin has been everywhere these past few years. Have you baked up a Pumpkin Challah topped with mini marshmallows? It’s beautiful. Her cooks’ tip: After applying egg wash to her classic challah, that’s when you can add various toppings, including sesame seeds, poppy seeds, minced onion, za’atar, pumpkin seeds and streusel crumbs.

                             The book is “Perfect Flavors: Creative, easy-to-prepare recipes inspired by my family and friends,” from Artscroll/Shaar Press. I love the way she writes about how she created dishes such as Quizza, so her daughter could enjoy pizza and quiche at once.

                             Radish Dill Tomato salad is easy, and the chickpea and avocado

                  Delight involves 2 avocados, 2 cans of the peas, scallions, garlic, kosher salt, olive oil, lime juice and za’atar seasoning. Can you manage that? Count me in.

                             Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who loves to travel the world via a cookbook. Contact her via darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Big Bend is big now

 

Big Bend is big now

I considered myself a “real” Texan when I drove a rented car into an epic movie horizon.
My heart stopped at every big bend in the area and I marveled at reach-the-clouds mountains as well as tiny insects, pebbles and plants on an unforgettable road trip.
Anthony Bourdain’s recently-aired “Parts Unknown” featured many stops I’d made, including some in search of the Texas Monthly best burger listings. Later, I found out the mayor of Lajitas was a goat.
But I did get to stay in the Indian Lodge in the Davis Mountains State Park, built by Civilian Conservation Corps. In that mode:


I’m thrilled to have an image of Big Bend’s Santa Elena Canyon done in Work Projects Administration Style. Old school lettering, coloring and view for the oldest-of-schools scenery. These National Park Posters are created by Rob Decker, a Colorado-based photographer and graphic artist who studied under Ansel Adams in Yosemite National Park when he was 19. How lucky could he be? And how lucky could you be to own one. Decker is still traveling for iconic shots. If you’ve ever been to one of these parks, or want a bucket list collection, here’s your chance. National Park Posters are printed on “Conservation,” a 100 percent recycled paper stock with soy-based inks, are $35 each and available for purchase at www.national-park-posters.com. Every poster is dated, numbered and signed by the artist. The artist donates a percentage of annual profits to organizations that support America's National Parks.

And now for Texas State Parks
You know the kind of book with dozens of sticky markers guiding you back to reference pages? “Official Guide to Texas State Parks & Historic Sites” will be one of them, from the moment you tear off the wrapping.
Freelance photographer Laurence Parent of Wimberly got to take all these photos and tell these stories that bring Texas to your living room.

Sea Rim State Park, our own span of natural beauty, is featured with two images.

Memories of my great adventure to the Big Bend area are captured with images of Indian Lodge at Davis Mountains State Park, spiny octillo plants designed to ward off hungry deer, the vast pools of Balmorhea State Park and mountains that cast shadows upon other towering mountains.
Hill Country? Who doesn’t want to retire there? Maybe not near the Devil’s Sinkhole, if you’re a sleepwalker, but I’m still hoping to hike up Enchanted Hill after my drive-past a decade ago. I’m more fit, now. I can do it.
Turns out there are many, many state parks in Texas. Pack your picnic and go Culinary Thrill Seeking.

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie ready to pack a basket and head out for adventure. Contact her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Runamok with your cheese, and a pumpkin update

 love w            

     Don't you love when you can pair with pears? Runamok Maple is making it even more tempting to upgrade your syrup collection. There's a set for ice cream pairing, featuring Rum and Rye Barrel-Aged; tea pairing with Makrut Lime-Leaf infused maple (have you ever heard of such a thing?); Day + Night with Sugarmaker's Cut; and what I got for cheese.          

                             For cheese you have my already-fave  creation from this company, Hibiscus Flower-infused Maple, Elderberry Infused Maple, Pecan Wood Smoked Maple and Bourbon Barrel-Aged Maple. Did you think your cheese game could get any better? Go with hard cheeses such as cheddar or gouda for the barrel-aged and smoked and get soft with brie or camembert for the infused goodies.          

                             This pairing collection would be a great gift and recipients could think about the larger version of the beautiful bottles thee elixirs come in. Also, consider Runamok Maple recipes that will at least make you think you've been to Vermont.

                             We love salmon and Dijon mustard, but would we Cajun-style lovers have thought to season that blend with a bit of Runamok Smoked Maple Syrup as well? I took a photo of  my family’s “sweet” cheese party featuring a pair dish a guest whipped up. Get creative.

                 

            Pumpkin update: You have to plan for lunch at my friend B's house. It's not like we hadn't already had our fill of fajitas and assorted salsas. There was Butterscotch Bomb puddings with heaps of freshly-whipped cream. Someone brought in a sopapilla cheesecake.

            Festive Hershey's chocolate bites adorned the dessert table. Then my friend pops up like a light bulb goes off over her head. "Do you like Pumpkin?" she asks. Now, what was I supposed to say?

            That's how I found out about Blue Bell's Spiced Pumpkin Pecan ice cream. It's everything you love about pumpkin pie, but cool and creamy. That's this week's update for the flavor that has dominated the season for the past several years.

            Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie ready for adventure in travel and on the plate. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

If you've got to be editor of “Surfer” magazine, you’re going to get hungry after hitting the waves. As long as you’re enjoying the amazing waterside views in Morocco, Peru, Indonesia, Tahiti, etc., you may as well pick up some cooking tips.

                             Thank you, Jim Kempton, for taking us places some of us will never get to go. If we do go, we probably won’t be out in the surf, like you. But I’d sure join you fireside and tableside for one of your dinners. His new Prospect Park Books release is “First we Surf, Then we Eat.”

                             Everybody’s got priorities. Don’t worry, photos of rocky beaches, sandy shores, rainbows, cactus and glorious spreads of food don’t leave out coverage of the two surf sites we may be most familiar with: California and Hawaii.

                             I saw an announcement for this book regarding Ono Poke Bowl around the time Hawaiian Poke Bowl opened in Port Arthur. This Hawaiian treat has become a mainland trend, Kempton writes, and reports it’s pronounced “poh-kay.” The recipe here includes a pound of sashimi-grade tuna, avocado, ginger and pepper.

                             After that, I’d love to try a Porterhouse Steak with Herbed Butter and Portuguese Chimichurri. Dona Victoria’s Kahlua Kahlua Coconut Flan is from Margarita’s Village in Mexico as is Avocados Stuffed with Jumbo Shrimp. This fall, try Santo Domingo Sweet Potatoes with Pineapple Rum Balsamic Glaze. This book will take you away and it also may take some surfers back in time.

                             Kempton is keeping the flavors and action coming. The section titled Makka Beach, Jamaica, offers Jerk Chicken Salad with a dressing designed to impress. Here’s that recipe:

                             Agave Lime Dressing

                             One half cup sesame oil

                             One fourth cup agave nectar

                             One fourth cup apple cider vinegar

                             2 tablespoons finely diced onion        

                             2 tablespoons lime juice

                             1 tablespoon Myer’s dark Jamaican rum

                             Pinch of sea salt, plus more to taste

                             Place all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt if needed. Store in a lidded jar in the refrigerator until needed.

                             Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur foodie who has never been surfing, but she is willing to watch you do it. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

A squeeze of oatmeal, Field Roast, Struck

A squeeze of oatmeal

So many foods are more “fun” than they used to be. I just consumed oatmeal without ever having seen it. That sounds weird, but what if you were on the best hike of your season and there’s a beautiful view ahead and you want to get a photo of it just when that cloud should float past…. And  you’re hungry?

            Just reach in your pack for a peach-chia-vanilla Munk Pack of Oatmeal Fruit Squeeze and remove lid and squeeze it right into your mouth. You don’t even have to finish it all at once. Save some of that just-right, filling0-in-the-good-way flavor for after you snap that perfect photo. Or maybe that’s when you crave the Maple Pear Quinoa.

            Your “hike” could be a long wait at the department of motor vehicles or the car pool line. Have some for the kids, too. I’ll bet they’d like Raspberry Coconut. This brand is all about whole grain, vegan and gluten-free goodness. So load up.

Field Roast

Here’s some ad copy/poetry from Field Roast: “Our mornings are defined by the nourishing foods we provide for our bodies when we break the fast of a good night’s sleep!”

Doesn’t that want to make you whip up something good and good for you? How about artisan vegan breakfast sausage? What’s that look on your face? What if Field Roast threw in Washington apples and real maple syrup? I tried these little bits of sizzlers and I’d deem them for the more serious non-meat eaters among us. The numbers are growing every day, really. I offered some on the side of eggs as an evening meal, and I was told I that the time to mention that they were vegan was after everyone had sampled. This Seattle-based company is proud of what they’ve ground. You can have a field day with Field Roast mixing it into biscuits and gravy, breakfast burritos, scrambles and quiches.

“Struck”

Most of us have begun ordinary days with life-changing twists. The term “life changing” has a range of interpretations, but you know when nothing will be “the same” again. Then there’s the cliché of being prepared because you could get “hit by a bus.” These things happen.

“Struck: A Husband’s Memoir of Trauma and Triumph” shares what it was like when Douglas Segal’s wife got hit by that real-life bus. Her daughter walked away from the accident and people watching newscasts could not even believe that Susan could have survived.

Segal is a film and television writer, so the emotions are real, and he knows how to convey them. He shares his family’s struggles a long hospital stay, rehab and life beyond. His family and friends and a larger community became involved via social media postings on her progress and the “takes a village” thought evolved. Reading this Prospect Park Books offering will have you emotionally invested along this journey, too.

Susan could be a difficult patient and couldn’t eat “real food” for a long time. I want to mention a culinary note. Nearly immobile, she pined passionately and loudly for a particular diet soda for weeks. When she finally was allowed a sip….. meh.

The writer doesn’t mention exactly how this bus accident happened until way in. It’s kind of crazy, and within days after finishing a book, I passed by a situation where a vehicle ended up in a canal in the same fashion as this book’s story. Little twists have happened to this couple and readers are sure to be left enjoying the gift of each day with a little more intensity.

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who especially loves fall and is totally into that pumpkin thing. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com

Vegan Strong and the Sea Ranch KETO thing

 "Vegan Strong: The Ultimate Field Manual for a Kick-Ass Plant-Fueled Life" illustrates the many paths people take toward this lifestyle. Bill Muir is a registered nurse in the military, taught English in Japan, listened to punk rock and is an all-around character. We will follow his lead and now refer to him as Sgt. Vegan from now.

                              I enjoyed this book that shares how hard it was to get vegan food anywhere, much less in the military, a few short years ago. Then you had to deal with attitudes, too. He's still sensitive about his locker search that yielded artificial bacon bits that made salads fun.

                             His own family and friends group was sure he'd wither away after just giving up meat for Lent. He's story is interesting and his recourses are valuable. I'd also like to meet Sgt. Vegan's mom, who shares kickin' recipes for pea soup, carrot and curry soup and vegan chili. Report for duty.

                 

                  Sea Ranch KETO Boudain

                             Boudain lovers, you may have heard. Sea Ranch Café in Port Neches is making KETO boudain - with cauliflower instead of rice - and it's selling like crazy. Thibodeaux and Boudreaux might not even notice the substitution.

                            I couldn't wait to get my hands on some and I found the texture to be very good. It passed my Mom's test and she's got ties to Breaux Bridge, La., I did add some cayenne to my serving, because that's just how I roll. Spicy. You've got to plan ahead to get your share, so monitor them on Facebook.

                             I had another round of guests from Alabama and I'm happy to report that they scored a few pounds for a relative who is on the KETO diet. They also packed dry ice to take a chest of their standard favorite, DJ's Boudain, back home.

                             Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who is happy to spread the Vegan message, yet is pretty strict about her boudain desires. Contact her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com