Google has a new interface for Blogger, its blogging software. Pretty much like going snow blind, if you ask me. Oh, well.
I always think I'm going to try new foods, but end up with (mostly) the same old ones. On Wednesday, I tried not one but two new things!
The Oneth. I love roasting ears of corn. It's so much fun to go to a fair or carnival and find the vendor who roasts the corn. Butter, salt, cayenne with that roasted flavor is just so yummy. A couple of grocery stores on this end of Houston have food trucks outside their entrances that specialize in roasted corn. I finally took the time to stop by one to get a couple of ears.
Sadly, they were out of whole ears. The only choice was roasted corn in a cup. So I tried it, replying when asked, "Everything." I was expecting salsa or cayenne or something spicy. What I got was butter and mayonnaise (heavy on the mayo) with a little cayenne and some lime juice. Although there was definitely a taste of roasted corn, the result was very like an overdressed salad--way too much mayo and butter to enjoy the corn. After a few bites, it became too much, and I didn't finish the cup.
Since the cup cost a whopping $3, I have to say I was disappointed all around. I do intend to try again (someday) to get one of those roasted ears, but will definitely balk when offered one in a cup.
The Twoth. Leeks are not entirely a new item in my diet, but I can only recall purchasing them once before my last shopping trip to Kroger. They are about to become much more common.
I had been slicing the leeks and adding them to soups and stir-frys but, for the last one on the bundle, I decided to experiment with the leek as a standalone vegetable. I had a little oil left from pan-frying some breaded chicken breasts, so I sliced the leek and tossed it in the pan along with the leftover bread crumbs. I seasoned with salt and garlic powder and deglazed the pan with some chicken stock. After reducing the stock, I served the leeks with the pan-fried chicken and some mashed potatoes.
Definite yum. Definite addition to the diet.
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Friday, January 6, 2012
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Christmas Toys (1)
I had a good Christmas this year--if raking in a lot of toys counts for making it a good one. Now that I have a little time to look at all the goodies, I have to admit that Santa Claus (and My Prince) treated me very well.
Toy #1 is a Yoshi Knife (yes, as-seen-on-TV). I actually picked it up myself (Santa Claus is not a terrific shopper, so I have to help him out). I have wanted a ceramic knife for some time, but the prices I have seen have been more than I feel comfortable spending on a knife. The TV ad for the Yoshi made me want this more affordable version. When I saw it advertised at Big Lots, I stopped by on my round of errands to pick one up and saved it for my Christmas stocking.
I didn't have time to look at the thing until this past Friday when I opened the package and tried it out with Little Sister. Opening the package was an ordeal. The stiff plastic container is impossible to open without very sharp kitchen scissors. The jagged edges that crop up during the opening process are alarmingly sharp and quite dangerous in themselves. It was all I could do to get the package open. Once I managed to pry the thing open enough to work out the knife, I had to tear the paper label to do so. Not a happy experience.
I read the directions before trying the knife. Cleaning is simple. Use, however, comes with a lot of caveats that I had not expected, e.g., use the knife only for slicing, not for chopping. Most of the "rules" make sense, e.g., ceramics can be incredibly strong (and, we are hoping in this case, sharp), but they can be shattered with improper use. After all, even diamonds are "cut" to shape. Storage may be simple enough, but I am still nervous when re-sheathing the blade. Using only wooden or plastic cutting boards is fine by me.
The knife's first test was on an onion. It was not quite like slicing butter, but it was certainly easier than any previous onion-cutting experience I have had. I could also get better control over the thickness of slices, making some of them quite thin. (I need better control over my wrists before I get all of them to be that thin.) I was pleased.
When LS came over, I showed her the knife and let her play with it a bit. She was even better at making thin slices and reminded me of the tomato demonstration in the commercial. I didn't get to that test until last night, when I actually needed to slice some tomatoes. Sure enough, the Yoshi knife did a good job on them and let me get some nicely thin slices. I was surprised, however, that even this sharp blade was not so razor sharp as to get through the skin without some extra pressure. (Tomatoes are tough these days.)
Despite being less than overwhelmed by the knife, I am pleased enough to think I will continue to use it with some frequency. I also will think about getting some other knife styles with ceramic blades.
Last night I used the knife to make a side dish to go with turkey patties. I sliced one onion, two tomatoes, and some roasted red peppers (from a jar). These were sauteed in the pan used to cook the turkey, picking up flavors and the dab of oil left over from cooking the turkey. I added a little salt while I was sweating the onions and then a little garlic/herb seasoning mix while the vegetables were cooking down. I served the resulting vegetable mixture over the turkey patty for a delicious dinner. Sadly, I am not enough of a cook to know what others would call what I made. Happily, the Yoshi Blade worked a treat to make preparation easy and quick. Even better, I have another low carb dish to avert a food coma.
Toy #1 is a Yoshi Knife (yes, as-seen-on-TV). I actually picked it up myself (Santa Claus is not a terrific shopper, so I have to help him out). I have wanted a ceramic knife for some time, but the prices I have seen have been more than I feel comfortable spending on a knife. The TV ad for the Yoshi made me want this more affordable version. When I saw it advertised at Big Lots, I stopped by on my round of errands to pick one up and saved it for my Christmas stocking.
I didn't have time to look at the thing until this past Friday when I opened the package and tried it out with Little Sister. Opening the package was an ordeal. The stiff plastic container is impossible to open without very sharp kitchen scissors. The jagged edges that crop up during the opening process are alarmingly sharp and quite dangerous in themselves. It was all I could do to get the package open. Once I managed to pry the thing open enough to work out the knife, I had to tear the paper label to do so. Not a happy experience.
I read the directions before trying the knife. Cleaning is simple. Use, however, comes with a lot of caveats that I had not expected, e.g., use the knife only for slicing, not for chopping. Most of the "rules" make sense, e.g., ceramics can be incredibly strong (and, we are hoping in this case, sharp), but they can be shattered with improper use. After all, even diamonds are "cut" to shape. Storage may be simple enough, but I am still nervous when re-sheathing the blade. Using only wooden or plastic cutting boards is fine by me.
The knife's first test was on an onion. It was not quite like slicing butter, but it was certainly easier than any previous onion-cutting experience I have had. I could also get better control over the thickness of slices, making some of them quite thin. (I need better control over my wrists before I get all of them to be that thin.) I was pleased.
When LS came over, I showed her the knife and let her play with it a bit. She was even better at making thin slices and reminded me of the tomato demonstration in the commercial. I didn't get to that test until last night, when I actually needed to slice some tomatoes. Sure enough, the Yoshi knife did a good job on them and let me get some nicely thin slices. I was surprised, however, that even this sharp blade was not so razor sharp as to get through the skin without some extra pressure. (Tomatoes are tough these days.)
Despite being less than overwhelmed by the knife, I am pleased enough to think I will continue to use it with some frequency. I also will think about getting some other knife styles with ceramic blades.
Last night I used the knife to make a side dish to go with turkey patties. I sliced one onion, two tomatoes, and some roasted red peppers (from a jar). These were sauteed in the pan used to cook the turkey, picking up flavors and the dab of oil left over from cooking the turkey. I added a little salt while I was sweating the onions and then a little garlic/herb seasoning mix while the vegetables were cooking down. I served the resulting vegetable mixture over the turkey patty for a delicious dinner. Sadly, I am not enough of a cook to know what others would call what I made. Happily, the Yoshi Blade worked a treat to make preparation easy and quick. Even better, I have another low carb dish to avert a food coma.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Something in the air?
What is it with the fast food joints on Wallisville Rd.? Is it so hard to hear an order, repeat the order correctly, and then get the correct food and drink in the bag? To be fair, it may not just be Wallisville Rd. that has bad air these days. There seems to be a rash of foul ups that happen between the order window and the delivery window.
In response, I have developed a strategy to deal with it. If it's not too badly messed up or I'm in too much of a hurry to warrant a return to the restaurant, I check the receipt for a phone number. Sometimes I'm home already, sometimes I call from wherever I've stopped to dine (Mama and I "picnic" in the car a lot these days), but as soon as possible I call the restaurant and ask to speak to the manager. I provide the ticket number and explain what I ordered versus what I received. I comment on the server, praising courtesy, detailing rudeness. Often the manager wants to "do something" for me--give me a coupon or something. These are largely useless to me, so I make a big point of saying that I don't want anything extra, I just want the service that I paid for--every time I go to that restaurant. I ask him/her to please have a word with the staff about the quality of service and what customers are buying when they come to the restaurant. They usually agree very quickly.
What matters to me in this is that fast food restaurants not be excused from providing a basic level of service: take the order respectfully, repeat it back to the customer clearly, check to make sure that the order listed on the receipt is the actual order in the bag, check to see if the customer has extra requests for napkins or condiments before closing the window in his/her face. It's not rocket science, and we pay plenty to get this level of service. Failure needs to be reported to the person who is ultimately responsible: the manager. Repeated failure needs to be proclaimed a little more strongly--in places like this blog and rating sites that allow the community to comment on quality and service.
I'm not trying to cost anyone his/her job here. I am not trying to put anyone out of business. I just get fed up with paying for something and getting ripped off, which is exactly what is happening.
- Serving cole slaw without a fork or spoon.
- Substituting diet Dr. Pepper for diet Coke.
- Substituting the wrong kind and amount of chicken pieces.
In response, I have developed a strategy to deal with it. If it's not too badly messed up or I'm in too much of a hurry to warrant a return to the restaurant, I check the receipt for a phone number. Sometimes I'm home already, sometimes I call from wherever I've stopped to dine (Mama and I "picnic" in the car a lot these days), but as soon as possible I call the restaurant and ask to speak to the manager. I provide the ticket number and explain what I ordered versus what I received. I comment on the server, praising courtesy, detailing rudeness. Often the manager wants to "do something" for me--give me a coupon or something. These are largely useless to me, so I make a big point of saying that I don't want anything extra, I just want the service that I paid for--every time I go to that restaurant. I ask him/her to please have a word with the staff about the quality of service and what customers are buying when they come to the restaurant. They usually agree very quickly.
What matters to me in this is that fast food restaurants not be excused from providing a basic level of service: take the order respectfully, repeat it back to the customer clearly, check to make sure that the order listed on the receipt is the actual order in the bag, check to see if the customer has extra requests for napkins or condiments before closing the window in his/her face. It's not rocket science, and we pay plenty to get this level of service. Failure needs to be reported to the person who is ultimately responsible: the manager. Repeated failure needs to be proclaimed a little more strongly--in places like this blog and rating sites that allow the community to comment on quality and service.
I'm not trying to cost anyone his/her job here. I am not trying to put anyone out of business. I just get fed up with paying for something and getting ripped off, which is exactly what is happening.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Top Chef Blues
One of the joys of getting back to Mama's house is watching cable tv. I've learned that even with so many channels, there often isn't really that much on, so My Prince and I are not missing too terribly much by not subscribing to cable. There are, however, a few bright spots, and Top Chef is one of them.
I've enjoyed watching this season's Top Chef New York, and hate to miss any episodes. Happily, Bravo seems to re-run the whole season up to the current episode just before a new episode is due out, so it has been easy to catch up. I watched several episodes last week, waiting for the newest one, and enjoyed every repeated minute.
I was, however, much taken aback when I saw Episode 8's quick fire challenge. I recognize that the challenge was intended to show the intense contrast between what most of us have to work with in our kitchens (canned goods) and the elimination challenge's trip to a farm/restaurant where everything is so fresh it's still in the ground or on the hoof. There was a lot of "we want to cook with the freshest ingredients" yadda yadda, but what really startled me was the contestants' agony with the quick fire: they were simply appalled with having to work with canned goods.
Like they were too good for canned food. Like they never opened a can of beans at home. Like they would rather die than suffer the taste. Like it was okay for a mere housewife to use this stuff, but not they.
Hmmm.
Well, yes, I like cooking fresh vegetables. Now that I've started making Mystery Stir Fry, I use a lot more fresh vegetables than I ever have before. The vegetable crisper is no longer the place where good food goes to die at my home. I like to fill it up with good things and nosh on raw veggies at every available opportunity. (Like now. Yummy carrots.) The taste, the fiber, the vitamins--it's all so much better when we are using fresh.
The contestants only had 15 minutes to come up with something to impress their judges. Some of them seemed to flounder badly, and their dishes seemed as uninspired as their groaning and moaning suggested that they would be. And then young Jeff comes up with conch fritters. And the Stefan (nasty man!) won with bean and spam soup with grilled cheese. And Fabio came up with mac and cheese with artichoke (which I fully intend to try out on My Prince).
While I'm no fan of spam (or Stefan), there were some creative dishes produced for the quick fire. I'm more concerned that the potential of these commercially produced/processed ingredients was presented as something unappealing, to be disdained, not worthy of a chef's attention. I wonder if that also applies to the people who use canned goods on a daily basis.
I've enjoyed watching this season's Top Chef New York, and hate to miss any episodes. Happily, Bravo seems to re-run the whole season up to the current episode just before a new episode is due out, so it has been easy to catch up. I watched several episodes last week, waiting for the newest one, and enjoyed every repeated minute.
I was, however, much taken aback when I saw Episode 8's quick fire challenge. I recognize that the challenge was intended to show the intense contrast between what most of us have to work with in our kitchens (canned goods) and the elimination challenge's trip to a farm/restaurant where everything is so fresh it's still in the ground or on the hoof. There was a lot of "we want to cook with the freshest ingredients" yadda yadda, but what really startled me was the contestants' agony with the quick fire: they were simply appalled with having to work with canned goods.
Like they were too good for canned food. Like they never opened a can of beans at home. Like they would rather die than suffer the taste. Like it was okay for a mere housewife to use this stuff, but not they.
Hmmm.
Well, yes, I like cooking fresh vegetables. Now that I've started making Mystery Stir Fry, I use a lot more fresh vegetables than I ever have before. The vegetable crisper is no longer the place where good food goes to die at my home. I like to fill it up with good things and nosh on raw veggies at every available opportunity. (Like now. Yummy carrots.) The taste, the fiber, the vitamins--it's all so much better when we are using fresh.
The contestants only had 15 minutes to come up with something to impress their judges. Some of them seemed to flounder badly, and their dishes seemed as uninspired as their groaning and moaning suggested that they would be. And then young Jeff comes up with conch fritters. And the Stefan (nasty man!) won with bean and spam soup with grilled cheese. And Fabio came up with mac and cheese with artichoke (which I fully intend to try out on My Prince).
While I'm no fan of spam (or Stefan), there were some creative dishes produced for the quick fire. I'm more concerned that the potential of these commercially produced/processed ingredients was presented as something unappealing, to be disdained, not worthy of a chef's attention. I wonder if that also applies to the people who use canned goods on a daily basis.
Chili today and hot tamale
LOL! That's the punch line from an old joke. I don't remember the joke itself, but I often think of the line when someone comments about chilly weather. For some reason the line comes to mind as I am thinking about the wonderful visit that I recently had with #2MIL.
After several months of one thing and another keeping me away, I finally had a functioning car and time away from elder care to make a quick run out to see My Prince's stepmom. "Quick" turned into three days and two nights of fun conversations, fun shopping, and fun eating. #2MIL, I should explain, is only "#2" because we both still honor #1, My Prince's late mother; both moms are very much in the center of our hearts.
While #2 MIL is a fantastic cook with whom we've enjoyed many wonderful meals, she's not as interested in spending quality time over a hot stove these days. She prepared fine, low-carb breakfasts for me, but lunch and dinner were eaten out (or involved certain happy leftovers).
Our first dining adventure took us to Tamale King near Buchanan Dam. Other folks have reviewed Tamale King quite highly, and I have to join in the praise.
This painting by J. McElwaine shows the old pickup truck that used to be filled with the most wonderful bounty of bougainvillea. It was parked in front of the restaurant and lifted your spirits immediately. #2MIL says a freeze finally got to the plants, and the truck was just hauled off. I'm glad that the artist managed to capture this memory before it disappeared.
I'm also glad to report that nothing has happened to the quality of food at Tamale King despite the loss of the truck with the bougainvillea. #2MIL ordered 3 dozen tamales to go for My Prince's Christmas present. (We froze them so that I could take them home later.) Then we settled down to take care of ourselves. The Tamale King platter came with 3 tamales (I chose beef), covered with chili sauce, and accompanied by rice, borracho beans, guacamole, and a generous supply of flour tortillas. Then we added a side order of a dozen beef tamales. A side order of tamales to go with the tamale plate you ask? Well, it made sense to me! This allowed me to have an extra tamale for dinner (yes, they are that good); it allowed #2 MIL to have her favorite bowl of boracho beans and still nibble on some tamales from the side dish; it allowed me to take some home for extra bites when needed. Besides, it's so tacky to eat someone else's Christmas present before they even get it, doncha know.
The next day, we went on a road trip to preview the activities for a planned excursion for #2MIL's neighborhood group. This took us to Lampasas and Eve's Cafe on the Square. A German cafe, Eve's serves various schnitzels and hearty sandwiches in a biergarten cum ranch atmosphere. The service was friendly and helpful. I ordered a Reuben. Bypassing the chips offered on the side, I tried to see what else might take their place. No joy there. #2MIL had a chef salad with dressing on the side. Both of us found our meals tasty, filling, and reasonably priced. Here's a shot of beer mats on the ceiling of Eve's.
Every other chance that I had to eat involved those wonderful leftover tamales. A friendly neighbor had brought over a small bowl of spicy chili. She warned us that it would be quite hot. I didn't find it so hot, but it was delicious and just the thing to spoon over a couple of tamales. #2MIL never had to touch the stove after breakfast! Indeed, if she had allowed it, I probably would have had those wonderful tamales for breakfast.
After several months of one thing and another keeping me away, I finally had a functioning car and time away from elder care to make a quick run out to see My Prince's stepmom. "Quick" turned into three days and two nights of fun conversations, fun shopping, and fun eating. #2MIL, I should explain, is only "#2" because we both still honor #1, My Prince's late mother; both moms are very much in the center of our hearts.
While #2 MIL is a fantastic cook with whom we've enjoyed many wonderful meals, she's not as interested in spending quality time over a hot stove these days. She prepared fine, low-carb breakfasts for me, but lunch and dinner were eaten out (or involved certain happy leftovers).
Our first dining adventure took us to Tamale King near Buchanan Dam. Other folks have reviewed Tamale King quite highly, and I have to join in the praise.
This painting by J. McElwaine shows the old pickup truck that used to be filled with the most wonderful bounty of bougainvillea. It was parked in front of the restaurant and lifted your spirits immediately. #2MIL says a freeze finally got to the plants, and the truck was just hauled off. I'm glad that the artist managed to capture this memory before it disappeared.
I'm also glad to report that nothing has happened to the quality of food at Tamale King despite the loss of the truck with the bougainvillea. #2MIL ordered 3 dozen tamales to go for My Prince's Christmas present. (We froze them so that I could take them home later.) Then we settled down to take care of ourselves. The Tamale King platter came with 3 tamales (I chose beef), covered with chili sauce, and accompanied by rice, borracho beans, guacamole, and a generous supply of flour tortillas. Then we added a side order of a dozen beef tamales. A side order of tamales to go with the tamale plate you ask? Well, it made sense to me! This allowed me to have an extra tamale for dinner (yes, they are that good); it allowed #2 MIL to have her favorite bowl of boracho beans and still nibble on some tamales from the side dish; it allowed me to take some home for extra bites when needed. Besides, it's so tacky to eat someone else's Christmas present before they even get it, doncha know.
The next day, we went on a road trip to preview the activities for a planned excursion for #2MIL's neighborhood group. This took us to Lampasas and Eve's Cafe on the Square. A German cafe, Eve's serves various schnitzels and hearty sandwiches in a biergarten cum ranch atmosphere. The service was friendly and helpful. I ordered a Reuben. Bypassing the chips offered on the side, I tried to see what else might take their place. No joy there. #2MIL had a chef salad with dressing on the side. Both of us found our meals tasty, filling, and reasonably priced. Here's a shot of beer mats on the ceiling of Eve's.
Every other chance that I had to eat involved those wonderful leftover tamales. A friendly neighbor had brought over a small bowl of spicy chili. She warned us that it would be quite hot. I didn't find it so hot, but it was delicious and just the thing to spoon over a couple of tamales. #2MIL never had to touch the stove after breakfast! Indeed, if she had allowed it, I probably would have had those wonderful tamales for breakfast.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Trip to Shiner (2)
Aside from the brewery, there is quite a bit to see and do in Shiner. Not that we old folks were quite up to doing much of it. We thought about going to the drive-in or even driving over to Yoakum for Country Music USA. In the end, we settled for the local museum and several naps.
But we didn't miss any meals!
While we were not as adventurous as I would have wished, i.e., we didn't try every single eatery in Shiner, we did find a couple of jewels--and went back again for another meal.
Our first discovery was the Country Corner Cafe.
We first went there for dinner, expecting to see a lot of, well, country food on the menu. We were a bit nonplussed by page after page of Tex-Mex with only a tiny corner for chicken fried steak and that sort of thing. There was, however, a large assortment of hamburgers, all given monster names, perhaps to indicate their size. My Prince managed to find the belt-buster Tex-Mex meal (which made my mouth water--I was jealous of every bite), and I, having had a high blood sugar reading, decided to try the taco salad. My Prince shared his nachos, which I nibbled very slowly, but he managed to handle everything else all by himself. This was not quite the tragedy I make it out to be, since my taco salad was quite large. Happily it was mostly lettuce (that's my story and I'm sticking to it), so I could eat it all. Well, I left most of the salad shell behind and felt quite virtuous about it. My blood sugar readings were much happier anyway.
Our second trip to the Country Corner was for lunch. As promised, there was a sizable buffet that included all sorts of meats and veggies. This time, the place lived up to its name: fried chicken, pulled pork, chicken fried steak, turnip greens, green beans, and on and on. A nice assortment of salads and desserts plus some big pots of soup provided ample variety and opportunities for most everyone to maintain their diet (sorta). At $6.25 per person, lunch was a bargain.
The Country Corner Cafe was not all that much to look at. Inside and outside, it was fairly ramshackle. Getting in and out of the ladies room was a challenge, given the way the doors bumped into each other. But the food was good, the staff friendly, and the place filled up nicely for lunch.
Our other find was Mary's Tacos. This was a tin-roof building, nicer than a shack, with corrugated parking. Mary's was only open from 6:30 to 1, so her trade was for breakfast and lunch. Both mornings that I went there, a steady stream of customers walked in and out. Inside, the place was clean and bright, with several small tables for those who chose to dine in. Most seemed to just grab and run off to work or wherever.
The tacos themselves seemed overpriced at $1.75 and up--until I saw them. They were huge. One was quite easily a meal in itself. The breakfast plates were also filling. I ordered huevos a la Mexicana and huevos rancheros (on separate days) for My Prince. Both of us were more than pleased with our food. My egg and bacon taco had the extra benefit of little green chiles, which left me with nothing to complain about. Both mornings, breakfast for two cost about $7.00, which we decided was a good deal, especially in terms of value for the dollar.
There were a few other options for eating out in Shiner. Maybe we can check them out on another trip. We did decide to stay in for dinner one evening, since we had brought along some summer sausage and crackers. What we lacked was cheese, so I went out to find it. I tried one of the (national brand) service stations which seemed to have a convenience store attached to it. That turned out to be a good place for junk food (nachos, hot dogs), but no cheese. One of the teens who had popped in for grease and calories directed me to the local grocery store. I had seen it before as we drove past, so I had no trouble returning. Sadly, it was closed (at 7:00!), highlighting one of the difficulties that come with rural life--lack of goods, services, and amenities. We found others, which we could easily survive for a couple of days, but all these little "annoyances" made us appreciate Austin (and its traffic) even more. Luckily, I found another convenience store (no national brand), complete with domino table, that had some cheese. I loaded up and went back to the Shiner Country Inn (well, we were in the country) for a nice meal of sausage, cheese, crackers, and the Olympics (we weren't that far in the country).
On the whole, we ate well in Shiner. You sure won't starve to death if you go there for a couple of days--and you will get away from every national chain you ever ate at. There is nothing Generica about Shiner, except maybe that Exxon station.
But we didn't miss any meals!
While we were not as adventurous as I would have wished, i.e., we didn't try every single eatery in Shiner, we did find a couple of jewels--and went back again for another meal.
Our first discovery was the Country Corner Cafe.
We first went there for dinner, expecting to see a lot of, well, country food on the menu. We were a bit nonplussed by page after page of Tex-Mex with only a tiny corner for chicken fried steak and that sort of thing. There was, however, a large assortment of hamburgers, all given monster names, perhaps to indicate their size. My Prince managed to find the belt-buster Tex-Mex meal (which made my mouth water--I was jealous of every bite), and I, having had a high blood sugar reading, decided to try the taco salad. My Prince shared his nachos, which I nibbled very slowly, but he managed to handle everything else all by himself. This was not quite the tragedy I make it out to be, since my taco salad was quite large. Happily it was mostly lettuce (that's my story and I'm sticking to it), so I could eat it all. Well, I left most of the salad shell behind and felt quite virtuous about it. My blood sugar readings were much happier anyway.
Our second trip to the Country Corner was for lunch. As promised, there was a sizable buffet that included all sorts of meats and veggies. This time, the place lived up to its name: fried chicken, pulled pork, chicken fried steak, turnip greens, green beans, and on and on. A nice assortment of salads and desserts plus some big pots of soup provided ample variety and opportunities for most everyone to maintain their diet (sorta). At $6.25 per person, lunch was a bargain.
The Country Corner Cafe was not all that much to look at. Inside and outside, it was fairly ramshackle. Getting in and out of the ladies room was a challenge, given the way the doors bumped into each other. But the food was good, the staff friendly, and the place filled up nicely for lunch.
Our other find was Mary's Tacos. This was a tin-roof building, nicer than a shack, with corrugated parking. Mary's was only open from 6:30 to 1, so her trade was for breakfast and lunch. Both mornings that I went there, a steady stream of customers walked in and out. Inside, the place was clean and bright, with several small tables for those who chose to dine in. Most seemed to just grab and run off to work or wherever.
The tacos themselves seemed overpriced at $1.75 and up--until I saw them. They were huge. One was quite easily a meal in itself. The breakfast plates were also filling. I ordered huevos a la Mexicana and huevos rancheros (on separate days) for My Prince. Both of us were more than pleased with our food. My egg and bacon taco had the extra benefit of little green chiles, which left me with nothing to complain about. Both mornings, breakfast for two cost about $7.00, which we decided was a good deal, especially in terms of value for the dollar.
There were a few other options for eating out in Shiner. Maybe we can check them out on another trip. We did decide to stay in for dinner one evening, since we had brought along some summer sausage and crackers. What we lacked was cheese, so I went out to find it. I tried one of the (national brand) service stations which seemed to have a convenience store attached to it. That turned out to be a good place for junk food (nachos, hot dogs), but no cheese. One of the teens who had popped in for grease and calories directed me to the local grocery store. I had seen it before as we drove past, so I had no trouble returning. Sadly, it was closed (at 7:00!), highlighting one of the difficulties that come with rural life--lack of goods, services, and amenities. We found others, which we could easily survive for a couple of days, but all these little "annoyances" made us appreciate Austin (and its traffic) even more. Luckily, I found another convenience store (no national brand), complete with domino table, that had some cheese. I loaded up and went back to the Shiner Country Inn (well, we were in the country) for a nice meal of sausage, cheese, crackers, and the Olympics (we weren't that far in the country).
On the whole, we ate well in Shiner. You sure won't starve to death if you go there for a couple of days--and you will get away from every national chain you ever ate at. There is nothing Generica about Shiner, except maybe that Exxon station.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Trip to Shiner (1)
My Prince and I took a trip to Shiner, Texas, earlier this week. We've always wanted to start seeing Texas whenever we got the time. Time flies, it seems, and we decided we'd never get the time unless we made it. So, we went to Shiner for a couple of nights.
The major attraction in Shiner, of course, is the Spoetzl Brewery, where Shiner beer is made. We are not big drinkers, indeed we hardly drink at all, but we do know a good beer when we find one. Naturally, we toured the brewery.
Seeing the big copper kettles was fun. Even more fun was getting to see the bottling and packing machinery. We learned about the origin of ice cubes (the brewery made near beer and ice during Prohibition). We were pleased to hear about the inclusion of Texas products, including bottles, in the manufacturing process.
The point of a beer tour for most folks is the Hospitality Room. No matter what it is called, this would be the place where samples of the product are available for tasting. My Prince and I agreed that we didn't need the 4 cups (4 oz., I think) of beer that we would be allowed; instead we would choose what we wanted to taste and split the cups between us.
The major attraction in Shiner, of course, is the Spoetzl Brewery, where Shiner beer is made. We are not big drinkers, indeed we hardly drink at all, but we do know a good beer when we find one. Naturally, we toured the brewery.
Seeing the big copper kettles was fun. Even more fun was getting to see the bottling and packing machinery. We learned about the origin of ice cubes (the brewery made near beer and ice during Prohibition). We were pleased to hear about the inclusion of Texas products, including bottles, in the manufacturing process.
The point of a beer tour for most folks is the Hospitality Room. No matter what it is called, this would be the place where samples of the product are available for tasting. My Prince and I agreed that we didn't need the 4 cups (4 oz., I think) of beer that we would be allowed; instead we would choose what we wanted to taste and split the cups between us.
- We tried the Spezial Leicht, a low carb beer that tasted really nice. It had the full beer flavor and, we were told, 3.2% alcohol, although we never seemed to feel any effects from it.
- We tried the Hefeweizen, an unfiltered wheat brew. I didn't much care for it, but My Prince thought it was pretty good.
- We tried the Bohemian Black Lager, a "black beer" typically brewed in Germany. My Prince liked this, too, but I loved it. Indeed, I drank most of the cup we "shared" and part of another one--which is one of several reasons why I don't drink much. Nope. But it did taste wunderbar!
Monday, August 11, 2008
Road Food: Peter's BBQ
The family has now foresworn Weikel's pigs-in-blanket. On my last stop there, I found that the price for a package of 6 pigs had gone up to $8.15. The price has been rising fairly slowly up to now, but the jump from $7.50 to $8.15 is a little over 9% in one bite. We've been seeing that and more a lot lately.
Another favorite stop has been Peter's BBQ in Ellinger (on HWY 71, it is hard to miss). We have only been stopping there for the past couple of years and don't make it every trip. It depends on the time of day, mood, and appetite (but more mood than appetite). Stopping generally leads to a sack full of chopped beef sandwiches, but we have branched out to sausage wraps and sausage sandwiches as well. We've never taken the opportunity to dine in, but I am hoping that we will one day have the time for a more leisurely trip down HWY 71 so that we can do more sampling of its pleasures.
Peter's has a couple of billboards, which first caught our attention. The big attraction was $1.50 BBQ sandwiches. As the item and the price began to seep into my consciousness, what made the idea of stopping so attractive was actually another favorite childhood memory: stopping at Ward's BBQ on HWY 59 as we drove to
Ward's BBQ, if I recall correctly, was even more dilapidated than Peter's, and I don't know that there was a "dine in" option. We did, however, stop there on so many trips that I was the voice frequently chanting from the back seat about "how far is it to Ward's?" The BBQ sandwiches were served on plain white sandwich bread and accompanied by grape cider. For all I know, the cider was Welch's grape juice, but it was cold and wonderful as Mama, Daddy and I passed the bottle around in the car, while I inhaled that marvelous chopped beef sandwich.
Thinking we might be in for a similar experience, I ventured into Peter's one day a couple of years back. Inside was a fairly bare bones cafe with chrome-finished tables, a short little buffet, a slightly larger serving area for the barbecue, and ice-filled tubs with bottled soft drinks that didn't look anything like Coca-Cola (although you could get that from the refrigerated coolers). I ordered 10 chopped beef sandwiches and watched as they were being made--with pickle and onion added by the young fellow who was slapping on the BBQ. As it turns out, Peter's BBQ is a little more upscale than Ward's was: the sandwich is made with a bun instead of plain white bread. Peter's chopped beef didn't erase my childhood memory with an outstanding new taste, but it was just as good.
We stop in at Peter's now and then. Never have tried the buffet but hope to. The prices are very reasonable. Picking up a sack of sandwiches to eat on the road (fresh and unsoggy) or at home (fresh and soggy) is tasty either way.
Sadly, when I stopped in this last time, the price had gone up to $1.99 per sandwich. The high cost of gasoline (I am not fooled by the recent drop in prices) and other anti-food policies that are driving up the cost of supplies has forced even Peter's to start raising what were some of the most reasonable prices in the state. I'm hoping that that hand-lettered sign on a piece of typing paper is temporary, but I fear that it is not. This time I ordered fewer sandwiches, so we didn't have any leftover to eat cold for breakfast. I'm sure that's a good thing in terms of eating healthily, but BBQ is not about health, now is it?
Monday, July 28, 2008
Return to Central Market
A friend talked me into meeting her at the central Central Market in Austin (38th & Lamar) for lunch on Friday. I was game to try to it, since I hadn't been to a Central Market in many years. Indeed, the only time I ever went to one was when HEB opened one a couple of miles from my home, and I wanted to see what it was like. I didn't like it. The fake-feeling meandering aisles were apparently intended to make you feel like you were in an old-time market place, so that you could get high-priced prepared and exotic foods while "experiencing" the "authentic" shopping experience of the olden days--or something like that. I just felt trapped by the maze and wanted OUT.
Times have changed and so has Central Market. I found a handicapped parking space near the entry to the produce section and entered what felt like the North Pole. HEB keeps that section very cool to help keep the produce fresher. It made sense, but I couldn't wait to get out of there. I skipped the opportunity to check out the fruit and other treats and made my way as fast as the restricted paths allowed over to the warmer part of the store. I did, however, take the time to look at some of the veggies and was more than impressed by the array. "So that's what a fingerling potato looks like." "Does purple cauliflower taste the same as white cauliflower?" "Did they really import that from France?"
Still thinking about the experience several days later, I have to say that the produce section was clearly not a case of buying locally, cooking seasonally. As interesting--and even tasty--as all those options looked, I can't help but think of the cost in oil for all of these goodies. I don't have answers, of course, but I am one of many, I believe, who are starting to think about this. Sadly, these thoughts come just as I am finding new foods. *ack*
On to the tour. I meandered a bit through the bulk foods area. "Many" and "exotic" again apply. I didn't have time for a really close look at price and variety, but the sheer number of bins was (seemed) greater than anything I'd seen at Whole Foods. I did note that there were more "normal" aisles in the store, so that I didn't feel quite so oppressed by artificial ambience, but there were still some forced paths and cul-de-sacs.
One cul-de-sac (the salad bar) was where I met my friend. We had our choice of getting hot food from a snack bar (although the menu choices were no way snacky) or serving ourselves from a nice selection of sandwiches (which all seemed to be priced at $4.99) and/or the extensive salad and soup bars (sold by weight). The line was too long for the hot foods, so we decided to serve ourselves. My friend chose pasta, which she could heat in a microwave near the snack bar. I took a couple of small salad portions for sampling and then built a nice green salad and chose a tarragon chicken salad sandwich.
I noticed that my friend did not eat all of her pasta. She did, however, approve of one of the sampling salads: quinoa with fruit and nuts. I thought it had a nice enough sweetness, but didn't fall in love with it. I came closer to loving the second sample, which my friend actively disliked: couscous with sliced black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and green onions. My own green salad was pretty standard for me, although I did add some edemame for a new taste. Nice crunch, okay flavor. The chicken salad was also tasty, although I loved the bread more than the salad.
My lunch, including the sampling salads and a bottle of water, set me back $13.01, more than I would normally want to pay for lunch. I was, I think, making up for the "pain and suffering" of that clear liquid diet, so I was making sure that I had plenty to eat. As it turns out, I was not overfull after cleaning my plate. What drove the price up was the sampling salads, which turned out to be surprisingly heavy for the amounts that I took for sampling (half a cup or so).
Time was our enemy for this adventure, so my friend and I agreed that we should come back to do more looking around and shopping. I only had time to grab a dozen roses ($6.99 for the bunch) and did no further dawdling. I think there is still quite a bit to see at the Central Market before I know whether it needs to become a place for me to shop.
Times have changed and so has Central Market. I found a handicapped parking space near the entry to the produce section and entered what felt like the North Pole. HEB keeps that section very cool to help keep the produce fresher. It made sense, but I couldn't wait to get out of there. I skipped the opportunity to check out the fruit and other treats and made my way as fast as the restricted paths allowed over to the warmer part of the store. I did, however, take the time to look at some of the veggies and was more than impressed by the array. "So that's what a fingerling potato looks like." "Does purple cauliflower taste the same as white cauliflower?" "Did they really import that from France?"
Still thinking about the experience several days later, I have to say that the produce section was clearly not a case of buying locally, cooking seasonally. As interesting--and even tasty--as all those options looked, I can't help but think of the cost in oil for all of these goodies. I don't have answers, of course, but I am one of many, I believe, who are starting to think about this. Sadly, these thoughts come just as I am finding new foods. *ack*
On to the tour. I meandered a bit through the bulk foods area. "Many" and "exotic" again apply. I didn't have time for a really close look at price and variety, but the sheer number of bins was (seemed) greater than anything I'd seen at Whole Foods. I did note that there were more "normal" aisles in the store, so that I didn't feel quite so oppressed by artificial ambience, but there were still some forced paths and cul-de-sacs.
One cul-de-sac (the salad bar) was where I met my friend. We had our choice of getting hot food from a snack bar (although the menu choices were no way snacky) or serving ourselves from a nice selection of sandwiches (which all seemed to be priced at $4.99) and/or the extensive salad and soup bars (sold by weight). The line was too long for the hot foods, so we decided to serve ourselves. My friend chose pasta, which she could heat in a microwave near the snack bar. I took a couple of small salad portions for sampling and then built a nice green salad and chose a tarragon chicken salad sandwich.
I noticed that my friend did not eat all of her pasta. She did, however, approve of one of the sampling salads: quinoa with fruit and nuts. I thought it had a nice enough sweetness, but didn't fall in love with it. I came closer to loving the second sample, which my friend actively disliked: couscous with sliced black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and green onions. My own green salad was pretty standard for me, although I did add some edemame for a new taste. Nice crunch, okay flavor. The chicken salad was also tasty, although I loved the bread more than the salad.
My lunch, including the sampling salads and a bottle of water, set me back $13.01, more than I would normally want to pay for lunch. I was, I think, making up for the "pain and suffering" of that clear liquid diet, so I was making sure that I had plenty to eat. As it turns out, I was not overfull after cleaning my plate. What drove the price up was the sampling salads, which turned out to be surprisingly heavy for the amounts that I took for sampling (half a cup or so).
Time was our enemy for this adventure, so my friend and I agreed that we should come back to do more looking around and shopping. I only had time to grab a dozen roses ($6.99 for the bunch) and did no further dawdling. I think there is still quite a bit to see at the Central Market before I know whether it needs to become a place for me to shop.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Review: Captain Tom's Seafood & Oyster Bar
Went to lunch with Big Kid Cousin on Friday. She is one of the Big Kids we little ones all worshiped back in the old days. (There are only about 7 years difference between us; what a difference a few more years can make, hunh?) After some discussion, we decided that we would try Captain Tom's Seafood & Oyster Bar on the East Freeway (13955 East Fwy [I-10], Houston, 713-451-3700).
I have wanted to eat there ever since I saw it being built, but never had the right company. BKC is seriously game for just about anything, and we toddled over after a midday matinee (oh, yes, go see Mamma Mia).
I did expect a somewhat nautical theme, since the building is shaped like a boat. I did not expect for the floor to slant as if we actually were on a boat. And the tables? What tables? The whole "boat" had a bar the went all the way around the outer perimeter of the, well, boat-shaped dining room, a fairly narrow aisle between the stools at the outer bar and those at the inner bar, and an inner bar that surrounded a well where you could watch oysters being shucked, drinks being prepared, and general mayhem.
To get served, you place an order at the cash register near the door, but you don't pay. Then you find yourself a bar stool. We managed to get two empty stools at the part of the perimeter bar that was clearly designed for standing and drinking; it was just a narrow shelf. In a very few minutes, we found two more empty bar stools a little further up the shelf in an area that was more suitable for dining. At the same time our drinks were passed from the inner well from server to fellow customer to us.
As we sipped and continued to rave about the movie, I got my bearings at the "table." A big pile of paper napkins, an open container of horseradish, several bottles of different brands of hot sauce (and ketchup), big bowl of sliced lemons, overflowing basket of saltine crackers. There was likely more, but I was beginning to get a "feel" for our upcoming dining experience.
In another short while, we found two stools at the inner bar and scrambled over. This allowed us to watch the show: three or four guys at a time shucking oysters, making drinks, taking orders on sticky notes, and keeping a lively movement going. We did our part by passing drinks and food over our shoulder to other diners.
When our food arrived (we both ordered Texas Minis), we each had 3 fried shrimp and 2 fried catfish fillets with a decent pile of french fries. Our plates came with little paper cups filled with tartar sauce and red sauce.
I prefer the red sauce, so I, of course, did not have enough. It was easy, however, to use the supplies at hand to mix up more. I only tasted the tartar sauce when everything else was gone and I was just absently stealing BKC's french fries for a nibble. We had to leave so I wouldn't start drinking the stuff; it was delish. As we left, we stopped by the cash register, reminded the fellow there about what we had ordered, and paid. No fuss, no muss.
As for our meal:
Other reviews suggest that we missed a lot by not trying the gumbo or the raw oysters. I imagine that they are correct. I look forward to trying Captain Tom's again--soon.
I have wanted to eat there ever since I saw it being built, but never had the right company. BKC is seriously game for just about anything, and we toddled over after a midday matinee (oh, yes, go see Mamma Mia).
I did expect a somewhat nautical theme, since the building is shaped like a boat. I did not expect for the floor to slant as if we actually were on a boat. And the tables? What tables? The whole "boat" had a bar the went all the way around the outer perimeter of the, well, boat-shaped dining room, a fairly narrow aisle between the stools at the outer bar and those at the inner bar, and an inner bar that surrounded a well where you could watch oysters being shucked, drinks being prepared, and general mayhem.
To get served, you place an order at the cash register near the door, but you don't pay. Then you find yourself a bar stool. We managed to get two empty stools at the part of the perimeter bar that was clearly designed for standing and drinking; it was just a narrow shelf. In a very few minutes, we found two more empty bar stools a little further up the shelf in an area that was more suitable for dining. At the same time our drinks were passed from the inner well from server to fellow customer to us.
As we sipped and continued to rave about the movie, I got my bearings at the "table." A big pile of paper napkins, an open container of horseradish, several bottles of different brands of hot sauce (and ketchup), big bowl of sliced lemons, overflowing basket of saltine crackers. There was likely more, but I was beginning to get a "feel" for our upcoming dining experience.
In another short while, we found two stools at the inner bar and scrambled over. This allowed us to watch the show: three or four guys at a time shucking oysters, making drinks, taking orders on sticky notes, and keeping a lively movement going. We did our part by passing drinks and food over our shoulder to other diners.
When our food arrived (we both ordered Texas Minis), we each had 3 fried shrimp and 2 fried catfish fillets with a decent pile of french fries. Our plates came with little paper cups filled with tartar sauce and red sauce.
I prefer the red sauce, so I, of course, did not have enough. It was easy, however, to use the supplies at hand to mix up more. I only tasted the tartar sauce when everything else was gone and I was just absently stealing BKC's french fries for a nibble. We had to leave so I wouldn't start drinking the stuff; it was delish. As we left, we stopped by the cash register, reminded the fellow there about what we had ordered, and paid. No fuss, no muss.
As for our meal:
- The french fries were so so. If thinner and crisper, I would have liked them better, but Captain Tom would then have had to pay a royalty to McDonald's.
- The shrimp was so so. Butterflied, battered, fried--it had a taste that wasn't all shrimp. That didn't keep me from eating every bit, but I didn't think they were wonderful.
- The catfish was fine. Thin, crisp, battered with cornmeal. There was nothing outstanding there, but they certainly did no harm to the catfish (yes, you can cook catfish badly).
Other reviews suggest that we missed a lot by not trying the gumbo or the raw oysters. I imagine that they are correct. I look forward to trying Captain Tom's again--soon.
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