Riding on the Metro...

I was on the train the other day talking to my brother on the phone.  We had both made spaghetti the night before.  He made his with Italian sausage, and I had used meatballs. While we were talking, this guy gives me the snake eye... I'm thinking that he is having a problem with me talking too loud on my phone.

My brother continued on about how he was in the store looking at the ground meat without too terribly much enthusiasm, when he saw the sausage and decided to go that direction with his dinner.  I interjected how I like the HEB weekly special, and explained that this week they had frozen meatballs.  All the while this guy is lookin at me.

"Do they have spicy Italian meatballs?" my brother asks.

"They have Italian," I said, "but they are not spicy.  They like have Italian seasoning in them.  They were tasty."

And, I'm lookin at this guy thinking that I'm going to have to ask what his problem is and throw down.  You can't show weakness on the Metro... its a jungle out there, and they can smell your fear.  So, we reach my stop and I'm walking out... the guy... did I mention he was pretty big... well, this guy taps me on the shoulder and I think "here it goes," when the guy hands me two $10 gift certificates to Prima Pasta.  He says "Here, you might like these."

*SNAP*  back to reality... oh there goes gravity... Oh there goes Rabbit.... find your civility...

"Hey," I said.  "Thanks dude, that's really nice."

He just smiled, and I finished my trip home through the Crime Free Montrose.

And that's how I got two gift certificates for $10 off at Prima Pasta.  I can't wait to try the place out..

Past and Future Peanuts

When I saw the colorful Lord Nut Levington display at SPEC's, I was attracted like a moth to a flame.  Not only did it have pretty colors, there was sort of a Victorian flare to the display... and... well... as I think Victorian England was the pinnacle of human civilization, the goldfish in me was hooked.

 

The first thing I noticed... after drawing closer.. was that the Lord Nut Levington brand likes to have uniquely flavored peanuts.  Some that struck me were "Apple, Cinnamon, Vanilla" "Mesquite Smoked and Pineapple BBQ" and "Thai Curry and Lemongrass."  Yes folks, I said "Thai Curry and Lemongrass flavored peanuts."  I'll admit, I had sort of an eeww moment.... then, I thought of how many delicious, Thai dishes contained peanuts... I was reminded of how I love phad thai... not the phad thai I've hungrily consumed in countless restaurant's during the past 26 years, but the first phad thai to flirt past my lips and caress my tongue.  The exotic, succulent dish was surrendered to me by a Philippine bar owner somewhere south of Oceanside.  As the sound of waves soothed the shore, she set it steaming before me with an icy San Miguel and indulged my illusion that she served it only to me... and I... I was more than willing to be indulged... Alas, my dear, one of my few regrets is that your name has eroded from my mind... but the memory of your phad thai will surely share those final moments as I tenaciously cling to yet one more mortal thought...

 

Needless to say, I bought a can of Lord Nut Levington's Thai Dyed peanuts.

 

I was not disappointed.  The flavors don't mingle together; they each play with you in turn.  The freshness of lemongrass bursts in the front of your mouth before a peanut accent teases you, yet never fully takes control.  Then, when everything is over, you are left with a gentle tingle of curry, that lingers like the memory of moonlight on tender ocean waves...

 

 

 

My first wine label

 

Here is my first wine label... not my first wine... the first label I successfully removed from a bottle.  I tried collecting wine labels years ago when I was collecting stamps.  I thought that I should be able to remove a wine label from a bottle the same way I removed a stamp from an envelope... glue is glue... right?  Wrong... as I learned after so many attempts to remove one.

 

I don't know if the glues have changed, but I found instructions on several Internet pages.  They amounted to the following:

 

1) Soak the bottle in boiling water,

                         or...

2) Pour boiling water into the bottle,

                          or...

3) Bake the bottle at 250 F for about 20 minutes.

 

I used option two, and the label slid right off.  Now to figure out what to do with them as I amass my collection. 

 

How was the wine, you ask?  To be honest, I didn't really pay strict attention.  I wasn't really fond of it.  I'm used to drinking Cabernet, so the gentle lightness of a Rose doesn't yet register on my palate.  I need to train my perception for the nuances of wine, and hope you enjoy reading as I share my adventure.

Saltgrass Steakhouse

My quest for the best (i.e. my favorite) steak in Houston has begun, and may not go much farther... Saltgrass Steakhouse was THAT good.  I had not been to Saltgrass before, and I was told that I was in for a treat.

We went to the Southwest Freeway location near S. Gessner.  It was somewhat early so the dinner crowd had not yet hit.  Their website uses the tag line "Texas to the Bone," and they mean it.  The atmosphere inside is more like a barbecue place than a steak house; rustic and western.  As we were escorted to our table, we passed boxes of huge russet and sweet potatoes and the decision on my side was made.  After being seated, we met our white-clad, waiter, Rodney who's presentation and explanation of menu items demonstrated that we were in a place that took their steak seriously. 

 I usually don't get appetizers, but I have a food blog now, so I need to eat more.  We started our dinner with the Beef Enbrochette.  These little jewels are grilled beef tenderloin with a small piece of jalapeno wrapped in bacon.  You'd think that would be enough... I mean, 'wrapped in bacon' is usually all it takes to make something perfect... but they don't stop there.  The enbrochettes are resting on a bed of grilled, caramelized onions that have been sauteed in their BBQ sauce.  The dish is also served with a small helping of the BBQ on the side.  If you get just the right bite of one of the enbrochettes, having dipped it the sauce, you'll get a perfect mix of the beef, bacon and gently tangy sauce... then... you wait for it... and you get a whisper of jalapeno, like the punctuation to the perfect sentence.  When you are done, you will be left with quite a bit of the caramelized onions.  These are great by themselves, having a rich beefy au jus flavor.  In the end, I was glad to have gotten an appetizer.

Instead of a salad, I got the steak soup.  I was determined to have steak in as many variations as I could.  The soup was good, but it was more of a barley soup than a steak soup.  The pieces of steak in it were few and somewhat smaller than expected, and the pepper was a tad overpowering.  This being said, it was a tasty soup, and it came after the enbrochettes, and those were a tough act to follow.

For my main course I ordered the 12 oz. Pat's Ribeye, medium rare. I have to admit, the presentation didn't thrill me.  I think it was that shriveled look of the sweet potato (which was huge, by the way).  I'd never had a baked sweet potato before.  They don't look as appetizing as a baked russet, but they make up for their appearance in taste.  The potato was filled with butter and brown sugar and was more like a desert than a side dish. The steak was cooked dead on as I ordered it.  My knife slid across the meat like a bow across a violin and effortlessly parted a bite-sized piece.  The taste of the char did not overpower that of the meat.  That dollop you see in the center is garlic butter.   It melted as I ate and slowly covered the meat, so it starts as a whisper and then fills the palate. I thought it was a delicious touch.

Prices were what you would expect for the typical steak dinner.  Eating here now and then won't break the bank.

Introduction

I imagine that my first post should say what this blog is going to be about.  In short, its about all things food and food related.

I've tried my hand at many different artistic endeavours without much success, but through it all, I have eaten.  Somewhere, among these artistic endeavours, I came across something that said... and I paraphrase... "Your artistic expression should found itself in your passion."  I've discovered, that my passion is food.

Food entwines itself through all aspects of our lives.  It expresses our culture, our traditions and is often the central element of some of our best memories.  All of our social activities begin, involve or end with food.  Indeed, our oldest stories show dining as almost a hallowed event, and, to some, it is sacred.

So this blog will talk about food; primarily, my culinary adventures, discoveries and musings.  I may also talk about the movie I saw before or after eating...  the cookware I used to make a dish... or the memory a particular taste brings to mind... its all fair game.

I hope you find some enjoyment in these posts.