Bite Me - 7.23.09

Smoked Pecan Baby Back Ribs, Coleslaw, Potato Salad, and don't forget the Big Red.
From Off the Bone Barbecue.

Note: This is the beginning of a new series of quick blurbs from my husband. After two plus years of marriage, he has finally grown accustomed to my "questionin'" (as he puts it). Every time he goes somewhere new for lunch I bombard him with about 20 questions on the food, atmosphere and overall dining experience. Being the smart man he is, he has started sending me one picture of his meal and short "review". I love this! and I'm going to start posting them as they come my way...

Off the Bone Barbeque
1734 South Lamar Street
Dallas, Texas 75215

" Good stuff. Could be the best locally I have had over Sammys, Sonnys, Dickies, Rudys, etc. BBQ sauce is vinegar based, cole slaw has blue cheese in it and beans are cooked with a pecan bbq flavor with pieces of bacon inside. Ribs fall off the bone literally. A meat, two sides and a drink is $10 out the door. "


Seriously, I think he may generate a closer following than me. Read more!

Pasta Makes You Run Fasta

Photo provided by Gourmet, July 2008.

In college, I had two best friends: Kimber and Bolls (Kim and Molly, respectively). They were both excellent runners and I was not. No let me rephrase that, I am still not. But I do try and pretend to run now, thanks to their years of patient training and letting me tag along. They would toss around a phrase that made quite an impression on my life: Pasta Makes You Run Fasta. After traveling Italy extensively, I knew that Pasta Makes You Walk Fasta, but does it really make you Run Fasta?

Yes. No, seriously it does. If you don't believe me, believe this guy. And try this recipe at home.

Summer Fusilli: Zucchini, Corn, Basil and Bacon
serves a lot (approx. 6 grown men)

• 6 bacon slices, more or less (optional)
  
• 1 pound fusilli
• 3 ears (about 1 1/2 cups) corn, kernels cut from cob or frozen/thawed
  
• 1 1/2 pounds zucchini (about 3 medium squash), coarsely chopped (1/2-inch pieces)
• Basil Pesto, 5 - 7oz. or about 3/4 cup
  
• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Cook the bacon in a large, heavy pan (Gourmet suggested a 12" skillet, I used a 12" saute pan). Cook until crisp, turning occasionally. Remove bacon from the pan and place on a paper towel. Pour off the bacon drippings, but do not wash the pan.

Meanwhile, cook the fusilli (as directed) in a large stock pot. Once al dente, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and set aside. Add the zucchini and corn to the pasta pot and cook, partially covered, for about 2 more minutes. Drain the pasta and vegetables.

Add the pasta and vegetables to the saute pan, add the pesto and 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Toss and season with salt. Add more pasta water if necessary.

Plate the pasta and garnish with crumbled bacon, grated parmigiano and fresh pepper. Read more!

Bite Me - 7.22.09

Sterling (pictured) and Matt, out to lunch at Texas de Brazil Express.

When Matt told me that he'd be going to lunch at Texas de Brazil Express, the new sandwich concept in Preston Center, he promised a good picture. Upon receiving the photos, I sent him a "What kind of sandwich did you get?" and he responded with the following - rather impressive, I dare say- evaluation of his meal:

"Sterling got the chicken and I got the pork, $6.95 menu price. Combo meal comes with chips and a drink, out the door for $10 each. Right in the target area for lunch diners I think, a little too high for me. You are paying for the higher quality of meat. They could have a wider variety of toppings in my opinion; the sauce selection was great though and the bread was good. It compares closely to an Eatzi's sandwich with fewer options. The set up and finish out is almost exactly a Chipotle style (efficiently move through a line, simple layout and fixtures).

Personally I think they will do well in Preston Center but I don't think they can compete everywhere, they don't have anything creative and new to offer (I would walk into Which Wich/Potbelly/Firehouse/Great Outdoors/etc if given the option).

It was crowded."

Wow! He never ceases to amaze me. I think he may just steal my thunder if I don't watch out.

Matt's "Organic Fire Roasted Pork Loin Sandwich" with Vickery's Jalapeno Potato Chips in the background... of course.

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Lunchtime- 7.17.09

Kosher Dill potato chips are one of the many varieties offered at The Great Outdoors. These,in particular, evoked a favorite memory of my dining partner's childhood.

For $0.55 more (than your five-dollar foot long), you can have an exponentially better sub sandwich and enjoy your surroundings at The Great Outdoors. Inside the walls are donned with murals of trees, tree trunk columns lining the queue, comfortable green banquets- everything evoking the feel of “great outdoors”, indoors. The only downside to this earthy, predecessor of Subway is the line; it moves pretty slowly, probably due to its drive thru operations. But it is well worth the wait.

The history lesson (because I love everything that has a story): The Great Outdoors first opened in downtown Dallas in 1973, by New Jersey native Jerry Oliverie. His mission was “to fill the authentic eastern style submarine sandwich void”. Today, there are 8 locations of The Great Outdoors around DFW and they have begun to franchise.

In a nutshell, everything tastes and looks fresh. The best part of the prep line is that you can actually see the source of all their deli meats, cheeses, and vegetables. It’s not fancy, just straightforward. The subs come three ways: Regular, Double Meat or Chef Salad. I had the Turkey, Cheese (house cheese is Provolone) on Wheat, toasted. I added lettuce, tomatoes – which were the freshest, red beefsteaks I’ve ever seen in a sandwich shop, black olives, alfalfa sprouts (Toto, I don’t think we’re in Dallas anymore, Austin maybe?) and honey mustard. They offer pickles in three ways, too: ¼, ½ and whole. I had ½ pickle and drink. The total was $8.34, not too bad for two days worth of lunch; I could only finish half.

The menu is full of many more great offerings including: “great awakenings” which are breakfast subs, some of the largest croissants I’ve ever seen, housemade cookies and brownies, and Henry’s Homemade Ice Cream, hand dipped.

These are Great Outdoors, indeed.

The Great Outdoors
6918 Greenville Avenue
Dallas, Texas
214.739.1928


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being catty - 7.17.09

Iced Vietnamese Coffee (Not Pictured at Mai's)

Hydraulic El Camino in Parking Lot? Check. Barred Windows and Doors? Check. Crack House Across the Street? Check. I have a newfound appreciation and slight obsession with “dives”. Mai’s Vietnamese Cuisine has all the outside elements of a “dive”, but inside the restaurant is surprisingly neat. Now don’t misunderstand me here, Mai’s is no substitute for Lemongrass, Tei Tei or other fashionable Asian locales. But much like its food, it is comfortable and enjoyable.


On a Monday night, the restaurant has about 10 parties dining and picks up throughout the evening. There are still plenty of tables to spare but the crowd looks worldly and relaxed; they must be regulars. Mai’s is another BYO restaurant and if you know me well enough you know I’ve done my research for food and wine pairings. I’ve learned that white wines like Grüner Veltliner, Gewurztraminer, and Riesling are great with most Asian food as their slightly sweet nature contrasts to the salty, spicy heat of the cuisine. We brought a German Riesling from the Mosel region.


Our server greeted us and was a little anxious to take our orders. As we often do, we ordered many different things to share. Both of us are adventurous diners, but for two very different reasons: I like to individually taste as many things as possible to get an overall sense of the restaurant and learn about the food and he just likes to combine as many different food items as possible onto one plate/bowl at the same time. (Yes, you can see me shaking my head now; dining together was VERY difficult at the beginning of our relationship. I am over it now. Well okay, not completely over it, but I’m working on it.)


We began with a variety of their rolls ($1.00ea): Fried Vietnamese- much like your typical egg roll, a bit too greasy, served with a sweet and sour dipping sauce; Grilled Pork Imperial Roll- tender slices of pork with lettuce, rice noodles tightly rolled in a thick rice paper, with hoisin-peanut dipping sauce, topped with chili paste; Shrimp Imperial Roll- just like the Grilled Pork version but with boiled, slightly boring shrimp. The Imperial Rolls were crunchy and refreshing and a little indulgent with the sweet-spicy peanut dipping sauce; they are the perfect summer finger food.


Onto the next course: a cup of Pho. Pho is a traditional Vietnamese soup, influenced by Chinese and French cuisines. It is typically made with beef stock, different cuts of meat and sometimes rice noodles. They are served with a garnish plate of bean sprouts, variety of herbs, jalapeno peppers, and limes so that the diner can customize the flavors of the soup. We ordered the Chicken Pho ($2.95-cup) but unfortunately, only the bowl or larger sizes come with the garnish plate. Nonetheless, the Pho was warm and soothing as it should be, but it lacked the depth of rich, beefy stock.


For our main course, we shared a Chicken Curry Clay Pot ($7.95). Clay pots are another traditional Asian cooking method; cooking in the pot itself creates a moisture lock and the food inside stays tender, piping hot and surprisingly healthy. No additional oils are needed to cook with the clay pot, so the food is lower in fat and the vegetables retain more nutrients as they are not overcooked. The presentation of a clay pot is impressive in itself; the pot is rustic, sometimes colorfully painted and the server removes the top to unveil a steaming, (hopefully) tasty dish. My favorite part about a clay pot dish: the rice at the bottom of the pot is nutty, slightly burned with a nice crunchy texture. The Chicken Curry Clay Pot was a conglomeration of rice, chicken, mixed vegetables in a coconut-yellow curry sauce. This is probably one of the most Americanized- Vietnamese dishes on the menu, but it’s my favorite of the evening. Forget mac n’cheese, this is the best comfort food I’ve had in a long time! The sweet coconut milk and spice – and a good deal of it, too – of the curry complement one another perfectly. The chicken and vegetables are tender, indeed.


For dessert, don’t miss the Vietnamese Coffee. Our fellow diners ordered it over ice; I mean, it’s only 104 outside! Vietnamese coffee is made with a simple, filter style pot. They are individually brewed inside the little chambers, making a strong coffee that falls somewhere between espresso and an Americano. The best part of the coffee, it is served atop a nice, thick layer of condensed milk. Yes, you heard me right, the condensed milk sweetens and thickens the coffee, transforming into something downright holy.


Mai’s is pho’ sho the best value for Vietnamese food in Dallas, so get there in a curry hurry and roll on in.

Mai’s Vietnamese Cuisine
4812 Brian Street, Suite 100
Dallas, Texas 75204
214.826.9887

Photo Credit: InFusion Coffee & Tea Gallery

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Man Food: Stuffed Jalapeno Bacon Bites

Pioneer Woman's Photo of Stuffed Jalapeno Bacon Bites

Easy and Greasy. That's what classifies "Man Food" in my opinion. This weekend Matt and I took a whole host of friends out to the Wilson's lakehouse on Lake Kiowa. It is impossible to please 20+ 20somethings, but I think these Stuffed Jalapeno Bacon Bites came pretty darn close. About halfway into the cooking, the masses will come beating down your door. Smells of crisp bacon, warming cream cheese and charred jalapeno peppers.

Click here for the recipe. Two important things to note: 1. Make sure the cream cheese is very soft, 2. Don't scoop out all the jalapeno ribs, leave some in for necessary spice. Survey says the jalapenos could have used more heat. Read more!

A "Corner" Bakery Briefing

Our corner: Preston and Forest. My dear friend, Kimberly (Briant) Donner and I used to meet once a week at Corner Bakery, Preston/Forest. Sadly, Kim - or Kimber, as I so affectionately call her - moved to Galveston last year and now resides in Houston. Our breakfasts were always the same: Oatmeal and Coffee. When it comes to oatmeal, I am pretty particular but Corner Bakery has consistently the best around. It's starchy, creamy (they claim its made with skim milk) and the oats are softly broken down, evidence that has been slow cooked.*

As you can see in the picture, the oatmeal is served with a sugar sprinkled, fruit studded piece of toast, called the "sweet crisp". Aptly named, the sweet crisp always proved to be the focus of our attention during breakfast for a few reasons: 1. It is sooo good. 2. It is covered in enough sugar to induce Type 2 Diabetes. Being the typical Baylor girls we are, Kimber and I cannot knowingly consume such copious amounts of sugar in one sitting, thus we remedied the problem with a knife, fork or spoon in hand. Using whichever utensil we had at our disposal, we would scrape the sugar crystals- which measure about 1/4" square, seriously. - off the sweet crisps onto our plates and often those little crystal cubes wound up in unexpected places and they would reveal themselves over the next few days (i.e. in your hair, your purse, your bra, etc.) We had fun and I'm sure it was fun to watch us girls, dissecting the crisps with the precision of brain surgeons.

I am writing to let the world (and mostly, Kimber in Houston) know that the recession has had a positive effect on Corner Bakery. Thanks to cost-cutting and food service controls, the amount of sugar on the said sweet crisps has been drastically reduced, finally allowing for the perfect sweet crisp.

As Chris Farley once said to Pepper Boy, Dana Carvey on SNL, "That's the perfect amount of pepper, Pepper Boy!"

Perfect Amount of Sugar
I want to exclaim, "That's the perfect amount of sugar, Sugar Girl!"

*We can personally testify for the "slow cooked" oats. Kimber and I arrived early one morning only to find that the person in charge of cooking the oatmeal the previous night had forgotten! And it took 30 plus minutes for the oatmeal to slow cook. We waited, of course. Note to self: Don't drink more than one cup of coffee on an empty stomach.

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A Bakery Briefing- Continued

The glorious Orange-Ginger Muffin Cupcake at Empire Baking Company.

And as we all know, you can't go to a bakery for lunch without getting something sweet. At which point, the Orange-Ginger Muffin (as pictured above) comes into play.

So about the muffin - I must digress, I think the term muffin is used very loosely in this case, something this sweet, this good, deserves to be called a cupcake.* After all, in today's society muffins are most commonly associated with muffin tops and well, lets be honest, no one wants to think about this when they are eating. If only muffin tops were still associated with this (!), Otis Spunkenmeyer may sleep soundly six feet under. - it was not something I would normally order, but Heather, being the cupcake connoisseur that she is, did and let me a have bite or two. With its soft, orange cream cheese icing, it is a treat whether it's morning or nigh. The cake itself was very dense, as we often think of muffins, but it had retained much moisture (due to obscene amounts of butter, I'm sure) like a pound cake. The flavor was full, with orange zest and a balance of ginger; it was not overpowering just sublimely enjoyable. At $1.99, this is a muffin to feed two people. I am thankful that Empire Bakery opens at 8am, it will save me pounds and pennies as I have to be at work by 8am.

* If you are further interested in the muffin vs. cupcake debate (as I know I was), check out this wonderfully informative post.

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