Back Porch Drafthouse #SupportLocal 9 Jun 2020 5:21 PM (4 years ago)

As my quest to #SupportLocal continues I was once again looking for a place I had not tried yet and had an open dining room. I asked a friend if he wanted to join me, that way I could get a taste of more than one dish. My appetite is not as hearty as it once was so I don't think I could even try an appetizer with my meal. I could have taken the leftovers I suppose but overall having a friend with you is part of the experience I think if you are not just trying to eat out of necessity. He suggested Back Porch Drafhouse. I had never been there before and I am not sure why. I never heard anything bad about the place so it was time to give them a visit.

So they do have four locations, two in Oklahoma and two in Texas. This is the kind of restaurant that could really use your support in these times. While they have moved beyond the mom and pop status they are still nowhere near a corporate giant. They are arguably in the most dangerous stage of expansion. Then being forced to shut the dining room down for two months by a pandemic I am sure has put them in a tough spot. I am not sure if they did curbside or delivery but I could not find an option to order food online via their site.

Back Porch Drafthouse has a classic American feel. It looks like those diners I would go into while traveling along Route 66. They have lots of decore on the walls that range from neon lights, hubcaps, and old signage. Don't get me wrong though, this place was sparkling clean. And I don't remember music playing. That is not to say that there was none but at least if it was it was quiet enough to be what it is supposed to be, background music. I hate going to a place that has a radio blaring. I don't want to fight over the music to talk to my friends. For me, it was the perfect take on a bar that serves great food. Not overbearing and very comfortable. The service was awesome as well. I arrived later than my friend and was never made to feel rushed. She brought me my water then we ordered a beer before we ordered our food. We both decided to try a Martin House Sour Pickle Beer. Goodness, this beer was amazing! I love pickles and have been buying Best Maid Spicy Pickles for awhile now. So this just put two of my favorite things together. I have seen there is a spicy version of this beer so I will keep an eye out for that!

Okay, okay let's get back on track here and talk about the menu. Of course, they are a drafthouse or tap house so they have an awesome beer menu ranging from domestic, imported, and craft beer. On tap, bottled, or caned they have you covered. I would imagine that the craft beer rotates to keep it fresh and up to date with what is going on in the brewery scene. They even had some of our local brewery's beer available which I really appreciate but I had already tired the beer they had on offer. They also offer wine and have a full bar with some house specialties. Not to mention happy hour! (2p.m.-7p.m. Half price domestics.) But the best thing for a foodie like me was the food menu. Talk about a perfectly rounded southern style gastropub selection!

I am so glad they have made it through this pandemic because I have a lot to go back for. This menu was right up my alley. One of the first things I noticed when I walked in was that smokey bbq smell. And you can see it all over the menu. And jalapenos everywhere! So many items have some sort of jalapeno involved somewhere. I am addicted to spicy foods and hot sauce so I just felt so at home here. Let me be clear there are plenty of items that do not have jalapeno and I am sure if you do your due diligence and read the menu you can have them hold the jalapeno. While it seems they specialize in smash burgers there is something for everyone. Salads, soups, wraps, seafood, sandwiches, burgers, tacos, and a kids menu for the little ones.

Alright, let's get into the food we tried! My friend ordered the Mother Porker: Shaved Ham, Hickory Smoked Pulled Pork, Swiss, Jalapeno Bacon Jam, PBR Caramelized Onions, BP Slaw, Pickles, Secret Sauce. With the Fully Loaded Queso Cheese Fries: Killer Queso, Chopped Bacon, Green Onions, Pickled Jalapenos, Buttermilk Ranch

I ordered the Smoked Jalapeno Patty Melt: Butter Toasted Sourdough, Smoked Jalapenos, PBR Caramelized Onions, Swiss, American, Secret Sauce, Pickles I just got regular fries but I did steal his for the photos because they just looked epic.

We split our sandwiches in half so we could both get a taste, see this is where having a friend comes in super handy! I will start with my patty melt. I had been craving a patty melt, to be honest, so once I saw it and that it had smoked jalapenos on it I was sold. The buttery bread was grill toasted perfectly. Not so much butter I had to wipe my hands every time I reached for my beer. The burger was juicy and the cheese was nice and gooey. The stars though for me were those onions and smoked jalapeno. This patty melt was not spicy though, not sure why. You would expect it to be but it did not have much heat. That was okay with all that flavor packed into this sandwich, it did not even dawn on me until I started writing this. As for the fries I was really happy. I absolutely love skinny shoestring fires and these are the skinniest fries I have had since I moved to Texas ten years ago. Nice and crispy lightly salted scrumptious fry goodness. I did order the secret sauce on the side because I have a love-hate relationship with secret sauce. Some are great and some are just a disaster. This one however was the type I like. It was tangy and not sweet. Next time I will just order this as is.

Smoked Jalapeno Patty Melt & Fully Loaded Queso Cheese Fry

The Mother Porker was out of this world! Everything on this sandwich just worked so well together. I have started smoking foods recently so I have a new found love for it. The smoked pulled pork just sang! I tried it by itself and I could have easily just eaten this on its own and been happy. Then you had the ham which was grilled so it released some of that fat. I really did not think I would be able to taste the ham but you could for sure. The slaw was crisp and zippy, there is nothing worse than a sad droopy chewy slaw. And this jalapeno bacon jam, let me tell you this stuff is freaking unbelievably tasty. It has a kick, with that salt from the bacon, and sweetness of being a jam this stuff just blew my mind. This is umami in its essence and encapsulates the local area. This is the type of food I would expect you to search out if you visit Texoma. For those of you that aren't from here, this is what the local area is called. It encompasses parts of Northern Texas and Southern Oklahoma.

The Mother Porker & Fully Loaded Queso Cheese Fries!

The final rating is a 5 out of 5 apples! This place is a must-try!

Now that I have been here I can't believe it took me so long. If you are passing through and looking for that taste of modern southern food this is a place you must consider. I am really looking forward to going back and trying more of the menu. Also, I forgot to mention they have a brunch on Saturdays and Sundays that has its own menu. They have a Sunday Funday Cocktail menu as well, keep in mind that in Texas you can not order alcohol until after 12p.m.! Definitely going to go try this when I get a chance.

Back Porch Drafthouse Social Media:

Love Food, Live Life!

Antojitos Food Truck #SupportLocal 2 Jun 2020 10:10 AM (4 years ago)

So life took a crazy turn for all of us these last few months. I am not sure many people thought something like Covid-19 could happen in 2020, not to mention the drastic response that came along with it. Shuttering business and "Shelter in Place" orders in nearly every city and state across America putting millions of people out of work. As the country starts reopening and people are going back to work and out to eat once more, you might notice something quite sad. I don't think I need to mention what individual people went, or are still going through. For me, it is seeing that local businesses were hit hardest that makes my heart heavy. Novelty shops, car washes, clothing boutiques, salons, and of course restaurants on the local level may never recover. These small businesses tend to survive on narrow margins and could not be ready for what happened. So now more than ever is the time to support your local businesses. This is difficult I know, corporate stores and restaurants tend to be cheaper and more convenient. Which sucks because many of us are financially crushed. I just urge you to at least once a month if not once a week to try and spend that hard-earned money in businesses that have been hard-fought to keep open. This supports the community as a whole rather than just the employees that work in corporate businesses.

Okay so with the heavy stuff said it is time to move on. I did some searching online for local restaurants that I wanted to try. Sadly the first two places I went too are closed. Not sure if it is permanent or if they are just waiting until the seating capacity is raised, right now in Texas we are at a 50% maximum capacity for restaurants. Google said these restaurants were open and only serving takeout orders, but when I arrived both of them had handwritten signs in the window, "Sorry Temporarily Closed". I can't tell you how disappointed I was that I never took the time to eat at these places that had excellent reviews. I am determined to not let that happen again. As I was searching for a third restaurant to try I remembered a food truck I had driven by several times last week. So I looked them up on the social media sites, located them, and made my way to the parking lot they were working in for the day.

Antojitos is a small taco truck with a menu that speaks my language. Sort of a Tex-Mex mix of tacos, shrimp skewers, and a steak sandwich.

The Menu!

I talked to the young man who was working the truck, trying to get more information about how long they had been in business and the history of the owner. This is when I learned he was just a student helping out a teacher. I had to ask if he was in culinary school, maybe the truck was a work experience program of some sort? Nope, he was just a junior in high school who was helping out one of his teachers. He did not have answers to the questions, nor did I expect him too once I learned he was just helping out. The schools are still shut down as of the time of writing this and I was just glad to see that this gentleman was working a food truck and keeping busy.

After our short chat, I placed my order. I wish I could have ordered one of everything but alas my wallet and stomach could not bear the burden. I mentioned above that it is sort of a Tex-Mex mix of tacos only because of the pulled pork, brisket, and steak sandwich; guess that would be more my mindset than the truth of the matter. I was raised in San Diego and I could see this menu being just as at home there as it is here in Wichita Falls. I expect to pay a bit more for something from a food truck in America, things are just more expensive here in local currency. There is also the fact that market prices are going up on goods. To be honest, though Antojitos is fairly priced for what I ordered. It would be nice if there were a mix and match combo price for ordering different types of tacos but I can't complain.

Rib Eye, Shrimp, & Pulled Pork Tacos

I ordered a Pulled Pork, Shrimp, and Rib Eye taco. I really wanted to try the sandwich too but they were unavailable when I arrived. Though I was disappointed I again have no complaint, I will just be sure to go back for it! The 6" street style flour tortillas are a good size for something like this. You can't really skimp on the filling or it is glaringly obvious. I paid $11 for my three tacos which looking at the menu price is only ₵.50 more for a mix and match of tacos than the average price of three of a kind. It did not take long to get my order and then I headed home to try this out. They were parked in the lot of a cell phone store and there was no seating available, I really did not want to eat in my car either. For me, that is not an issue because I live close to where they were operating that day. If seating is an issue for you keep that in mind when you pay them a visit. Also, I should not have to mention it but I will. It is a food truck and not a restaurant they really don't have seating unless they are in a food truck park/court or have a permanent location.

Overall I have to say I was very happy with the food and the service. The guy working the truck offered to bring my food to my car when it was ready and though he could not answer my questions about the business he was very friendly. The pulled pork was not dry which can be a challenge if not cooked and stored properly. The shrimp was freaking cooked perfectly! I have to admit I was a bit skeptical once I learned this guy was just helping out and a high school student. He did not overcook the delicate seafood, hat tip to you good sir! Now I really wish I would have gotten his name to give him full credit. The rib eye was awesome, it is my favorite cut of steak so I was just in heaven! I am a huge fan of cabbage rather than lettuce on my tacos. I feel like the bittersweet can really bring balance to it since there tends to be bold flavors cooked into the protein. Always a sucker for both chipotle and avocado the two sauces were perfect.

All that said the only thing I have a criticism about is that all three proteins were cooked with the same seasoning. Don't get me wrong, it was an awesome seasoning that worked well with beef, seafood, and pork, but it did not allow any of the meat to stand on its own. While well cooked and worth the money I just felt like the flavor profile between the three tacos was just too similar.

All in all, I highly recommend that you stop by this truck for lunch or diner. On that note, they are usually open until 11 p.m.! That is pretty awesome if you ask me. I work in a restaurant so if I can grab a quick bite on a break or after work I feel blessed. Not to mention if I am going to eat something that might be considered "fast food" I would much rather have it come somewhere that pushes street-style tacos that are home-cooked than from the "Bell of Tacos"! It will be worth the extra bit of money you might dole out.

Let me close out by saying when you #SupportLocal you will more than likely spend more money. By doing so you will not prop up major corporations that were able to stay open at a profit loss due to a global pandemic that laid waste to our economy. Keep in mind that big chains and franchises might need to close a few locations, but many of them will come out the other side of this in good order as time goes on. The mom and pop shop owners as well as the people they employ are the ones that need your help most now. Don't break your own bank to do so but do what you can and keep these entrepreneurs in mind when you go out.

If you are local to Wichita Falls Tx. what are your favorite local restaurants? What would you recommend me checking out? If you are not in Wichita please feel free to share your local hot spot, I encourage you to post below in the comments. Feel free to share links, unless they are just spam of course.

Edit: I was contacted by the owner of the truck who apologized for my experience. I told him there was no need to apologize as I was very pleased with my experience, and plan to go back often. He informed me that they have daily and weekend specials as well as some side items that you can make into combos. So be sure to check out their social media to see if they have something you might want to try as a special. Here is the list of specials and sides he messaged me:

Monday: Steak Sandwich 7.99 with a side and a drink. Tuesday: 1.99 spicy chicken Tacos Wednesday: 1.99 Pull Pork Thursday: Nachos 7.99 drink and side. Friday/Sat/Sunday. 4 tacos, side, and drink 7.99 Sides can be nachos or onions rings Some weekends we have Free margaritas and we also have special dishes for sale such as a ceviche/ shrimp cocktail.

The final rating is a 4 out of 5 Apples! You really need to try this food truck!

#buylocal

#localbusiness

#locallove

#supportlocalbusinesses

#thankyouforyoursupport

#lovelocal

Antojitos Social Media:

https://www.facebook.com/antojitoswf/

https://www.instagram.com/antojitoswf/?hl=en

Amy's Tamale Verde - Plant Based Product Review! (Gluten Free!) 11 Apr 2018 9:22 AM (7 years ago)

Hello everyone! It's time for another plant based product review. I had no idea there were so many options out there. As I have mentioned before I am new to this diet and one of my struggles has been meal planning. I am getting better at it but still struggle a bit. One of my problems is that I just get bored eating the same thing twice in a week. I am always in a time crunch it seems, like the majority of us. It is nice to know that there are healthier fast choices we can make. My fear was that they would be bland and tasteless. Come to find out this is far from the truth!

We have all been there. Getting home from a long day at work and not having the energy or at times the pantry is running bare. As I was talking to a friend at work they mentioned Amy's frozen dinners had some good plant based dinners I should try. So one Saturday night after working a double shift I went to a local market and picked one up.

I chose to try the Tamale Verde. When I got home I poured a glass of wine and popped it in the microwave. It does not look like the meal on the package which is typical. I instantly almost thought I made the wrong choice. As it cooked I began to change my mind. It smelled wonderful. I sat down to eat it and boy was I surprised!

This little meas was actually wonderful! The texture of the masa was perfect. It looked soggy but was not as water logged as it appeared. The chili verde was zesty and had a hint of spice. The problem I have had in the past with frozen meals and rice being dried out was not the case here. The rice cooked perfectly and had a punch of flavor that left me wanting more. As you can see in the picture the filling was not as plentiful as the on the box, but it was just the right amount. One of the issues with even homemade tamales is to much masa. That was not a problem here. I really enjoyed this meal for what it was. My only complaint is the price. These meals while a bit smaller than other frozen meals are about a dollar more. This confuses me. I have been saving money on my grocery bill and these meals cost more? It must be that it is considered a specialty item and maybe they don't sell as many so they need to charge more. If you have an insight as to why they cost more please leave a comment below.

In summary I would recommend Amy's Tamale Verde if your felling lazy or just don't have the time to cook. While slightly better for you than the typical frozen dinner it is of course packed with sodium and other preservatives. The flavor is amazing and the texture of the meal over all was very pleasant. Again I would not make it a habit to eat like this for your health. But I have to admit I have two more in my freezer along with a couple more dinners I want to try.

Remember cooking is only as complicated as you make it! That is if you have the time to cook!

Love food, live life!

Shan's Aloo Bhaji - Plant Based Product Review! (Spicy Curry Potato Soup) 3 Apr 2018 9:40 AM (7 years ago)

I love trying new foods. One of my problems is that I can get bored rather quickly eating the same thing even a couple times a month. I am sure I am not the only one right? That is one of the reasons I enjoy doing the blog so much. It gives me a reason to cook and try new recipes on a regular basis. I can rotate my favorites in and out and along the way I can swap in new favorites and allow more time before going back to an older one.

One of my favorite cuisines is Indian, unfortunately there are not many options here in Wichita Falls. I could only find two, and I have tried them both. They are really good actually and now that I am plant based I will have to go back and see what options they offer. Indian food is known for its use of veggies so it should not be unthinkable these restaurants would have a few menu items I will not have to change to fit my new dietary needs.

Okay so enough of all that it is time to get to the point of this post. We have a very cool International Grocers here in Wichita Falls. It is on the corner of Southwest Parkway and Fairway right next to the Little Caesar's. It has tons of raw grains, legumes, beans, spices, and meal mixes. This place is great if you're looking for something different or a decent price on bulk beans, rice, and legumes. It had been some time since I last visited this little shop so I headed back there to see what I could find. This was only my second week of being plant based so I was on the hunt for new flavors.

I browsed the store for a while and decided I would buy some of the Shan Recipe Mixes. This would save me some time since I was still struggling with cooking two to three meals a day and let me try some new and exciting flavors. The first one I decided to try was the Aloo Bhaji, a spicy potato curry soup. I decided to add some more veggies to the recipe which called for tomato, cilantro and chillie peppers. I grabbed some corn, carrots, and chick peas and got to cooking. This recipe was so easy and fast!

All you do is use 8 cups of water and add the veggies with the spice mix and bring to a boil. I was not really in the mood for a soup. I had some leftover rice so I poured some of the Aloo Bahji on top of the rice and garnished with some green onion. Over all I loved this meal. The only complaint I have is that there were Fengu Greek Seeds, these seeds are bitter and I had never had them before. It almost ruined the dish for me. Keep in mind this is just my personal take on these seeds. They really do balance out the rich flavor of the sauce, they are just not my thing.

I would recommend trying trying some of these mixes. If you are in a time crunch these are perfect. If you have always wanted to try new flavors but lack confidence in your cooking skills these recipe mixes are perfect. From what I can tell they are all minimal in the other ingredients you need and have very easy to follow instructions. If you try one let me know about it in the comments below. Let me know your favorite if you have tried them before as well. Remember cooking is only as difficult as you make it!

(Note that this recipe says it does have traces of Gluten, but if you are not celiac you should have no problem)

Love food, live life!

Fried Buffalo Tofu Bites & Garlic Rosemary Fries! Plant Based & Gluten Free! 29 Mar 2018 10:44 AM (7 years ago)

Hello again! Time for another plant based recipe. One of the things I have been craving since I changed my diet is buffalo chicken. I loved buffalo chicken nuggets, I never really cared for blue cheese or ranch dressing though. I just enjoyed the spicy tangy flavor of the buffalo sauce. So as I was browsing Pintrest for recipe ideas I stumbled across buffalo tofu nuggets. I also started watching The Vegan Zombie on YouTube and he did a version of this recipe too. So with all this inspiration I made my way to Market Street and got everything I needed to make this happen.

I have a gluten intolerance and I have been eating too much bread lately and I can feel the bad side affects starting to kick in. My stomach is upset and I am starting to get that pesky rash. In light of this I picked up some Bob's Red Mill Organic Corn Flour. Of course I got some tofu, and I picked up some frozen french fries. I was lazy and in a time crunch so the frozen fries were perfect. I really like them too, they cook well and get nice and crispy. Making real crispy homemade french fries is somewhat of a process to do it right.

Here is What You'll Need:

Serving size is for one!

Your favorite frying oil, the size of your pan will dictate how much you need

1/2 Block Tofu (pressed to expel extra liquid)

1 cup of Corn Flour (or other gluten free flour)

Garlic Salt

Black Pepper

Rosemary (fresh is best!)

Franks Red Hot Sauce

French Fries

Your Favorite Dipping Sauce

Cooking Instructions:

Make sure your tofu is pressed. Tear it into bite sized chunks. You can cube it if you prefer.
Season tofu with garlic salt and pepper.
Pour some of the Red Hot sauce onto the tofu and let it marinate for at least 10 minutes.
Add oil to a pan and bring up to frying temperature.
While the oil is reaching temp add corn flour to a mixing bowl. You can add some seasoning to the flour for a richer flavor.
Add tofu to flour and coat. You may need to add a bit more sauce as this is our drenching liquid. I double coated mine, I like a thick crispy crust. To do this when you are done with the first coating just repeat the coating process.
Add breaded tofu to the pan. Be careful of splash back.
If your pan is big enough feel free to add the fries to the same pan. There is no harm in doing this and is what I did.
When your tofu is done add it to a mixing bowl and coat with more Red Hot.
When your fries are ready season them with pepper, garlic salt and rosemary.

That's it! Quick and easy! I really enjoyed this recipe. The tofu nuggets even look like chicken when you tear them open. It really reminded me of the real thing. Giving your tofu time to absorb the flavors helps a lot. This is the first time I have used the corn flour and found it delightful. It is more fine than a traditional flour and not using eggs to coat the tofu dose not give the same fluffy yet crispy breading. But that was fine for me. With the double bread coating I had just the right amount of breading for my taste. The garlic rosemary fries are a recipe I make a lot and one of my favorite sides for meals like this.

This would be a great party snack too at your next party! As always play with the recipe and make it your own, that's exactly what I did. It is certainly not the healthy meal but sometimes you just need to eat some plant based junk food. It hit the spot for me and helped me curb those cravings during my transition period. I am so glad I made this change, I am having so much fun getting back in my kitchen and trying all these new recipes. If you try this one out please leave a comment below and let me know what you think. Always remember cooking is only as hard as you make it!

Love food, live life!

Pho Viet - Pho Chay! - Plant Based Options In Wichita Falls Pt. 2 25 Mar 2018 10:29 AM (7 years ago)

I continue my quest to find plant based menu options in Wichita Falls! My goal is to find and compile a list of menu options to make life a bit easier for all of us who are going on a plant based diet. I am sure you can go to almost any restaurant and customize a menu item to fit your needs, but for now I am looking for restaurants that offer items we do not need to customize. I will dabble in menu customization as well at some point.

My second recommendation is Pho Viet, a small restaurant off Callfield and Reha Rd. They are a Vietnamese restaurant with a small dining room and a full menu. They have 3 vegetarian entrees and one vegetarian appetizer, but if you look close these are plant based and contain no animal products. This is one of those places you could easily customize several of the other menu items to find more options. The staff is very friendly and they offer to go service as well.

Let's get to the meal and my experience! I went there at around 4:00 p.m. and there were only a few other people there which was sad. The wait staff was very friendly and the food was amazing. In this modern age of corporate restaurants it can be challenging to find an affordable fresh hand made dining experience. This is changing as diners are growing more food savvy and are seeking out more family owned restaurants. We are lucky here in Wichita Falls too, there are plenty of these restaurants here. This is why it was sad to see the place somewhat empty.

I was able to chose my own table which was very nice. I like to sit by the window so I can view the outside world. It is also good lighting for taking pictures of the food! I was handed a menu and given plenty of time to look it over. I am not fond of a server making several trips back to the table asking if I am ready to order. I already knew what I wanted when I walked in but wanted to browse the rest of the menu. When I was ready I set the menu off to the side and the server promptly came to the table and took my order. I wanted to try the Pho Chay, a tofu and rice noodle bowl of pho with mushrooms, carrots, and Napa cabbage. It also comes with a plate of bean sprouts, lime, jalapeno, and basil. It is also gluten free! You should tell them if you are celiac to help avoid cross contamination during preparation.

The broth is light and refreshing. There are plenty of rice noodles too so this dish should hit the spot if you are very hungry. I do not care much for cooked mushrooms but these were a delight. They absorbed the flavor of the broth and the earthy flavor of the mushroom was not overpowering. The cabbage and carrots did the same and were not over cooked to mush and had a great texture. Once you add the bean sprouts this dish is full of fresh vegetables and if you know how to use chopsticks you will have no problem using them. The tofu was spongy, I am new to tofu but I get the feeling this is just how it is. They fry the tofu before adding it to the pho and I think this plays into its texture.

You can enjoy the pho just like this, but if you are like me you want some heat! The table is set with two types of hot sauce and a chili paste. I like this setup because you can add the perfect amount of heat. One hot sauce was a more traditional taco sauce. The other sauce was a chili sauce with plenty of pepper flakes. The chili paste looks scary and adds more heat than flavor. There was also a plum sauce which I did not try.

Overall I was very happy with the Pho Chay. I will be going back for this for sure and I am looking forward to trying the other plant based dishes they have on the menu. I highly recommend this place if you have not been there before. If you have never tried pho you need to treat yourself to this healthy and hearty version of the classic Vietnamese dish.

I give this a 4 out of five apples! It is a must try. Now get out there and support local restaurants and great healthy menu options!

Love food, live life!

Pho Viet Facebook Page!

Gluten Free Spaghetti & Tofurkey Italian Sausage(Sausage is not GF) - Plant Based! 21 Mar 2018 12:46 PM (7 years ago)

I love pasta! This has been quite an uphill battle since I have developed a gluten intolerance. Finding a good gluten free pasta has not been easy. I think I found a winner though! Heartland Gluten Free pasta is actually really good. The other gluten free pastas I tried were very starchy and did not hold together well. Heartland is a corn and rice based pasta and holds up when being cooked with a nice flavor too.

I had been on my plant based diet for a week and the craving for meat I have to say was getting to me. I almost caved a couple times. One night I was shopping at Wal-Mart looking for inspiration for dinner when I saw Tofurky Italian sausage links. Prior to the my only tofu experience was at a friends house for dinner and he served tofu sausage links. It was not until we were done that he let us know that it was actually tofu. I knew the texture was off but the flavor was really good. With this memory in mind I found my inspiration!

I grabbed some veggies found the gluten free pasta bought some pasta sauce and headed home. I would normally make a sauce but it was getting late and I was tired so I cheated. I found a good sauce though, Newman's Own. Newman's has a wide variety and it is a non-profit company so I did not feel as bad for cheating. So enough of my short story, lets get cooking!

Here is what you'll need:

Gluten free pasta

1/2 zucchini diced

1/4 red bell pepper cut into strips

1/4 green bell pepper cut into strips

1 small carrot cut into rounds

1/2 sweet onion cut into strips

2 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic minced

1 Tofurkey Italian sausage link

2 cups of your favorite pasta sauce

a few leaves of basil chopped with some reserved for garnish

Cooking Instructions:

Bring about 6 cups of water to boil in a pot
While waiting for water to boil add olive oil to a pan and saute all of your veggies. You can cook the sausage link in the same pan at the same time. Add the garlic and basil towards the end of the cooking process. Be sure not to over cook the veggies.
By now you should be adding the pasta to the water.
Reduce heat on your pan of veggies and add your sauce. Heating the sauce with the veggies and sausage will allow all the flavors to combine. Cover with a lid and bring up to a simmer.
When the pasta is done drain and toss into your vegetable sauce. Plate and serve!

There you go! A quick easy and healthy plant based meal. If your in a rush this is the perfect meal.

It may have been my craving for meat but the Tofurkey sausage really hit the spot. The Heartland pasta was a refreshing change to the other horrible gluten free pastas I have tried. If you cook this up for yourself let me know how it turns out. As always feel free to let your creativity flow by adding what ever veggies you like. Thanks for dropping by the blog and I hope you will come back soon and see what else I have cooking up!

Love food, live life!

Gyros & Kabobs Falafel! Plant Based Options in Wichita Falls Pt. 1 18 Mar 2018 10:35 AM (7 years ago)

I really miss restaurant reviews. One of my favorite things to do in the past was to go to a restaurant and give my opinions and feed back of my experience visiting one. Now that I am going plant based (for the most part) I have been searching for vegan restaurant options online in Wichita Falls. There are none. There are plenty of vegetarian options of course, any place that serves a salad is considered having vegetarian choices from what I can see.

I think I must make the distinction now that I am not vegan. I am not concerned so much with the cruelty to animals and the use of animal products as I am concerned with my health. If you follow the blog you will know I made the choice of going plant based to see if my health improves; and not out of a moral decision. I think I should make this clear here and now. My family goes out to dinner on Monday nights and I made the decision that on these nights I would choose to eat vegetarian over vegan. There is no way I will not join my family on these nights out. Going plant based is my burden and not the burden of my family or the restaurant. In this day and age it is just silly to think you can get a totally plant based option in an American restaurant. By this I mean the cooking equipment will come into contact with animal products. I choose the label of "Plant Based" because it gives me some wiggle room. Vegan on the other hand is to restrictive. Maybe one day vegan will be simple, but for now it is not. If you have a problem with this line of thinking then this blog is not for you and I am sorry.

Okay so as I was saying before I went off into a tangent; I could not find a vegan option in Wichita Falls. I was looking for vegan because I was curious and I was dining alone. As I mentioned before I love to dine out, and one of my fears of this dietary change was setting in. How many choices do I have here in this small city? I had already chosen to go the vegetarian route when out with my family but could I stay plant based while eating out on my own? Well the answer is yes, but options are limited. I am also not clear if to be vegan the restaurant must be completely meat free. If you have an opinion or answer on this please leave a comment below. I for now am going with the definition plant based. This is of course as I mentioned to give me some wiggle room while dining out.

Let's get to the point of the blog post now! My first attempt to stay plant based led me to one of my favorite restaurants in Wichita Falls again. I was craving a falafel. I grew up in the back country of San Diego and lived in downtown San Diego for a short time. During this time had a friend who's family owned a small Lebanese restaurant, and he introduced me to the falafel. I always had a hard time believing this was a vegetarian meal. I loved this on the go almost burrito like meal. So I had to search for a place to get a falafel in Wichita Falls. Gyros & Kebobs popped up in Zomato so I had to get a taste of my past and I was off!

The falafel offered here has lettuce, tomato, black olive, onion, and of course falafel balls. It comes with taztikki sauce and fetta cheese so you need to order it without them to stay plant based. They do have humus as well so I imagine you could ask to substitute the taztikki with humus. I chose to go with the taztikki, I was on my second week with not dairy or meat so I treated myself. The only thing I have a complaint about was the actual falafel was dry. It looked like it was quartered and then fried which of course would lead to the falafel being dried out while cooking. The price was great at around $6. The service was very friendly and speedy. I would recommend this for sure for a quick bite.

I give it a 3 out of five apples for a rating. It would have been a four if the falafel was not dried out. I reserve the 5 apple rating for a must try so it ranks decently. If your wanting something different or something quick this is a great pick. Let me know if you know of a place I can get another falafel in Wichita Falls. If you go to Gyros & Kebobs and order one I would love to hear what you think.

Thanks for reading! Please let me know in the comments below where your favorite plant based meals can be found. I would love to go try them.

Love food, live life!

Southwest Tofu Scramble - Plant Based Breakfast! 15 Mar 2018 9:22 AM (7 years ago)

Hello all! So here we go, my first plant based recipe. I have to admit that the thing I already miss most, since I am only on my second week of going plant based, is breakfast foods. Breakfast has for a long time been my favorite meal. I loved eggs and breakfast meats so much. When I was training in MMA I would always start the day with a breakfast scramble. In those days it would be loaded with sausage or bacon and of course eggs. I liked it for several reasons, the main reason being it was a one pan meal with quick and easy clean up.

Since I have made the change to plant based I have left out the meat, of course you could use some flavored tofu replacement if you wanted. The big drawback to that is using meat replacements can be quite expensive. I am on a tight budget so I am skipping that route. On that note I had always heard that going plant based or vegetarian was expensive. I am finding out this is a myth. I am saving more money now because vegetables are actually very affordable and usually sold in bunches that last me the whole week. It has been easier to cook for one too.

One of the things I have enjoyed the most about plant based cooking is the fact you can taste as you cook the whole way through. There is no worry of consuming under cooked meats or cross contamination. The one thing I have not so much enjoyed is that when you cook the veggies and add spices a lot of the time the bright colors fade and all the veggies take on the the same color. This could be that I am over cooking the veggies, maybe I need to use lower heat as well. I do like a little crunch in my veggies so I will need to try this and get back to you on that.

Enough about all that, let's get cooking!

Here is what you'll need:

serving size is for one!

Your preferred frying oil

One medium potato

1/4 pound firm tofu crushed to resemble scrambled eggs

1/4 red onion

1/4 white or yellow onion

2 brussle sprouts

1/4 medium yellow bell pepper

1/4 green bell pepper

1 habanero pepper

cilantro to taste and for garnish if you like

1 clove garlic

1/2 avocado

clilantro, about 1/4 of a bunch or to taste

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

salt and black pepper to taste

your favorite hot sauce to taste

Cooking Instructions:

Press your tofu. If you are not sure how to press your tofu here is a link to some helpful tips. This will take about 20 minutes or more so keep that in mind: How to Press Tofu
Begin to heat your oil in a deep pan. Keep in mind that we are not deep frying, you want the oil to cover the bottom third of your diced potato. :
While heating oil dice your potato. Peel the whole leaves from the burssle sprouts to help save time as well.
Add potato to oil.
Prep the rest of veggies. Dice both onions, both bell peppers and 2/3 of the habanero pepper. If you choose to have the habanero flavor and less heat discard seeds, this is where most of the heat will come from. Slice avocado in strips, or cube if you prefer. Chop the cliantro and reserve some whole leaves for garnish.
When potatoes are starting to brown drain any excess oil. It can be hard to gauge sometimes. Be sure to take caution as the oil will be very hot.
Add tofu, onions, bell peppers, habanero, brussle sprout leaves, garlic, cumin, and paprika. Saute until desired texture.
As you finish the cooking process you can add the clilantro, salt, and pepper. Adding the cliantro at this point will aid in holding its color.
Plate and garnish with avocado, cliantro, paprika, and your favorite hot sauce.

I loved this recipe and will be eating it often I am sure. While not exactly what I was used to the tofu was a great egg supplement. It looks just like scrambled eggs and takes on the flavor of whatever you choose to season it with. Don't be afraid to use your favorite vegetables and seasonings. That to me is the beauty of cooking over baking. Baking is a science, one wrong measurement and you can fail. This recipe is wide open for you to play around with. It would be great with some black beans and corn thrown into the mix! I love brussle sprouts and had some left over from a previous recipe so I tossed them in. That turned out to be a great addition for me, it is slightly bitter and balanced out the heat from the habanero.

So go now and cook some for yourself or family! Please let me know in the comments below if you enjoyed it. I would love to hear your own twist on this recipe too. Remember cooking is only as hard as you make it...

Love food, live life!

Why I am Going Plant Based & Dairy Free 12 Mar 2018 11:57 AM (7 years ago)

Hello everyone! I am making a return to blogging, a long overdue return I might say. I stepped away from one of my favorite hobbies for several reasons, work being the main reason. I had gotten a promotion which cut my time at home too minimal. As an assistant manager in a very large chain restaurant I was and still am working lots of split shifts. Combined with the perk of getting a free meal with every shift cooking at home became a twice a week thing. There were some weeks where I cooked nothing at home, and if I am honest those weeks were far more often than I care to admit. I was eating mainly heavily processed foods. And those days I did cook at home were not much better. I would use mainly canned or pre-prepared vegetables. No meal for me was centered around the vegetables to make things even worse. The center piece of every meal was meat, which I have come to learn in this day and age is not the same meat our parents and grandparents ate.

We all know that when we eat meat we are putting whatever that animal ate into our body as well. But have you ever stopped to think, "What is my meat eating?". If you have ever stopped to think about it did you ever take the time to look into how those animals raised for mass consumption are fed? Like myself I bet not. We have all heard the same talking points from vegetarians and vegans and just blown them off. Why did we have this reaction? Well for me and many people I bet the answer is simple. We learned the food pyramid in school. What if I told you that the food pyramid is a lie? In this age of google would you take twenty minutes to do some research? I hope you would, but for most I bet you would not. You would keep on going down the road of easy, cheap, and convenient food choices.

Well lets take a step back and finish my thoughts from my first paragraph. I began to live a life full of convenient food, and it started to take a horrible toll on my health. I think now I should say that before this time I trained in MMA for nine years. I did jiu-jitsu, muay-thai, wrestling, and judo religiously. I was 150 pounds and for all purposes fit. Then I stopped the MMA and began this road down a dangerous diet at the same time. Fast forward 2 years and my weight shot up. Fast forward another 2 years and I developed an intolerance to gluten. During this time my sleep patterns went to hell, I mean if I slept six hours a night that was a good night. A bad night was four nonconsecutive hours. I had an eczema that would not go away nor would it subside with any type of ointment or medication. I was lethargic and always felt sick. I cut the gluten and the eczema went away and I felt much better. Fast forward another six months and I landed my dream job. I became the head chef at a local micro brewery.

This job gave me more control over my diet than I had in years even though I was working well over 90 hour weeks. Why you might ask? Well that was because I developed the menu from the ground up with an emphasis on local foods. I held strong on the light gluten diet and was consuming limited processed foods. The only thing we had in our freezer was fish; because we are in northern Texas, bread, and french fries. I was eating fresh hand made foods prepared with love and passion. I felt good and my waist line shrank again even though I was not exercising. Skip ahead another six months and the brewery closed. (I will write more on this but now is not the time.) I ended up back in my corporate job and dysfunctional diet I was previously on. This time around I could not deny nor could I ignore the impact the foods I was putting in my body was having.

I work with a woman who is on a plant based whole food diet and she was always trying to get me to watch some documentaries about food and health on Netflix. She knew I had a passion for food because that is all I really talk about. I knew she was trying to convert me, and I wanted no part of it. I had watched several documentaries already that showed the cruel nature of how we raise animals for food, and I still loved meat. Cowspiracy had no effect on my love for beef. But then I caved and watched the documentaries she recommended and this time it made me think. The timing just happened to be perfect. I had recently listened to a podcast with a psychologist and a dietitian about how they were treating children with attention disorder and autism by changing their diets. This no medication approach was very successful. A light went off in my head and I had to admit something. My diet was killing me.

At nearly 40 years old I developed an intolerance to gluten, I cut the gluten out for a while and I felt better. I still did not feel 100% though. So why not try going plant based and see if I feel any better? That is what I am doing. As of writing this I am only eight days in and I feel great! I did not go into this blindly though, I read a lot of articles and a few research papers. I learned that everything I was taught about food was a lie. I discovered that the American Cancer Society and other government health organizations were in the pocket of big food corporations. The research they publish is funded by these food corporations and the recipes they post are dangerous to the people they are supposed to be helping. That is like paying the casinos paying for research to prove gambling is not addictive, of course they will get the results they paid for. This is my problem with the peer review system. There are plenty of studies that show the opposite information that is taught to the public and the opposing studies are swept aside. Don't just take my word for it, go take a look for yourself.

So I have made the choice to go plant based and dairy free. I am limiting my use of processed foods. It has been a challenge of course, especially going all in and not weening off the dairy. I am finding it exciting to be back in the kitchen at home. Trying these new recipes and testing my skills is fun and driving my passion for great tasting beautiful foods. I am also getting outside more and starting a garden. I plan to grow some herbs and a few vegetables this first season. I am starting small so I don't overwhelm myself. I will be adding my garden and the journey it takes me on to the blog as well. It should help supplement content and give me a way to keep a journal of this life change. I hope you join me on this new road I am traveling and I hope those of you who are still eating convenient will take some time consider cutting some of that out of your diet and get into your kitchen. My motto was and still is "Cooking is only as difficult as you make it"...

Love food, live life!

Sidecar Brewery, From Dream to Reality! I Land my Dream Job! 6 May 2017 11:24 AM (7 years ago)

Dreams can come true, I have been offered my dream job! This job hinges on the dreams of others of course. There is no option to fail, There is only moving the dream forward for a small team of people; and those people carry a passion that few in this ever expanding field of corporate restaurants have in this modern day and age.

I live in the small city of Wichita Falls Texas, I moved here seven years ago due to family issues and circumstances beyond my control. In this small but food and service heavy town I made my fresh start. Since I grew up on the outskirts of San Diego California, I mean the high country of San Diego, this was not such a big change. As big as Wichita Falls is or as small as it may appear, this city beats with the heart and soul of America. We love our family and friends. We love our city. We only wish to see all of the above succeed.

I now get to help this local Texas brewery grow into, hopefully, a powerhouse of local achievement. As you can see the kitchen is a work in progress. This of course is a not the heartbeat but a compliment to the heart of the brewery. Master Brewer Joe Hayes and myself will be working close together to build a menu to compliment his craft beer.

Our plan is to keep the menu Texas fresh and Texas seasonal. Our aim is not to make the food of Sidecar an afterthought, but to make the food a compliment to a mastered craft. We will be featuring a Gastropub menu that will change with the seasons. My first thought is to keep the menu very short and simple until we catch a groove. We will focus on presentation and freshness then move on to a more sophisticated menu if our clientele permits.

This opportunity is what dreams are made of. Carry on, keep your head down, and persevere. You can only come out out on the other side stronger and more ready to face the struggles ahead. Not only do we as a team get to build this business from the ground up, we get to introduce the city of Wichita Falls to a new way to approach food.

Please join us! While the opening date is soft and looking towards the end of June 2017 this is a push date. I will do my best to make it happen but it may take just a slight bit more time for this to actually happen. If you have any questions please ask below in the comments. I hope you join us as we build the kitchen. I hope to post from start to finish and beyond!

Sidecar Brewing

902 Broad St

Wichita Falls, Texas

Call (940) 767-2739

Back And Going Gluten Free! 26 Apr 2017 7:58 AM (7 years ago)

Well life has a way of throwing curve balls at you! This time, for me at least, it may be for the best. I have recently developed a Gluten intolerance. Late in life mind you, this is a big change for me. I was not long ago in the camp of people who said, "What is this gluten allergy thing? Why is it so prevalent now? Are these people just looking for attention?"
It turns out no, it is real and recently it has risen like the latest fashion trend, only this is serious for some people. This allergy is not new but it is on a drastic rise. I had to ask myself, "Why now so late in life, and is it just me or was this not a thing ten years ago?" That answer is actually as complicated as it is easy to answer. So lets talk gluten!
It turns out Celiac is quite old as far as a known medical condition. Only recently though has the term been used to group multiple gluten related issues. I guess now would be a good time to let those of you who don't already know, what gluten is. Gluten is a general name for the proteins found in wheat (wheatberries, durum, emmer, semolina, spelt, farina, farro, graham, KAMUT® khorasan wheat and einkorn), rye, barley and triticale – a cross between wheat and rye. Gluten helps foods maintain their shape, acting as a glue that holds food together. Gluten can be found in many types of foods, even ones that would not be expected.
Read more at https://celiac.org/live-gluten-free/glutenfreediet/what-is-gluten/#imjW2EqX2zGk72MV.99 (note I copied that statement from the linked web page).
The easy and uncomplicated answer is: Yes gluten intolerance is on the rise. While there is still research to be done and debate to be had, it would seem that GMO of wheat is the possible cause. With the modern day science of modifying our food for various reasons, the food we eat today is just not the same version of the food we ate even only 100 years ago. I really think you should visit this article I found that has great information and plenty of links to the research that it sites: The Rise Of Gluten Intolerance by: Kristen Michaelis at Food Renegade. Unfortunately this modification of our food to make it better may be causing more trouble than the problems it is supposed to fix. If you stop and think about it, it seems logical. Humans take hundreds and thousands of years to evolve. We have within the last century put our food through those years of evolution while we lag behind. I equate this to the whole Western civilization is able to digest dairy while others can not, due to evolution.

This brings me to where I am today. I now have an intolerance to gluten. This is a big life change for me as I work in an Italian restaurant and am used to just eating what ever I pleased. At first I was very upset about this development. Then as I did some research and cooked a few meals it became exciting. I am among the lucky ones that can get away without going completely gluten free. Some people have drastic reactions to gluten, while I just get a bad rash. I am still learning how much gluten I can handle so I have done my best to cut gluten out completely.
I am now at a point where I think it is time to get back to what I love doing. Cooking, learning, and writing. I am going to start this blog back up with a focus on low and gluten free food options. I will be posting my finds and restaurant reviews. This time around I will be much more critical about the options and practices of these restaurants. While I don't expect small local restaurants to have gluten free menus, I do however expect major chains to have at the very least a knowledge of Celiac and gluten free options.

I look forward to getting out there and trying new foods as well as getting Wichita Falls Foodie up an running again. While at this point I am not sure how often I will be posting, I hope at least two or three times a week. I will be posting everything from new snack ideas to recipes to restaurant reviews. I hope you will join me in this new journey in life and share with those you think could benefit from this new low to zero gluten direction of Wichita Falls Foodie!

What Has Our Restaurant Dining Experience Turned Into? 15 Aug 2013 5:44 PM (11 years ago)

What Has Our Restaurant Dining Experience Turned Into?

Being in the hospitality business for over 25 years, I have seen some of the best and worst at their trade.
From the hardworking, studious college kid that was very driven and worked as a waiter 6-days a week to put himself through school; the gravelly-voiced divorced mom of 4 grown kids that needed to pay her bills and get her life back on track; the “hot” chick that thought her looks was her ticket to fame and fortune and that being a waiter was only a temporary setback for her; and the overweight nerdy-guy that really couldn’t relate well with his customers, continually came in late and never got a close shave but always found time to play dungeons & dragons.
They all had one thing in common, they wanted to earn as much in tips on each shift as they possibly could! And why not? That’s why they have a job.
But whatever happened to customer service? What happened to the dining experience we used to receive? Where are all the waiters of days gone by?
It seems like all the “nice” restaurants have been replaced by themed restaurants, ones that think the way to decorate a restaurant is to hang countless photos of actors, sports memorabilia, and even small boats on their walls. Regardless of the atmosphere of the establishment, service has definitely changed over the years.
With very few exceptions, gone are the days where a waiter will ‘de-bone” a fresh-caught fish tableside. And frankly, not many people are interested in this anyway. But don’t they still desire fine service? Can’t we still tend to the needs, wants & desires of our customers that come to dine in our restaurants? It seems that very few establishments strive for this.
Now it seems that the primary goals of many restaurants are to “turn” as many tables as possible during their service, make sure that there is no staff overtime and hire managers that are inexperienced and too afraid to come out of their offices and check on their staff, let alone on their guests. More money is spent on designing eye-catching and colorful menus then is spent on training the staff.
We are used to seeing waiters wearing buttons on their lapels, flowers in their hair, not being closely shaven, and waiters that crouch down at the table when they are taking the order. Then there is my personal favorite choice of tactless behavior; calling all the guests ‘guys”. “How are you guys today” or “What can I get you guys to drink”, the waiter may say. These phrases roll off the tongues of most wait & bar staff today and it has become the norm.
This is not service, this is not the way to greet your customer, your guest, at the table. Does the waiter know the menu inside and out and know what options there are for substitutions of the starch or vegetables? After serving your food, did your waiter check back with you within two minutes or two bites? Probably not.
This is one of the basic industry standards of service, but it’s almost never taught. Does your waiter continually refill your water glass or bread basket, or does he wait for the minimum wage busboy/busgirl to do it? But they still want a big tip from you of course!
Today’s waiters are taught to wear the “focus-group determined” uniform, to form a conga line when it’s time to sing happy birthday to some soon-to-be-embarrassed patron and taught that wearing any color of nail polish or multiple dangling ear rings is OK. It’s OK to come in late, it’s OK to come back from a cigarette break and still smell like a chimney, it’s OK to be indifferent to the very same people that you are relying on for your livelihood.
I seek out restaurants sometimes just to see if their silverware is preset on the table next to a freshly pressed napkin. But that has been replaced with spotted, cheap silverware rolled in a paper napkin.
Then to make matters worse, customers have been accustomed to this lower level of service and have been willing to accept it. You waited 10 minutes for a waiter to take your order, that’s OK. You’re not happy with how your meal was cooked and can’t find your waiter, well “it’s OK, he will be back soon”. You want a second cup of coffee but all the waiters are hanging around the service station in the back. You’ll just wait. This is not why we go out to dine.
If we just want to fill our stomachs then this level of service is fine. But if you want more than that there are fewer and fewer affordable restaurants where the average person can go without spending a small fortune.
I just want to be taken care of, to be catered to on those all too infrequent nights out with my family. Is that too much to ask for? I hope not. Is that possible in a restaurant that is less than 5 stars? I hope so, I know so.
Remember: Only by making your guests feel special, feel as if THEIR enjoyment is YOUR primary concern, will you make the big tips. All else is not important.
You see, that’s the key. Any waiter can get to their ultimate goal of making bigger tips but only if the customer service is there first. Good food can only keep your customers for so long, but good service will keep them forever.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author Biography
Author Steve DiGioia has been in the hotel & restaurant business, in one manner or another, for 25+ years.
From booking agent to catering sales manager, to restaurant director and director of banquets, he has seen some of the best and worst at their trade. Using a hands-on approach, he has developed multiple training programs and personally mentored countless employees that have successfully moved on to supervisor and senior management positions.
Still active in the business, Steve has put together this collection of those same straightforward no-nonsense tactics that he continues to use, that will improve the customer service mindset of your employees. When that happens, the result is bigger tips for the employees and increased revenue and repeat business for your company.
Steve DiGioia is the author of “Earn More Tips On Your Very Next Shift…Even If You’re a Bad Waiter, available at Amazon. Follow this link to the book: http://amzn.to/14PDYG2

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The above was a guest post that I was thrilled to be approached about. I am excited to say Steve has another great article to look forward too and hopefully more to follow. Please leave your thoughts and comments below. Your feedback and involvement are highly encouraged!

Thank you Steve and you are welcome to return as a guest anytime!

Love Food, Live Life!

Easy Family Style Empanda 8 Aug 2013 5:21 PM (11 years ago)

Like most foodies I am addicted to watching cooking and restaurant related T.V. shows of all sorts. I found one called Made in Spain featuring Chef Jose Andres. I really enjoyed his energy and he was also very informative. Spanish food looks exciting and fresh and full of flavor. When I saw him use a pre-made, store bought puff pastry sheet to make a baked, family style empanada I was floored. The concept is just so simple and can be the base for so much more, I am thinking quick meat pies!

I decided I was going to make my own version of this Empanada. I started out how I usually do, with a trip to the market for some inspiration. I often just walk around the grocery store looking at all the products. I not only look for new and exotic ingredients, I look for deals, cooking as a hobby can get costly! I found this beautiful Pork Shoulder for $5.00 and knew right away that it was bound for my Kitchen and my Empanada.

I am not going to post an actual recipe with this one. What?!?!?! Yea that's right. I want you to build your own and come back and share with me what you did! Just leave a comment below with the recipe and or a link to a recipe.

I started by scoring the skin on pork, and seasoned it with some salt, black pepper, thyme, and rosemary. I baked it to perfection then let it cool so that I could pull the pork apart by hand. In two hours I had the most tender and juicy pulled pork just waiting to be knocked up another notch or two.

I decided I would use a chicken stock and simmer the pulled pork with Carrot, Celery, Onion, Red Bell Pepper, and Green Bell Peppers. When my Veggies were cooked aldente it was time to put this bad boy together.

Be sure to build this on a non stick baking sheet and you need to poke holes in the top to let the steam escape or you will have a pastry that you can't move and will be soggy after baking.

Roll or pinch the edges together, make sure to form a good seal.

Follow the baking instructions on the packaging of the pastry that you bought and you are done!

You can go all crazy or keep it simple, just get in the kitchen and have fun! Cooking is only as difficult as you make it!

Be sure to come back and share what you made!

Writing this blog has connected me with some wonderful people. One such person is Steve DiGioia. He has a wealth of experience in the service industry and has written blogs and has a book published (Earn more tips on your very next shift...even if your a bad waiter). I have the awesome opportunity to let him do a guest post on Wichita Falls Foodie! The next post will on this blog will be a guest post by Steve and I think those of you who are passionate about the service industry will find it very entertaining, interesting and informative. Come back soon and check it out and follow the links above to take a look at Steve's LinkedIn profile and his book on Amazon.

Love Food, Live Life!

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Rustic Sausage and Pepper Sandwich, a mobile post! 1 Aug 2013 12:31 PM (11 years ago)

Hello! :D Wichita Falls Foodie.com goes mobile! I am posting this from my phone! Here is a quick easy sandwich idea and it is one of my favorites. I always try to find the stand at the County Fair that serves these.

For every person you need 1/4 red and green peppers sliced lengthwise. Equal parts sliced onion and at least one Italian Sausage link per sandwich. Sautee onion and peppers with salt, pepper, thyme, & rosemary. Bake sausage at 450 for about 10 min. Make sure internal temp. is 165°. Slice sausage and add to your veggie mix with your favorite red sauce and bring to a simmer. Let simmer until your happy with the temp. and texture of your veggies. Spoon onto your favorite bread or roll and in 15 minutes you have a hearty sandwich bursting with classic Italian flavor!

A Guide to Modern Dining Etiquette part 6: Your Server 21 Jul 2013 11:58 AM (11 years ago)

Well we went through the long wait in the restaurant lobby. We made our way to our table. Did you ever think so much was going on just to get you to that table? Most likely not. If you have not read the first Five Modern Dining Etiquette articles you may want to do so. We have been making our way from home to the table and learning all the subtle nuances and work it takes to get you there. I started this series because I have served food to the public for more than 16 years and it never ceases to amaze me at the lack of manners from the guests and the lack of professionalism in the Food Service Industry. So now you know where I am coming from and where we are headed. Feel free to leave your comments and thoughts below, I would love to hear some of your own story's!

OK back to the story. You are all seated and even the kids are tucked into their seats and momentarily distracted by the new surroundings. Your server has greeted you and went over any specials or offers and is now asking for a drink order. This is where as a diner you need to consider where you are and how busy it is around you. Nothing is worse for a server than being busy and getting held up at a table. Even if it is slow it is terribly awkward to stand at a table in silence. "What the heck? I just got triple sat, and now you are holding me up! Just tell me you need more time!" As a guest I understand that you have undoubtedly had bad service somewhere. You asked for that side of dressing but now your done with the salad and the server shows up with the dressing as you push the plate to the end of the table. Did you notice that the sever greeted a table just after you asked for the side of dressing and that table kept them there for five minutes? Probably not, you should be enjoying good company and conversation. Just keep in mind if it is busy service slows down. If you want a more slow paced and engaging meal you should eat early during the week.

After quickly deciding weather to order drinks or asking for more time, it is time to get to the menu. Now as a server if you are busy this is where knowing your menu can come in very handy. When suggesting dishes at your introduction or if asked to recommend a dish, recommend a quick and simple one. I takes pressure off of you and the kitchen. As a guest don't walk into a full service restaurant on a Saturday night order a well done 20 ounce steak then tell the server "We have 20 minutes to make a movie." If you are in a restaurant to slow down and enjoy yourself don't let the server rush you. Let them know you want to relax. A good server will find a way to ask what kind of service you are looking for.

Hopefully if it is a new restaurant for you your server can guide you through the menu and help you make some great dining choices. You should not be afraid to try something new. Some establishments will be happy to replace the meal if you did not like it. Some will not though so it is always best to ask.

Now for the dreadful order error. It happens. It seems to happen to me every time I go to a certain McDonald's location here in Wichita Falls. I don't eat fast food if I can avoid it but sometimes I just want a Quarter Pounder and Fries. Now I could get all angry and be rude and snobby but I don't. I think to myself am I just the unlucky guest or do they mess up all the time? More likely I am just that unlucky guest so I deal with it with manners. It does no one any good to freak out. It's just going to raise every one's emotional level and you wont get the fix any faster.

As a server I always own my mistakes. I also own the kitchen mistakes. I mean that in two ways, I claim them personally, and get blamed for them. It has been my experience that the guest never believes the kitchen is at fault. Most of the time it is a server error but the kitchen messes up just as well, just not as often in a good kitchen. As a server you need to own it as I said. You can not abandon the table out of fear or embarrassment. That is the worst thing you could do. I shows a lack of care or concern and a lack of confidence. Get your manager involved and continue as if nothing ever happened, once you start that downward spiral it can be near impossible to pull back up and end the shift on a high note.

A good restaurant will take care of you and do everything in their power to insure that you come back! The restaurant I work for goes the extra mile when mistakes are made and we do our best to make sure you leave happy and have forgotten all about the speed bump in your dinning experience. I guess it just rolls right around to the same point as before, use your manners.

If you handle a mistake with class the server is way more likely to make sure the correction is made promptly. No one needs to have a their blood pressure raise a point or two and cause a scene. If you make the mistake admit it and move on, you are a professional after all.

Love Food, Live Life!

Classic American Cooking: Braised Oxtail 14 Jun 2013 5:50 AM (11 years ago)

America is a mixing pot of cultures. This makes for a diverse style of cooking. I have been thinking about this a lot. What are the roots and classic styles of American cooking? Now that is a really difficult question to give you a direct answer to. We as Americans have developed our own style borrowing techniques and recipes from around the world.

One of the most classic styles of cooking is Braising. I am sure most of you know what braising is but for those of you who don't, then read on! World wide people eat parts of animals we throw away as delicacies. Depending on what part of the globe you are on Oxtail is one such cut of beef. It is a tough cut so it requires time and love to cook properly. I chose to start a Culinary Journey through American history and then beyond so I thought Braised Oxtail was a great way to start.

I just went by taste on this one. I started by flouring and browning the Oxtail. I used red wine and beef stock as my braising liquid and for flare I topped the Oxtail with fresh thyme and basil. I braised the Oxtail for four hours then added Potatoes, Onions, Celery, and Carrots and braised for another hour.

The result is a fork tender flavorful delight!

I intend on doing more with this one so keep and eye out! What is your favorite Braising Recipe?

I also roasted some Beef Marrow with thyme and basil. It is very rich and so I served it with toasted cibatta bread topped with tomato vinaigrette and a side of roasted tomatoes.

So this is part one of my new Culinary Journey! I am excited to see where it takes me and I hope you will join me from home!

Cookin' With Mom! Chili Verde and Lemon Tarts 5 Jun 2013 5:36 AM (11 years ago)

As early as I can remember I was in the kitchen with my mom. I was boiling water for my Ramen Noodles by age 5 and cooking hamburgers by age 7. I was always curious and watching. I am so glad I took such and interest at an early age for several reasons. Reason one, only one of my Ex girlfriends could actually cook, and I can have Mom's cooking anytime now that I know the recipes!

One of my favorite meals growing up was Mom's Chili Verde. (Yes I am aware our Chili Verde is brown and not green lol!) Her Chili Verde is different than any I have ever had. It is my go to dish in a new Mexican restaurant because it is normally just pork cooked in a green salsa. On a trip to Lake Isabella in Southern California my parents stopped into a small hole in the wall Mexican restaurant and she ordered the Chili Verde. She was served Chili Verde in a gravy and she took the idea home with her.

This makes for a rich dish packed with flavor. The salsa and gravy are slow cooked with the pork and it just melts in your mouth. There is a lot of room to play with too. You could add an array of veggies and it would still be just as good!

Here is what you need:

Serves 6-8

3 pounds diced pork

1 cup plus 2 heaping table spoons of flour

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon garlic salt

16 ounces of Salsa Verde

3/4 cup of vegetable oil for frying

1/2 oil for the gravy

2 cups hot water

Add your garlic salt and black pepper to 1 cup of flour and coat the pork with the flour mixture. Brown your pork over medium high heat. For more texture you can brown the pork really well. As your pork browns remove from stove to a plate with a paper towel and let the excess oil drain. Now for the gravy. Add the remaining oil to the pork drippings and turn up the heat and slowly add the remaining flour and water. The gravy will thicken and any may not use all the flour or water. Be sure to taste the gravy because once you add too much flour it is really hard to fix. Pour the gravy and pork into a slow cooker and cook on low heat for at least 5 hours. And done!!!!

It was my turn to teach my Mom something in the kitchen. She loves lemon deserts so I decided I would show her how easy it is to make a classic Lemon Tart. This meant a lot to me being able to share what I have learned with my Mom. Keep in mind I am self taught and just have a passion for food, but it felt awesome to be able to teach her something I know she will enjoy.

Here is what you need:

serves 8

1 cup Lemon Curd

8 ounces cream cheese

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon lemon zest

Phyllo Dough

1/4 cup butter

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl except for the dough and blend until nice and creamy. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let it set up.

Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees. I used 3
layers of Phyllo Dough for each tart. Buttering each layer makes it flavorful and more manageable to work with. Butter you mold and place the Phyllo Dough in the mold and feel free to play around with making different shapes and patterns. Bake the dough for 6 to 8 minutes, I have had to watch the dough carefully, my Mom's oven bakes really fast and mine bakes really slow, so just keep and eye on them so they don't burn.

I topped mine with fresh raspberry and powder sugar but you could get really inventive at this stage, make it your own by adding your favorite fruits, nuts, or even breakfast cereal, Fruity Pebbles just seems like a natural topping and would add color and texture.

So I realize that some of you do not know what Lemon Curd is. It is an old fashioned Lemon Jelly of sorts that originates in Europe, very popular in the British Isles. I found it with the other preserves but you may need to go to a speciality store of sorts to find it. I fell in love with it!!! I eat it on my bagels in the morning, Blue Berry Bagels and Lemon Curd were born for each other!

What is your favorite childhood meal? Do you know the recipe?

LOVE FOOD, LIVE LIFE!

The Julian Pie Co. Apple Cookbook's Pork and Apple Pie 31 May 2013 5:59 AM (11 years ago)

This is a special post for me. This is where my journey with the Restaurant Industry began. The Julian Pie Co. in Julian/Santa Ysabel California. Little did I know then the seed of my passion for making great food and making people happy via that food was planted. I began working there in the summer of 1997, the year I graduated High school. At that time is was the perfect job for me. I was terribly shy and prone to mischief. If you have ever worked at a bakery then you know the hours.

Start at 3 A.M. peeling apples so bakers had fresh product to work with when they arrived at 5 A.M.. Those hours really put pressure on my partying. I thank the heavens for that, because damn, I don't want to think what would have happened. Julian is a small town 60 miles north east of San Diego, the most amazing place to grow up. I wish I had known then what I was doing and where I lived was so unique.

In this day and age of processed foods and rapidly expanding business models Liz Smothers, owner and master baker has done everything to fight to keep her family run bakery local. She refused to compromise quality for expansion. So unless you are in San Diego county, where they do wholesale pies to major and smaller markets like Albertson's and local deli's, you will have to get on their website and order one. The Smothers family was part of a revolution though I doubt they realize or would admit it. Local food, made from scratch, with the most available local products. Keeping local means giving local. I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the Smothers family. You all have done so much for the community you are a part of and I thank you for all the positive influence you have had in my life.

The Julian Pie Co. has the apple lovers dream of a Cookbook. The Julian Pie Company Apple Cookbook. I love this book. It is a collection of local recipes from appetizers to deserts including a "Specialties from and for children" chapter. This is the first of many recipes from this book I plan to blog about. Pork and Apple Pie!

Here is What You Need:

1 pound lean ground pork

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

2 1/2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 medium onion chopped

Dash of black pepper

3 cooking apples, I prefer Granny Smith for this recipe for a sweet/tart balance

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Two 9 inch round pastry or pie crust

9 inch baking tin

1 table spoon melted butter

Non stick spray or butter to prevent crust from sticking to pie tin

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees. Get your onion chopped and apples peeled and cored. Rub the peeled apples with lemon juice to help prevent oxidation of your apples. Start browning your ground pork and onion. While that is working you can move on to finishing the apple prep. Slice two of the apples and chop the last one. When your pork and onion mixture is done browning remove it from the heat. Toss the chopped apple in 1/2 table spoon brown sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Add the chopped apple, chicken broth, salt, black pepper, bread crumbs and mix. Toss the sliced apples with the remaining cinnamon and sugar. Line your pie tin with whatever it is you have chosen to help prevent sticking then add the bottom pastry. Spoon in your meat mixture and top with your sliced apples. Place the top pastry on and flute the edges, brush evenly with the melted butter for a nice brown finish to you crust. Place in oven and bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until pork has reached at least 165 degrees and your apples are cooked thorough.

This is a family and friend favorite. A classic American style dish with harmonious flavor profiles. The paring of pork and apple is a beautiful sweet and savory combination. I have made this recipe my own, if you want the original recipe by Rheta Kar, you will have to order the book from the Julian Pie Company yourself! See what I did there, trying to kick some business your way Liz! If you are an apple addict like I am then you will not be disappointed in your purchase.

I made this for my new roommates, this was our first dinner together at the house. Of course I was nervous even though my family loves it. They had never really experienced the pork and apple combination and were skeptical. They LOVED it! The next day at work John had told everyone about it and all my co-workers are trying to order one from me. So here you all go, here is the recipe, make it and enjoy! I served mine with butter roasted herb potatoes and sweet carrots. This will be sure to impress and pleasantly surprise your guests at your next dinner gathering or pot luck.

Love Food, Live Life!

La Michoacana Taqueria 26 May 2013 4:46 PM (11 years ago)

If you are looking for that street food thrill I found a place for you! The food is still rather Americanized in some aspects but most certainly more authentic in others. It is cafeteria style and you have several options for ordering, allowing you to mix at least two flavors per plate if not more. They offer Horchata, Tamarindo, and a few other traditional beverages. I suggest walking up and taking a look before you order for a couple reasons. First reason being if you pay at the cash register, outside the dining area, you need to still pay before eating and your food gets cold. Plus I think that is how it works, you take your ticket from the register to the cafe and they fill your order. The second reason is you are eating in a meat market. Now I am placing my reputation on the line every time I recommend a place to eat so I have to be honest, and I know you expect me to be honest. You really need to take a good look just like at a buffet but with a more critical eye. I say this because it would be sill to think they are cooking gourmet cuts of meat. I would have to say it is how they make up some profit margin I'm sure. That is just my personal opinion though.

OK now on to the FOOD!

My Mom has gotten to be bolder and more adventurous with restaurant and food choices since she has become my partner in dine! Haha! I was not going to ask her to order out of her comfort zone since just trying the cafe was bold enough. When she learned the enchiladas were potato and not meat or cheese she almost said no. "No, you really want one I said, it is not what you expect." The cook gave her a sample enchilada and she was sold. They where perfectly seasoned and cooked. Not mushy or crunchy; the potato with the corn tortilla and red sauce is just a natural combination. The beans were fabulous as well. Not re fried but more of a ranch style which I prefer. The rice was not so good. It was dry,stale, and overcooked to the point of no flavor.

My Aunt had Carne Asada Tacos that brought me back to Guadalajara. Small corn tortillas and flavorful beef and onions. Simple and done right no need to fudge around with the classic.

I had to be more bold and go for the Lingua (Beef Tongue). I had some carnitas to go with it, a safer choice so I did not leave hungry if I did not like the Lingua. I have to say it was very intensely flavored beef. Cooked Chili Verde style in a green salsa it was very tender and melted in my mouth. The carnitas was actually the fail here. It was just a greasy mess that lacked seasoning.

On my new Four Fresh Apples Scale,

0- Avoid

1- Good

2- Fresh Food, Good Service

3- Outstanding Food, Outstanding Service

4- This Place is a Destination

I pick one Fresh Apple for this restaurant. I felt like the lack of spice and care on two standard dishes and the fact that the payment method lends to and awkward back and forth between the cafe and register. Some of the food was really very well done though and you just have to approach it like a good street food cart.

Love Food, Live Life!

La Michoacana Taqueria

1508 Midwestern Pkwy Wichita Falls, TX 76302
(940) 761-3938

A Guide to Modern Dining Etiquette Part 5: Your Table and Server 20 May 2013 4:20 AM (11 years ago)

     You made it! You chose where you wanted to spend your hard earned money. You waited in the lobby, it's a busy Saturday night which made for a hectic and loud 40 minute wait. You have your 6 year old and your 10 month old children with you so just making it to the table in a good mood was a challenge! Now your heading through the dining room to your table, you requested a booth so there was no surprise when your table comes into view. If you did not make it known you needed a booth rather than a table don't be shocked when your Host/Hostess guides you towards a four sided dinner table...

     Here we are again! :-) I took some time off and it's long over due that I get to writing and cooking more often, and above all else sharing with friends, family, and friends to be; my thoughts on FOOD. Why? Well that is a good question that I plan on answering in length in my "I love my lil' kitchen!" post. To sum it up quickly, it's who I am. It's how I connect with people. It's how I make a living. It's how I try to maintain my health. It's pretty much all I think about.

     The fact that your here could be for several reasons I know. Maybe you Tumbled on to my page. Perhaps you are a foodie just cruising blogs for ideas. Or maybe just maybe you actually searched "Modern Dining Etiquette"! Well what ever brought you here I hope you read on and find this series of articles fun, entertaining, and educational.  This is the point of view from someone with more than 17 years in the restaurant industry. I also have 34 years of dining out experience! I enjoy both sides of the industry, being a guest in a great restaurant is a hobby of mine.

     ...Do not be rude about it, I know you are stressed out from the kids and the wait but you choose your attitude. You could choose to be snobby and point at a booth and say "Why can't we sit there?". You can't sit there for several reasons I am sure. The number one reason is that the Host/Hostess hates you! They are out to get you man! They come into work every shift with those beady eyes and devious smiles. Tapping her finger tips together in classically maniacal bad guy fashion the hostess cackles "Who can I screw over today? Hahahahahah!" Really??? Come on. You know dang well that is not the case. There is an order and structure to seating. If you do choose to ask about the booth just be polite about it. They may have no problem with it, it may even be in the same section of tables so you actually do not interrupt the flow of service. Notice the word interrupt thrown into that last sentence? Know that if you do switch tables on the fly you may have to wait longer. That is why you were being seated at the table. That server is more prepared at the moment to greet you and get your dining experience moving into full gear.

     You should always let the woman choose her seat first fellas. This is just classy and simple courtesy. Beyond that I am not gonna try to tell you how to seat your children. They are your kids and I am going to venture to guess you know best. Once we get all settled in, everyone is in place and hopefully comfortable. Now this is where location comes into play. The concept of the restaurant you are in is going to dominate your experience from this point on if allow the staff to do their job and just enjoy your visit. I feel a common factor for most tables gone wrong in my own experience comes from dinners who feel entitled and act as tho they are above me and try to do my job from their seat. I consider myself a professional server. I am not the collage kid working through school. I do it because I actually love it. If you allow me to do my job your visit will be AWESOME! Toot toot! Yea that was my own horn LOL!

     Granted you are paying so I understand a level of expectation. But be realistic. Are you at the local Claim Jumper? Burger joint? Or did you treat your self to a restaurant with prestige and reputation? If you are at an average family style restaurant it will be a loose experience with lots of room for you to control your experience in many pleasant fashions. If you are at a nicer establishment you actually start giving up control over your experience. You will be guided by professionals of mixology, and the menu you will be ordering from. They will share their ideas and passions with the art of service and food.

     If you are at a family restaurant, especially a corporate restaurant, your server will have a short speech of offerings. They are required to spout out all this information about specials and other offerings in the restaurant, and they do this over and over and try to make each speech unique. Nothing like hearing your server rattle off the same robotic speech to the table next to you. This can make the guest feel like just another table which will cause them to loose confidence in the service. As a guest you should let the server inform you of specials and offerings as you may just be sold into trying something new and have a culturally blissful moment.

     I am going to go with a happy prompt hello from your server. "Beautiful day out toady" He exclaims cheerfully. The sincerity of his smile and the confidant eye contact strikes you. This chap is in a good mood or really loves his job. It's infectious. My name is Charles and I will be taking care of you tonight, Nikki over there," he does not point but gracefully motions towards another server, "She and everyone else is happy to help you tonight so if you need anything you don't hesitate, you just let us know."

     Now if you had been in just a horrific mood for some reason and cut your server off you may, I know that I am, have been reluctant to ask another server for help. That is just a sample of how I greet my tables when I serve. I am also obligated to inform you of new items and specials. I happen to work at a fabulous restaurant that changes the menu often and they allow us to try all the new dishes. I go to my table with an understanding of what I am selling and I will be honest with you. If I don't like I will say so and inform you why. This may seem a strange selling technique but I understand several things. My taste and your differ and I have confidence in the food and the kitchen. I have had plenty of people order my least favorite item on the menu after they question me about it. It's because I don't leave off on a negative. "I have to admit I don't care for that particular dish, I do not like a sweet sauce, but it is my Mothers favorite dish." Hopefully as a guest I established a trust. I was not that robotic server again who just loves the whole menu, I was up front and honest. I also did not bash the menu and try to steer them away from something they found interesting. I informed them why I did not like it and backed it up with a solid endorsement from someone I know who absolutely loves it.

The point I am going for is as a guest I look for a confident server. I want to know they know the menu and when I tweak my order they are not coming back to the table to tell me "I apologize but onion is actually it the Ravioli so changing the sauce will not solve your allergy issue I am so sorry." As a server I take pride in my knowledge of the menu, I cook at this restaurant as well so I am really getting to know the food intimately. As a guest I let that server guide me through a culinary venture, that is why I dine out, to experience something. If you are just going out because of time constraints, or out of town don't forget that even tho it really is necessary and your not doing it for the joy of it; does not mean you still can't enjoy it for what it is meant to be. Again I bring you back to the phrase, You choose your attitude! So guests and Employees alike let's choose to be kind and courteous to each other while me make a brief pit stop in each others lives. Let us....

Love Food, Live Life!

South Western Breakfast Scramble 11 Dec 2011 11:03 AM (13 years ago)

Second to Italian food I LOVE breakfast! I worked at Denny's for a few years and I loved it just because I could eat breakfast at anytime. There are so many ways to cook a simple egg. I was a big fan of over-medium but have recently moved towards the scrambled. I love to add peppers and onions to my scrambled eggs, squeeze in some ketchup, and dowse it with Tabasco!

Potatoes in general are a favorite of mine as well. Again there are endless ways to cook the plain ole potato. For breakfast I'm a big fan of small cut home fries with peppers and onions, just love peppers and onions I guess! My favorite breakfast is the hash brown though. I like them extra crispy. I like them nearly burned in fact!

So being addicted to breakfast as I am, and having lots of friends who think they can't cook, I figured I would whip up a simple breakfast with everything all in one bowl. It's jalapeno, carrot, peppers, onions, and sausage. All cooked in one skillet so there is little to clean up!

South Western Breakfast Scramble

Here is what you will need:

a bag of your favorite hash browns with peppers and onions, or make your own

jalapeno

shredded carrot

sausage

garlic

chopped white onion

diced bell pepper

salt

black pepper

eggs

So I cheat with my hash browns as you can see from the picture above :) These potatoes are great though, they are fresh never frozen and I found them in Albertsons right next to the breakfast meats. As far as measurements it all depends on your taste and how many you are cooking for, you can not really mess it up, that is the beauty of a dish like this.

I shred my carrots so they cook faster, dice my onion and bell pepper. I cut the jalapeno into rings and remove the seeds. I like to start my hash browns first as I like them dark. Then when ready add every thing else! You may want to brown the sausage and crumble it up first tho, it was hard to get it to crumble and the hash browns soak up some major grease, but it is not impossible to do. That is it, plate, serve, and enjoy! A quick easy breakfast for all you people that say "I can't cook!" Oh yes you can! I have said it before and I will say it again. Cooking is only as hard as you make it!

What is your favorite breakfast?

Love Food, Live Life!

Whitetail Cafe! 5 Dec 2011 1:43 PM (13 years ago)

If you know me then you know I am always on the look out for something new. Well with word of my blog spreading around town I have gotten to hear a lot about every one's favorite places to eat. I have even been approached by some restaurants to come in and give them a try. I have some friends of the family that told me about this place and I am glad they did!

They feature wild game! Now I grew up around hunting and fishing so I was instantly excited to go to a restaurant that served wild game. :) The menu is not large, when you do something right and well it does not need to be. I had a chance to speak to the owner Michael Powell and it was obvious he really enjoyed what he dose. When we ate it became even more obvious!

I went with my usual partner in crime, my Mom, and her friends. I love going out with them, they really crack me up and surprise me with some of the things they say :-D

They have a salad bar option, which is nice. I like to make my own salad then you get exactly what you want!

Check out this Chicken Fried Steak! The picture does not due it justice, the thing is massive and cooked nicely. Not tough as they can be if over cooked.

I know it is familiar but it wild game, Catfish! Served with Hush Puppies and Beans! Delicate texture and breaded with corn bread. I like this stuff now which surprises me O_o Taste changes try things constantly and you will surprise yourself one day!

I had to be more bold and try the Wild Pig and Venison Sausage. There are two versions of this on the menu. One is the sausage in its simple form (really not simple, it is bursting with flavor) and one that is stuffed with jalapeno and cheese. I tried them both as my aunt ordered one and I the other. They are both good but I prefer spicy foods so I liked the stuffed version.

I have to admit I was jealous of my Mom's choice. To me this is the star of our trip! It is a Venison Burger. It was so juicy and not gamey at all. The bun was a type of jalapeno bread which just set it on a new level. When I go back I am ordering that for sure!

So in my jealousy I'm posting this picture of her digging in! HAHAHAHAHAHA! Love ya Mom<3

Love Food, Live Life!

Blackened Rib Eye with Bacon Wrapped Scallops and Spicy Herb Potatoes 1 Dec 2011 10:44 AM (13 years ago)

So one of my favorite cuts of beef is the Rib eye. It is essentially a piece of Prime Rib. One of the most flavorful and tender cuts, it is hard for me not to order one when I see one on a menu. When I cook a steak for myself I tend to use one, and I have posted a couple recipes that I like to use already. This time it is a little bit different. I had been collaborating with Chef Kevin Smith and found out he made his own spices which he sold on the Etsy online market. He no longer sells these spices as he has moved on to other ventures but I was lucky enough to get my hands on some. He grows his own herbs and blends them with his own recipe of assorted spices. There are three types, one for meat, seafood, and a veggie blend. He also whipped up a batch of his blackening seasoning for me :) Now you wont find to many seafood recipes on my blog because I really don't care for seafood. I am learning tho! Your taste changes and since I have started exploring food with a greater depth I am learning that I taste food much more differently than I used to. Food has more flavor and I can actually taste the different spices and layers of flavor.

With this discovery I had to try some scallops. I had tried some at work and realized that if cooked properly I liked them. Kevin suggested I do a Blackened Rib eye with Bacon Wrapped Scallops so this it what I came up with!

Lets start with the steak.

Blackened Rib Eye

Here is what you need:

a cast iron skillet (Teflon dose not like the extreme heat you'll need)

olive oil

blackening seasoning

Start by getting your skillet warming up. The key is to get it to the point it is almost smoking! Then rub down your steak with olive oil and apply the blackening very liberally. Put a little olive oil in the skillet and add the steak. It will smoke! That is ok, you want the seasoning to form a nice crust and stick to the steak. If you get nervous and try to flip the steak to soon there is a chance you will scrape the seasoning right off the meat. I like mine rare so it dose not take to long to cook. If you want yours more well done, turn down the heat after you have formed a nice crust on both sides of the steak.

Spicy Herb Potatoes

Here is what you'll need:

thin sliced potatoes

thin sliced jalapeno to taste

thin sliced sweet whit onion

rosemary to taste

thyme to taste

salt and pepper to taste

butter to taste

I did my potatoes in a foil pack and cooked them out on the grill. I did this because my old roommate Joe and I lived in a small studio at one time and all we had was a fire pit. We used to make foil pack potatoes all the time so it was sort of nostalgic for me :) This would be a great veggie idea for your next camping trip too! Just trow all the ingredients minus the butter in a mixing bowl and toss. Place the mixture on foil, a large enough piece that you can wrap them, top with a couple nubs of butter. Close up the pack, you may want to double wrap them as the butter will want to run out! Just use you finger to test the pack every now and then, it will have a lot of give when done, and make sure to flip it often so it dose not burn.

Bacon Wrapped Scallops

Here is what you'll need:

lemon juice

olive oil

black pepper

fresh chives

I used the seasoning I got from Chef Smith so just use what ever you want, skip the sat tho!

bacon

Ok so I put no measurements because it really depends on how many your cooking for. Just use your best judgement. I juiced a lemon and mixed in some olive oil and whipped it together with some black pepper and marinated the scallops for about a half hour. You are going to want to chop your chives real fine. The bacon needs to be cooked off but be sure not to get it to crispy as you need to be able to wrap the scallops. When your ready lay the bacon out, you will probably use about a half piece of bacon for each scallop. Lay the bacon out coat what one side with the chives. Season the scallops if you like and wrap them up with the chives on the inside. Secure the bacon with a toothpick and cook away! Scallops cook fast and get real rubbery if over cooked so make sure not to turn your back. For presentation I tied some chive around each one, this was quite an irritating task! The chives kept breaking on me :( but I must say the end result was beautiful!

I have to admit I will be making this again. I loved the steak which is needless to say. The sweetness of the onion gave the potatoes a nice balance of sweet and heat. The use of fresh herbs is away a good choice if they are available to you, they have much more flavor and go further. I was so excited about the scallops! They where bursting with lemon and bacon makes everything taste better right? I was happy that I took Chef Smiths advice and went outside my comfort zone and tried some seafood. It was a nice play on surf and turf and the scallops had such a clean flavor.

What is your favorite steak recipe? How about your favorite seafood recipe? If you have a blog link it in the comment box so we can share!

Love Food, Live Life!

Thanksgiving 2011 :) A Foodie holiday if ever there was one! 29 Nov 2011 1:45 PM (13 years ago)

Well first off I need to apologize for my absence. I was going astray but with the help of good family and friends who kept on me about stopping my blogging I have made it a mission to make a comeback! Thanks to you all who helped me through this difficult time in my life and pushed me to get the help I needed and made me realize what is important to me! :D I love you all and can not stress enough how much you all mean to me.

So with Thanksgiving in sight the family decided I should do the cooking. Don't get me wrong I was excited to do so, but my family loves the IDEA of me cooking more than my Style of cooking. They are steak and potato people. So am I but I don't do simple! Everything I do has my own twist, a signature if you will. Don't all the great chefs try to test themselves with every thing they do? So my Mom and I had dinner at Applebee's one night and planned out a menu that would meet both worlds in the middle.

I tossed a few ideas her way and she responded with "Now remember who your cooking for."

I had to laugh and said "No, they need to remember who they asked to cook!" You would not go into Gordon Ramsay's Maze and expect hamburgers and hot dogs would you? I hope not LOL!

We did end up with a great and fun menu in the end.

The star of the show was Prime Rib. My favorite cut of beef aside from Veal Osso Bucco.

All I do for my Prime Rib is rub it down with McCormick Spicy Montreal Steak Seasoning and garlic powder.

For our first side we agreed on Scalloped Potatoes, right out of the box :) I did talk her into getting the Loaded ones with bacon and sour cream!

Next I got to play with green beans! My Mom got me a subscription to Food Network Magazine so this was the first recipe I talked her into letting me try. It was really good. Fresh green beans, bacon, roasted pecans with crushed red pepper! It went over really well of course, because everything is better with bacon :)

This is the LINK to the recipe! for Green Beans and Bacon

My sister in law brought over a classic Sweet Potato dish. It was yummy and usual!

The next dish I talked her into was easy. I played on her love for Black Beans. This is an idea I had, sure it is not original but it was for me. I call it Black Bean and Corn Salad.

Here is what you need:

1 can black beans rinsed

1 can corn drained

1 can Rotell

dry cilantro to taste

garlic salt to taste

butter to taste

Just throw it all in a pot and heat! Simple and delicious!

The next recipe I stole from Albertsons! They have a great Tomato Mozzarella salad that I am addicted to. I of course put my own spin on it!

Wichita Falls Foodie Italian Salad

Here is what you need:

1 package each of yellow cherry tomatoes and red cherry tomatoes cut into bite size pieces

and all the other ingredients are to taste,

sliced black olive

sliced green olive

fresh basil

oregano

minced garlic

balsamic vinegar

olive oil

sliced mini boccocini mozzarella balls

This is best to make the night before serving, stirring it whenever you think about it. This will let all the flavors marinate and the cheese soaks in all that flavorful goodness!

Dessert was a good ole cheese cake with cherries!

My Mom and I also agreed on a Sweet Potato Pie! I had never had one before and was so pleasantly surprised at how much like pumpkin pie it tasted like. If you have never tried one I suggest you do so as soon as possible! (I must mention to you all my Mom burnt the marshmallow :) for those of you at work who have heard me joking about my Mom burning everything this is the proof! I love you Ma!)

Ok I lost the recipe we used but there are no shortages of good ones out there! Just pick one that sounds good to you and do it!

This Thanksgiving was so fun and delicious. I got to cook with my Mom who was the one who got me started in the kitchen and my Blog! I love her so much and am one lucky guy to have a mother that taught me to be a gentleman and a lover of food. I hope you all enjoyed this Foodie holiday and the friends and family it brought together on that day.

Love Food, Live Life!

What was on your Thanksgiving Menu? Leave a comment or a Link to your Blog and share!

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