Posted by Ben | Under Celebrity Foodies, Restaurants - Fun Times
Saturday Sep 20, 2008
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Should you ever find yourself in Houston, Texas there are two things that cannot be missed… Robert Sakowitz and The St. Regis!
First and foremost, Robert Sakowitz is one of the most entertaining people that I have ever met. The Sakowitz family is legendary throughout Houston, and the State of Texas for their ultra high-end trend setting family owned department stores, Sakowitz. Although the stores closed during the 1980’s oil bust, Robert remains a celebrity of sorts — his marketing savvy and appreciation for the extravagant comprise the essence of this Renaissance man. Lunch with Robert is always a treat… he is the type of person you remember for a lifetime although you only met him for a few minutes.
Second, The St. Regis is a five star boutique hotel located between River Oaks and the Galleria. This wonderful property features The Remington Restaurant’s ‘envelope-pushing’ dishes including only the freshest of sea foods, meats and vegetables. The décor in this restaurant is light, airy and features outdoor seating when weather permits.
Although I rarely order a salad as an entree, The Remington Restaurant offers a terrific mixed greens feature that pleases this meat & potatoes guy. The crowning glory to this salad was an awesome homemade dressing laced with robust herbs. I ate every bite!
For me, a visit to Houston is the not the same without this particular combination!
Posted by Ben | Under Traditions
Thursday Sep 18, 2008
“Work smarter, not harder”… this is the key to successful fundraising!
Now that you have surveyed what is being done in your area – food drives, clothing collections, etc. – it is time to sound the call and enlist the help of others. Replicating yourself in these efforts essentially multiplies your donation exponentially.
Here is how you do it:
· Make a list of five relatively easy ways to meet a Texas need (cash, clothing, food, school supplies);
· Know the facts (restrictions, contact name, website, phone numbers, acceptable items) regarding drop off/pick up locations for collected items;
· Cast the net in an effort to ‘catch’ folks who can participate. E-mail, fax, phone, text messaging, Western Union, the church gossip, the nosy neighbor, the old lady who loves to talk on the telephone… all excellent ways of reaching the masses and everyone has access to the majority of them. Make contact in some capacity and include ways to give and facts. Give folks no reason for not helping — be able to answer basic questions that are often excuses.
· Cast a mega commercial fishing net by contacting folks who have a following – PTA President, politicians and candidates, church leaders/clergy, Chamber of Commerce directors, hometown newspapers, CEO’s of larger companies in your area, public relations departments at nearby colleges/universities. Remember, the key to this type of fishing is netting the largest audience possible.
Again, the key to successful fundraising is replicating yourself. Do it!
Posted by Ben | Under Desserts, Lick The Plate Clean Recipes
Thursday Sep 18, 2008
In 1982, I was visiting relatives and attended the 50th Anniversary of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. It was at this time that I was given this fantastic recipe. Yee Haw!
Cynthia J. Lehr
Tequesta, Florida
Cowboy Cookies
1 cup shortening
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Light Brown Sugar; tightly packed
2 Eggs
1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
3 cups Quick Cooking Oatmeal
1 cup Chopped Pecans
1 6-ounce package Chocolate Chips (milk or semi-sweet)
Cream together shortening, sugar and light brown sugar until mixture is light. Then add eggs, one at a time; add vanilla. Beat until well blended.
Sift flour, baking soda and salt together. Gradually add flour mixture to creamed mixture. Stir in oatmeal, pecans and chocolate chips. Blend well.
Drop by spoonful onto a well-greased cookie sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until brown.
Makes about 6 dozen. Cool before storing. Store in airtight container.
Posted by Ben | Under Desserts, Lick The Plate Clean Recipes
Thursday Sep 18, 2008
This recipe comes from my aunt, Jo Ann Graham… she is a wonderful Southern cook who has perfected the pecan pie!
Having grown up in Houston, I have fond memories of driving through River Oaks and looking at the beautifully decorated mansions at Christmas. We would conclude the evening with hot chocolate and ice skating at the Galleria.
Although I now live in Ohio, I still consider myself a Texan and am proud of my heritage. I still catch myself saying “ya’ll”!
Kimberly Andes
Development Officer
Denison University
Granville, Ohio
Aunt Jo Ann’s Famous Pecan Pie…
and Variations
It took several recipes and several years to develop this rich and tasty pecan pie. It became such a requested recipe that I started to add things to make it different so I would not be bored making it! Made with real butter, eggs, tasty pecans and deep brown sugar, this delicious pie is a true Southern tradition. The flaky, handmade crust surrounds just the right combination of sweet and buttery filling and crunchy pecans.
Basic Pecan Pie
1 cup of white corn syrup
1 cup of packed dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs beaten before adding
1/3 cup melted butter
1 1/2 to 2 cups pecan halves or pieces
Unbaked pie crust
Mix first six ingredients together until foamy, pour into unbaked pie crust and put pecans on top. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Check to see if set, if not, continue baking, checking every five minutes.
Be sure to use real butter and dark brown sugar to get the true rich goodness of this pie. If the crust tends to brown too much you can shield it by covering the edge with aluminum foil for the first 30 minutes of baking.
To make Chocolate Pecan Pie add one 8 ounce package of real chocolate chips to the pie crust before adding the filling and pecans and bake as above.
To make a German Chocolate Pecan Pie add 2/3 cup flaked coconut and 6 ounces of chocolate chips to the pie crust before adding the filling and pecans and bake as above.
To make Cashew Pie substitute canned cashew halves or pieces for the pecans. Don’t worry about the salt on the cashews, it adds to the flavor of this variation.
Posted by Ben | Under Traditions
Wednesday Sep 17, 2008
This is going to be short and simple… clean your closets, clean your garage, and get rid of anything you have not used in recent years.
Foodies always have closets full of clothing in all sizes, get rid of the ‘when I lose 100lbs’ outfits. By the time you and I lose 100lbs, the clothing will be outdated. Plus, if you lose 100lbs your family will be in shock and willingly buy you new clothes!
If you have boxes in the garage that have not been opened in a few years, do not even open the boxes, just give it away. Trust me on this, you must clear the way for blessings in your life… empty your house so that you can then refill it with newer (and nicer) things. Live on faith.
The local Salvation Army will gladly come to your home and pick up items in GOOD shape. They will not pick up junk, nor will they pick up your rusted cans of beets that have been in the pantry since the Reagan Administration!
Countless community organizations are currently making arrangements to ship items to Texas to start clothing closets for those who have lost everything — including their sources of income. Children still need school clothes, so involve the entire family.
Rule of thumb when cleaning: If you are too embarrassed to give the item to a neighbor, then do not burden the organization with something that should be thrown away.
If the Texas shaped sugar cookies look good to you, click here!
Posted by Ben | Under Lick The Plate Clean Recipes, Vegetables / Side Dishes
Wednesday Sep 17, 2008
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Bourbon-Laced Sweet Potatoes
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4 medium sweet potatoes, baked (see Note below)
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup milk (whole or 2 percent)
1/4 cup bourbon
As soon as the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and place in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the butter and brown sugar, and mix at medium speed until well combined. Add the remaining ingredients, and mix for 2 minutes. Serve at once, or gently reheat if desired. Makes 4 servings.
Note: Sweet potatoes can be boiled, roasted and fried, but for this recipe the texture is better when they are baked. Also, they are very easy to peel when baked. To bake, wash them well and poke several holes in the skin with a fork. Place on a pan in a 375°F oven, and cook until fork tender, about 45 minutes. You can save some time by baking them in the microwave for 5 or 6 minutes, or until they are easily pierced with a fork, but the texture is slightly different. For more information on this recipe, click here.
411 - How to Select and Store
Choose sweet potatoes that are firm and do not have any cracks, bruises or soft spots. Avoid those that are displayed in the refrigerated section of the produce department since cold temperature negatively alters their taste.
Sweet potatoes should be stored in a cool, dark and well-ventilated place, where they will keep fresh for up to ten days. Ideally, they should be kept out of the refrigerator in a cool, dry, dark place not above 60F, which would fit the characteristics of a root cellar. Yet since most people don’t have root cellars, we’d suggest just keeping your sweet potatoes loose (not in a plastic bag) an storing them in a cool, dark, and well-ventilated cupboard away from sources of excess heat (like the stove).
Posted by Ben | Under Celebrity Foodies, Desserts, Lick The Plate Clean Recipes
Wednesday Sep 17, 2008
About ten years ago, I met an incredible Texan… Christi Harris! Her hometown of Anson, Texas is tiny compared to her current existence in Dallas. Christi is blond, beautiful, smart, sweet and oversees her internationally known business, Christi Harris Cosmetics.
For the past decade, I have had the pleasure of seeing Christi several times per year at various Northwood University functions around the country. Accompanying Christi many times is her precious mother, Leta Touchstone. “Mama Leta” has to be one of the finest Christian ladies I have ever met. It is very easy to see where Christi got her good looks, charm and big heart.
Christi’s entrepreneurial prowess is known to many as she is an invited keynote speaker. She firmly believes in encouraging young ladies and equipping them with a free enterprise education.
Although you would never know it, Christi does have a sweet tooth and her favorite is good ole’ flan. Below is a terrifically simple Texas Cooking favorite that even a novice could make.
Caramel Flan
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 6 eggs
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Make a hot water bath for the flan by setting a 9-inch cake pan in a larger pan. While holding down the cake pan so it doesn’t float, fill the larger pan with just enough hot water to come about 3/4-inch up the side of the smaller pan. Then remove the smaller pan and put the larger pan of water in a preheating 350°F oven while you mix the flan. Melt the 1/3 cup sugar directly in the 9-inch cake pan the flan will be baked in. To melt evenly, hold the pan securely (wear a good oven mitt or use tongs) over or just resting on a burner; shake and tilt the pan, rather than stirring the sugar. Watch carefully. Once melted, sugar will caramelize (brown) quickly; as soon as it does, tilt pan so that the entire surface is covered. Remove from heat; syrup will harden and crack, but that’s okay.
Beat together eggs and the 6 tablespoons sugar; add milk and vanilla. Pour the egg mixture into the caramel-lined pan, open the oven door, and carefully place the flan in the hot-water bath. Bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes; test by gently pushing custard in center with back of a spoon. When done, a crevice will form.
Remove from hot water and chill at once. To serve, loosen custard edge with a knife, and then cover with a rimmed serving plate. Holding plate in place, quickly invert. The flan will slowly slip free and the caramel sauce will flow out. Cut in wedges, and spoon on sauce.
Posted by Ben | Under Lick The Plate Clean Recipes, Main Dish
Wednesday Sep 17, 2008
Cowboy Brisket
4 pounds first cut beef brisket
3 cloves garlic, slivered
3 cloves garlic, crushed
4 large onions, thinly sliced
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1-1/2 tablespoons bacon drippings
1 cup strong black coffee
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup water
Preheat oven to 350°F.With a thin, sharp knife, make slits in the meat and insert the slivers of garlic. Place the meat in a dish, spread crushed garlic and 1 sliced onion over the meat, and pour on the vinegar. Marinate for 6 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator, turning several times.
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Heat bacon drippings in a deep, heavy skillet large enough to hold the brisket. Remove the brisket from the marinade and discard the onion and vinegar. Dry with paper towels. Brown the meat well on each side. Remove brisket to a platter.
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In the fat remaining in the skillet, sauté the remaining onions until deeply browned. Pour in 1/2 cup coffee. Bring to a boil, stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet to loosen the browned bits.
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Spread the onions and liquid from the skillet in a shallow baking dish. Place the brisket on the onions. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Pour in the remaining coffee and water. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil and place in oven.
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Roast at 350°F for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250°F and roast for an additional 4 hours or until meat is very tender.
Let brisket rest for 20 minutes before slicing. Slice the brisket across the grain. Skim the fat from the pan liquid, and return the meat slices to the pan. Makes 6 to 8 servings, depending upon appetites.
411– With a little bit of time and the proper cooking method, even the toughest piece of meat can be made palatable. Brisket is one of the least tender cuts of beef, but it can be made tender and the flavor is tough to beat.
Brisket is a beef cut taken from the breast section beneath the first five ribs, behind the foreshank.
Fresh brisket is an inexpensive boneless cut that requires long, slow cooking to break down the collagen in the connective muscle tissues achieve tenderness. The long piece is cut in half for marketing. You’ll find it sold as a flat cut or a point cut. The flat cut is leaner, but the point cut has more flavor due to a bit of extra fat (called the deckel).
Posted by Ben | Under Traditions
Tuesday Sep 16, 2008
Hello Foodies,
Great responses yesterday to the ‘cash call’.
A big round of applause to Foodies Tim & Susan Moffett of Eunice, Louisiana for organizing a big meal for all the evacuees staying in their area. Tim & Sue are good friends from college and have hearts of gold.
Today is Day #2 in Living2Eat’s call to action. I urge you to look around, survey what others are doing to help Texas — a clothing drive, car wash, fund drive, food collection, etc. Are these efforts geared toward children, teens, elderly, etc?
Focus your efforts in one area and begin to help that organization and/or entity in their collection drives. Make a list of ten friends, contact each of them and enlist their support to help secure the sought after items.
Example: The Salvation Army needs baby supplies. You make ten phone calls to friends and ask each of them for one particular kind of item — shampoo, diaper rash ointment, formula, diapers, wipes, powder, baby wash, baby food, etc. Be sure and give your friends a collection date and time. Phone them half way with an encouraging word and reminder of rapidly approaching deadline.
Make a difference for Texas!
Ben
Posted by Ben | Under Desserts, Lick The Plate Clean Recipes
Tuesday Sep 16, 2008
BUTTER PECAN ICE CREAM
- 2 cups chopped pecans
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3 14-1/2-ounce cans evaporated milk
- 2 3-3/4-ounce packages instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2-1/2 cups sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 quarts whole milk
Sauté chopped pecans in butter, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes or until toasted. Set aside and cool.
Combine remaining ingredients, stirring until smooth and sugar has completely dissolved. Pour mixture into freezer can of hand-turned or electric ice cream freezer. Freeze for 10 minutes or until mixture has thickened.
Remove dasher, and add pecans to mixture. Return dasher, and continue freezing according to freezer manufacturer’s directions. Let ice cream ripen for at least 1 hour before serving. Makes about 1-1/2 gallons.
Special thanks to Texas Cooking for this old time favorite.
