Off to the Press: Spindletop
I had not been back to this spot in eons. It was nice to find it redecorated and still as unforgettable as it was the first time. Follow this link to Eating Our Words for my full post.
Anamaris!
Results for category "Eating Out"
Off to the Press: La Finca
Hello my Bloggies!
No, I haven’t run off with the milkman. I’m still around, lurking, throwing yummy looking food on the screen to keep you glued to your seats… Weird, all of a sudden my voice (in my head, yes!) sounded low and creepy as I typed that sentence. Uff!
Anyway. I have something for you to read, but you’ll have to follow me over to Eating Our Words. Remember? That’s where I’m leading my secret agent double life. Click here. Do it quickly, this message will self-destruct in 5 4 3
See ya after the jump!
Anamaris
Eating Out: Houston
Here it is. My second review for the HoustonPress food blog, Eating Our Words. This time it was some good Chinese food from the Hong Kong Chef.
Off to the Press
The HoustonPress, that is. Wondering why there isn’t much to read on this post? That’s because I wrote a post for the HoustonPress’ food blog, Eating Our Words.
I’ll be writing for them on occasion, getting the background story on some of Houston’s old-timers. Restaurants, not peeps. I’ll be checking out restaurants that have been around for at least 20 years and still rocking.
Go on! Go to Eating Our Words and look me up! Then stay there, but don’t forget to come back. jiji
Cookingly yours (even if elsewhere),
Anamaris
Here’s a taste.
Eating out: Portland, Oregon
About a month ago, I had the pleasure of heading out to Portland for about a week. Unfortunately, it was on business, but believe me when I say, I made it my business to get some fun in. I managed to see bit of the outlying beauty of this city, but mostly, I managed to get a LOT of awesome food in. Lots. Loads. Really, a lot! Oh and some awesome beer and wines and coffee, and…, well, you get the picture.
I’ve told you about my FoodTV obsession, so it should be no surprise that I’m an avid fan of Unique Eats and Guy’s DD&Ds. Why do I mention those shows, you ask? Because, Portland is ALWAYS all up in there! Man! That’s a really ‘good food’ food-town. Let me share some highlights, if you don’t mind.
By pure accident, we bumped into VooDoo Doughnuts.
We were trying to drive out to the coast and the NaggiGator kept getting confused and making us drive around in circles when all we were looking for was a drive-thru. But, maybe the navigation system knew better and tried to make sure we didn’t miss out on this little gem.
If you like doughnuts, probably even if you don’t, you’ll find something here to tickle your fancy. I did, and I’m not a huge fan of doughnuts, if they’re not piping hot off the fryer and simply plain-glazed, I’m not interested.
Enter… The Maple Bacon Doughnut. O.M.G!!!
This thing was good, like crazy good! So good, we went back right before leaving to bring some home for our loved ones. We’re nice that way.
Another memorable moment happened at Public Domain, a nearby coffee shop. I had a cup of a Panamanian brew, but it was the way it was prepared that had me entranced.
They call it a Pour Over and the barista takes about 10 minutes to hand pour the water over the grounds.
He mentioned that they pour at different speeds and on different spots to vary the flavor of the final cup. It was mesmerizing.
From there, a proper breakfast at the Byways Cafe in the Pearl District. I had the most awesome Corned Beef Hash, next time I’ll skip the bell peppers, though.
The other thing I loved about Portland, was the street food scene. Oh my! The little carts were EVERYWHERE!
I stopped by the Frying Scotsman and had some fish & chips. Cute chef, great accent, awesome halibut and fries!
The other FoodNetwork find was Pine State Biscuits. These guys are rocking the biscuit! Anything you can dream of, they put on a biscuit and do so with gusto!
I had the most popular one, The Reggie.
Yep, that’s fried chicken breast. No, that’s GOOD fried chicken breast. Topped with bacon, gravy and insane amounts of cheddar. I want one NOW.
Did mention Portland is a beer town? My! I had some awesome beer at too many places to mention.
But…, I found the home of Rogue Ales… I scored megapoints with The Hubbz on that one.
I ate and drank and walked and had fun and repeated. Oh. I also got some work done (wink, wink). To see more of the food porn, just click here. Go on, you know you wanna.
Cookingly yours,
Anamaris
If there’s wine…, they will come
A few weeks ago, The Hubbz, The Pup and I took a few days off to visit the Texas Hill Country. If you followed my tweets that week, you know that we started off in San Antonio. A required stop whenever there, is Chris Madrid’s. Who is Chris Madrid? I have NO clue, but they make the best burger in the world in his honor (or hers, if Chris is short for Christina).
The Tostada Burger is simply the most ingeniously delicious burger you’ll ever eat. It starts with the buns, which I think must be homemade and taste like a brioche. The buns are then stuffed with a homemade all beef patty (you can tell its homemade because the shape is all irregular and imperfect). Not much seasoning on the beef, just fresh, juicy stuff. Then comes a smear of homemade refried beans, a handful of broken tortilla chip pieces. Then it happens. Cheddar cheese. A thick, almost vulgar blob of melted cheddar sits on top. And to crown it all, about a tablespoons of chopped sweet TX onions. Ay bendito! Its crazy; its good, its crazy good!
After stuffing our faces, we were Fredricksburg, TX bound. I made reservations a little motel just on the edge of town, this was my first time staying at a roadside motel. The Country Inn & Cottages was a simple, quaint little motel with tiny, but über clean and comfortable rooms and an open heart for dogs. ‘Nuff said.
That was the extent of my trip prep, another first for me. I usually know every attraction, restaurant, hot spot and gas station available at my intended destination. Not this time. I really enjoyed not having the pressure of a fully planned itinerary…, this time. One thing I did know, was there was wine. Lots and lots of local wine. Tastings began Saturday.
I’m going to list these as a countdown, leaving our absolute favorite for last. Before we get started, I want to say we did not have a single glass of bad wine. In fact, we bought bottles upon bottles at each of these wineries, but there were definitely some incredible wines out there and each winery had a different feeling.
Grape Creek Vineyards ~ This is a gorgeous place, they’ve set it up to look and feel like a winery would in Tuscany. There’s a grand entrance and a beautiful patio with a fountain. The attendants were a bit stuffy for our taste, but the wine was lovely.
We each sampled a couple of different wines and settled on: the Cuvee Blanc, Mosaic and the Grand Rouge.
Fredricksburg Winery ~ this winery sits right on the main drag. Like many of the wineries in the area, it is a family business. We walked up to the counter and chatted it up with the attendant who was a Houston transplant (we bumped into lots of those here). We ended up with 2 bottles: one of each. A Vintners Cuvee and the most amazingly flavorful spiced red. I’ve never had spiced or mulled wine, you know, the stuff that is served warm? But OMG! I couldn’t stop smelling it or drinking it. Now I’m waiting for the temps to drop again so I can polish off our bottle.
Torre di Pietra ~ This winery sits right next to Grape Creek, but it was much more low-key. After our tastings, we just sat outside enjoying the sun, the cool wind and wine. It was just heavenly.
They have this Tango Port that is just unbelievable, and I’m not even a fan of the stuff. However, for us, there were 2 clear winners here: Amore di Toscano, a lovely almost chocolatey blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet and Syrah. When he poured this one, he told me he called it ‘Trouble’, man, was he right. The second bottle we brought home was their Late Harvest Zin…, oh my. This guy is oh so yummy and kinda raunchy in the best possible way. Here’s a description of all of their wines.
The last winery is our favorite. Chisholm Trail Winery is located just outside Fredricksburg. It may be out in the middle of nowhere, but their wines are full of life, personality and sass. Rebecca was our tasting expert and she explained and answered every question we had and even the ones we didn’t ask.
She told us about Paula’s passion for wine and her very personal approach when mixing the grapes. She told us all about Lenoir grapes, a TX-specific crop, and how it tints the wines and makes them oh so dark and rich looking. She was honest about her favorite wines, about how some needed a bit more time to mature and come into their own. Rebecca left us unwilling to leave and wanting to throw caution to the air, pack our bags and never leave that little town. Thanks, Rebecca!
The Hubbz and I loved every wine we tasted at Chisholm, but were sucker-punched by 3 in particular.
Diablo, what a devil this one is. A blend of Lenoir and Syrah grapes, it is spicy, rich, sweet, dark. Very, very dark.
Lone Wolf. This one got them a gold medal. It is made from 100% TX grown Lenoir grapes and it just explodes in your mouth. Un.be.lievable. Our third choice was a Bella Star a tasty white.
Beer is also big in this area, there are a few breweries in Fredricksburg and the whole Hill Country region. If you haven’t already, add it to your list of places to see. You will not regret it.
Oh, did I mention this…?
Buzzily yours,
Anamaris
How Fredricksburg, Texas changed my mind.
If you haven’t guessed it by now, I’m a city girl. Through and through, die hard fan of cramped spaces, tall buildings and a store for any and every whim within a mile. I’ve never subscribed to the phrase ‘the great outdoors’, understood the need for great open spaces or been able to relax out in small town USA. If there isn’t a Target within 2 or 3 miles from my home, I think I would break into hives and hyperventilate. Granted, I don’t know for sure if that would happen, because I’ve never taken that chance; there are 2 Target stores within 3 miles of my home.
That said, I have been known to pay the occasional visit to small towns. I check out the oft-manmade charming towns, hit the usual haunts and try to mingle with the locals. I usually get all this done in 2 or 3 days tops, any longer and I begin experiencing urban life withdrawals. But the Hubbz and I needed a few days off and I was due in San Antonio for business, the perfect segue.
Fredricksburg is one of many small towns making up the Texas Hill Country. We drove through San Antonio and the outskirts of a few of the hill country towns before coming up on our final destination. As soon as you approach San Antonio, you will notice how the terrain changes from flat open spaces to hilly irregular areas. This may seem like an insignificant point if you live surrounded by hills and/or mountains, but if you live in Houston, the only time you look up is to see the top of a building. There are no hills to speak of. Flatlands rule here.
I am dismayed to say I didn’t take a lot of pictures on this trip. Dodo, my bestie, still cannot believe it. *I* cannot believe it. Photos were an afterthought, if that. I came back with something like 15 shots total, but I was so happy, relaxed and thrilled here, that I didn’t find the need to take a single shot of the town. Why would I take pictures of the next place I plan to call home? After all, I’ll see it everyday in a few years. Here’s wishing.
Bottom line is, I LOVED Fredericksburg. It is quaint and quiet. It is full of charm, but most of all, it is real. It’s not another made up town, where every other storefront looks the same. The spirit of the community is live and well here. Everyone seems to know each other and they are so friendly and proud of what they’ve created preserved. Whenever I thought of a small town, I pictured some dilapidated, worn out, dried out town. But Fredricksburg is fresh and clean and cute without trying or even meaning to.
One of the big draws to this area is the Wine Trail. Yep, you heard it here first, there are over 50 wineries up and down the region. In fact, this area is being touted as the 2nd fastest growing wine region in the US. And if there’s wine, there is me. It’s a rule. We hit only 4 vineyards of more than 50 currently opened in the Hill Country. We managed to come up with some favorites, so check out my next post. It’salmost all about wine.
Small town yours,
Anamaris
Eating out in Houston: Nielsens Deli
At the corner or Richmond and Mid Lane sits an unassuming establishment called Nielsens Deli. I had driven by this place countless times since moving to Houston, but never thought about stopping by, I imagined it was just a deli selling deli meats. Recently, a good friend invited me out for a quick lunch promising me I would have the best potato salad and deviled eggs EVAH! Off to Nielsens we went.
As you walk into the stand-alone building, you’ll come into a long narrow room, the deli counter will be just a couple of feet and directly across from the front door, that’s where you place your order, unless you’ve called it in. Turn right and to the opposite end of the room, pick up some chips and pay for your order. If you’re dining in, you can grab one of the stools lined up against the storefront glass. If you’re feeling particularly playful, tease the incoming customers as they come up to the counter.
Ok, this is a food blog, right? Let’s talk shop. First, I was tickled by the lingo I heard as I approached the counter. The customers, regulars no doubt, have learned how to properly order their meals: ‘a Jr Corned beef, extra spread on rye and a pixie potato salad‘. It made me think of a kinder, gentler soup Nazi.
I’m not a big sandwich person, it just doesn’t seem like a meal, but these sandwiches are awesome! I had the corned beef on white with extra spread (they make their own mayo…OHMY!), an egg and a pixie of egg salad. Let me tell you, this corned beef was good and piled high on the homemade bread. No skimping here.
Anni had the turkey on white, extra spread an egg and a pixie of potato salad. I had a bite of her turkey and was surprised by how flavorful it was. They’ve been roasting their own turkey breasts since the deli opened in 1952, I think they have it down.
Now. For the really exciting part. Those sides. I love potato salad, but not the mustardy kind and not with a bunch of stuff in it. KISS (keep it simple, sweetie) is my motto. And KISS it they do. Loads of their amazing homemade mayo, piled with eggs and celery for some crunch, this potato salad ROCKS! It is so good that years ago Gourmet magazine sent a letter requesting their recipe!
Then we go into the deviled egg territory. Insanity, that is all I can say about it. Next time I go, I will have the chicken salad sandwich, apparently it is incredible. And I believe it, because I had a pixie of the egg salad… it was as if they just chopped the deviled eggs and stirred it all up.
If you’re from Houston, you should definitely visit this Houston institution, do it soon! It’s just inside the loop at Richmond. If you’re coming to Houston for a visit, put this one on the list.
Nielsen’s Deli (daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m)
4500 Richmond Avenue
713.963.8005
Eating around,
Anamaris
2010. A year in recipes.
The last post was a word-free one. This one…, sorta. Twelve months, twelve dishes. Check it.
January: Those asparagus rolls were very popular, but this one, this was crazy good: Shrimp & Grits.
February: Lots of desserts that month, of course I would pick these. They’re good and pretty. Pretty and good, damn good and pretty. Pears with Bleu Cheese.
March: There was a LOT of food this month, a huge Foodbuzz event for me, that’s probably what led me to drinking. Have a Lemon Drop.
April: Tropical fruits and peeling a mango.
May: I made up dishes with pickles. Pickle & Onion Ravioli.
June: Sometimes you just want some dessert, have some Tres Leches.
July: There was pastry and beef. El Burek-o.
August: My Latina side finally kicked in, Fish al Ajillo, nena!
September: means there’s a lot of grilling still going on if you live in Houston, best Pasta Salad evahh!
October: A close look at foods in Panama. Memories and still trying to figure things out.
November: I shared my yuca-ddiction… Enyucado.
December: I went for the comfort foods. Maczetti!
These are some of my favorite dishes for 2010, here’s wishing you and yours a lot of goodness in the new year.
Cookingly yours,
Anamaris
Back to my roots
Hello my blogies! It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? I’m still trying to figure things out, wishing there was a template or an established procedure for the grieving process. Alas! There isn’t one, I’ll just have to wing it.
Needless to say, going back home was very difficult. The only thing that helped was the knowledge that my Mami’s brave fight with cancer was finally over. She’s no longer in pain, no longer uncomfortable, she’s done putting on a brave face for us. She lived an amazing life. She loved and was deeply loved. She was caring to a fault and was cared for like a queen.
Mami was generous too. I like to think she decided this was the right time so I could be home when so many of my favorites fruits were in peak season. No mangoes, but what was available, I haven’t had in decades and I’m going to share them with you. I’m going to give you a look at what I ate while I was in Panama. Check it out.
Pixbae or Peach Palm Fruit.
How do I describe the flavor of this one??? It isn’t sweet, let’s start with that. It is dense, has the density of a potato and kinda tastes like one. Maybe a Yukon gold, it has a slight hint of sweetness in the background. It is also a bit nutty and has a pit that, when cracked, has a little edible nut.
The pixbae has to be cooked before eating. This was my first time cooking them with instructions from my Tia Lidia. The fruits need to be washed, then the bottoms are scored with an X, they’re then boiled in salted water with a bit of vegetable oil. It takes about 45 minutes to cook.
It’s then peeled and eaten just like that or made into soups, salads, puree and, more recently, tamales.
Moving on… Nance, sometimes known as wild or yellow cherry. Also a fruit, it is very tart and not generally eaten whole.
Nance has a black pit and the pulp needs to be squeezed off it–either by hand or pulsing it in a blender. It is then strained and used to make chicha. In Panama we make chichas or fruit drinks that are served with every meal. Unlike Mexican aguas frescas, our chichas are 70% fresh fruit juice, 20% water and 10% sugar. We make chichas with almost any fruit.
The other common use for nance is Pesada, a pudding-like dessert made with nance, fresh corn and sometimes coconut milk. This is then served with crumbled queso blanco (white cheese similar to queso fresco).
Pesada de nance con queso
One of my mom’s friends made a batch just for me and it was de.li.cio.so!
Look at this spread…
Can you tell how happy I was? Here’s the whats.
Maracuya or passion fruit
Naranjilla, also known as Lulo in Colombia
Guayaba
This one needed to ripen a bit more. When they’re ready to be eaten, the flesh turns a beautiful coral color. This is what Guava paste is made from, of course, I don’t know why they call it guava paste…
Finally, tomate de árbol. I had not seen this one before, but it is very pretty.
Fear not, I didn’t just eat fruits.
I had some Bistec a Caballo, of course.
My dad took me to one of his favorite Fondas, a road-side full-service food stand.
can you see the prices?
The 3 of us ate for a grand total of $7.50. I had fried fish with patacones, my aunt had a side of patacones and dad had the chicken soup. Oh, and 3 nance chichas.
Follow this link to see the details. That bowl of soup is filled with chicken and veggies and that fish… was pure perfection!
Good cooks run in the family. This was the spread my Aunt Bubbles (Irma) put together for us. She makes the best bacalaitos, cod fish fritters!
Hats off to the cook! Tia Irma sitting in the middle with the blue top.
I was able to spend some quality time with dad and my siblings, the aunts and cousins. We ate, laughed, cried and remembered my mom.
Anamaris
