Posted by Ed Levine, April 10, 2007 at 11:30 AM
Sometimes, when I can't sleep, I end up surfing the web in search of great food writing that will allow me to vicariously enjoy the food being written about in a way that is both soothing and satisfying. Around 3 this morning, I found myself seeking out the best of barbecue musings of the Houston Press's Robb Walsh, who writes about 'cue with more heart and soul than just about anybody I know.
Writing about Burns Bar B Q he says, "His brisket falls apart on the way to your mouth." Makes me want some right now.
On Thelma's Bar-B-Que, Walsh opines, "You judge a barbecue joint by its smoked meat. And the best comes from a real pit. The old cinder-block pit in Thelma's on Live Oak ought to be declared a historic landmark."
It was mistake to look up 2 years' worth of Walsh's barbecue picks because then I tossed and turned wondering which is better—Thelma's or Burns? Next time I'll just take an Ambien.
Burns Bar BQ
Address: 8307 De Priest Street, Houston TX 77088
Phone: 281-445-7574
Thelma's Bar-B-Que
Address: 1020 Live Oak Street, Houston TX 77003
Phone: 713-228-2262
Photograph by Jennifer Lynn on Flickr
Posted by Lia Bulaong, March 22, 2007 at 12:38 PM
Peggy Grodinsky of the Houston Chronicle and other area foodies bid farewell to their Lettuce Lady, a.k.a. sustainable gardening pioneer Camille Waters, who is moving to Mexico to start a new life:
"She opened the door for a lot of people who are doing farmers markets today, (for) bringing great product to your back door,'" chef Mark Cox said. "She got the ball going on (eating) local. She was one of the first to say, "I can grow the product here in Houston."
While Houston is no San Francisco - a city where headlining exquisite regional produce on fine-restaurant menus is de rigueur - a small network of "boutique farmers'' supply Houston's best chefs with locally grown produce and sell directly to consumers at public markets. This reflects a national movement toward eating locally, organically, seasonally and sustainably. Here in Houston, Waters was a pioneer, if not the pioneer; her ideas and example have helped the growers who have followed her down the garden path.
Posted by Lia Bulaong, March 8, 2007 at 2:21 PM
The Houston Press' Robb Walsh recently visited local taquería Mexico's Deli, where all the sandwiches have jailhouse-themed names like the "fugitiva," the "convicta" and the "tortura":
In the 1970s, [owner] Alex [Garcia] explained, he opened his first taquería in Mexico City. Spoofing the hit musical La Cage aux Folles (The Bird Cage), he called the restaurant La Jaula de Tacos (the taco cage). In keeping with the "cage" theme, the tortas were named after prisons. The incarceration tortas were a big hit, and Alex went on to open four more restaurants in Mexico City. But his mini-chain collapsed with the devaluation of the peso during the Carlos Salinas de Gortari regime. So Alex came to Houston to start over.
On my third visit, I tried a Mexico City specialty called a pambazo, which is a torta made on bread that's been dipped in a chile sauce. Mexico City's pambazo is stuffed with potatoes, chorizo, sour cream and cheese. I ate the incredibly messy sandwich with a knife and fork. Alex told me that in Mexico City, people eat pambazos with their hands, but only outdoors, usually at the bullfights. It's sort of the equivalent of a Texas chili dog, but with the chili on the outside of the bun.
I'm not much for bullfights but I would really like a pambazo for an afternoon snack, right about now.
Posted by Lia Bulaong, February 23, 2007 at 3:49 PM
Robb Walsh of the Houston Press visited the new wine bar and restaurant Max's Wine Dive, which serves a $14 hotdog called the "Texas Haute Dog": "a grass-fed beef frankfurter on a Kraftsmen bun, topped with "house-made" pickled jalapeños, venison chili, cotija cheese and crispy fried onions that look remarkably like the Durkees canned onions of green bean casserole fame. The dog is served on top of a pile of hand-cut frites (that's French for French fries) that have been garnished with more venison chili."
I want to say "Texas eats, New York City prices" but I don't think we have any hot dogs that expensive here! (Burgers, now that's a different story altogether.)
Posted by Lia Bulaong, February 21, 2007 at 4:56 PM
Yesterday marked the start of the Lenten Season, during which Catholics abstain from eating meat on Fridays to honor the Passion of Christ. Seafood is exempted and so in many communities with large Catholic populations, parish fish frys on Lenten Fridays have become a tradition. Nicki Britton of the Houston Chronicle visited parish fish frys in the area and talked to the people that run them: "The fries "build relationships,'' she says. "Many of the (volunteers) are retired. They may not have an organized plan for every day. But they know that every Friday for six weeks, they will be coming together and sharing an experience.'' The recipes for fried fish, coleslaw and potato salad come in two scales each: one for big groups ("Makes 200 pounds fish") and one for six people.
Posted by Alaina Browne, February 16, 2007 at 6:00 AM
Photograph by Adam Kuban, Serious Eats
Chinese New Year and the year of the pig according to the Chinese zodiac, begins this Sunday, February 18. Because Chinese New Year is tied to the lunar calendar, it falls on a different date every year, usually between January 19 and February 23. It begins on the second new moon after the winter solstice and ends 15 days later with the Lantern Festival. According to tradition, the celebration gets under way on New Year's Eve with a family dinner hosted at the eldest family member's home; it is considered the most important annual family tradition. Family members travel from near and far to attend. A family's given menu will vary by region, but here are some of the more popular dishes and their symbolism:
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