I'm heading to Cypress, Texas (outside of Houston) at the end of the week. I've checked out some of the great suggestions for Houston proper; however, I'll be spending most of my time in good ol' Cypress on this visit. Do any of you kind souls have recommendations for tasty places to eat? BBQ, Mexican/Tex-Mex, great burgers, a can't-miss donut place, even - any ideas are appreciated.
As far as cookies go, I recommend Rugelach (you could add a Mexican flavor by using Mexican chocolate as a filling or regular semi-sweet chocolate and cinnamon) and Mandelbrot (kind of like biscotti).
We have a few soul food places here in SF...and one of them in particular, Hard Knox Cafe (over here in gentrifying Dogpatch), has recently expanded and opened another location across town in the outer Richmond. From what I understand, both locations are doing quite well.
It depends on what you're using it for, but greek yogurt is a nice option. :)
I have three half-eaten (but not for long!) Dynamo donuts in front of me right now: chocolate spice, caramel fleur-de-sel, and lemon pistachio. Each one is better than the last. They absolutely rock!
I've heard good things about 'Leda's' and 'Dainties' (in addition to KateC's suggestion about Joan's on Third) - hoping to try them out this weekend when visiting LA.
A fried egg sandwich! I still can't believe it myself. I'm a fairly recent convert - but I don't think I'd ever go back. It's awesome.
Here's something I've made and transported to friends' houses for potluck brunches: individual yogurt-fruit-granola parfaits.
Buy some short, wide, (9 oz. is best) clear plastic beverage cups. Then, place the cups inside of a 9 x 13 cake pan (I think once I may have even set each cup inside the cup of a muffin tin, if memory serves). Layer your favorite yogurt, in-season fruit (hello, strawberries!) and granola in the cup. I usually top them with a couple more berries, which makes it look pretty. You can fill them up all the way for a larger portion, or just half-way to keep the serving on the petite side (I often make them on the smaller side). Then just wrap the whole business in plastic or foil - it's ready to roll! When it's time to serve, I just place them on a buffet or on a tray and slide a spoon into each one. I think the spoons look cute sticking out of the cups (it's very inviting!)...but maybe that's just me.
Hope this helps!
Here's an option, in case you find a machine that you love but it doesn't come with a frother. Nespresso makes the 'Aeroccino' - a small pitcher (almost like a mini electric water kettle) that both froths and steams milk. I enjoy my aeroccino immensely and use it everyday, whether steaming milk for cafe au lait, frothing it for an espresso macchiato, or sometimes i just add some steamed milk to my morning bowl of oatmeal.
The freezer is my best friend. I make big batches of turkey chili, marinara sauce (especially in late summer when the tomatoes are so good) and pesto freeze into meal-sized portions for 2.
And, I estimate that almost half of my freezer is devoted to cookie dough - I have at least 3 kinds in there right now....it's really nice knowing that fresh-baked cookies are a mere 20-25 minutes away.
My favorite panino is sliced turkey, cheddar, thinly-sliced apple and dijon-mustard on ciabatta. :)
You are welcome to check out this Bar Mitzvah sweet table for ideas :)
Hillary
Chew on That
@lemons--lol, right.
I second someone's suggestion of tres leches cake and the chocolate fountain or chocolate fondue.
Somehow I have difficulty believing that a taco truck is certified kosher. But that's just me...
First of all and very important--do the desserts have to be kosher?? Kosher-style?
I catered a Bar Mitvah years ago and I seem to think they had apple strudel.
I'm very late on this but the book was almost a total loss for me. It's holding up my computer screen otherwise I would say it is a total loss.
The recipes are disappointing. The taste always leaves me scrambling to fix it and sadly most of the time it doesn't get beyond a 2 out of 10 when I do fix it a bit. The methods leave me with undercooked, overcooked, never cooked right items.
And it does stupid things like the recipe that calls for putting flour in the boiling water. Now beginning cooks may think this does something but those who have been cooking for a while will suspect that Ms Madison was on something and so was her editor when that got into the book.
Your right about your feelings about the book. Thank Goodness I bought mine at a library sale where someone else junked it too no matter if it said "To .... Love Dad and Mom." So it was poor Mom and Dad whoever they were who wasted the cost of the book. And the kid was smart enough to dump it the next year. Smart kid.
@bisbee-- Two Sisters is still alive and fryin!! Fryin quite well and, btw, Hal and Mal's is still groovin rite along. Things have changed in jackson quite a lot but some of the great things still remain the same-- didja ever make it to Peaches cafe on Farish street? They are still there but a bit "updatedi haven't beenmyself in some time since (as previously said) THE BEST soul food joint is rite up the street from us here in brandon... Here's a chicken wing atcha!
i used to live right around the corner from Taste of Seafood at 125 and madison. is it still there? i moved away in 2002 but still remember their fried seafood and red velvet cake.
St. Louis and Kansas City both have great soul food restaurants. My current fav in St. Louis is Sweetie Pie's. The owner used to be an Ikette in the Ike and Tina Turner review.
And the Peachtree Restaurant in KC is also outta site.
I live in NYC, not far from Harlem, and I think it's fair to say that every restaurant serving low-priced fare that is not a major chain is at serious risk of losing their lease. There may be decreasing demand for a few of these places (obesity and diabetes are epidemics in Harlem,) but the economy and gentrification are the real reason places are closing. At least half of the long-standing, 20-year-plus local joints around here have closed. It's not just soul food.
Subscribe to our feeds:
Subscribe by email:
Website: http://flickr.com/photos/14982150@N00/sets/72157602214537517/
Location: My San Francisco kitchen
About: I'm a recovering event planner who is re-focusing her energies (and appetite!) on the delicious world of food.
Favorite foods: Cookies. Straus yogurt. Guittard chocolate chips. Blue Bottle drip & lattes. Stone fruit. Fatted Calf pancetta. Nutella. Italian plum muffins @ Piccino. Irma's Chilaquiles. Tagliolini pepati @ Aperto. Truffled flatbread @ Coco500. Nutella pizza @ Gialina.
Last bite on earth: Spaghetti with crispy pancetta, browned red onions, red pepper flakes, parmigiano, flat leaf parsley and topped with a beautiful fried egg.