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Derb's Gourmet Treats
url: http://www.derbsla.com
twitter: @derbsgourmet

Each truck is staffed by a culinary chef serving up: Lobster Sandwiches, Tacos, Authentic Philly Cheesesteaks and Midwest Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches as well as a host of unique tacos and wraps!

Speaking of apple pies, I made one this Sunday for dessert. It was really good. Of all the frozen pies I've tried, Marie Callender's are the best. I love the apple crumb pie. In a pinch, I served it for dessert one night with some vanilla ice cream and my guests thought I had baked it. I had to confess it was frozen, but they all loved it. Marie's frozen pot pies (chicken with broccoli & mushroom sauce - my personal favorite) and dinners are also very good. I agree with wunami that they attempt to make their frozen products as close to their original recipes as possible.

haha this is great to see as a texan! and one from houston, too.
shipley's sausage/jalapeno kolaches are ALWAYS good. they're simple but incredibly satisfying. also- shipleys has the best donuts i've ever tasted in my life, hands down. their donuts are to die for. there are tons of great kolache places all over texas, just jump on I-10 or 290 and you're bound to run into a family owned kolache shop on the side of the highway.
and i think i know where to go for dinner on my birthday now- bryan caswell's restaurant.

Seems like he asked every question except for one (espically in these times) Are you making a profit???

Looks like they are working close to 12 hr days, and when you are paying more for "Higher End" quality products, at the end of the day, "Are you Making a Profit"? Now that this "Roach Coach Trucks" are now all the rage. I would like to know if they are making jingle?

Like the gold rush days of old, the persons that really did well were the merchants that sold supplies to the gold miners. It's probably the same for the Commissary Owners too. I do wish them well, as the restaurant business is a business that you don't own, "Owns You"

Local Santa Barbaraian here, chiming in. Great concept, great people but unfortunately that ciabatta "bun" really makes for a lack luster burger experience. I hope one day they will get one of the local bakeries to produce an legitimate burger bun as the rest of it is pretty darn good (if ordered med-rare). They also offer some of the better onion rings in town and fried pickles which are hard to come by in these parts.

Ohhhhhhh, Weikel's. I live in Austin and I'll drive to Weikel's just for kolaches. But if I don't feel like it, there's a Shipley's right by my house in Austin that has pretty good kolaches and even better donuts.

My vote for Fairmount, the best bagel bakery in the world.

Important advice for bagel smugglers: NEVER put hot Fairmount bagels in those plastic bags. Keep them in paper bags until they cool and then transfer to plastic. If you do put hot bagels in plastic, PLEASE do not blog about it. Spare me the anguish.

In a wood-fired brick oven, sesame comes out best, natch. But be sure to try kimmel (caraway seed), too. Never found a kimmel bagel in New York. Only place outside of Montreal I've seen one is at Happening Bagel, the best bagel bakery in London. That's not saying much: I don't even mind much if you put a hot Happening bagel in plastic.

The Silver Palate's Corn Bread-Sausage Stuffing With Apples, it just looks as if it is something that would be delicious even if there wasn't a 25 pound bird sitting next to it (not that anybody would dare get rid of the bird)

There is a Kolache Factory in the Indy area (Fishers) if that is closer than Texas for any of you. I used to live right down the street from it and picked up a few almost every weekend. All of this Houston talk makes me think of barbecue....so much better than anything available up here.

I'm going to have to go try out these places now! I'm pretty sure Stella Sola is Italian, not Spanish for Lone Star.

@Lyra: The dessert thing is so true. I've been meaning to try out the cupcake places as well. I heard Crave Cupcakes in Uptown Park is delicious! I've also been meaning to try out Dessert Gallery as well. And there's always House of Pies =)

The donuts at Shipley's are also to die for...

Migas are another great Texas food trend that started in the Austin area. They're basically scrambled eggs with corn tortilla strips, jalapenos, cheese, and cilantro in the mix. I'm hungry just thinking about them!

This article makes living away from Texas even more difficult! I miss it!

Making a flour pie crust from scratch is well and good, but some pies are better with a graham cracker crumb crust, like key lime pie.
I have a great recipe for coconut custard pie, from Cook's Illustrated. It calls for a Nabisco Barnum's Animal Cracker crumb-and-coconut crust, but I do it with a chocolate-coconut crust instead. Who can resist the combination of chocolate and coconut?

6 oz. Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers
8 tbsp. unsweetened shredded coconut
1-14 oz. can coconut milk
9 tbsp. granulated sugar
5 large egg yolks
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp. vanilla extract
whipped cream topping

Position oven rack in lower–middle position and preheat to 325°F. Combine the chocolate wafers, 2 tbsp. coconut, 1 tbsp. sugar, and a pinch of salt in the food processor. Pulse until crumbs are finely ground. Melt 4 tbsp. of the butter and cool slightly. Combine the crumbs and the melted butter in mixing bowl, and work together with a fork until mixture resembles wet sand.
Using the bottom of a ramekin, press this mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9" pie plate. Blind bake 15 min. @ 325°F, remove from oven, and cool to room temp on a wire rack, while you prepare the filling.
Combine 5 tbsp. coconut, coconut milk, whole milk, 8 tbsp. sugar, and the remaining 3/8 tsp. salt in a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium–high heat, stirring occasionally. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch, and 1 tbsp. sugar. Temper the egg yolks by slowly drizzling the hot milk mixture into the eggs, a little at a time while whisking constantly. When the egg mixture and milk are fully incorporated, return mixture to saucepan and cook until thickened and mixture reaches boil, whisking constantly, about 1 min.
Off heat, whisk in remaining 2 tbsp. butter and 1 tsp. vanilla until smooth. Pour hot filling into cooled pie shell. Press plastic wrap directly against surface of filling and refrigerate pie for at least 4 hours to set.
Place remaining 1 tbsp. shredded coconut in a small, dry frying pan and toast over medium heat until golden brown. Reserve to garnish the finished pie.

To serve, top pie with fresh whipped cream, and sprinkle the toasted coconut.