tupac17616

Off to the store to pick up some soft-shell crab. There is a nice fat soft-shell crab BLT in my near future. Be back later...

Last night, in honor of half of my heritage (actually in honor of my mom's request ) we had Mexican food... The Prep Homegrown Tomatoes harvested minutes before, many of which will go into fresh Pico de Gallo and Guacamole. Some just go straight into our mouths. Refried Beans (cooked in pork fat, of course) reheating in cast iron skillet Ground meat seasoned with chile power, cumin, black pepper, fresh garlic, and red onion Fresh guacamole stuff (Lime not pictured) Charring corn tortillas on the gas stove. I always do mine this way as I love the flavor this brings out. My mom and dad usually prefer to fry theirs for a minute in some lard The Results Fresh Guacamole Crumbled Queso Fresco Refried Beans Mexican Rice (with some chunks of more homegrown tomatoes thrown in for good measure) Ground Meat flavored with cumin, chile powder, pepper, garlic and red onion Lettuce Red Onion Pico de Gallo -- homegrown tomatoes, onions & jalapenos, black pepper and a bit of fresh lime juice Taco time... Un Poco de Todo The table -- As you can see, my mom got into the festive Mexican dinner theme tonight We found that little rooster in Mexico several years ago. Dessert Prep Zabaglione -- 3 egg yolks, 3 tbsp. sugar, 3 tbsp. sweet Marsala wine. Lots of whisking. Fresh Whipped Cream Chocolate Pasta Chocolate Pasta with Marsala Zabaglione, Red Grapes, Blueberries, Blackberries, Fresh Whipped Cream and Grated Mexican Chocolate -- My favorite dessert of the week so far

Glad you're enjoying the blog! And excellent choice of a neighborhood to call home, might I add. Al Di La, Tempo, Blue Ribbon... Not bad at all. The fact that I've gone to your neighborhood on back-to-back nights to eat at different places (in that case, Al Di La, then Tempo), coming from the far upper west side of Manhattan, that says something right there. As far as my skills as a cook, I've still got a lot to learn. I am nowhere near a master chef. I'm a good eater, though! Or, as a guy on TV said in a recent commercial, "I'm just a lover, a looker, and a BBQ cooker." I've got a handful of cookbooks, most of which I enjoy more for the pictures than anything else... As you can see, I am a big fan of Batali. I couldn't care less that he is a TV personality. I just like his cooking style, flavor combinations, and the way he both honors traditional Italian cooking and makes it his own at the same time. And his flagship restaurant Babbo continues to remain one of my favorite restaurants in the city. While the cookbooks are neat to have as a reference if I want to make something requiring precision, say a cake, for example, I soon realized how incredibly impractical it was as a home cook to try and take these recipes as the infallible culinary truth. When I first started cooking, I'd try to shop for the exact ingredients, measure things and follow the recipe word-for-word, etc. But the more I cooked, the more I just did my own thing. I began to shop based on what's in season, what looked very fresh that day at the market, what we happened to harvest from the garden in the back, etc. Once I started doing that, I developed more and more confidence in the kitchen, and there was no going back. I'm not sure what exactly the influences were that led me to enjoy cooking so much. I've often wondered that myself. I attribute a lot of it to simple encouragement. When encouraged in the right way by one's parents, I'm a big believer that pretty much any curiosity can become a fascination and a passion. My parents always supported my experiments in the kitchen, and I think that was a big part of my love of cooking today. Another big contributing factor was NYC. Eating out at all the different kinds of restaurants the city has to offer really opened my eyes to all kinds of new flavors, ingredients, and techniques. I've been to 270 different restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and food shops all over the city in the three years I've been at school (I only know that because I keep a list to make sure I don't repeat unless I think the place is just incredible). All that exposure to things that are just so different to what I might find here in Texas had definitely had an impact on my cooking style, too. Wonderful! How did it turn out? Thanks! I'm still trying to learn a thing or two from my younger brother. He's the resident photographer in the family. Yeah, I'm afraid Italian may have knocked 'em both out. Growing up in San Antonio, where the Hispanic population is the majority rather than a minority, the influence of Mexican culture is everywhere. As far as cooking/eating goes here, though, what we think of as "Mexican food" is unquestionably Tex-Mex. The restaurants where you can get a typical combo plate of enchiladas, rice, beans, chile con queso, etc are a dime a dozen. The likelifood that you can find, say, an authenic mole from the cuisine of some region in interior Mexico, or a Mexican seafood restaurant here is incredibly slim, though. Kind of sad, actually. Not that Tex-Mex is bad, I just wish there were more places where a could explore the other sides of Mexican cuisine, a cuisine that I know is much more intricate and complex that it is often made out to be here. I'd say my two favorite kinds of Mexican food would be puffy tacos (for those unfamiliar with them, a picture can be seen here) and queso fundido (melty cheese and chorizo ...what's not to like?). The influence of my Polish heritage has not been as strong for whatever reasons. I guess some of it had to with the fact that that side of my family is a lot more spread out geographically around the country. I've been curious to try and discover what Polish cuisine is actually like, a question my mom (whose heritage is Polish) was not too sure about either. I got her a combination storybook/cookbook about Polish culture and cuisine last year (called "At Hanka's Table"...seen in my cookbook collection pictures above), so she read through that and we've talked about trying out a few of the dishes in there. One of these days. Ouch. Low blow. What can I say? Sometimes, even people who love to cook need to take a shortcut or two. Sometimes, the family gets hungry when I take twice as long to make dinner because I am trying to photograph the entire thing. Sure, normally I would make it with the pan drippings and milk, so maybe me taking the butter and buttermilk shortcut this time means it doesn't technically qualify as a gravy at all. So shall we call it a Buttermilk White Sauce, Buttermilk Bechamel with Cracked Pepper, or perhaps "Cream Gravy" in quotation marks a la Thomas Keller? I wouldn't want to offend any sticklers for tradition who might feel the need to scrutinize the apparent texture of something they did not even have the opportunity to taste. Yeah, it may very well be the humidity that's the thing with the Tarragon. Ours was slow to establish but it's yield has been pretty good. I just asked my dad about Japanese Plum vs. Loquat, and he says they are one and the same. So I think we're talking about the same thing. By the way, excellent explanation of bechamel vs. cream gravy vs. country gravy. I am in the camp that believes country gravy usually has a more developed brown in the roux (well past the light blond stage that a cream gravy would usually stop at). And no, sausage gravy does not sound at all horrid. I've had it several times before, and it is definitely the stuff dreams are made of.

As promised.... A PHOTOGRAPHIC TOUR OF OUR FAMILY GARDEN Banana Tree Basil & Zucchini -- Note the difference in the leaves of the two basil plants. They are different varieties of basil. The zucchini plants got pounded by a storm last month. They are usually among the most bountiful plants we have, but they've got a lot of catching up to do now. Bay Tree Blackberries -- Finally showing some signs of life in recent weeks Dill -- This plant is "spent" according to the resident gardener (a.k.a. mom). However, the caterpillar that morphs into Monarch butterflies is attracted to this particular plant for some reason, so it didn't die without a purpose Fig Tree -- No figs yet French Tarragon Guava Jalapeno Peppers Japanese Eggplant Japanese Plum Tree Lavender Lemon Tree Lime Basil Lime Tree Mandarin Orange Tree Mexican Marjoram Onions Oregano Parsley Pineapple Mint Rosemary Sage Serrano Peppers Spearmint Sweet Genovese Basil -- One of six basil plants and four different varieties that we have. Thyme -- I may have sucked this one dry. Probably my favorite herb behind basil. Tomato Plants -- Beefsteak, Roma, and Sweet 100 Random shots of the backyard Please excuse any mistakes in the names. I'm definitely not much of an expert when it comes to gardening. These are, of course, just the food-related plants. There are plenty of other kinds of plants spread throughout our front and back yard, which I know even less about. But hey, at least there's always room for learning. I imagine over the years I've probably soaked up more gardening wisdom that I realize. Some plants are not pictured. Hey, nobody's perfect. Some omissions that come to mind are poblano peppers and agave. My dad keeps insisting that we use all that agave to produce our own tequila. Clearly, the man loves his margaritas (which is a very Tex-Mex/San Antonio drink, by the way) . Tomorrow, I'll update with the pictures from tonight's dinner. Tonight we had Mexican. And after spending some time in the garden this evening before dinner, we didn't have to stray too far to find ingredients for that dinner. Stay tuned...

Thanks for the kind comments. Trust me, I've got a looong way to go when it comes to pastry/sweets. I'm very good at eating them. But making them, eh, not so much. I've been wanting to get some garden shots but just haven't had the time yet. I will make sure to take care of that before the blog is over, though. As for the family pics, I can't make any promises, but I'll definitely try. I haven't asked each of them how'd they feel about that. Personally, I'm fine with it, but I'll see what they think about it. Now that sounds like fun, both the NYC eGullet young guns extravaganza and the tag team blog. I like the way you think. Thanks for the advice, and the offer to PM for more. I'll definitely take you up on that. I've heard good things (and seen some nice pictures) about Manresa, too. Much like NYC, it seems the Bay Area has a ridiculous number of good options. So many restaurants, so little time!

Awesome! I'll look forward to seeing the results in the Dinner thread!

I don't always blanch the basil when making pesto. I figured a quick blanch might make it a brighter green as it does with most green foods. Not sure if I accomplished that or not, but I figured it was worth a try. It didn't seem to dull the flavor of the basil at all, although I did throw in some raw basil while I was processing it, so I can't be too sure. Si, certo!

Turns out the place I was thinking of is Naegelin's Bakery, which has apparently been around since 1868. I love the beautiful aroma that greets you when you walk in the door. They make wonderful strudel, breads, and other goodies. Really neat place. Sounds like I ought to give Friesenhaus and NB Smokehouse a try, too, though. Thanks for the tips!

Sorry I am so late in getting back to blogging tonight. An early start to the day getting up before sunrise to go running, followed by a long day at work, called for a nice 2 1/2 hour nap before dinner. But anyhoo, here I am, back at it... Tonight I was in the mood for Italian. And did I mention that it is without a doubt my favorite cuisine? Hmm, I don't guess I did... [boring Personal Ramblings] I love Italian food. With a passion. Sono italiano in fondo, if ya know what I mean. It is without a doubt my favorite cuisine to cook and to eat. I love the simplicty. I love the tradition. I love the language, and having been taking it for a year. Everything Italian to me is just beautiful. Ask anyone who knows me well and they will probably tell you that I must've been Italian in a former life (although truth be I'm actually half Mexican, half Polish....but shhhh...Don't tell anyone ). Case in point, as a birthday gift a friend of mine got me a T-shirt that features Mario of Nintendo's Super Mario Brothers fame with a caption reading "Everybody Loves an Italian Boy!". It has become practically part of my kitchen uniform. I unfortunately haven't had the chance to travel to Italy yet, but that's a situation I'll do everything I can to remedy sooner rather than later. I should be there right now actually, as a month-long trip I had planned with a couple of friends ended up not working out for one of them, so we post-poned it. I had a route all mapped out: Napoli-Roma-Firenze-Modena-Bologna-Parma-Venezia-Milano. And when I go, it will be mostly for the food, hence the focus on Emilia-Romagna, perhaps the most important gastronomic region in the country. I was so disappointed when that friend decided to jump ship so late in the game like that. But I will go next summer, come hell or high water. And I guess by then, I'll have completed another year of studying the language, and I'll be celebrating my graduation as well. So I guess it all works out in the end. I am thinking that since I didn't make it to Italy this summer, I'll at least try and plan things so that I can take a vacation to California at the end of the summer, to check out a few graduate school options, and of course eat at a few restaurants there that I've really been wanting to try (most notably, Chez Panisse and The French Laundry). I've never been to California, so that should be interesting. After experiencing Texas and New York, I'm curious to see what the other coast is all about. Anyway, guess we'll see how it goes [/boring Personal Ramblings] Anyway, on to dinner. I took lots of pictures today... Sicilian Pistachio Pesto -- This was inspired by a dish I had at Tempo, an Italian restaurant in Brooklyn. To prepare the pesto, I blanched the pistachios for a couple of minutes in boiling salted water to turn them a bright green color and to allow easier removal of the pusplish-brownish outside skin of the nuts (after we had shelled them the other night while watching Miami: CSI. Very important step ). Then tossed with a good Sicilian extra virgin olive oil, and roasted for a couple of minutes in a 500 degree oven. In the meantime, I also toasted some pine nuts in a small pan on the stove top. My mom went outside to pick some basil, and came back with that huge bunch pictured below, which we blanched for about 30 seconds in more boiling salted water, then drained and squeezed out any excess moisture. Added all this to the food processor along with some Pecorino Romano cheese, salt, pepper, and hot red pepper flakes, drizzled a bunch more of that Sicilian olive oil while it was processing, and that was that. This is one leftover that I won't mind having around. Bucatini con Pesto Siciliano, Fagioli e Pomodori -- Bucatini (also called Perciatelli, depening on who you ask) is my favorite type of pasta. Sure, it can be tough to eat, the fat tubes wiggling around like snakes on the plate as you try to get them on your fork. But that's a small price to pay for such greatness. A properly al dente dish of bucatini puts a smile on my face like no other. I just love their toothsomeness. To serve as the condimento, I blanched some green beans that had been cut into short 1" segments in some salted boiling water to bring out the green color, then tossed them and some teardrop-shaped yellow and red grape tomatoes in some olive oil and roasted them in the oven. Tossed this all together with the pesto and the cooked bucatini, and we were in business. Chicken Saltimbocca --No veal in the freezer meant I had to go the non-traditional route, so I chose to make this from what we did have: boneless skinless chicken thighs. Sure, breasts could have worked too. But a little extra fat never hurt anyone. We pounded each flat with a paper thin sheet of Prosciutto di Parma on top, lightly dredged in flour, and cooked in a mixture of butter and olive oil. Went out to the garden to pick some sage leaves, and tossed those in as well. Very quick and easy dish. Turned out well, too, even if I do prefer the flavor of the traditional version with veal. Chef's Snack -- A little snack while cooking never hurts. My mom made this wonderul pico de gallo, with homegrown tomatoes, homegrown jalapeno peppers, red onion, salt and pepper. I guess since we were having Italian food tonight, Mexican would be a little out of place, so we'll just refer to it as, uh, Salsa di Pomodoro. Yeah, that works. Dinner is served... And of course dessert... Banana Split Panini -- Took some pain au lait hamburger buns that tasted almost like brioche, cut them in half, hollowed out some of the insides, put sliced bananas in one side and a mixture of semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate on the other side, grilled on the Griddler for several minutes until the outside was crisp and the chocolate inside was gooey. Then fillled with vanilla ice cream, sliced in half, and ejoyed. Sort of a weird idea, perhaps, but it was really tasty. Kind of the at-home version of the gelato-filled brioche alla Otto in NYC.

Ditto ← Me too, me three. As my husband describes it, "French Laundry is Fabby's Pebble Beach." ← How did you all manage to have 28-course meals at TFL? Inquiring minds (who have not yet been to TFL) want to know.

Thank you. I'm in San Antonio. Most of my family lives here, although I do have family in Houston and Austin as well. Amen to that. I rarely peel potatoes. I like potato skin. I just sliced then sauteed in some butter. But they were done before the cornbread dressing had browned, so I tossed them in the oven for a few mins at the end to keep them warm. There was sugar in the cornbread. And brown sugar. And honey. There were still enough dry ingredients that it ends up as more of a bread than a pudding, though. The reason it looks so moist in the picture of the dressing above is that is right after I had mixed everything up with some chicken broth to bring some extra moisture and flavor. So while the top was browned and crunchy, the inside was warm and moist. I liked the texture of it a lot.

Heh heh. I did that with the asparagus and sweet potatoes on purpose specifically for tryska. Interesting info about the 3's and 7's. Still not sure it justifies my weirdness, though.

So I said I hate leftovers. Which I do. But I never said I didn't use them... Mushroom Dressing -- Leftover cornbread , 1 slice multi-grain bread, mushrooms sauteed in butter, some chicken stock. Bake in individual ramikin for a while at some temperature until it looks good. Who says ya have to wait til Thanksgiving? Also blanched some asparagus, served on some smoked peppered salmon, topped with Caprino, an Italian goat cheese. Took the torch to it so the cheese would get a little melty. Topped with some salmon roe. This dish was basically an interpretation of a dish I make often: Asparagi alla Milanese Both plated up, along with some sweet potatoes (my FAVORITE vegetable, without question) that were simply cooked in some butter, and a tiny homegrown tomato. Not bad at all. For dessert (gotta have it) Honey Butter Toast with Chopped Dates, Cinnamon, and Maldon Sea Salt -- The same Blue Ribbon honey again. So simple, but so good. Dinner was just for me tonight, as my mom had yoga, my dad was mowing the lawn, and my brother decided to eat this... Hamburger made on the Cuisinart Griddler

Sure. Off the top of my head, so I may forget some: beefsteak tomatoes, roma tomatoes, serrano peppers, jalapeno peppers, poblano peppers, cabbage, onions, lemons, limes, mint, thyme, basil, spearmint, peppermint, pineapple mint, marjoram, sage, rosemary, parsley, japanese eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, blackberries, figs, bananas. Of course not all of these plants are productive, unfortunately. But there's still quite a variety. Thanks. I'll pass on the kind words to them. I can't claim to have contributed much to the design. I thought they came up with some really awesome ideas for the layout and the specifics of the kitchen. It's just a very convenient set-up all the way around. When I am at school, I am usually cooking for just myself, so that makes things a little interesting. But I've learned to portion things right for myself (so there are no left-overs ). And if I get a weird idea for something I'd like to try, the only person whose approval I need is my own. I cook much differently at home to keep the specific tastes of my family members in mind. At school, I cook a lot of pasta. And I eat a lot of eggs, in one form or another. They are my most consistent source of protein. They are very affordable, and easy to store in my TINY dorm fridge. I also eat a lot of vegetables. Every kind under the sun. I love the looks I get from the cashiers at the grocery store when I buy just one each of like 12-15 different kinds of vegetables. "Can I get a price check on a...yo, what IS this thing? Jerusalem artichoke? Say what?" Yeah, I should've made it with the pan drippings. That's the way I would normally do it. I was in kind of quick-cooking mode yesterday, so I just did it in a separate pan and used butter as the fat. That way I could get the gravy going while the chicken-fried steaks were still cooking. What can I say, I am impatient sometimes.

Apparently we got them at Sam's for around $40, and my parents think that they still carry them. Well, I don't do all of the cooking in the house. Just as much as my family can stand! I do cook every meal, but not always alone. My parents and my younger brother are like my sous chefs, as my mom jokes with me. Seriously, though, they are extremely helpful to me, chopping things, keeping an eye on things when we're cooking several things at once, setting the table, helping clean up. Everything from start to finish is kinda a family effort. We're just weird like that. I'm not sure how long that it's been that I've done this much of the family's cooking. At least 3-4 years very consistently. Cooking started as an interest for me some time during high school I think, and it just really caught on more and more as time went on. Now, there is almost no circumstance when I would choose not to cook on a given night. But of course, I don't just enjoy the cooking. I also do the food shopping. And I try to learn as much from my mom (the household gardening expert) about growing the various foods that we grow as well. Really all aspects of food are fun for me. Of course including the eating. The cleanup after the meals? Eh, not so much. But ya gotta do what ya gotta do. I'm not one to enjoy leaving huge messes in the kitchen for others to clean up. As far as I see it, that's part of the job of being the cook, too. Heh heh. Actually that was a coincidence, but the fact that I did that unconciously is kinda funny. I was just going for looks in that case, and that just happened to be the number that fit in that space on the plate. I swear!

Hmm, what's important to me other than Barbecue?.... Chicken Fried Steak with Applewood Smoked Bacon Cornbread, and Oven-Roasted Okra & Tomatoes -- Which you can read all about on my eGullet foodblog.

Thanks, all, for the kind comments. Yeah, sorry, I think my original post may not have made that clear. When I am here in Texas, I am at home with my parents and my younger brother. I have an older sister as well, but she's married, so her and her husband live just a few minutes from us. After graduating next year, who knows where I'll end up, but for now, this is where I hang my hat. Sure do. Sorry to disappoint. I know some people love them. My mom and dad both do, to name a few. I just look at it as one of two scenarios: A) I portioned the meal wrong, and made too much, or B) What I made was not good enough to be worth finishing. Both situations are not cool. For breakfast and lunch, I have fruit. Very rarely do I have anything else. To give you an example, the other day I had Breakfast & Lunch Classic... P.S. BryanZ: I can't remember, but I'll find out the info from the 'rents and get back to you.

TEXAS CUISINE 101: Chicken-Fried Steak Surprisingly, one cannot live on chicken-fried steak alone. Or so I hear. Anyway, we decided to make two side dishes to go with the meat. Applewood Smoked Bacon Cornbread -- Based on the basic recipe from Peter Reinhart's The Bread Baker's Apprentice, which can be found here for those who are interested. I play around with the recipe a bit, but that recipe provides a good foundation for a moist and tasty cornbread. I'll let the pictures do some of the talking... Oven-Roasted Okra & Homegrown Tomatoes -- Not one to waste some perfectly good bacon fat, my mom had the brilliant idea to toss the okra and tomatoes in the bacon drippings before we roasted them in the oven for around 20 minutes. Only the red beefsteak tomatoes pictured are homegrown. The yellow teardrop shaped ones were storebought, but quite tasty. By the way, the fourth picture is a representation of how a certain eG'er named snowangel might have seen it (frequent readers of the Dinner! thread will know what I am talking about). And of course you can't have chicken-fried steak without some Cream Gravy -- Made with butter, flour, buttermilk, salt and plenty of pepper. This time I tried buttermilk instead of milk, which I normally use. That substitution made it too tangy for my tastes, but the family enjoyed it, so I was happy. Next time, back to milk/cream as usual. While the okra and tomatoes and the cornbread were in the oven, and the cream gravy was working on the stove top, it was time for the main event... Chicken-Fried Steak -- Top round steaks, already tenderized, but not pounded thin. This is not wiener schnitzel, scallopine, milanesa, or whatever you prefer to call a thin cutlet. This steak is tender yet still thick and meaty once finished. Some just do a dip in flour, but I prefer the flour-egg-flour method, just making sure to always season the flour (very important). I added a bit of buttermillk to the beaten eggs. Some deep-fry their chicken-fried steak, but I am a pan-fryer. Cast iron works the best I think, but the pan I used today is much larger than our biggest cast iron pan, so it was just easier. Fill it with some oil (preferably lard, or bacon grease), fry until golden, keep finished ones done in a warm oven while cooking the rest. That's all there is to this Lone Star delicacy. Now we come to another one of my eating habits: I always have dessert. Always. Regardless of how full I might get (and that doesn't really happen often... I have kind of a hollow leg), I always have something sweet after dinner. To me, a meal is just not complete without it. So after a pretty heavy meal like tonight, I just wanted something simple. Fresh Ricotta with Golden Reserve Mexican Honey, Summer Berries & Pine Nuts -- This honey is the real deal. I highly recommend anyone in the NYC area stop by Blue Ribbon Bakery Market and pick up a jar. It's really amazing stuff. All of this food was enjoyed outside on the patio. Usually all four spots are set, but my younger brother went out with friends to the movies tonight. Instead of chicken-fried steak and cornbread! And finally, we have come to probably my biggest culinary pet peeve: I hate leftovers. Even so, enjoying a nice relaxing meal at home on the patio is not a bad way to spend a summer evening. Hard to beat that.

I figured before I show the details of our chicken-fried steak dinner tonight, I should give a quick tour of the casa: Kitchen, Stove, and Refrigerator/Freezer -- As you can see, stainless steel is everywhere: everthing from the spice rack, to the Sub-Zero refrigerator/freezer, Dacor stove, Bosch dishwasher, Cuisinart toaster and Griddler, KitchenAid Mixer. Kinda crazy. What would be our produce/fruit drawers in the fridge are used for sodas/beer/etc, which I don't drink. But it's very convenient having that space for drinks when guests are over. Refrigerated Drawers -- In the island. One of my favorite features of the kitchen. Pantries

Interesting. I've had pie in Round Top, at Royer's Round Top Cafe. Later I'll upload a pic of the pie sampler that we had there. The fruit is just from my local HEB. I'm glad nectarine time has rolled around again. Those things are delicious! Speaking of Lockhart, I am hoping we'll get a chance to go there (and maybe Luling, too) at some point during the blog. It's cool to get some feedback from a local eG member. Hope you enjoy the Texas blog! I guess I don't really know what I mean. I don't even have a clue what crenshaw or musk melons are. And actually now that I do a quick Google search, I find cucumber (which I like) is a melon, too. Guess my blanket statement was a bit flawed, then. Ah, well. SuperDuperUltraMegaUber-Multivitamins, to be exact. Don't ask me. I don't buy 'em, I just take 'em. We go through New Braunfels occasionally, usually either on our way to Lockhart for BBQ or to San Marcos to shop at the outlet malls. I may have been missing out on the German experience in New Braunfels. Only good food I have had there is from an old bakery in their kinda historic downtown-ish area. Any particular places in New Braunfels that you would recommend? I'm sure good German food would be worth traveling for. Have tried a few in San Antonio. Not many. There are too many chains here (Bill Miller's, Rudy's, etc), and those places are never the same as the real small-town joints. In general, I've been much more pleased with the places that are just a short car trip away -- Kreuz and Smitty's in Lockhart, City Market in Luling, and Salt Lick in Driftwood. There are still some in the San Antonio area I'd like to try though. Harmon's BBQ, Texas Pride BBQ, and a Willard's Jamaican Jerk BBQ to name a few.

The horsepills are just some multi-vitamins I take daily. I'm not usually a big dietary supplement kinda guy, but these seem to keep my immune system pretty in line. Hard to argue with not getting sick. As for the 3s and 7s, I will let you in on a little secret.... I am weird. The choice of 3 and 7 is completely arbitrary, much like my choice to wake up at 5:55 this morning to go running before work. I am just a random dude, what can I say. P.S. Can somebody tell me how the heck to quote multiple people in one post? I love answering all these questions, but I don't wanna make you guys read 50,000 posts of mine in the process!

So there are two of us out there. Awesome.

Guess there are exceptions to every rule. I actually do like watermelon. Honeydew is bearable. Melon and canteloupe I don't enjoy at all (even when wrapped in prosciutto di parma). When something can be wrapped in pork and I still won't eat it, you know something is up.

Your comparision to the chicken cheesesteak is dead-on. That's a great way to put it. Chicken-fried chicken just implies that one should expect a similar presentation to a chicken-fried steak. That is, a breaded cutlet of chicken, pan-fried (usually, although deep-fry), and topped with cream gravy. Anytime there is a deep-fried leg or thigh involved, it ceases to be chicken-fried chicken and is simply fried chicken. And sure, chicken-fried chicken is tasty, don't get me wrong. But it's not the same. Just like chicken cheesesteaks, blueberry bagels, and veggie burgers, it is an culinary outcast whose only ambition is the bask in the greatness of the real thing.

To me, great barbecue is great barbecue, regardless of the region. While I love pulled pork (definitely NOT a Texas thing, but I sure wish it were), for example, there are so many styles of 'cue I am pretty ignorant about. I need to do some traveling! In fact, I didn't even know that burnt ends were a KC thing. They are undoubtedly my favorite type of BBQ, no question about it. Any time I'm at a BBQ place here in TX (where the presence of beef brisket is, of course, a certainty), I ask specifically for the burnt ends of the brisket. Sure, sometimes I'll get a funny look. But I always end up with those beautifully blackened chunks of BBQ heaven. As for your question about why it is that the Germans are the ones who have carried the BBQ tradition in Texas, I would be curious to know as well. Whatever the reasons, I feel as though we should all thank them for carrying on a mission so beneficial to humanity.