joiei

If your there on the 7th, I was just reading about the Oak Street BBQ festival.

I picked up a copy of the June issue of Texas Monthly today and they have proclaimed a new #1 bbq place in Texas. Snow's BBQ in Lexington, where is Lexington anyway, and Snow's is only open for 4 hours a week. That seems a pretty astonishing statement considering the Lockhart hold on that title for so long. In this bbq coverage, I found a poem that was very right on, here is a part of the poem by Tony Hoagland The waitress says the man at Table Three is making noises. You'd think she would be used to grunting when the sun goes down at Melvin's Rib Chateau, but this one's whispering amen into his marmalade, getting sauce all over his Armani. It could be he is an escapee from a gated community there is more this was my favorite part. Now to go read more what they have to say about the state of Que in Texas.

Congratulations Joe, have fun and knock their socks off. I will be up sometime this summer and you are now on my radar.

I have never heard of this restaurant, where is it?

My PFChangs experiences have happened in Metairie, Louisiana, in OKC and here in T-town. They were all the same. I go there for a few things, lettuce wraps, or if friends or family want to go. If your going with a group it is more fun, we mostly meet at the bar, have a few apps like the crispy green beans and cocktails and then head out for dinner from there. I consider the food to be Asian influenced but not Asian in reality. And their little off shoot Pei Wei's is really not good, all the food tastes the same there. Like the are using the same master sauces for everything. But the customers crowd in there also. And I have met some who argue that Pei Wei's (I prononunce it peewee's just for fun) food is better than PFChangs and Pei Wei's doen't have the hipness factor that PFChangs has. I just shake my head in amazement. PFChang's hip, I don't think so.

Last weekend, on my way up to Independence Kansas, I passed by the original Little House on the Prairie. I thought the country was beautiful farm country.

Something that might be considered Georgian is Brunswick Stew. Peaches are all over the south and west and pecans are a major crop for many places outside of Georgia, pecans are one of the major crops for Oklahoma for example and Chilton County peaches from Alabama have a major reputation of excellence as do the ones from Porter, Oklahoma.

OK, I'm flying out today, and I need a check on Ted's Chileno's -- the only "Ted's" I can find via Google is "Ted's Café Escondido." Is this the place, or is it any good? It's a chain, I guess, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's bad... Any other hits for great little Mexican places? My Spanish is weak, but I can probably get by OK if necessary. Low class, high class, and anything in between? I'm getting hungry just thinking about it! ETA: Aha! I get it, the suggestions was for "Ted's" or "Chilenos". Doh! But where the heck is Chilenos? And what about Tacos San Pedro? I read a glowing review elsewhere. ← Chilenos is on the menu at Teds. The only Tacos San Pedro I know of is in Tulsa.

Darrell, a gentle man with an incredible knowledge of heirloom tomatos and heirloom garlic has passed. In 1993, he began selling his tomatoes at the flea market. One by one, Merrell explained to customers the value of heirloom tomatoes, eventually winning legions of fans and leading the heirloom movement in Oklahoma. I will miss seeing him at the market on occasions and his great sense of humor.

I have received B3 from Kent. Yesterday, we went over to Enid for the Smokin Red Dirt BBQ competition. Good day for brisket and chicken. Today, B3 will do a little touring around Indian Territory and then needs a new destination. They wanted to be seen at Cain's Ballroom and have mentioned something about seeing the Hands. Since Kent did the photo with the Capitol building, I thought I would include a visual with an architectural treasure in these parts. The first PM will get B3 heading to you via USPS.

Are these things as sweet as they sound? I might be getting new equipment and have been asked. Darn, wish I was up that way, I sure would volunteer to play with one. The Garland stove that I have, the ovens really, really, really suck big time. The stove top is no problem, but the ovens are some of the coldest ovens I have ever worked with. And I hate the broiler function, it is a piece of crap also. But I didn't work here when they were specking the kitchen. Some ding dong designer did.

Pepper - I always tell the waiter 4 turns and stop Cheese - I always tell the waiter no. No, I do not tip extra because they did this.

THat is great news. When I lived on Lowerline and worked at the Le Pavillion I would commute home every night on the streetcar. One of my more incredible commutes in this lifetime.

Is the St Charles streetcar back on line and working? When I was there last summer it looked like it hadn't been touched.

It is in the Le Bec Fin book, page 168 I think. Just put your eggs, yolks, sugar, lemon juice and zest in a pan, over a flame, I use high, start whisking and keep whisking until the whisk leaves traces in the foam. Quickly whisk in the butter. Chill in the fridge. so, so easy and so so lemony.

I remember a great lunch at Le Bec Fin in the early 90s. The bonus was I got to meet and visit some with Bob Bennett. Just today I served a luncheon for 11 and the dessert was a lemon crepe using his recipe for lemon tart filling. That filling is so perfectly lemon without being too sweet. And so easy to make.

This is a similar quandry to Mexican restaurants that are slowly starting to charge for the chips and salsa which I have come across a couple of times now. It does not stop me from ordereing the salsa and chips if they are of excellent quality. I have also been in restaurants that would charge for the chips and salsa if that was all the food that was ordered. Again, I have no problem with a restaurant doing that also. UE, where is Sarah's in Kansas City? I have never heard of it. Sounds like I need to avoid it the next time I am up you alls way.

I have to agree with Synergy and Maftoul, there is a cost factor involved. And when it goes up, what is a chef to do. Two choices I can think of right off, raise the prices on the menu or start charging for the bread. I would be upset if the bread is crap bread but if it is a good bread, then charge. I would have no problem with that. Quick question, is part of the increase of the price of flour going to the grower or is it all being taken by the middle man? Get ready because the cost of dairy is also going up, that means butter is getting more expensive. When the cost goes up in the grocery store, it is going up to the restaurants at the same rate

Well bless my stars, Lookie what I just found on the Wal=Mart web site. I just might drop on by, oh wait, I will be in San Angelo, TX for the National Ceramics Competition at the museum there. Surely there is a Wal-mart in San Angelo that I can go by. Now to find a place for a nice dinner that weekend.

If any of the Baggins clan want to visit Indian Territory, the door is open and the light is on.

I keep them neatly folded into one bag in the car. When I get a bag emptied of the days goodies, I hang it on the door handle, that way it is hard for me to forget to take it back to the car the next time I go out.

Here is the music lineup for French Quarter Festival. One of the great things about French Quarter over Jazzfest is that you can come and go, there is no admission charge. If that is the weekend you are in luck.

I don't know that I would take the kids to Bourbon Street at night. There is a very high drunk factor there and the music that wafts from the open doors is more of a too loud bar music type that is not reflective of the music of the area. Maybe in the Marigny for the music. Mothers is good for a meal. Maybe do Cochon for the other lunch. If your plans to be there happen the last weekend of April or the first weekend of May, then by all means get tickets for Jazzfest. Especially if you want to hear some music. The cubes are up with the times and stages, here are the dates, stages and times.

I have been putting chives from my patch in everything the last couple of days. The local Indian spring onion festival should be real soon.

I have no plans for tomorrow yet. And this would be interesting to see.