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Ha! One page into this and you've already ensured I'll be spending some time at those bagels. Loving the second blog, just like the first ...

Kim - The brisket. Oh, the brisket. Beautiful. And MM - I'm hopping on the 'that-asparagus-looks-delightful' bandwagon. Because it does. I went to Half Price Books the other day and found an old Rosewood Mansion cookbook by Dean Fearing from 1987 for $6.00. So I bought it. Then I made the halibut and crushed cashew with mango basil sauce as my first dish from it. Pear sorbet with blueberry coulis for dessert. I love getting an entire day to do stuff and then eat said stuff.

Fuel City's got a strong rep here, but there are some other gas station places that rival or exceed them, in my opinion. I really enjoy Chupacabra's on Fitzhugh and Ross (I think it's a Chevron); they make their own tortillas, and along with the usual pork, beef and chicken offerings, you can get some excellent tongue and cabrito as well.

Dangit. I thought I had that one! Well, then, I'm throwing my lot in with Annabelle and saying Europe, though I suppose it's got to be a pretty warm Mediterranean climate if it is Europe, seeing as how all those 'maters are already nice and ripe. Southern Spain, perhaps?

Sharp photo, edible flowers, heirloom tomatoes, white asparagus, great color in the photography as well as a great photo setup ... I'm going to guess dcarch.

Um, there's nothing failed about that photo, Shelby. Those look absolutely fantastic.

They had Nairagi at the market today. Being the Texan landlubber I am, I knew little about it, so I asked the guy behind the counter how to cook it. 'All the way through,' he says. 'Like swordfish. Lime and chilies are great with it.' So I marinated for an hour or so with the lime juice and chilies, then under the broiler for a few, and manufactured some sort of mango/pepper/cilantro type salsa mess for the top. I also had some grated carrot salad from Robuchon. Also good, though served more out of the necessity to get rid of some carrots. Edited because I can never just let copy be.

Geez, Bruce - those look amazing! That's a fantastic photo.

When I graduated college with my journalism degree, I went to work at a daily paper as a sportswriter. Even then, many of the folks on the editorial side would debate with us whether sports writers were real journalists or not. Of course, we all know they are not only real journalists, but the best kind (grin). Seriously, though, it seems to me that people merely give the word much more weight than it deserves. It's my opinion that if you take the time to document an event and publish it for an audience then you are in some capacity a journalist, at least for the period of time that people read your account of the event. Zeemanb, to that effect I would say that your short graf is in fact one of the finest pieces of journalism I have read in awhile: it's concise, tight, and thorough. Not bad for a jest! Edited because I'm a poor proofreader.

Bruce - For some reason, I decided to plant three different kinds of cucumbers, two plants each this year. You can bet I'll be riffing on that cucumber salad (that is, unless there's a specific recipe somewhere). Kim - Zapp's. Glorious Zapp's. I also am a big fan of the Voodoo, but if you put a bag of the Jalapeno in front of me, you've made a new best friend. Scottyboy - I never saw them eating food like that on the Enterprise. If following Star Trek gets me a plate of that food, though, I'm all in. RRO - I'm with MikeHartnett on this one. Gorgeous looking food; I've never tasted caramelized fennel before, and am intrigued, to say the least. Oh, and when you make your Texas swing on the road trip, be sure to let me know! I've been cooking a lot from Bouchon, and last night was the Simple Roasted Chicken. It's not a misnomer - salt, pepper, and a little thyme make up the ingredient list (along with the chicken, of course). I also threw some corn cobs with salt and olive oil on the grill.

27. Take the time to actually read recipes through before you begin. John Besh Author of My New Orleans I suck at this. I really do. I mean, I do technically read the recipes beforehand, but sometimes my eyes kind of glaze over and it becomes one of those 'I'm-reading-Dickens-and-this-is-one-of-those-really-descriptive-passages-and-I-stopped-paying-attention-two-sentences-ago' readings. Usually ends up biting me in the backside. Anyway, I'm enjoying this list.

rotuts - It was my pleasure! I hope to get a little more in-depth as the summer rolls along. As it was a weekday, I didn't really get as thorough as I would have liked. Peter - I'm on it. I've been reading about that thing all week: a two-foot long, one pound dog. I'm not going to Opening Day, but I'm sure I'll get to a game within a month or so. I'll buy it in the name of research ... that's a legitimate reason, right? Kim - It's crazy; I looked back and realized that I hardly even touched on most of the things I'd imagined doing! Thank you, though - it certainly was fun!

kayb - Thank you! And no on the tortillas; I've only ever made my own corn tortillas, and was in no shape to do so when those were being prepared. Sylvia - That reuben was great, but please don't try that. I've found that it merely leads to a chance of electric shock and computer monitor repairs. And then there's the whole explanation of why it needs repairing ... just not worth it, believe me. Shelby - I am okay now. I realize that my foodblog ended with a whimper rather than a bang, but as Saturday night encroached, those leftover wings from Friday were just calling my name. I took the easy way out, I am ashamed to say. Jaymes - Thank you! It was a lot of fun to write, though - and I don't know if other people feel this way, or I just manage my time poorly - I feel like I didn't get to do anything near what I had in mind! But like I said, it was a lot of fun! And I think that's it, a day late. Thank you all for reading along!

Hey Logan - I love the abundance of food trucks that have burst onto the scene here. I think in the metroplex, there are already between 25-30 food trucks, with more on the way. I think as a general statement, their food is good and it's reasonably priced. But I also think Dallas can be food trendy. And food trucks are a really hot thing right now - I think in the end some of them will fall by the wayside and the numbers will thin out a bit, but certainly many of them are here for the long haul. And The Farmers Market ... Where to begin? I have no idea. What I do know is that - for one reason or another - it's been poorly managed for years and its location is awful. As a result, the other towns and areas around Dallas have started their own markets with much success. I would love Dallas to have a great Farmer's Market, but there's no reason to be optimistic about it right now. But Shed 2, at least, is fantastic. Try the Italian Beef at Old World Sausage Company next time you're in there. Outstanding. And yeah, that elotes stand is great. Try the one by Fuel City, too, if you ever find yourself down there. So, onto breakfast today. And yes, I do eat breakfast, but usually only on the weekends. First, though: big news - my team advanced to the NCAA tournament round of 8. What that means, of course, is that I awoke today with screaming cherubs in my head, shooting arrows all around.* So I made breakfast tacos. They always help. I'll preface the process with the disclaimer that if the tacos I had earlier in the week were an example of Mexican food, then these tacos are a clear example of what I would call Tex-Mex. And basically, I call anything Tex-Mex that is Mexican-influenced but clearly affected somehow by food traditions and culture from North of the Rio Grande. Anyway, onto the tacos. I took a bunch of the fatty portions of the brisket, chopped them up, and threw them in the skillet - saves me from using any butter, too. Was out of onions, but I did find a shallot, so I used that. The the brisket and shallots in a blurry state. I might add, the whole time I was doing this, I was fighting off Davy Crockett: Davy Crockett. Added the eggs And threw it on some tortillas with cheddar cheese and salsa. Hit the spot, for sure. Feeling better and about to get on with the day. Not sure what's planned, but I'm sure it will be filled with wonders galore! Or at least something like that. *Thanks to the band Supergrass for the best description of a hangover I have ever heard.

Shelby - Yup. It's the kid in me, too. Curly fries still fascinate me. Lunch today was fried chicken at a place called Pecan Lodge. Known primarily for its barbecue, Pecan Lodge is one of the two places in Dallas that get the most buzz for their smoked meat (the other is Lockhart Smokehouse in Oak Cliff). Their fried chicken, though, is underrated. It's got a really crispy batter that doesn't fall off the meat too easily (and I hate it when I bite into fried chicken and everything just falls off - same with Chicken-fried steak, but that's a different discussion). Considering the amount of brisket I've been eating, I figured chicken was a good alternative. The side is mac and cheese with bacon bits. Pecan Lodge is located in one of the sheds near the Farmers Market; I didn't get to take good shots of the market at lunchtime, but the Dallas Farmers Market is an interesting topic of discussion for a different time, I think.

Thanks, everyone! Unfortunately, today was a bit of a boring one for food - fast food on the way to the golf course, and then a work dinner tonight. Tomorrow will bring much less lameness, I promise! I laughed aloud at this, Dakki. I'm pretty sure there are a lot of people in this state who would have said that in earnest! I did use a brown sugar/salt/garlic powder/other stuff rub, but no mop. In fact, I've never used a mop - no real reason why, other than I've never really felt the desire. How does a mop affect it? And I would like to illustrate how timeless barbecue debates get started: Chileheadmike - That's a great idea. Fortunately I still have the point in the freezer, awaiting its day in the smoker. Zeemanb - And that's a good point; part of the reason I have never tried it is that it just didn't feel authentic, you know? It's like the garlicky toasted rye chips in Gardetto's - they sell bags of just the chips now, but they just don't taste as good as the ones that you have to go through the other stuff for. And yes, I just used Gardetto's to illustrate a point on eGullet. For that I am sorry. On to lunch - it was on the road, and it was Burger Street. It's a fast-food chain here in Dallas, and yes, it's fast food, but it's a good fast-food burger. I got this with a cherry limeade. Taken on the hood of my vehicle.

FrogPrincesse - Thank you! This has certainly been a lot of fun! Kent - I have not tried it, but I have considered it. Is there any change in how you cook it? Or just the same process with the smaller pieces? Taboni - Thanks! My proportions on ingredients are pretty variable, but I always go at least 1:1 brown sugar to salt, if not greater with the brown sugar. Everything else is pretty much dumped in arbitrarily. So I got roped into a round of golf for work this morning. I know: pity, right? I will report back ASAP, though! Oh, and more coffee for breakfast. This time accompanied by a few slices of brisket.

sheepish - The tripe tacos are pretty special; they way they prepare them is unlike I've had tripe before - it's really crispy, but it's still got that distinctive ... depth, we'll say ... that lets you know you're eating something with a little character. And if you've got a brisket in the freezer and a smoker, then I - and I am sure many others more qualified than myself on eG - would love to give any advice you might be looking for on how to smoke that sucker. My sides are typically barbecue beans (pinto beans with a whole mess of stuff in them), Potato salad, and deviled eggs are a treat. It's pretty typical to be served white bread with brisket, as well as pickles and onions. A lot of people say smoked brisket should be good enough to eat without the sauce, but hell, if you think it tastes better with sauce, then use the sauce. And speaking of which, that's what we had for dinner tonight. Smoked hard for four hours yesterday, pulled off, then cooked at 230 in the oven for 10 hours today, uncovered. We were very pleased with the result. I'm always a little nervy with the first few slices - many years ago, my lack of patience prevented me from ever making a good brisket; I would always try to eat it before it was done, and it would be a tough, chewy mess. That hasn't happened in a long time, but the memory still haunts me. This - especially after a couple slices, merited little worry. The meat was tender and moist. And then a closeup - the bark, for which I have an unusually strong affinity - was like candy. Sweet, smoky, salty, spicy candy. (looking off into the distance) I just love it so much ... And on the dinner plate. And the dessert. It was the Iced Chocolate Parfait and Cappuccino Sauce from Cooking With Chocolate. Didn't photograph very well, but definitely a winner. A bigger dinner than we're used to having on a Wednesday, but I am not complaining.

Completely agree - I could not have said it better myself ... which, of course, is why I copied and pasted it. LEdlund - Richardson is a very culturally diverse suburb, and has some wonderful restaurants to reflect it. Finer dining in Richardson proper will be a little more difficult to come by, but feel free to pm me (or to start a thread - there are, I am sure, more than a couple people on eG who can provide some good insight) with specifics, and I'll be happy to help out in any way I can! Lunch today was a deli/beverage store sandwich. And it's one of my favorites. The place is called Mr. G's, and it's located a little bit farther North in Plano. The sandwich is called the Tex-Mex Reuben, and while I am not sure exactly what makes it Tex or Mex (the peppers are more of a particularly piquant giardiniera, and I figure that's the reasoning - either that or the Pepper Jack cheese) it is fantastic. It's roast beef with slaw, the aforementioned cheese and peppers, and Russian dressing on rye. Then it's grilled (griddled). I guess it's fair to call it a reuben, but it seems like a real stretch. Nomenclature aside, though, it's glorious.

shelby - One of each taco? I can do that! Though I'm not sure they ship well ... And rotuts brings up a good point about the water pot. I also wonder if the added moisture affects the thick bark that I personally prefer to have on brisket. I want to say that in my experience I've gotten a better bark without it, but there are so many variables that I never track that it could be any number of things. (loads of fake indignation) Oohh boy, Jerry. Now you've gone and done it! Well, here's what I think of that Kansas City barbecue! ... Actually, I love it. And, like you, I also enjoy the banter between loyalists of the two (or three or four or five). I do wish to explain that the oven is not the ideal way to finish a smoked brisket, but when they take 14 hours and it's the middle of the work week, sometimes shortcuts must be taken. All that to say, it's a pretty effective shortcut. As for the chili, you read my mind. I wanted to make some this week, but it may have to be saved for the chili thread next week, depending on the places I can hit over the next few days. Yeah, I've noticed that effect too, the times that I've used it. I always assumed it was the generated steam alone that helped to sort of 'cap' the temperature, but the mass of the bowl (and water) itself acting as a heat sink never really occurred to me, though it makes a lot of sense. And I'll definitely be finding that Good Eats episode. (Edited to make the post better)

RRO - Oh, my. Well, you may just have to make a trip to Texas for a barbecue trip. I know a few places. And it should be an easy trip - it's not like Australia's on the other side of the world, or anything ... Brisket went into the oven at 225 for the day. Camera's out of batteries, so I wasn't able to get a shot, but so far, so good. In the meantime, more coffee. Oh, and a break from my usual routing: in order to try to impress my egullet friends (an endeavor that usually finds me in way over my head), I decided to make something from my new Cooking With Chocolate book. Which is, of course, perilous; I have cooked with chocolate maybe a few times in my life. We'll see how it goes, but here's a shot of the first half of the process last night: Again, so far, so good. We'll see how the rest of it turns out tonight.

Okay, started the brisket earlier today after a salt and brown-sugar based rub was heavily applied. I cut the flat for this one, as my wife and I will be the only ones eating it, and while the idea of eating 13 pounds of barbecue over the week actually doesn't sound that bad, it wouldn't make for many very interesting posts through the next few days! The Shiner Black is there for scale, and to let you know what I was drinking while doing all this. There is some garlic and cayenne in there, too. The rub, for me, is typically a pretty whimsical thing, so long as I've at least got the salt and brown sugar in there. In the smoker. And then this. This is why I love this smoker and will never get a sidebox so long as this one stands - it just kind of wants to stay at 225. I don't know how or why, but it does. Sure, it takes a little bit of adjusting the vents, but not much. And, as you can see in one of the previous photos, I usually don't use the water bowl - partly because I haven't found a real need for it, but also because ... The wood chunks I have wouldn't fit, anyway. I use mesquite (Post Oak is the traditional Texas barbecue method) because I like a stronger smoke flavor. I took this out of the smoker about 4 hours after putting it in, and will have to wrap it up in parchment paper and throw it in the refrigerator overnight. I'll aim to finish it in the oven for about 10 hours tomorrow at 225, on a rack. I know, it seems sacreligious, but it's got plenty of smoke at this point, and the most important factors from here on out are temp and time - low and slow, as it were. Ideally, I'd do it all in the smoker, but it's Tuesday, you know? A man's gotta go to work ...

Just wrapped up dinner, and have some initial shots of the brisket, which I'll address second, because there are a lot of things about my approach that I feel I should explain (usually with the explanation of 'I don't know why it works for me this way, but it works for me this way.' Actually, I hope to find some answers among the minds finer than mine ... Dinner was porcini-dusted pork chops cooked sous vide at 140 for three hours and finished on the stovetop. The sides were steamed broccoli and cheddar and asparagus sauteed with a little lemon juice. And I just realized I need parchment paper for the brisket. Off to the store - will post the smoker stuff in a minute!

Lior, I was able to sneak somewhere for lunch, but it wasn't home ... I took a little jaunt southward to Taqueria La Banqueta (formerly Tacos El Guero). Close to downtown in East Dallas, It is one of my favorite taco places, and it's lately been getting a lot of deserved love from local blogs, press and such. A note - these are small tacos. I realized after taking the shots (and eating the tacos) that there is no good scale. The styrofoam packaging you see is not a full-size package; rather, it's about the size of the box in which you would get a Big Mac. The taqueria The tacos, from left to right: Suadero (braised brisket, chopped then finished on the griddle), tongue, and tripe, which cooked until crispy. They're topped with cilantro and onions, you're given a lime wedge or two, and they have a red salsa and green salsa available. I like the red, though it's not in the photo. And a coke from Mexico - I love the glass bottle, and the fact that it's made with real sugar doesn't hurt, either.

Peter - Thank you! My plans for them are general, at best, but they involve eating as many of them as humanly possible. I have to plant a lot of tomatoes, simply for the fact that I eat so many off the vine like apples that am left wondering what happened to all of them. Even if they do make it inside to the kitchen, they're then typically subjected to a slicing and a sprinkle of salt. Only the luckiest actually make it to their intended destination as an ingredient in an actual dish! nikkib - Thank you, it's been a lot of fun so far! Breakfast today was, again, coffee. And I found a bag of sunflower seeds in my desk, so I'm eating those. Yup - sunflower seeds and coffee. Perhaps the lamest egullet foodblog meal ever. Lunch will be a vast improvement, I promise!