Meat-a-balls-a

I never thought this day would come: THE LAST DAY OF #NABLOPOMO! It has been quite a rewarding experience to actually look back and see that I stuck with it. Yeah, there may have been two days where I re-posted some of my older posts, but I did it; 30 posts in 30 days. You better believe I’ll be taking off tomorrow.

So let’s get to today’s post, shall we?

OK, so You know what really grinds my gears?  That stupid cupcake trend!

RePost - Say Cheese Pizza

Say Cheese Pizza is a mobile food trailer here in San Marcos, TX. Operating out of a renovated 1979 Airstream International Land Yacht, they specialize in handcrafted pizza by the pie or the slice.

The trailer is owned and operated by Brian & Jenny Kneese who are lifetime San Marcos locals with “old souls & a love of great pizza.”

When the food trailer fever migrated South to San Marcos, the husband and wife team found an old gutted Airstream that had seen better days. Their mission:  renovate it the trailer in 45 days & give it a brand new purpose as a pizza kitchen.

I love pho.

Seafood Pho

 I love Pho. I love virtually everything about Pho. Its deceptive its simplicity and its complex flavors. Pho is the perfect comfort food – warm, hearty and deliciously refreshing. In Vietnam it’s the common people’s food. It’s street food. It’s just plain amazing.

Pho is considered to be the national dish of Vietnam, and it has captured the fascination of so many people in the west because of its simple complexities.

So… what in God’s green earth is Pho? 

Why is a club sandwich called a club sandwich?

With today being the 27th day of the National Blog Posting Month, I found myself seriously lacking when it came to ideas for content. This is actually also my 100th post! Yay!

I logged onto Facebook and read a message I received from a friend asking where my blog post was for today. Unh! I didn't have one.

“I don’t know what I'm going to write about,” I confessed.

“Hmmm, I just ate a roast beef club... perhaps you can do something on why these things are called club sandwiches... I surely did not sign up for anything to be able to eat one. There's gotta be something behind that,” he said.

DING DING DING!

Takeru Kobayashi does it again!

​In honor of day of the year when gluttony is not only accepted, but celebrated here in America, we'd only expect Takeru Kobayashi to show everyone how it's done. 

Why? 

Takeru Kobayashi

Third time's a charm when making Turkey Cakes

I hope everyone had an excellent Thanksgiving yesterday! I know I did. There's a lot to be thankful for, and the day was a perfect time to pay attention to those things.

Waking up this morning, the last thing I wanted was a turkey sandwich, or turkey soup. EVERY SINGLE YEAR... Turkey sandwiches and turkey soup. Enough is enough. So while I ate my breakfast sandwich, I turned on Food Network and watched an episode of Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals. Typical of the station, every episode today is focused on leftovers. 

Rachel Ray's Turkey Croquet with Mushroom Rosemary Gravy
FoodNetwork.com

Ms. Ray was making something truly interesting: Turkey Croquets with mushroom rosemary gravy. Hmm... Basically a crab cake only with turkey, left over mashed potatoes and left over veggies from a veggie tray, plus some other stuff. She threw some nasty looking gravy over them, which I'd never do, but I decided that the cakes be something really easy and yummy to test out. SO I did.

Thanksgiving Thursday in Pictures

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!! 

Here's what we had for dinner at the house. It was delicious and a really wonderful experience making the whole meal. Now, we're watching Super 8 and relaxing. What did you all do for your holiday?

First things... make the pie

Burger Barn fries ruined me for all other fries.

 When I first moved to Wimberley, Texas in April of 2009, I experienced a bit of culture shock. A bit? Wait, who am I kidding? I experienced A LOT of culture shock. First of all, the town (after the 2010 census) is home to 2,626 people. Yep…. That’s it! For some of you, this may be normal. Not so normal for me.

Wimberley is a small town located in the Hill Country of Central Texas. It sits 28 miles southwest of Austin and 46 miles northeast of San Antonio. This town is the town I call home these days.

With Wimberley’s proximity to Austin and San Antonio, as well as San Marcos and New Braunfels, one would think that the town would just be a hub where everyone would just lay their head. Shopping? Eating? Entertainment? That’d all happen in the nearby cities, right?

Apple Pie Revisted

Originally posted 8/9/11

Every kid in the USA

Is coming out to play  

Its American as apple pie  

Living hard, riding high  

Feeling every minute

like the 4th of July 

Go for broke  Do or die 

as American as apple pie 

-       Eric Carmen

We’ve all heard it before. “That’s as American as apple pie.” Why? Why would apple pie be considered the base point comparison to all things considered to be ultra American? Is the apple pie truly American? Does the pie have roots planted in other cultures? How did this dish become the favorite of a nation? It has become my mission to figure this out.

First I will start with answering the question, what is a pie?

According to Wikipedia….

A pie is a baked dish, which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that covers or completely contains a filling of various sweet or savory ingredients.Pies are defined by their crusts. A filled pie (also single-crust or bottom-crust), has pastry lining the baking dish, and the filling is placed on top of the pastry, but left open. A top-crust pie, which may also be called a cobbler, has the filling in the bottom of the dish and the filling covered with a pastry or other covering before baking. A two-crust pie has the filling completely enclosed in the pastry shell.
Pies can be a variety of sizes, ranging from bite-size to ones designed for multiple servings. 

You eat with your eyes first.... That's why I'd never make these.

With Thanksgiving coming up in just a few days, I decided to peruse the Food Network site to see if there was anything new and exciting that screamed out, "Make me!" What I found instead, were a few horrifying looking dishes. Some made me confused and some made me feel queasy.  I've selected the best of the worst on this year's Food Network Thanksgiving recipe photos. Here are five of the most aesthetically disgusting looking dishes I’ve ever seen in all of my life. I can’t imagine serving them to my family and friends on ANY day of the year, let alone Thanksgiving.

Mini Mac and 'Shrooms was the first dish I saw that made my stomach turn a bit. It looks like somoene dropped perfectly good thick cut manicotti and cheese on a bed of dirt then proceeded to scoop the pasta, dirt and random forest mushrooms up with these awkward looking green versions of those Devo hats. No. Thanks.

Stuffing? Dressing? Filling?

Can you believe Thanksgiving is this week? I can’t believe it. I mean, I still feel like it is October, to be honest. Yeah, I’m still stuck on that month flying by as fast as it did.

Thanksgiving is one of my all-time favorite holidays. There are so many amazing family and food traditions celebrated during this time of year, and that may just be one of my absolute favorite things there is about food and culture, and why I have gotten so excited about food again.

One of my favorite parts of the Thanksgiving meal is the turkey stuffing. Why? Because turkey stuffing tells a story: It reveals a lot about who you are and where you're from. If you call it "stuffing," for example, you probably grew up north of the Mason-Dixon Line. Southerners tend to serve "dressing." Hence why I call it stuffing. When I lived in Mississippi, they all had their cornbread dressings. I thought dressing was what you put on salad. It was confusing. Imagine my surprise when the cornbread wasn't being doused with some special sauce, but that it WAS the "sauce."

MasterChef Casting Call

This month, I was motivated to participate in #NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) where the challenge is presented to bloggers to write a post for each and every day during the month of November. Today is Day 19.

So here's the deal, readers. Today has already been super busy with the MasterChef casting call, a Spec's run, Central Market fun and now getting ready for a night out on the town. I really don't have all the time I usually take to write a post for the #NaBloPoMo, but I will not let myself down by skipping a day.

The MasterChef casting call took place at Le Cordon Bleu in Austin, TX and I must say, it was really fun. Yeah, it was so tense, but SO exciting! I didn't even know until last night around 7 p.m. that I'd be going. Talk about a time crunch....

I mean.... Seriously - how cool would it be to cook for THE Gordon Ramsay,  restaurateur and vineyard owner Joe Bastianich and chef Graham Elliot?? I'll tell you how cool... It would be the coolest ever... I mean to learn from them, to cook for them, get feed back from them would be the single greatest opportunity in the world.

FINGERS CROSSED!!!!

Oh, look at the time - Time for me to get ready for my Austin night - Until tomorrow.... Savor your moments and slow down to take it all in!

I made some Crab-Spinach-Artichoke dip and it was amazing.

This month, I was motivated to participate in #NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) where the challenge is presented to bloggers to write a post for each and every day during the month of November. Today is Day 18. 

Spinach and artichoke dip is so good when you put crab in it. Am I right? I don't know why I just asked; I know I'm right! 

Tonight I whipped up a batch of the delicious dip that I sometimes eat straight with a fork... And MAN it came out good!!! 

Basically I heated up some chopped, frozen spinach and mixed in some canned artichoke hearts that i chopped up, fresh grated Parmesan cheese, 8 oz of cream cheese, two spoon fulls of sour cream, two cloves of garlic, a hand full of water chestnuts, a can of crab meat, salt, pepper, season salt and some red pepper flakes. 

Fresh eggs taste different.

This month, I was motivated to participate in #NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) where the challenge is presented to bloggers to write a post for each and every day during the month of November. Today is Day 17.

Like I said a few days ago, I bought some chickens.  What I didn’t realize is that the chickens would be laying eggs right away. I figured they’d need a few days to get used to their new digs. Nope!

Pretty blue egg - it's like Easter all the time

I’m really happy they did too. These were my very first “farm fresh eggs” and I must say, I was pretty anxious to try one out. Since I have, I can say that I have been forever changed. Store bought will not provide me with satisfaction.

Yet another McD's flip out!

This month, I was motivated to participate in #NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) where the challenge is presented to bloggers to write a post for each and every day during the month of November. Today is Day 16.

I love a good story, especially when it involves McDonald’s and arrests. There have been so many incidents in recent history that involve both of those elements. Crazy, right?

Do you remember the Ohio woman who wanted McNuggets from a McDonalds in Toledo which was only serving breakfast? She reacted by punching the drive-thru worker in the mouth and shattering the drive-thru window. Here's the surveillance video from that:

How about that 19-year-old Kansas City woman who caused $3,000 in damages, after throwing a sign and water dispenser over the counter and pushing three cash registers to the floor? Alesha McMullen was reportedly upset with the condition of her cheeseburger.

Here's footage from THAT incident:

 

Well folks, it happened again!! This time around, a Wisconsin woman recently discovered that 3 a.m. is apparently NOT cheeseburger time… Rather, it is get your ass arrested due to the freak out that lack of cheeseburger caused time. If only she decided to just order a McMuffin and hash browns, this whole debacle could have been avoided. 

Rachel vs. Guy - RIDICULOSITY!

This month, I was motivated to participate in #NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) where the challenge is presented to bloggers to write a post for each and every day during the month of November. Today is Day 15.

 

Today marks the half way point for #NaBloPoMo and Slow Down & Savor's 4 month birthday. Thank you to everyone who has supported and read this blog the past 4 months. It means more than you could ever know, my fine readers. Let's get down to business, shall we? 

The theme of the day is ridiculosity in it's purest form... When you think of things that are ridiculous, what comes to mind?  For me, it’s Guy Fieri. Yes. He’s ridiculous. Does that stop me from watching Diners, Drive-ins and Dives? NO! Of course not!

But any grown man who gels his crazy bleached out hair,  wears outlandish bowling shirts, AND sunglasses that are only found around the back of his head – I mean, why would you ever wear sunglasses around the back of your head?!? And why OH why does he have a tattoo that says KULINARY GANGSTER?? 

Uh huh... Yep

I guess that's really neither here nor there, but how about we turn this the ridiculous up a notch, and pair him with Rachel Ray... for a what?? A ‘celebrity cook off’ show?

Watch the promo video here: 

Food Porn: Baked Mac & Cheese

This month, I was motivated to participate in #NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) where the challenge is presented to bloggers to write a post for each and every day during the month of November. Today is Day 14.

What is the very first thing you do in the morning after waking up? I check the weather. I know, kind of weird. I roll over, turn the alarm off on my phone and scroll over to my weather app to see what the day holds.

Today was hot. A high of 80°F. Are you kidding? It’s November 14^th!! The forecast called for rain on top of that, so I could only assume it would be a muggy and gloomy Monday. Great.

I almost wished for cooler weather. I mean, what’s better on a gloomy day than some gooey cheesy macaroni and cheese?  Yes. That’s where my mind went at 6:30 this morning. I want baked mac & cheese, but it’s just going to be plain too hot for that.

The Hitch - Bobby Hotdogs

This month, I was motivated to participate in #NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) where the challenge is presented to bloggers to write a post for each and every day during the month of November. Today is Day 13. 

I’ve been in the mood for a hot dog for the past couple weeks. When I get a craving, it doesn’t go away until I succumb. This one time when I was living in Hawaii, I was craving a cheese steak. I talked about it every single day. I read up on them. I didn’t let up. I wasn’t able to stop my racing cheese steak thoughts until I was able to sink my teeth into the glorious meaty and cheesy goodness.

That’s how it was this past week, only with hot dogs. Luckily, The Hitch has a brand spakin’ new hot dog trailer parked in the food trailer park, that goes by the name of Bobby Hotdogs. 

Bobby Hotdogs Trailer at The Hitch in San Marcos, TX

I learned that Bobby Hotdogs was open Sundays from noon til 3 p.m. so there I was, watching the clock, waiting for it to strike noon so I could head out and finally get my hot dog.

I got chickens.

This month, I was motivated to participate in #NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) where the challenge is presented to bloggers to write a post for each and every day during the month of November. Today is Day 12. 

PHEW!!! What a day!! If this post seems half-assed, it’s because it is. Quite. Here’s why: Today was the big day that I got my chickens. Yep, that’s right. I am now the proud owner of four laying hens. 

The mystery-breed hen & I

Yesterday my dad and I spent the day building a coop, creating a special little home for the chickens, and while it took a lot of work, it was really rewarding.

This afternoon, we all packed into my mom’s car, and headed to Dripping Springs where the farm was. It actually seemed closer to Wimberley than Dripping Springs, but I’m not sure that really is pertinent information.

Happy Veterans Day! Free meals & discounts for those who served

This month, I was motivated to participate in #NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) where the challenge is presented to bloggers to write a post for each and every day during the month of November. Today is Day 11.

HAPPY VETERANS DAY!!!

It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you. -Unknown

There are many restaurants and companies who want to thank our veterans by providing them with discounts or a free meal. To those companies offering veterans a free meal or discount, the military community gives a collective thanks!

Here's a list of participating restaurants:

Top Chef: Texas - Ep. 2

This month, I was motivated to participate in #NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) where the challenge is presented to bloggers to write a post for each and every day during the month of November. Today is Day 10.

Top Chef: Texas resumed last evening after last week’s premiere. Last week, the judges narrowed the field a bit: We said bye bye to a cocky 22-year-old chef who did crazy things while attempting to butcher a pig, a vegan who couldn’t plate for shit, and a bunch of other forgettable cheftestants who really had zero chance. This week, we have one more group of chefs competing for “coats” before we get to the most exciting event, the qualifying round for those who remained in the bubble of limbo.

After the obligatory shot of the Alamo and other San Antonio spots like the river walk, the third group of 10 chefs filed into the Top Chef kitchen and were greeted by Tom, Padma and new judge Hugh Acheson.  Ok, so Hugh Acheson is supposedly this great chef who was kicked off his season of Top Chef: Masters. 

The Hitch - Mr. Bigotes Tacos

This month, I was motivated to participate in #NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) where the challenge is presented to bloggers to write a post for each and every day during the month of November. Today is Day 9.  

It was a dark and gloomy morning. The sky was threatening rain, and the clouds were truly menacing. Honestly? I was a bit nervous. I was outside taking some pictures and in the blink of an eye, the temperature dropped probably ten degrees and suddenly the gloomy morning became far more ominous than before. Even my flash started going off automatically. 

A big ole’ raindrop landed right on my cheek. Time to go in before I ruined my iPhone aka camera. As soon as I stepped in, the rain began pounding the metal roof, making music in the dark.

Safe and warm inside, I checked my iPhone, aka clock and saw it was only 9 a.m. How could I already be planning my lunch? I knew what I wanted…. I wanted tacos from Mr. Bigotes Tacos at The Hitch.  Yes, it was dark and rainy. Yes it was slippery. And yes, I’m sure the rain would deter most people from planning a meal at an outdoor venue.

There's something to be said about a fresh tomato

This month, I was motivated to participate in #NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) where the challenge is presented to bloggers to write a post for each and every day during the month of November. Today is Day 8. 

 There’s something to be said about the taste of food that is totally homegrown from right outside in the garden. I swear on this statement. Sure, I’ve had a tomato before, but never had I tasted a tomato that exploded with a succulent symphony of sweetness. Never had I bit into a tomato and had opened my eyes wide with shock and then close with delight all in the blink of an eye. Never had a tomato put me into a state of true contentment.

What a Lovely Little Saturday

This month, I was motivated to participate in #NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) where the challenge is presented to bloggers to write a post for each and every day during the month of November. Today is Day 7.

There’s something to be said about a quiet Saturday. In my recent history, I’ve been one of those people who just never stopped. I would go until I dropped, and even then, would continue to press forward until the anxiety or exhaustion would catch up with me.

The past month or so has been an exercise in breathing and slowing down. Maybe it’s because my schoolwork has steadily evened out, or maybe it’s because I’ve been afforded the opportunity to not live on someone else’s schedule. Maybe I’m just feeling more relaxed. Whatever it is, I like it.

Not only have I been able to stop feeling panicked about having to go do something right now at this second, but I’ve also been able to appreciate what is around me, locally.

Another Broken Egg Café - Austin

This month, I was motivated to participate in #NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) where the challenge is presented to bloggers to write a post for each and every day during the month of November. Today is Day 6.

There’s something about brunch that makes me smile. In my Food Porn: Brunch Edition post, I talked about the last time I brunched, and how sad it was making me to realize it had been SO long ago… I hadn’t enjoyed one of the greatest meals in years. I talked about how I could vividly remember the relaxed vibe, the gossip, the laughs and the pure indulgence in the foods we ate at my last brunch.

Another Broken Egg Café in Austin, TX

My last brunch until yesterday! Yes sir’s and ma’am’s, you read that right. I had occasion to go to an amazing, relaxing and very delicious brunch at a new restaurant in Austin, TX: Another Broken Egg Café.

In preparation for my visit to Another Broken Egg’s brand spakin’ new location at 3016 Guadalupe St. in Austin , I did some reading up on the place. What can I say? I’m a sucker for research… and I’m a sucker for new restaurants.

Tattoos in the Kitchen

This month, I was motivated to participate in #NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) where the challenge is presented to bloggers to write a post for each and every day during the month of November. Today is Day 5.

When you think of the most dedicated and time consuming profession out there, what do you think of? BEEP! Time's up. What did you come up with? Well, you SHOULD think about chefs and those in the culinary business.

Pig Butchery via Tattoo

Chefs are some of the most trained professionals out there. They’re also some of the most dedicated people, and show their devotion by working days, nights, weekends, holidays all in a loud, steamy, hot, sometimes cramped, most of the time tense kitchen. To show their further devotion, they're some of the most tattooed people out there too! Have you noticed how many chefs are tatted up? More and more,  chefs mark themselves with permanent badges of their craft.

I mean, when you're watching Top Chef and other shows in the ever-expanding world of food television, it's hard not to notice how many chefs are proudly displaying their tats.

The Hitch - St. Pita's Revisited

This month, I was motivated to participate in #NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) where the challenge is presented to bloggers to write a post for each and every day during the month of November. Today is Day 4.

Happy Belated National Sandwich Day!! Yes, I neglected to write about it yesterday... OH THE HORROR! I know. Well, that's what today is for! Today is for discussing the sandwich I had recently that I want pretty much all the time now. 

 

A few days ago, I went back to The Hitch - A Mobile Eatery here in San Marcos, TX, with the mission to revisit the St. Pita's trailer. They tout themselves as having “heavenly good eats.” Now, I must say, last time I went to St. Pita’s was when they first opened, back in July, and their eats were not heavenly by any means.

It is completely possible that I went on a bad day, or at a bad time, or picked an item that wasn’t worth getting, or because when I went, they were only one of 2 trailers at the new, and at that time only, food trailer park in San Marcos. All I know is that I wasn’t all too motivated to return.

That’s when I started hearing rumblings about how St. Pita’s trailer was amazing, delicious, scrumptious, and fabulous. Honestly, I thought they were talking about something else. Couldn’t have been the same place, could it?

Top Chef: Texas - Premiere

This month, I was motivated to participate in #NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) where the challenge is presented to bloggers to write a post for each and every day during the month of November. Today is Day 3.

I’d been waiting for this moment for months: THE TOP CHEF: TEXAS PREMIERE! I have been a pretty big fan of the series since it began nine years ago, so when I heard that Top Chef would be filming an entire season here in Texas, I knew I’d be a bit more invested in this season. It doesn’t hurt that there are two competitors from Austin, Andrew Curren from 24 Diner, and Paul Qui from Uchiko Restaurant. I love Uchiko…. So good…. But that’s another post for another day.

Anyway, last night was the long awaited and anticipated Top Chef: Texas premiere, and there are a few interesting new twists, but a lot of the same ole, same ole. Padama was there, as usual, to describe all of the [same] prizes one can expect as winner of Top Chef, including $125,000 and a feature in Food & Wine Magazine.   

I’m one of those people who just LOVES premieres. I always get so excited to "meet" all the new people. I have to always remind myself not to get too invested in any single chef, or as I like to call them, cheftestants, quite yet. Plus, the episodes don’t really get worthwhile until people “stop being polite” and “start getting real.”  Basically, we have to hang in there for a couple of weeks after the top 16 are announced next episode.