Fire, Ice, Snow and a Guinsess Float

Some exciting things have happened to me so far this year. They involved fire, ice, and snow.

I was driving down the road, minding my own business, and  my truck caught on fire. Turns out it was caused by an electrical problem which has been resolved. Now I drive a different truck.

I have seen enough accidents, ice, and snow to last me for a long time. I managed to stay out of the worst of it and it felt like I was dancing or being chased by mother nature this year. I only got caught in some bad weather every now and again.

Nonetheless, while I have been on the road I have had some wonderful thoughts and brainstorms for recipes. Philly Cheesesteaks, for example.

The classic, of course, is made with beef. Or one with chicken is called a Chicken Cheesesteak. Here’s my thought: could you use pork, deer, duck, other wild game to create the same sandwich but with a variety of flavors?  Also what about different flavors such as Italian, Mexican, smoked, or Tex-Mex?

Here’s another Garrett thought bubble:  Westmark Style BREW-B-QUE

I am slowly learning the art of creating my own bbq sauce from scratch. I like vinegary sauces for my barbecue but I definitely like the meat wet and the sauce thicker for that carmelization. The really thin stuff makes me feel as though your just wasting flavor. Now I do agree that good barbecue doesn’t need sauce but why can’t you have two distinct flavors (meat and sauce) that are based independently of each other but compliment one another when introduced together? Also I want to barbecue different types of meat with different types of wood. Here are some things to consider:

1. the rub

2. brine or no brine

3. dry meat or wet meat

4. how thick you want the sauce

5. what kind of wood do you use

These are questions you ask yourself as a barbecuer and what you come up with for your choice is what you decide to tweak, test, and taste. Your taste buds will tell you what is working.

Don’t forget the number one rule of barbecue: LOW AND SLOW.

Here’s one more thought bubble — this one is about dessert.

This is something I have done before and I really liked it but I haven’t branched out into other beers yet and that is the Guinness float. Take one large pint, brewtus, or pilsner of Guinness and then add one scoop of decadent extra creamy vanilla bean ice cream. It does wonders to the beer and tastes wonderful. I know if you don’t like Guinness you still need a beer that is very heavy and stout. Budweiser will not work!

The wrap: On another post I spoke about Cajun dishes and I don’t really know how to make these dishes except for gumbo and jambalaya, but I will learn to make etouffee, boulette, and especially what are true Cajun spices. I am sorry that my brain jumps around from thought to thought but I get lots of time to think while I drive from city to city and its hard to keep them all straight. I also work better under the power of suggestion. This means either I just had a particular type of food or if someone mentions or suggests a certain food or recipe then I run with that. My biggest problem right now is I don’t have the kitchen to cook in nor am I home to actually experiment with these recipes. So if I spark a thought or push you in a direction to try something new then I am happy, just let me know later if it works out or what you did for your meal. Best thing is always cook the idea in a small portion and write down what you do when you cook it. If it turns out good then you have the recipe, if it comes out bad then you have the notes to correct it or tweak it to your satisfaction.

Crazy ‘Bout Crawfish

Crazy ‘Bout Crawfish is a lovely, little hole in the wall cafe is located just off of I-10 in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. I visited this establishment when I promised my student that I would provide some true, down home, and authentic Cajun food. Well, we found it at Crazy ‘Bout Crawfish! I have eaten some authentic Cajun food and there have been many restaurants in my life, but so far this place is my favorite. It has everything a person could want in a place to eat: a casual atmosphere, friendly staff, and damn good food.

To get there,  take Interstate 10 east or west and get off at the exit 109 and go south for about a block and half. It’s on the right hand side right across from the Wal-Mart. Just pull into the gravel lot and walk in. As soon as you hit the front door you can smell the Cajun spices, the seasonings, and such wonderful aromas that your mouth starts drooling in five seconds. We walked in and were greeted with a smile that warmed our hearts. The interior is decorated with sports memorabilia and art painted by a local artist. These folks support only a few things in this place and they are all something local i.e. New Orleans Saints, LSU Tigers, Lousiana Ragin’ Cajuns, and of course anything to do with Breaux Bridge.

Enough about the decorations. Let’s get down to the food. YYYUUUMMMY! We started off with a lovely appetizer of boiled crawfish and boiled corn on the cob. These little beauties were scrumptious and delicious. I am the kind of person who not only eats the tails but I love sucking the heads too. Now don’t forget to put a little bit of the spicy garlic sauce and some of the “slap ya mama” seasoning and you have some little critters that go down perfectly. I decided I would have the crawfish platter grilled and my student had the seafood festival platter fried which included gumbo.

The crawfish platter included these items: crawfish etouffee, grilled crawfish tails, boulette, crawfish pie topped with cheddar cheese, and finally crawfish maque choux. I can honestly say that I had more than enough ways for crawfish to be prepared and it all went down piece after piece and I loved every moment of it. The etouffee was the first thing I tasted because it’s something I first remember having besides the boiled crawfish from when I was younger. To me the etouffee was smooth and creamy like silk. The spices were blended in perfectly and the crawfish wasn’t over cooked. When paired with a lovely jasmine or basmati rice this little dish in itself is heaven. The crawfish tails themselves were grilled in a spicy seasoning blend, crushed red pepper, and garlic butter. Everything I had on my plate went perfectly together and I can’t wait till I can go back and grab some more.

For some added fun we also had some crab stuffed shrimp, fried alligator tail, and soft shell crab boulettes. If you want to know more about this little place then please look them up on my Facebook page or you can stop in and see the staff and enjoy some great Cajun cooking.

HYPOTHETICAL RECIPES: GARRETT’S PEACH DUMP CAKE

there are recipes that i will post here where are some i have never cooked or prepared but seem like they may come out quite tasty. others are ones i have cooked before and were very good to eat.  for the ones i have never prepared if you do try them out then please let me know how they turn out.

the background history to this first dish is i cooked my first thanksgiving dinner a few years ago for friends and family over at the sae house that jenny and i live in now.  I had eaten a cherry dump cake for dessert in a bbq place before but i really liked the taste of peaches better.  so for a dessert i decided i wanted a peach cobbler but needed something that was easy to prepare and was basically a no fuss dessert.  it was a very memorable experience for me but i want to improve this recipe and make it my own. 

PEACH DUMP CAKE: the original recipe consisted of peach pie compote in a baking dish and was topped off with flour and butter for the topping.

DESSERT: GRILLED PEACH DUMP CAKE

i still want this to be an easy recipe to fix but with more flavor and a little spirit.  for those who know how to make pie filling from scratch then i would say go ahead and do that then just everything else in the recipe to finish it off. i don’t know that process, yet! but my idea is to take pie compote and grilled peaches and make a layered dump cake with a little bit more flavor.

take peaches cut into halves and remove the pits. brush with grand marne and then rub with brown sugar. grill the peaches pit side down over a medium heat so as not to burn the sugar on the peach but to carmelize it on the peach and create a sweet smokey flavor.  after the peaches are cooked slice them and start layering them with the compote into a baking dish.   the topping for the dump cake is usually flour and butter.  i would say try mixing some brown sugar, all spice, and cinnamon with the flour.  for the butter add a tablespoon of honey to sweeten it up.  to finish the dish off sprinkle with a little powdered sugar.

i hope someone tries this dish out and let me know if it works or how it tastes.

The Thunderbird Cafe

After an exhausting day where I had to haul a load from Monroe, LA to Elkton, VA, I managed to find a little café/bistro called the “Thunderbird Café.” The food was based on the fusion of Southern and Southwestern cuisines. It was a happy marriage! My choice for dinner was an ancho chili chicken burrito with a side of collard greens. For dessert, I enjoyed a classic Southern dish: blueberry cobbler, but with a twist. When I asked about the slightly different flavor from other cobblers I have tasted, my server grinned and said, “It must be the hint of bourbon in it.” As my Granddad and Dad know, bourbon goes down good with many things, especially sweet temptations.

I like finding hole in the wall places to enjoy food, because once you taste a successfully prepared meal, your mind starts brainstorming on ways to either make it your own way but with a twist, or just how to recreate it. At least this is the way my mind works.

If you ever find yourself driving I-81 in Virginia, just take Exit 247 and head EAST on US-33 for about 16 miles. You will see the Thunderbird Café on the right. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They also have a pretty good selection of wine and spirits as well. The staff are just your run of the mill locals who range in age from the young college student to your grandmother who needs something to do to make some extra bingo money.

This is just the beginning of this blog of a young guy (me!) who is a professional trucker and would like to own my own bistro some day. I will be writing tales of food and fun from the driver’s seat of the 18-wheeler I drive all over this big, beautiful country. Use the comment section to say “Hi.”

Thanks for reading.