Popeyes Wings

I picked up some Bonafide Wings with Mardi Gras Mustard sauce. The wings were crispy with a medium spice which was boosted by the whole grain mustard and horseradish sauce. Available for a limited time I think it is worth a try although I doubt I will get any more by the Oct 12 cutoff date

Soul Food Heaven

Like I said in my column this place is going to be a constant temptation. I stopped in on Thursday. Got thanked for my review to which I gave my standard reply. "You did all the work. I could not have written it that way if I had gotten bad food." A new twist is that evidently some people came in wanting to eat the same food that I ate. A compliment in my book. Below is Smothered Gizzard with rice, yams, and smothered okra with shrimp and sausage. You can get the okra as a meal over rice. The gizzards were tender and just a bit chewy. The gravy nice and spicy. The yams candied and the okra very spicy and wonderful

This time just one cornbread muffin and a slice of bundt spice cake. I waddled out a happy man

Real Cajun Redux

I found I had some skin on Char. So using the seasonings from the recipe I adapted the cooking to my tabletop appliance. The following is the outcome. A vary delicious outcome I might add. I think this is going to be my go to recipe for skin on fish. The skin was quite crispy and entirely edible

Value Added Hatch Chile Products

Cornbread with Hatch Chiles. I toasted it.

I put butter and some preserved figs. Delicious. I love combining to savory with sweet

Central Market Product

What you are looking at are Garlic Vegetable Chips I bought at Central Market. For a number of years they have had a mixture of things like sweet potatoes, zucchini, taro, and such. They seem to be dehydrated with a little sugar and salt on them. A special treat I get. I bought them untasted. They proved excellent. Good garlic flavor with the sting of fresh garlic. I have been eating as is but thinking how else I can use them.

Below is a bison sirloin tip steak I bought at Whole Foods. I pulverized the garlic in my mini processor then added some anaheim chile oil to make a paste which I slathered on the steak.

I then cooked it in my tabletop convection oven with light technology. It turned out delicious with a great tasting garlic crust.

More Hatch Chile

This is a Chicken Hatch Chile sausage. I wanted the regular but the butcher gave me this. I usually avoid chicken as it tends to be dry. However this one maybe because of the chiles was moist. It is sitting on a Hatch Chile hot dog bun.

The sausage on the right is a Ranchero. A pure beef sausage with Hatch chiles. The best of the lot. On the right is a breakfast sausage (Maple blueberry pork). While this one was ok Whole Foods recipe is better.

Bistro le Cep

ABOUT AND BEYOND
Bistro le Cep
11112 Westheimer
Houston TX
713-783-3985
www.bistro-lecep.com
Monday - Friday 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM $6 to $16
Way out on Westheimer is this lovely French venue in a strip mall. The classic bistro of 80’s America. A step into the space transports you to France. Both the decor and service take you there. Since I‘ve only had lunch here, I am giving just those hours. They do dinner and you can go to the site for that.
I had lunch here with my Houston friend and her son. She started out with classic onion soup. Rich broth with a piece of bread floating on top with melted Gruyere cheese smothering it. Her son ordered Escargot a la Bourguignon (garlic butter). Served in a traditional snail dish, they came out perfectly cooked in a pool of butter. Melt in you mouth with a sizable punch of garlic
My Houston friend’s entree consisted of a chopped sirloin steak topped with Gorgonzola served with cole slaw and fries. My tasted proved that meat and cheese could work together. The juicy rich meat paired well with the tangy rich cheese. Her son opted for Quiche Lorraine. A classic of ham, Gruyere cheese and onions cooked with rich custard of cream and eggs in a pie shell. Excellent taste proving simple food done perfect is always a treat. I opted for pan roasted calves liver served with grilled sliced apples, onions and bacon. Hand cut French fries accompanied. Simple food cooked to perfection. The hearty irony liver flavor tempered by the sweetness of apple and onion brought together by the lusciousness of the bacon.
A baked meringue ring filled with praline ice cream and drowned in chocolate syrup proved my Houston friend’s downfall. Her son restrained himself with a cheese plate of blue cheese, Camembert, and goat cheese with crusty bread and fruit. I went with the “on the door special” of a fresh strawberry tart. A graham cracker crust layered with cream cheese filling and topped with glazed fresh berries. Simplicity at its best
While way out on the west side of Houston, this wonderful French venue of classic dishes is well worth the time and effort to get to.


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