Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Biscuits and Stew
Continuing the theme of single food or in my case bachelor food. The last couple of days the weather has kept me home. Being one person I do not always want to cook. Progresso soup and garlic toast from the freezer has been my fare recently. However yesterday I pulled out an old trick. I try to keep a high quality biscuit puck in my freezer and various jars and cans of stew, chili, etc in the pantry. With my table top appliance and microwave it becomes very simple to have a filling meal in a hurry. Below is three baked biscuits spilt with a can of heated beef stew. Ain't gourmet but will suffice for slacking hunger
Friday, December 11, 2009
Single Dish Cajun from the Freezer
I know you have passed these items at the grocery store countless times and countless times wondered if they were any good. The short answer some are very good. As a single person who loves food but does not necessarily cook everyday these are a god send. About 4 minutes in the microwave and voila. The one below is a particular favorite. They should call it sauce piquante chicken over pasta. This is not your grandmother's spaghetti sauce but rather her sauce piquante one. The chicken is tasty and the pasta nukes better than rice. The spice had me almost sweating in this cold weather. Please note that there is a coupon under the cover.
I clipped the brand off in the picture but it is Richard's Cajun Favorites. As you can see it is a new flavor. Years ago I used to get these two brands with the aid of coupons to be used when I just wanted something good fast. I got out of the habit but recently got back into it. The thing I hate about these things is the texture of the rice. I suppose they have to use par boiled but I hate that separate and firm rice taste. I am more of a "sticky short rice and not so firm" guy. But I love shrimp stew and had to try. The flavor of the stew was fantastic. Deep dark roux flavors with just the right spice. A piece of advice nuke this a little less time than on the package. I followed the timing and while most of the shrimp were OK some were overcooked. Also let it sit a minute or two and the broth gets absorbed into the rice. That made it just palatable for me. Be on the lookout for more in future blogs.
I clipped the brand off in the picture but it is Richard's Cajun Favorites. As you can see it is a new flavor. Years ago I used to get these two brands with the aid of coupons to be used when I just wanted something good fast. I got out of the habit but recently got back into it. The thing I hate about these things is the texture of the rice. I suppose they have to use par boiled but I hate that separate and firm rice taste. I am more of a "sticky short rice and not so firm" guy. But I love shrimp stew and had to try. The flavor of the stew was fantastic. Deep dark roux flavors with just the right spice. A piece of advice nuke this a little less time than on the package. I followed the timing and while most of the shrimp were OK some were overcooked. Also let it sit a minute or two and the broth gets absorbed into the rice. That made it just palatable for me. Be on the lookout for more in future blogs.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Tequila's Margarita Grill
Must be a combination of the stress at work and the Xmas season (i am the original bah humbug). I feel like I have a death wish recently. Tooling around looking for a place to eat so I would not arrive back too soon at the house and interrupt the house cleaner, I choose here since the handicap places in front of this small Mexican chain were free. I had not eaten there since I reviewed it several years ago. The menu seems expanded. One thing I remember is the Queso del Mar. They might as well call it "heart attack on a plate". Six grilled shrimp in a sea of white and yellow cheese. I can feel the arteries closing as I speak.
I also got a Shrimp Rellano. They certainly give you enough to eat. The rellano was smothered in cheese which I had my fill off. I scraped it off. 90 count shrimp made up the filling and it it had the traditional egg white coating topped with some sauteed tomatoes. The rice seem to be saffron with onions and carrots. I ate most of that, delicious. The refried beans were standard and not something I like. Black beans another story
You also get a plate with guacamole on top of lettuce and pico de gallo. Guacamole's was good but pico looked lethal. Combo of cilantro and what looked to be raw serrano peppers put me off
They have a machine that makes the flour tortilla fresh and I enjoyed them.
I also got a Shrimp Rellano. They certainly give you enough to eat. The rellano was smothered in cheese which I had my fill off. I scraped it off. 90 count shrimp made up the filling and it it had the traditional egg white coating topped with some sauteed tomatoes. The rice seem to be saffron with onions and carrots. I ate most of that, delicious. The refried beans were standard and not something I like. Black beans another story
You also get a plate with guacamole on top of lettuce and pico de gallo. Guacamole's was good but pico looked lethal. Combo of cilantro and what looked to be raw serrano peppers put me off
They have a machine that makes the flour tortilla fresh and I enjoyed them.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Fast Food Monday
It is a deadly combo. A fast food coupon involving pork products. I succumbed. Below in all it glory a Double Wendy's Applewood Smoked Baconator. Something I just need a burger fix.
It is also my bad fortune the Taco Bell is just a hop skip and jump from Wendys and they have some item. Below is a Cheesy Gordita Crunch. Basically a corn taco wrapped in a pandero flatbread. Not bad but not my favorite
This is a Double Steak Grande Quesadilla. Very good. Steak , cheeses and fire roasted salsa on the flatbread. Worth going and getting
It is also my bad fortune the Taco Bell is just a hop skip and jump from Wendys and they have some item. Below is a Cheesy Gordita Crunch. Basically a corn taco wrapped in a pandero flatbread. Not bad but not my favorite
This is a Double Steak Grande Quesadilla. Very good. Steak , cheeses and fire roasted salsa on the flatbread. Worth going and getting
Friday, November 27, 2009
Olive Garden
For the second year in a row I tried to arrange an out of town venue for Black Friday. Did not go over. Downsized to a newly reopened local eatery. That went south because of lack of communication about hours. Ended up at the local Olive Garden. This chain has improved over the years. The one thing that remains constant though is an excellent salad.
My enthusiastic friend started off with Chicken & Gnocchi A creamy soup made with roasted chicken, traditional Italian dumplings and spinach. My taste proved nice. They have added a few new ones since the last time I have been
This is mine. Mussels di Napoli. Mussels in the shell, simmered with wine, garlic-butter and onions. Nothing I like better than good mussels. They do a really decent job here although they seemed to have had a massive shot of lemon this time
For her entree my enthusiastic friend went with a special. Stuffed Chicken Marsala Oven-roasted chicken breast stuffed with Italian cheeses and sun-dried tomatoes, topped with mushrooms and a creamy marsala sauce. With garlic parmesan mashed potatoes. It tasted wonderful. Maybe I should explore the menu at greater length
My sister went with the salad and soup and she got Zuppa Toscana Spicy sausage, russet potatoes and cavolo greens in a creamy broth. She seem to enjoy it 
I got another appetizer. It was from the specials menu. Sicilian Scampi large shrimp sauteed in extra-virgin olive oil with white wine, garlic and lemon. It was served over crostini. In most cases I prefer bread to pasta. The shrimp were not over cooked. The sauce luscious cut by a nice lemon snap and the bread really nice
We finished with Zeppoli soft, traditional Italian doughnuts dusted with powdered sugar, served with chocolate sauce for dipping. I caught the last one of film before I devoured it. Along the lines of a New Orleans beignet. Just sweet enough to be dessert without going in sugar shock
All in all not a bad experience.
My enthusiastic friend started off with Chicken & Gnocchi A creamy soup made with roasted chicken, traditional Italian dumplings and spinach. My taste proved nice. They have added a few new ones since the last time I have been
This is mine. Mussels di Napoli. Mussels in the shell, simmered with wine, garlic-butter and onions. Nothing I like better than good mussels. They do a really decent job here although they seemed to have had a massive shot of lemon this time
For her entree my enthusiastic friend went with a special. Stuffed Chicken Marsala Oven-roasted chicken breast stuffed with Italian cheeses and sun-dried tomatoes, topped with mushrooms and a creamy marsala sauce. With garlic parmesan mashed potatoes. It tasted wonderful. Maybe I should explore the menu at greater length
My sister went with the salad and soup and she got Zuppa Toscana Spicy sausage, russet potatoes and cavolo greens in a creamy broth. She seem to enjoy it I got another appetizer. It was from the specials menu. Sicilian Scampi large shrimp sauteed in extra-virgin olive oil with white wine, garlic and lemon. It was served over crostini. In most cases I prefer bread to pasta. The shrimp were not over cooked. The sauce luscious cut by a nice lemon snap and the bread really nice We finished with Zeppoli soft, traditional Italian doughnuts dusted with powdered sugar, served with chocolate sauce for dipping. I caught the last one of film before I devoured it. Along the lines of a New Orleans beignet. Just sweet enough to be dessert without going in sugar shock
All in all not a bad experience.Serops Baton Rouge
ABOUT AND BEYOND
Serop’s
7474 Corporate Blvd
Baton Rouge LA
225-201-8100
www.seropscafe.com
Monday - Friday 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM $2 to $11
Saturday - Sunday 11:00 AM - till
On our outing to the Red Stick Farmer’s Market and Whole Foods we ate lunch at Serop’s on Corporate. This is a long-standing establishment in the area. I can remember eating there when they only had a downtown location. Now the have five locations. This one was convenient for us as it is across the road from the Whole Foods. Although in a strip mall the interior speaks of elegance. Since I will only be covering lunch I have given you only those hours
I indulged in a Lebanese Ice Tea with Pine Nuts. This is a sweeten tea that has rose water and whole pine nuts in it. The rose water gives it a funky taste, not for everyone. I just like to try such things. Delightful at first it grew less desirable later on. First thing to hit the table was white and whole-wheat pita bread. They seemed to be an in-house product.
My cousin and I decided to do appetizers. Sometimes restaurant like this has what is called Meze. Basically this is a sampling of appetizer like dishes. This one did not so we put our own together. We started with Fried Kibbeh. Ground meat, onions, pine nuts and sweet spices stuffed in a cracked wheat shell. It sported the familiar double point and was delicious. Next was Hummus Deluxe. Chickpea dip topped with basically the Kibbeh stuffing finished with olive oil, smooth and creamy with the stuffing adding considerable flavor. Meat and Meatless stuffed grape leaves followed. The meatless was just the rice mixture without the meat. The leaves were tough and salty. They had not taken care to rinse the preserving brine from them. The Cabbage Rolls were mush better. Same meat and rice stuffing but the cabbage leaves had been treated properly. The last and best dish was a Meat Mousaka. Not the traditional layered affair. This consisted of eggplant slices cooked tin tomato sauce then topped with various sauteed vegetables (zuchhni, squash, onions, etc) with ground beef, black olives and feta cheese. This made for a delicious and tasty well-balanced dish. They do a meatless version.
My sister opted for Lamb Kebab. She received chunks of grilled lamb and onions with hummus and rice pilaf. My taste of the lamb showed a tender and succulent well-seasoned piece of meat. Our baking friend got a Chicken Shawarma Pita. This comes with a small side salad topped with feta dressing. The pita itself held almost a pound of tender chunky chicken breast with lettuce, tomato and a sour cream sauce. It stood two to three inches high and half went into a to go box.
We shared a baklava that was as good as I have every tasted. Service was good. If you like Middle Eastern food this is about as good as it gets.
http://picasaweb.google.com/adhebert148/SeropsBatonRouge#
Serop’s
7474 Corporate Blvd
Baton Rouge LA
225-201-8100
www.seropscafe.com
Monday - Friday 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM $2 to $11
Saturday - Sunday 11:00 AM - till
On our outing to the Red Stick Farmer’s Market and Whole Foods we ate lunch at Serop’s on Corporate. This is a long-standing establishment in the area. I can remember eating there when they only had a downtown location. Now the have five locations. This one was convenient for us as it is across the road from the Whole Foods. Although in a strip mall the interior speaks of elegance. Since I will only be covering lunch I have given you only those hours
I indulged in a Lebanese Ice Tea with Pine Nuts. This is a sweeten tea that has rose water and whole pine nuts in it. The rose water gives it a funky taste, not for everyone. I just like to try such things. Delightful at first it grew less desirable later on. First thing to hit the table was white and whole-wheat pita bread. They seemed to be an in-house product.
My cousin and I decided to do appetizers. Sometimes restaurant like this has what is called Meze. Basically this is a sampling of appetizer like dishes. This one did not so we put our own together. We started with Fried Kibbeh. Ground meat, onions, pine nuts and sweet spices stuffed in a cracked wheat shell. It sported the familiar double point and was delicious. Next was Hummus Deluxe. Chickpea dip topped with basically the Kibbeh stuffing finished with olive oil, smooth and creamy with the stuffing adding considerable flavor. Meat and Meatless stuffed grape leaves followed. The meatless was just the rice mixture without the meat. The leaves were tough and salty. They had not taken care to rinse the preserving brine from them. The Cabbage Rolls were mush better. Same meat and rice stuffing but the cabbage leaves had been treated properly. The last and best dish was a Meat Mousaka. Not the traditional layered affair. This consisted of eggplant slices cooked tin tomato sauce then topped with various sauteed vegetables (zuchhni, squash, onions, etc) with ground beef, black olives and feta cheese. This made for a delicious and tasty well-balanced dish. They do a meatless version.
My sister opted for Lamb Kebab. She received chunks of grilled lamb and onions with hummus and rice pilaf. My taste of the lamb showed a tender and succulent well-seasoned piece of meat. Our baking friend got a Chicken Shawarma Pita. This comes with a small side salad topped with feta dressing. The pita itself held almost a pound of tender chunky chicken breast with lettuce, tomato and a sour cream sauce. It stood two to three inches high and half went into a to go box.
We shared a baklava that was as good as I have every tasted. Service was good. If you like Middle Eastern food this is about as good as it gets.
http://picasaweb.google.com/adhebert148/SeropsBatonRouge#
Sabine Pass Crab Shack
OUT AND ABOUT
Sabine Pass Crab Shack
3584 East Napoleon
Sulphur, LA
337-625-6525
Monday to Saturday 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM $2 to $27
This drive-thru only situated at the corner of Hwy 90 and North Cities Service Road is just that, a shack. It does have friendly service.
My first run through I got the Seafood Platter. This comes with 14 medium fried shrimp, 4 catfish fillets, 1 stuffed crab, 4 oyster and a crawfish kicker. The oyster depending on their size ranged form overcooked to perfect. The shrimp were in a seasoned batter that grew on me. By the last one I loved it. The catfish proved the best, crispy cornmeal crust and moist tender inside. Although in a real crab shell the stuffed crab seemed mostly breading with little flavor. The crawfish popper, a beignet sort of thing, was cold in the middle and very mushy, not to my taste. These items lay on a bed of crinkle cut fries that were just awful. However the two hushpuppies in the box were good.
Next time I opted for a Cheeseburger. For a seafood shack it proved really decent. Nice bun loaded with lettuce, onion and tomato. The cheese was American of course. The patty had a nice char and a good beefy taste. What stood out here was the excellent sweet potato fries, thin and crunchy. They held a nice sweet potato flavor, so much better the other fries. I also got the Funnel Cake Fries. They were like mini churros. A thin hollow stick about three inches long. The powdered sugar made them just sweet enough.
Last time I passed by I ordered the Sabine Pass BBQ Crabs. They sell them by the half dozen and dozen. The favor was spot-on but being at the end of the season they were neither large nor full of meat. I would suggest holding off until next summer for these treats.
The shrimp and catfish are the best things here at this time in my opinion. It is a convenient place to grab a meal to go if you happen to be on that side of the lake
http://picasaweb.google.com/adhebert148/SabinePassCrabShack#
Sabine Pass Crab Shack
3584 East Napoleon
Sulphur, LA
337-625-6525
Monday to Saturday 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM $2 to $27
This drive-thru only situated at the corner of Hwy 90 and North Cities Service Road is just that, a shack. It does have friendly service.
My first run through I got the Seafood Platter. This comes with 14 medium fried shrimp, 4 catfish fillets, 1 stuffed crab, 4 oyster and a crawfish kicker. The oyster depending on their size ranged form overcooked to perfect. The shrimp were in a seasoned batter that grew on me. By the last one I loved it. The catfish proved the best, crispy cornmeal crust and moist tender inside. Although in a real crab shell the stuffed crab seemed mostly breading with little flavor. The crawfish popper, a beignet sort of thing, was cold in the middle and very mushy, not to my taste. These items lay on a bed of crinkle cut fries that were just awful. However the two hushpuppies in the box were good.
Next time I opted for a Cheeseburger. For a seafood shack it proved really decent. Nice bun loaded with lettuce, onion and tomato. The cheese was American of course. The patty had a nice char and a good beefy taste. What stood out here was the excellent sweet potato fries, thin and crunchy. They held a nice sweet potato flavor, so much better the other fries. I also got the Funnel Cake Fries. They were like mini churros. A thin hollow stick about three inches long. The powdered sugar made them just sweet enough.
Last time I passed by I ordered the Sabine Pass BBQ Crabs. They sell them by the half dozen and dozen. The favor was spot-on but being at the end of the season they were neither large nor full of meat. I would suggest holding off until next summer for these treats.
The shrimp and catfish are the best things here at this time in my opinion. It is a convenient place to grab a meal to go if you happen to be on that side of the lake
http://picasaweb.google.com/adhebert148/SabinePassCrabShack#
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