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| Texas caviar |
Tonight I had dinner with
Carol, Kathie, and Subie, longtime friends who celebrate birthdays together—Carol
and I both have July birthdays. Carol chose Fixe for supper, a choice I was
reluctant about. But I put on my good-girl manners, and away we went. It was delightful.
Fixe is rightfully known for biscuits—crisp crust, heavenly soft on the inside,
served with butter, honey, and strawberry preserves. Of course for the rest of
the meal my hands felt slightly sticky from the honey, but it was worth it. I had
deviled eggs—three eggs with a dab of trout roe, good but not great, and a “Little
Gem” salad which was delicious. Plenty of supper for me, and I enjoyed every
bite. Of course, the camaraderie with old friends made the meal special, and it
was a pleasant evening.
As always I had some misgivings
about logistics—afraid I would have to walk too far, etc. But it was smooth.
Subie let us out at a ramp right by the restaurant door, and I felt that both
coming and going I walked with comfort and self-confidence. A real boost to my
ego, after a flub with the family on Sunday. A thoroughly enjoyable evening. With
tonight and last weekend, I am convinced I must get out of the cottage more
often, though as I write I hear the locusts singing their song of hot weather
to come. Nonetheless, I can do it—and I must.
While food is on my mind, I
read a list of foods that are trendy on TikTok, and I must admit as a foodie I
was appalled. I am not a TikTok fan, so this was all a surprise to me, but it
came on Kitchn, the daily foodie newsletter that is one of the highlights of my
morning email. Today, it has an article about irresistible TikTok recipes. I
won’t comment on all, but here are a few that caught my eye.
Cowboy butter: A mixture of butter, lemon, herbs, and
spices melted together for an easy compound butter dipping sauce for steak,
vegetables, or bread. It looked like all grease to me in the picture,
but the article raved about it adding flavor to everything from steak to vegetables
and bread. I can’t imagine dipping a good steak in something so
taste-disguising, but maybe it’s worth it. I might try that one sometime.
Blueberry
cookies: they are a stunning shade of purple, and much as I love blueberries
and, as an alum and retiree I have emotions about TCU’s purple, I don’t think I
can do purple cookies.
Kool-Aid
pickles: I don’t care if the colors are refreshing and the taste is a
combination of sweet and sour, I just can’t get past the Kool-Aid of my
childhood. No, thanks.
Buffalo-ranch
butter board: Let it be said, loud and clear, that I love butter, I adore it.
My kids have been known to say, “Have a little cracker with your butter, Mom.”
But I tried a butter board, and I just couldn’t do it. I cannot believe that adding
hot sauce, ranch seasoning, and scallions is going to make it any better.
Sushi
bake – if you like sushi, why in heaven’s name would you turn it into a rich,
hearty casserole. The two—sushi and casserole—are poles apart, and never shall
they meet. At least not in my kitchen.
Pasta
chip for dipping: You cook pasta, like bow ties, drain, cover with oil, season with
Parmesan, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes, and bake until crisp and golden.
Then use to dip in Rangoon sauce and other delicacies. Maybe healthier than
chips? I don’t know. Color this one a maybe.
Cowboy
caviar: okay this one is familiar, a spin-off on Helen Corbitt’s Texas caviar
recipe. It just adds more things—and doesn’t have the black-eyed peas but
instead has black beans, corn, bell peppers, etc. But the principle of marinated
vegetables is the same. I just think Corbitt’s original recipe is better.
So
there you have it—a lovely dinner, and a bunch of oddball recipes. If you really
want to try any of them, I’m sure you can google them.
Bon
appetit! No, that’s wrong. Too sophisticated! Y’all enjoy!
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