Big Red

One of the reasons I like grocery store tourism so much is that there are so many foods that are region-specific. For example, Big Red Soda. While we walked around looking for Texas-shaped foods in the beverage aisle (unsuccessfully, though we did find "Texas-style Unsweet Tea"), we came across the various Big sodas (Pineapple, Red, Blue, etc).

I had never tasted Big Red before, but I wanted the full Texas experience so we grabbed one on the way out. When I took a sip of it at the checkout and started describing the flavors the cashier looked at me like I was crazy and I had to explain that I was from the Northeast and had never had Big Red before. I'm pretty sure she still thought I was crazy.

Mostly it's just insanely sweet, but it reminds me of Cream Soda. Also Circus Peanuts and Bubble Gum. So basically, artificial sugary food-like products. To give you a sense of how sweet it is: I ate some Halloween leftovers M&M Peanuts after a sip of Big Red and they just tasted like peanuts, not sweet at all. Those of you who have had Big Red before, what do you think it tastes like? Are there any Big Fans out there?

Grocery Store Tourism

Knowing how much I enjoy grocery shopping, after breakfast today our hosts suggested we check out their local grocery chain. They promised lots of Texas shaped foods, and boy, did HEB deliver.

Say you're having a barbecue and you want people to know you're from Texas. You also want to make stuffed jalapenos but you're not sure how you're going to keep them from falling through the grill rack. I have a solution for you.



People are probably going to want snacks at your party. Maybe some salsa and chips?



And you know everyone loves your pasta salad, so now you just have to declare your loyalty.



Of course, you could just stay neutral.



And you're going to want to put some cheese out for snacking.



Ah, but as you cut into that cheese the shape won't be as easy to see. Might as well just go with a party tray.



And of course, crackers and cheese go together like football and beer, just pick a flavor.



Or go with the lighter option...



Then there's this product, which is amazing on so many levels. TexaFrance pestos. Note the cactus and Eiffel Tower motifs. Note also that pesto is Italian.

Avocado and Grapefruit Salad with Shrimp

I brought three different food magazines with me on this vacation; the November issues started arriving at my house a few weeks ago but I saved them for the plane. I also knew I wanted to cook for Amy and Matt while we were here. (Eliot is still a little young for grownup food, but he does do this fantastic joy wiggle when you get a spoon of pureed whatever near him.) I salted a chicken on Monday morning to roast on Wednesday night but we wanted something lighter since we had scarfed some serious pizza the evening we arrived.

This salad from Fine Cooking caught my eye, but I made a few changes. I used green leaf lettuce instead of frisée because seriously, who likes frisée? and I added the suggested shrimp to "make it a meal" because we're on the gulf coast of Texas, shrimp is a thing here. This and a loaf of garlic bread (mix minced garlic with softened butter and some salt, spread on a split loaf of so-called Italian bread, wrap in foil, 20 minutes or less at 350) made a lovely light dinner. Added bonus: squeeze the leftover grapefruit carcasses and drink the juice for breakfast the next day!

Avocado and Grapefruit Salad with Shrimp
serves 4

You could also just skip the shrimp and eat this as a first course, the grapefruit and avocado combo is really nice.

1/2 head green leaf lettuce, cut into salad size bites
2 avocados, pitted, sliced
3 large grapefruits
1 medium shallot, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
1/3 - 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
salt and pepper
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

First, make the salad dressing: combine the shallot, vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, a few grinds of pepper and a hearty pinch of salt in a bowl, let stand while you cut the grapefruits.

Use a zester to add about a teaspoon of grapefruit zest to the dressing, then cut the top and bottom off the grapefruits, exposing the flesh. Use your knife to carefully remove all the peel and pith from the fruit. Cut each segment out from the membranes (this is called a citrus suprème) and set the segments aside. If you do this over a bowl you can capture all the juice, then pour it off and drink it. Yum.

Whisk 1/3 cup of olive oil into the dressing, then taste it on a leaf of the lettuce. Adjust the seasoning with more salt or vinegar as necessary, if it's too acidic, add a splash more olive oil.

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat, then add a tablespoon of olive oil and the shrimp. Cook in one layer, flipping once, until the shrimp is cooked through and pink. Toss with the remaining tablespoon of lemon juice and season with salt.

Arrange the avocado slices on plates, then toss the lettuce with about half the dressing (or more as necessary) and plate on top of the avocados. Nestle the grapefruit segments in the salad, and top with the shrimp. Drizzle the remaining dressing on the shrimp and serve

Beach Run

This morning Adam dropped me and my sneakers off by the beach and I went for a run down on the Ocean Drive walking path. It's easy for me to forget how much fun running can be when faced with cold, dark Somerville winter mornings, but 80 degree, sunny Corpus Christi is very inviting. Added bonus: everyone I passed was so friendly! Every single person smiled, plus I got three "good mornings" and one girl flashed me a peace sign. A peace sign! I didn't even know that was still a thing.

PS, I promise a real recipe post tomorrow, as I'm making dinner for everyone tonight.

Travel Food

Ah, travel food. Why is it so difficult to find good food at airports? Cold, refrigerated pumpkin cake. Shoddily constructed bagel sandwiches. Home fries drowning in paprika and... citric acid? And then the kicker: we stopped at Chili's on the way out of Austin because I was getting hangry. You may wonder how I ended up ordering the Quesadilla Explosion Salad, but I think when faced with silliness in menu options the only way to go is the item with the silliest name.

Pre-travel dinner

Did you ever come home from a trip out of town and realize immediately upon opening the fridge that you REALLY should have eaten that/thrown that out/somehow taken care of that... before you left? Well, we're heading out on vacation tomorrow morning (leaving for the airport at 4:30am, oof) and I'm trying to avoid stinky fridge syndrome when we get back next week. We had half an onion and some radishes kicking around, so we (read: Adam, while I packed) sauteed them together in some olive oil, added pasta, salt, and plenty of pepper and ta-da! Dinner. Sounds kind of weird, sure, but it worked, and now there won't be old onion funk in the fridge when we get home.

Look for posts from sunny Texas this week!

Savoy Cabbage with Potatoes and Brown Butter

When I shopped for kimchi supplies, I bought two cabbages. The second one I bought, and the one I ended up using was a medium sized grocery store napa cabbage. But first I bought an ENORMOUS (as in 4 pound) savoy cabbage at a farmer's market. And then I had to figure out what to do with it.

As has become my routine when I have excess veg in the house, I turned to Deborah Madison. This Savoy Cabbage with Potatoes and Brown Butter had a note that it was good on its own or with buckwheat noodles, and I had some soba in the cabinet, so while the cabbage steamed, I cooked up the noodles.

Brown butter and sage are a classic flavor pairing, especially with potatoes (or winter squash, mmm), but the cabbage takes it in a different direction that is unexpected and delightfully crisp. If you've got some stage still holding its own in the garden, this is a nice way to use up a bit before the hard frosts take it for good.

Savoy Cabbage with Potatoes, Brown Butter and Buckwheat Noodles
serves 4

Certainly you could boil the potatoes and saute the cabbage if you didn't want to set up a steamer, but it went pretty quickly and then there's one less pan to clean! 

1 1/2 lbs savoy cabbage, core removed, cut into 1/2 inch strips
8 ounces small boiling potatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
3 tablespoons brown butter*
3-4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan or more to taste.
salt and pepper
8 ounces soba or other buckwheat noodle (optional)

Scrub the potatoes and cut them into 1 inch chunks (or smaller if you like). Steam in a steamer basket over boiling water for 15 minutes or so, until the potatoes are tender. Remove them to a bowl and cover the bowl to keep them warm.

If you're using noodles, bring some water to a boil while the potatoes steam and cook according to package directions. Combine the sage and brown butter in a small bowl.

Steam the cabbage, tossing it every once in a while until it's tender, five minutes or more. Add to the bowl with the potatoes, then add the brown butter, sage, cheese, and plenty of salt and pepper. Toss with noodles, if using, then enjoy.

*To make more brown butter than you need, cut a stick or two (might as well make plenty while you're at it) of butter into large chunks and melt over medium-low heat in a saucepan. The butter will foam, and then the foam will subside and the milk solids will sink to the bottom and begin to brown. When the butter smells toasted and nutty, pour it immediately into another container; if you leave it in the sauce pan the residual heat will burn the butter. Stick the leftover butter in the fridge, you'll find a way to use it (like I said, winter squash, yum).