Dak Jim (Korean Chicken And Vegetables)

Many folks can remember their first cookbook. Mine was the Peanuts Cookbook, way back in the early 70's. But, the first cookbook that I actually went out and bought when I was old enough to actually get some use out of it was Foods of the Orient: Japan and Korea. I bought my copy a couple of years after it came out, while I was in South Africa. This cookbook has followed me all around the globe and it has provided many a great meal. While I was already familiar with Japanese cuisine, having lived in Japan, this opened my eyes up to a number of dishes I wasn't familiar with and allowed me to cook them myself.
  I have many favoured recipes from this well worn book, but my hands down, absolute favourite is the recipe for Dak Jim (Steamed Chicken and Vegetables). I have looked at and tried other versions of this recipe, but I always return to the one from this cookbook. It is the best I've run across. Now, I'm going to share it with you. This version of the recipe is in American measurements. All the recipes in the book come in two versions, Metric/Imperial and American. That makes this cookbook an international multitasker. Sadly, it is long out of print, but is available in the used market.

This recipe scales up quite easily if you need to make more, which I have had to do at times. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

Dak Jim (Korean Steamed Chicken and Vegetables)

1x 4lb chicken cut up into 8-10 pieces
2 carrots, cut into thin strips  (I use a peeler and shave them)
3 dried mushrooms, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes, drained and thinly sliced
1 bamboo shoot, sliced (or 1 can sliced)
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbs. soft brown sugar
1 Tbs. roasted sesame seeds, ground or crushed
salt and pepper

Garnish (Optional)
2 eggs, seperated

Put the chicken pieces in a sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours, or until chicken is tender. Drain and reserve the stock. When the meat is cool enough to handle, cut the chicken into bite sized strips.
   Put all the remaining ingredients, except the garnish, into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Stir in the chicken strips and reserved stock, cover ans simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked but still crisp.
   Meanwhile, make the garnish. Beat the egg yolks and whites separately until they are both well mixed. Lightly oil a frying pan and heat it over moderate heat.Pour in the egg white and spread over the bottom in a thin layer. Cook until the bottom is firm, then turn over and cook until the other side is firm. Slide on to a warmed dish and cook the egg yolks in the same way. Cut the cooked eggs into strips.
   Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a warmed serving bowl and scatter over the garnish before serving.

Serves 6 

Preparation and cooking time: 2 1/2 hours

The Wonderful Paste, Hummus!

Well, I said I would put up a recipe for this wonderful food and here it is. I ran across this recipe a few years ago and adapted it for my own use. It is a truly good recipe and well worth the time it takes to make. Easily the equal of anything you can get at a Middle Eastern restaurant or even in the Middle East, and certainly better than anything you'll get from a grocery cooler. If you have access to a Middle Eastern store , (like our local grocery/eatery, Al Basha, in Fishers, IN), I would encourage you to get your ingredients there. Especially if they carry good quality ingredients from the Middle East. It will make a difference in the final product. I use a Syrian tahini and a Turkish olive oil and am fortunate enough to have access to Al Basha's great fresh baked pita. Terroir makes a difference in almost any recipes. So, without further ado, here you are.


Hummus

1 cup dried chickpeas
1/2 cup tahini
Juice of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp cumin
1 Tbs plus 1/4 tsp baking soda
Salt (to taste)
Olive Oil
Fresh Italian Parsley
Paprika (optional)

Directions:

Rinse chickpeas in cold water to remove any dirt or dust. Place chickpeas in  2 qt. pan and cover with water, adding 1 Tbs of baking soda. Let soak overnight.
Drain soaked chickpeas and rinse.
Return to pan and cover with water. Add remaining baking soda. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 1-1 1/2 hours, adding more water, if necessary. Cook till chickpeas are soft and easily squashed. Drain, reserving a portion of the cooking water. Give chickpeas a quick rinse to remove any foam or skins. Let cool to room temperature.
Place cooled chickpeas in a food processor and pulse till well chopped.
Add lemon juice, tahini, garlic and cumin. Mix all ingredients. Taste. Add salt to taste and mix till smooth. If the paste is too thick add some of the reserved cooking water and mix till the desired consistency is achieved.
Remove hummus to small plates or bowls. Create a small, shallow well and add olive oil. Garnish with chopped parsley or paprika. Serve with pita bread and olives or your favourite scooping food, (some folks in the Middle East like to use onion petals). Enjoy!

The Beautiful Paste

Here's one from the always amusing Remy, on that most luscious of pastes...Hummus. I think I'll have to post the recipe for the worlds best Hummus here very soon. Until then, enjoy the lyrical and funny musings of Remy!

Bub's Burgers

This past Friday we took ourselves out to visit a place new to us, Bub's Burgers and Ice Cream in Carmel, Indiana. It's located in the heart of downtown Carmel, right along the Monon Trail. When we arrived the place was already busy and we had a wait of about 25 minutes, (a bit longer than we'd usually put up with). Being as we wanted to try the new place we sat down and enjoyed the view of all the people passing by.
After our wait was up we were seated inside the restaurant and ordered our food. I wanted to try their 1/4 lb. elk burger and I split a large order of onion rings with the kids. My wife had the same. I also ordered sweet tea which turned out to be a mistake. The food arrived in a decent time and was served on tin pans. Every burger comes with lettuce, tomato and onion on the side and the bun is buttered and grilled. I like that. Condiments are on the table. If you want sides, those are extra.

My medium rare elk burger was good and cooked just as I had ordered it. Tasty, with a nice char grilled flavour from the flames. Definitely one of the better burgers I've had in a while. The onion rings were a tad greasy, but tasted pretty good. I'm not the biggest fan of beer battered anything, but these rings weren't shabby. The kids certainly liked them well enough. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for their sweet iced tea. Whoever made that was afraid of using too much sugar so they erred on the side of too little. Next time I'll either bring my own sugar or order something else. All in all it was a good experience where the food was concerned.

One drawback to the inside dining area is that it is quite noisy. Be prepared for that. It's difficult to talk with people at your table without raising your voice and is pretty hard to hear any responses. If you can get past that (or eat outside) you'll likely enjoy your meal, I did and we'll likely return at some point in the future.

T-Balls Strikes Out

I love a good hot dog, so it was no surprise that I decided to take the kids out to visit T-Balls Hot Dogs in Noblesville for a hot dog dinner. I had heard a couple of folks say that their dogs were pretty good, so off we went. The kids got standard dogs with their usual condiments and fries. I decided to go with a chili cheese dog with onions to get a real feel for what T-Balls could do. I also chose a tamale from their appetiser menu and a sweet tea.
The dog did manage to tell me a great deal about T-Balls. It told me that they were very fond of food service canned goods and tasteless hot dogs. My chili cheese dog was unremarkable. A Vienna Beef hot dog that had been around for awhile. No snap and very little flavour. The chili was a non-remarkable canned hot dog chili with very little taste and no spice to speak of. The cheese...well, the cheese was a glob of canned cheese food product that covered the chili and added nothing to the experience but a mess.
I tried a few of the kids fries while I was at it and they were also unremarkable. Crunchy, but lacking much in the way of flavour. Typical frozen fries.
All in all I was really disappointed in T-Balls dogs and it is unlikely that we will return there. Too much of the experience rested on canned food service grade ingredients with no real quality in the equation. It's sad. I was expecting an experience at least as good as your standard cart dog and we received far less than that.

(Update: T-Balls is now out of business. Can't say I'm surprised.)

Saying Goodbye To The Last Cannery

Tomorrow is the last day for the people who work at the Stinson Seafood Plant in Maine. The last sardine cannery in the country is being shut down for good by their owners. No more will people see the venerable Beach Cliff's sardine can in their grocers aisles and, if they do, the sardines will be sourced from other countries. A sad day indeed. Myself, I like to indulge in a nice sardine snack, now and again. I have fond memories of sharing them with my grandfather. A tin of sardines and a handful of saltines was all we needed to make an impromptu lunch. These days I tend to gravitate more towards smoked herring, than sardines and I guess that's one of the problems. Americans appetites have changed over the decades. We've moved away from the sardine and moved towards tuna and, perhaps, herring and other fish and abandoned that old staple, the sardine.

I sure will miss those Beach Cliff sardines and will likely go out tomorrow and buy a small stock of them to tide me over till I find a suitable replacement. It won't be Chinese sardines, that's for sure. Hopefully, Canada and Morocco will pick up the slack. In the meantime, I'll keep all those folks in Maine in my thoughts as they see their livelihood and local industry go to the grave.

A Toasty Event

OK. It's not really toasty, more a "grilly" event that will be held in Los Angeles April 25th.

The 1st 7th Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational will be held in downtown Los Angeles this year, organizers said Monday.

The cheese-lovers' Mecca will be held at Los Angeles State Historic Park (map) on Saturday, April 25.

The Grilled Cheese Invitational "is the largest, craziest, and most exciting grilled cheese cooking contest in the country and is the best thing to happen to sliced cheese since sliced bread," according to the event's website.

Doors open at noon, and admission is only $5.

However, if you think you got the chops to make a top-shelf grilled cheese, the competition fee is $10. The cook-off goes from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Competitors can register at grilledcheeseinvitational.com.

An event like this could almost make me want to go out to California to attend or compete. Almost. It sounds like a load of tasty fun! I can't help but wonder if we couldn't organise a like event in my area? Mmmm...grilled cheese.

Technorati Tags
Food, Grilled Cheese, California

A Parting Shot

It looks like now ex-President George Bush gave a parting shot at the EU and American foodies. He increased the tariff on Roquefort cheese by 300%. That's rough. And it's a decision that will probably be allowed to stand by the incoming Obama regime.

ROQUEFORT, France (AFP) — People in the southern French district of Lozeyron are having a hard time swallowing US President George W. Bush's parting gift:a tripling to 300 percent in import duty on their world-famous Roquefort cheese.

"Tonnes of produce are going to go up in smoke," protested one of the seven local producers of the distinctive soft blue cheese. It was a hammer blow to the local region, he said.

The swingeing tariff increase, part of a longstanding trade row between the United States and the European Union, has effectively priced them out of the US market, say producers.

"The aim of the Americans is that there is not a gram of Roquefort sold in the United States," said Philippe le Guen, who handles sales at Papillon, one of the best-known brands of the cheese.

His mark alone accounts for nearly 10 percent of total production, exporting 50 tonnes of Roquefort to the United States of a total 1,700 tonnes produced.

And with the world economy in trouble this latest US move has raised the spectre of a trade war.

As a fan of Roquefort cheese I must say that I am dismayed by this blatant attack on the free market and free trade. I guess I'll just venture out and get a taste of the current stocks before they run out. It's a sad day in Foodville.

Technorati Tags:
Food, Cheese, Politics

Eatin' Bad In The Neighbourhood

As my wife is wont to point out, "There are times when you have to eat at a restaurant just to remind yourself of why you don't eat there". This has never been proven more true than during the return journey from our recent vacation to the Outer Banks. We pulled off the road reasonably early in order to secure a nice room and relax after a long day of traveling and chose Beckley, West Virginia as our stopping point. We acquired our room and then went in search of dinner. Now, Beckley doesn't really have much to offer in the way of fine dining, or even mediocre dining for that matter. What they do have are lots of "off ramp" restaurants, like Outback, Cracker Barrel, Chili's and Applebee's. Unfortunately, we chose Applebee's, a place we had not graced with our presence in well over a decade.

Now, for those of you who have failed to see the many commercials for Applebee's, I'll clue you in on what they are doing. Currently, they are offering a menu based around the cuisine of celebrity Chef Tyler Florence. I imagine this is a lucrative side business for Chef Tyler. Unfortunately, the recipes leave a great deal to be desired. My wife and I both had "Tyler's New Yorker"- "A juicy strip steak with garlic butter and thick steakhouse-style onion rings served with a Hearts of Romaine appetizer salad."

We should have known what we were in for when the service started going bad and our waitron disappeared. After an interminable wait and multiple excuses our "food" did finally arrive and I wasn't overly impressed, to say the least. The salad was mediocre, at best. (Hint: Croutons should be crunchy, not hard.) Then came the moment of truth . The Select grade New York Strip Steaks arrived. While they were cooked close to the requested degree of doneness, the "aroma" which wafted from the food was a precursor of the horror to come.

The onion rings were not the best I have had by a long shot. They actually had a hard crust, rather than a crispy exterior. And having only 3 of them was a sure sign of stinginess on the part of the restaurant. The steak was slathered with a ball of "garlic butter" that managed to do to that steak what should never be done to meat. It changed the flavour completely from grilled beef to something that approximated a garlic sausage. The steaks literally tasted like a sausage. It was disgusting, to say the least. They were not finished, as they were nigh on inedible. I would be ashamed to serve such a dish to someone.

Applebee's and Chef Florence are pushing the envelope...of inedibility and bad service. Tyler Florence's recipe for a NY Strip steak leaves a great deal to be desired. Taking a mediocre Select grade steak and making it taste like sausage might be a great feat for some, Chef Florence and Applebee's do it with great ease. Frankly, I could have had a better tasting meal if we'd killed a cat and roasted it over a flaming turd. That's just how bad it was.

Perhaps, in another decade we will return to Applebee's to remind ourselves of what we haven't been missing. Then again, as bad as this meal was it's doubtful that the passage of ten years will suffice.

Technorati Tags:
Road Food, Applebee's, Food

Sam And Omie's - Finest Kind

Just off the main drag in Nag's Head, North Carolina is a small joint called Sam and Omie's. It has a 70 year history in Nag's Head, so the folks there must be doing something right. We stopped in for a quick brunch on our way to Avon, in the Outer Banks and got there just in time for the beginning of lunch. Perfect timing, since it switched us from a breakfast mood to a lunch mode. The waitress was nice and friendly and was right on the spot when we needed her.

As is my usual M.O. when I get to eat out in the OBX I started with a cup of chowder. No disappointments here. That cup was brimming with clams, potatoes, carrot, onion and bacon. The broth was slightly salty, so it needed nothing other than a touch of pepper and it had an nice herbal flavour to it. Pretty yummy stuff and I'll be sure to get it again when I go back.

I treated myself to a combination seafood platter that had fried Shrimp, Scallops, Flounder, Onion Rings and Slaw. The Flounder and Shrimp were excellent and well seasoned. The Scallops were OK. Not great, just OK. A little too moist and the batter coating had no crunch to it. The Cole Slaw was not the best I've had (or made), but it wasn't the worst by any means. Sam and Omie's does have a decent Onion Ring, tho. That goes a long way. Their sauces (Tartar and Cocktail) are a wonder, too and have a nice homemade taste to them. If these are commercial I'd love to know the brand, they taste homemade.

The highlight of the meal was when I got a taste of my wife's Crab Cake. Folks, this may well be the best danged Crab Cake in America. The outside is crisp and the inside is a juicy, crab filled culinary wonder. Every bite is a delightful taste of crab goodness, with little interference from any filler that might be there. It's simply the best Crab Cake I can remember ever eating and I have yet to find another Crab Cake that is its equal. The only drawback to my meal was that their Sweet Tea wasn't quite strong enough or sweet enough for my taste and that's not reason enough to keep me from returning.
We will certainly make Sam and Omie's a stop on our future excursions to the Outer Banks and I highly recommend them to anyone who likes a good Crab Cake.

The rest of the family enjoyed their fare, as well. Club Sandwiches for the kids were a big hit and my wife's Flounder was also well received. Good eats all around!

Technorati Tags:
Sam and Omie's, Seafood, Outer Banks, Road Food

Not So Hot Hot Shotz

The family and I decided to try out a new place in Indianapolis this past week. Hot Shotz, a beer and food restaurant much admired by the local home brewing and beer connoisseur community. They do sport an admirable selection of micro brewed beers, both bottled and on tap. My wife, the home brewer and connoisseur of beers in the family, was suitably impressed and delighted by their list of draft and bottled beverages. I contented myself with a bubbly lemon lime soda, like the kids.

It was a rainy Friday and the place wasn't crowded at all, so the service was really good and our waiter was right there. No abandonment issues ever arose during our dinner. We ordered our drinks and appetisers (my wife had a card for a complimentary appetiser). We ordered their smoked Hot Wings and I treated myself to a pair of Virginia Oysters on the half shall, (the manager brought an additional oyster to me at no charge. A truly nice gesture). The oysters were what you would expect, being as far inland as we are. They were nice, but not ocean fresh.

The wings....well, the wings were a different story. I like Hot Wings and the flavour in these wings was good. They are smoked for awhile then fried and drenched in a Frank's based hot wing sauce that is kicked up by adding additional heat via jalapeño sauce, according to our waiter. These wings have a unique flavour and a sneaky kind of heat that would make these a winner in any category. But....there was one problem. They were underdone. Still showing some pink at the bone. When I mentioned this to our waiter I was told that it was the result of the smoking. Perhaps some people might buy that. I'm not one of them. As someone who enjoys smoking their own meats I can tell you one fact, vis a vis the smoke rings. Smoke penetrates and colours from the outside in, not from the bone outward. If you order the wings, at Hot Shotz, check for doneness.

As an entree I ordered the Chili and Cheese Pie, a casserole of chili, topped with a cornmeal and three cheese topping. The chili is made from smoked brisket pieces with dark red kidney beans. There was no true spiciness to this dish and no heat to speak of. The overriding taste was one of sweetness that really didn't do a lot for me. I spent most of my time picking out pieces of brisket to eat and avoided the overabundant cap of cheese and the way too sweet chili. Even adding a good dollop of tasty jalapeño sauce couldn't save this dish. The Chili and Cheese Pie gets crossed off my list as too sweet and too overladen with cheese.

My son made a slightly wiser food choice in ordering the Pulled Pork Sandwich. This smoky pork sandwich was really quite tasty, (thanks for letting Dad have a taste!). While it's certainly not a BBQ joint style sandwich it was better than I expected. Sadly, Cole Slaw is an additional side and not the standard which we Southerners use in place of the lettuce, tomato and pickle Hot Shotz uses as condiments. The BBQ Sauce was a bit of a disappointment. It was just a small container of K.C. Masterpiece and not a signature house sauce. That's something they should definitely work on. The thick cut Brew Fries they serve with their sandwiches are thick wedges of potato goodness. Quite nice.

My wife had the Monster Burger and was happy with it. I didn't taste it so I cannot comment on it. Hot Shotz also offers a variety of hot sauces for those who like something a bit spicier in a condiment. They even have a sauce that's almost pure capsaicin at 1 million Scovile units for the truly brave. I'd love to see a larger selection of hot sauces on their rack, tho. Given the numbers of sauces out there I expect that selection to grow.

Even given the quality issues we experienced I would likely be willing to give Hot Shotz another chance. Of course I'd be choosing different menu items and avoiding the wings.

Technorati Tags:
Hot Shotz, Food, Indianapolis

Sharing Can Be Good

As kids we all learned the axiom that it is nice share and I believe that's true, when it's voluntary sharing. So, I thought I'd share a couple of recipes before I reviewed a couple of places around the Indianapolis area. First up is the recipe I've been using for bread the last couple of weeks. I finally gave up on finding any bread that doesn't have High Fructose Corn Syrup in it. Even many of the whole wheat and so-called "healthy breads" have it in them. Enough is enough. Baking sandwich bread doesn't take an enormous amount of time or effort, especially if you have a Kitchen Aid mixer or even a food processor. I made a batch yesterday while making breakfast for my youngest.


Sandwich Bread:

3 cups All Purpose Flour (King Arthur is the absolute best)
1/2 cup milk
2/3 cup hot water (perhaps less depending on conditions)
4 Tablespoons canola oil
2 Tablespoons sugar (1 in your dry mix, 1 in the liquid you put your yeast in)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 package active dry yeast (dissolve in your milk)

Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix till it all comes together and leaves the side of the bowl. Transfer to a lightly oiled surface and knead for 8 minutes or so. If using a mixer with a dough hook knead at medium speed for 8 minutes.
Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour.
Remove from bowl and shape into a log about 8 inches long and place it in an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan. Cover the pan loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap and allow to rise for about 1 hour or until the bread has risen an inch or so above the rim (more if you like big bread!).
Once bread has risen place in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes. Cool your bread on a wire rack and enjoy! Store it wrapped in plastic or bagged once it has cooled so no moisture will form on the surface.


And, while I'm at it let's make some marshmallows. Using this recipe you will insure you never buy marshmallows again! This recipe uses metric measures, if you do not have metric measures...get some. A set of measuring spoons costs about $1. And cups not much more. Or use this. This recipe is also free of Corn Syrup and uses Lyle's Golden Syrup which taste 1000% better!

Marshmallows:

400 grams sugar (500 ml)
pinch of salt
12.5 ml Lyle's Golden Syrup
250 ml water

20 grams gelatin (30 ml) soaked in
100 ml cold water

2 eggs whites (beaten stiff)
3 ml vanilla extract

100 ml powdered sugar
50 ml cornstarch

Mix sugar, salt , syrup and water. Heat slowly without boiling, stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved completely.
Increase heat and boil to softball stage 115 degrees C (239 F).
Stir in the gelatin.
Pour the hot syrup mixture onto the stiff egg whites, beating constantly until mixture is thick and creamy.
Add vanilla, (you may also add colouring at this point if you wish). Beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture is stiff enough to hold its shape.
Mix powdered sugar and cornstarch together and sift a layer into a greased 8 x 8 inch pan. Pour the marshmallow mixture into the pan. Dust with cornstarch and sugar mixture. Let sit till firm.
Dip a knife into warm water till blade is warm. Dry knife and cut the marshmallow into strips 25mm wide. Using scissors or a warmed blade cut the strips into 25mm pieces. Dust with sugar/cornstarch mixture. Store in an airtight container and enjoy!!!

Technorati Tags:
Bread Recipe, Recipe, Marshmallow Recipe, Food, High Fructose Corn Syrup

Heading Home

The trip home from the OBX took us through the heart of North Carolina with as few stops as possible. We made one lunch stop at a favourite "road food" destination so we could feed the kiddos and ourselves. Somewhere along the way we stopped in at a Sonic for some burgers, tots, Barq's and cheddar peppers. Yummy stuff in my book! We are unfortunate to not have a Sonic anywhere near our home, they all managed to close up due to incompetence in management. Sad thing, too since we love their food. I don't think there's much better than being on the road and hitting a Sonic for a Barq's and some drive-in food! I love those Cheddar Peppers, even if they don't love me!


We also made a stop at Mackey's Ferry Peanuts to buy some boiled peanuts. While we were there we also sampled and bought a few other treats we hadn't run across before like their Blister Fried Peanuts and their French Fried Peanuts. Maaaaan! These were finestkind peanuts and I am sad that they are gone, now. Mmmm...I can't wait till the next trip! Not only were their Boiled Peanuts just great, those fried nuts were a treat unlike any other. Top quality, local produce prepared with love and pride. That's a product worth selling and certainly one that is worth buying!

The Blister Fried Peanuts on the left were just deep fried peanut goodness. You can see why they're "blister" fried when you look at them. The French Fried Peanuts on the right...man, just when you thought it couldn't get any better it does.


These peanuts are lovingly fried to perfection, skin and all and are salted just right. Both of these peanuts are like handfuls of peanut crack. You'll find yourself going back time and again for just another little handful. And another. And another....

We did go a little out of our way for a post breakfast snack the next morning in Asheville, NC. We sought out a local Krispy Kreme for coffee and doughnuts for the next leg of our trip (Lexington, KY). As usual, the Krispy Kreme's were just right and the coffee was great. I admire a doughnut joint that has a good coffee and KK's blows Starbucks out of the water where a cup of Joe is concerned. After all was said and done our trip out to the Outer Banks was a good one. It had its culinary ups and downs, but that's part of the trip. Now if I could just manage to find some decent BBQ next time....


Next up: Local food in the Indianapolis area and some recipes! Stay tuned!!

Technorati Tags:

Sonic Drive In, Mackey's Ferry Peanuts, Krispy Kreme, Road Food
North Carolina, Outer Banks

OBX Finale

The last place we ate out at during our Outer Banks trip was Howard's Pub and Raw Bar on Ocracoke Island. From Avon you drive to the southern end of the island and catch the ferry over to Ocracoke Island. I would suggest an early supper, since traffic lines can get kind of long. The night we went over we got back to the ferries and they were running 3 at a time in order to get everyone back. The ferry ride is a nice 45 minutes or so and not unpleasant at all. Once you get off the ferry, just drive. You cannot miss Howard's.

Despite appearing to be packed to the gills there was plenty of space and we were seated immediately. I was disappointed to learn that they didn't serve Root Beer, despite serving beers from some breweries that brew Root Beers, as well. I was satisfied with the Ice Tea, tho. We got right down to business and started our ordering. My wife was delighted with her choices of beer, (Howard's offers over 200 beers on their beer list!) and even bought herself a nice pint glass to indulge herself with when she was at home.
Not being a beer fan and having no Root Beer I settled down to getting some eating done. We ordered up a platter of Conch Fritters and I got a half dozen Oysters on the Half Shell. Even tho they were out of season by a few days the Oysters were a nice starter. Not as good as Gulf Oysters, but they were pretty good. The Conch Fritters on the other hand were only decent. They were a bit on the bland side and just didn't do a lot for me. We also had an order of nice Onion Rings. They were nice and crunchy with sweet onions on the inside. Nice!

As with many places in the OBX the kids meals were served up on "frisbees", which were a delight for them. The pizza and chicken strips for the kids were pretty good, too (according to the kids). While I'm not sure that I would care for Big Bread Pizza and Hush Puppies it was a big hit with my eldest.

Next it was our turn to get our orders. My wife had a seafood platter that she was very happy with. Hushpuppies, Shrimp, Flounder and Crab Cake, along with a really good beer made her a happy camper. I wish I could say the same. I ordered a full rack of Howard's Baby Back Ribs, which they advertise as smoked in their own smoker until they are "fall-off-the-bone-tender" and then finished on the grill. They were moderately smokey but were hardly "fall-off-the-bone-tender". The sauce was something from a bottle or jug that was OK, but not as good as you might make at home. They were meaty, they weren't bad, but they weren't anything special, either and that's too bad. I had heard that North Carolina was renowned for BBQ...you couldn't prove it by me. I've had the ribs at Big Bib Gibson's in Decatur, Alabama and they -along with my own- set the standards for what I look for in a restaurant serving BBQ. Sad to say that Howard's has OK ribs, but I'll order something different if I go back. It's not a 'Que joint, for certain. The Hush Puppies are pretty good, tho.

All in all our trip to Howard's was a success. The food was good, the service was good and we got to experience a new place. Always a good thing. I recommend Howard's on Ocracoke Island if you're down that way!

PS: I can't report on their desserts since we were too full for that. Maybe next time.

Technorati Tags:
Howards Pub and Raw Bar, Ocracoke Island, Hatteras, Road Food, Food
Beer

While In Hatteras...

Visit: Risky Business Seafood in Avon, (they also have stores in Buxton and Hatteras). On one of our evening outings we decided to just buy some seafood and eat in at our rental house. We stopped in rather late at Risky Business and the guys were just great! Will Anderson and his buddy Tim set us up with a couple of pounds of shrimp and the last of their blue crabs. They seasoned and steamed everything for us, even going so far as to chill the shrimp before we left. We got everything for a great price and the taste was phenomenal! The guys went out of their way and delivered a good deal for us. We'll be going back to do business with them again! Customer service like this cannot be beat!

Avoid: Bubba's BBQ, Too in Avon (and, if everything holds true then avoid the other location in Frisco). While their advertising says they deliver the best BBQ on Hatteras I will say that there can be no truth in that. The Food Lion carries canned 'Que that has to be better. Bubba's, without a doubt has the worlds WORST Barbecue. Ever! I had heard people say that Bubba's was bad but those folks were dead wrong. This stuff is VILE, NASTY, DISGUSTING and should never be fed to people. I am certain that feeding it to people in prison would be a violation of a number of human rights laws. The fact that they sell their "sauce" in plastic quart oil containers should have been a hint. Mobile One would taste better than the slop that came out of that bottle. Yuck! Avoid this place like the plague!

During my trip to the OBX I found nowhere that served "good" or even passable 'Que. It may well be possible that there is no good BBQ in North Carolina. I will continue to look for some, tho!

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Risky Business Seafood, Bubba's BBQ, Avon, North Carolina, Food, Road Food, BBQ

The Dolphin Den

One of the better restaurants in Avon, NC is The Dolphin Den at mile post 55. While a good amount of their fare is standard food service delivery food there are some really nice items on the menu that deserve attention.

The evening we went to the Dolphin Den I had the Stuffed Broiled Shrimp. These crab stuffed wonders were a bit expensive, but definitely worth the price in terms of taste and satisfaction. Swimming in just the right amount of butter these Shrimp were delightful and worth having again. The fries were you standard affair, frozen and bagged food service fries.


The Spinach, Artichoke and Crab dip...well, it is mediocre at best. Another food service import and not a made on premises appetizer.

My wife thoroughly enjoyed her Fried Seafood Platter tho, and I sampled most of the items on her plate and can attest to the fact that it was good, if small for the price. The quality of the cookery made up for the volume. Where the Den shows through is in the deserts, which they say they make on premises and I am inclined to believe it. The Key Lime Pie was great and had a thick, homemade graham and butter crust with a frozen ball of whipped cream on top. Nice! The Chocolate Surprise was gooey and chocolatey and everything you'd think it was by the name.

The Dolphin Den can be a bit pricey in some areas but makes up for that in others. Go for dessert and you won't be disappointed. Be warned that many items are just food service items and not made from scratch, according to the server whom I talked with but this does not apply to the desserts!

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Dolphin Den, Avon North Carolina, Food, Road Food

Buoy's Restaurant In Buxton, NC

While we were waiting for Surf or Sound Realty to insure that our rental was ready to be inhabited we decided to take a short ride to see where some of the local sights were. We drove through Avon and found the Food Line Lion, the BP (nice selection of premium Soda's there), Bubba's Too (more on this later), the Pier, The Village Grocery and a few more places. Then we hit the road to check out Buxton and grab some lunch. As it was Sunday we figured we'd be able to find something that wasn't too crowded, especially since it was off season. We settled on Buoy's Restaurant, since we had heard good things from Foodies at Roadfood.com concerning the food there.

We opted for the Sunday lunch buffet and the food was decent. All in all I think I'd choose menu fare next time, tho. The place wasn't crowded and all the folks who were there looked to be the usual after church crowd.

The buffet was just what you might expect from a small North Carolina town on a Sunday. Fried seafood of various sorts, turkey, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, etc...add in Iced Tea and you'll be alright. I did make one off the menu order and that was for a cup of Hatteras style Clam Chowder that turned out to be the best part of this meal. It was a simple clear broth chowder with clams, potatoes and onion and it was all about the clam. This was a good addition to the order!

The rest of the meal was OK, at best. They offered up Crab Cakes, Stuffed Crab, Corn Fritters, Hush Puppies, Bay Scallops, Fish and assorted vegetables. The Crab Cake and the Stuffed Crab were essentially the same thing in a different package. The Corn Fritters were nice, crunchy and corn sweet. The Bay Scallops could have been a bit fresher from the fryer, they were just a tad wilted in the coating and wet. The Hush Puppies at Buoy's are bullet-like and crunchy, not at all like the Hush Puppies one often gets that are ping pong ball sized. They are also not the most flavourful of Hush Puppies, but they'll do in a pinch. Avoid the Mac & Cheese. Also avoid the sheet cake pan of marshmallow, chocolate encrusted yellow cake stuff. It is less than good.

Despite the rave reviews I've seen concerning Buoy's I can't say a lot for their Sunday Buffet. Yeah, I know as a food service professional that's when most restaurants foist off their crappy leftovers and back bin fish but that shouldn't be the case in a coastal town. I have no issues with the quality of the food. The quality of the cookery and the turnaround on the buffet leave a bit to be desired, tho. On the plus side, their service is great. I likely won't be heading back to Buoy's, given the number of other places on the Outer Banks but, feel free to experience it for yourself since, as we all know eating out is like a carnival ride...you buys your ticket, you takes your chances. Buoy's is mediocre, but not bad.

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Buoy's Restaurant, North Carolina, Outer Banks, Road Food, Buxton, Foodies

A Kitty Hawk Experience To Remember

After our brief stop in Richmond for some Krispy Kreme's we hit the road for the OBX, (the Outer Banks). We had quite a way to go through Virginia, down to Norfolk via 460 and then down to Kitty Hawk by highway 168. The drive is nice but it was a might aggravating. Too many cameras and cops in Virginia and way too many places advertising peanuts for sale that were closed, (I really wanted some boiled peanuts!).

We pulled into Kitty Hawk in plenty of time for supper and I inquired about places to eat with the front desk staff. Now, after having been burnt by the desk staff at our hotel in Charlottesville, VA (concerning BBQ) I was somewhat leery of recommendations, but was willing to take one more chance. The nice lady at the desk recommended The Black Pelican for dinner and we decided to take her up on it. Boy, was that a good decision on our part. It is quite likely that they provided us with the best meal of the trip.

The Black Pelican has a history that's hard to beat. It was originally Life Station #6, then a telegraph office and now a restaurant that does a brisk business, even in the off season when we were there. After a short wait we got to our table and set about ordering. The downside for me was that there were no Root Beers on their drink menu and they only serve Pepsi products. So, I settled for Iced Tea and that was good enough for the meal that followed. I, like my wife ordered their Southern Fried Flounder and Shrimp. Unlike her I did not order the additional Crab Cake, (I will next, tho!). The flounder and the shrimp were just great! Fried to perfection, not greasy, moist and delectable! As you can see from the picture, that is one big piece of flounder and it was super good! The rice was pretty good and seasoned well. As for the beans...I didn't touch them. I don't like green beans and won't eat 'em, no matter what colour they are. They also do not serve bread or rolls with their meals. The Black Pelican serves up a warm basket of home made Pita, that is soft, warm and delicious!

The Crab Cakes add $6 to an entree and, after tasting my wife's...they're worth it. These Crab Cakes are all about the crab and not the filler. I am surprised they managed to get these cakes to hold together, given the huge amount of crab in them. At $6 these are a bargain! Make sure you add one to your order.

If you've got kids with you they'll be happy, too. Kids meals are served up on Black Pelican Frisbees and the kids get to take them after the meal. The usual kids fare is available so feeding a kid off the menu won't be an issue. We were far from the only family there.

The only drawbacks to the Pelican were that we ended up in a rather smoky area on the far side of the bar facing the kitchen entrance and they serve only Pepsi products and have no Root Beers. They do have a good selection of quality beers for those so inclined to imbibe, tho. And they didn't have any oysters on the 1/2 shell in the raw bar, being 2 days out of season (a rather lame excuse in my book).

If you're in Kitty Hawk you can do yourself a favour and stop in to the Black Pelican. It may not be the cheapest meal of the trip but it may well be the best you have! The menu is priced in what I would consider the medium range $14-22 entree's. We'll definitely be going back to the Black Pelican again. The food's worth the trip for any foodie!


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Black Pelican, Kitty Hawk, Food, Outer Banks
North Carolina, Road Food, Restaurants, Foodies

Happy Independence Day!

Taking a momentary break from regaling you kind folks with my adventures in eating, Libertarian political blogging and Root Beer, I thought I'd wish you all a Happy Independence Day! Here at Mi Casa we are battling the elements as we head down to the wire to Dinner this evening. Like many folks I am planning to grill some meat this evening, (like last night and the night before...), and hopefully the rain will let up and not make the job a tough one. Unlike a lot of people we're having a traditional South African meat dish, Sosaties. A marinated lamb kabob that I started prepping a few days ago. (Yeah, I'll post the recipe below). My wife made homemade marshmallows (want that recipe? Let me know...they're gooood!) to go with the fresh, locally grown black raspberries I got yesterday and I am planning on setting off some major fireworks with my kids later. That's what it's all about!

Sosaties are a staple at South African braais and are quite possibly the best way to prepare lamb or mutton there is! My wife dislikes lamb in general but loves Sosaties, so that let's you know just how good these are! It takes a few days to prep for this and my recipe is in metric, but those are small hurdles to overcome. I got this recipe from a one off cook book issued by the South African government back in the late 70's, that was given to me when I lived in Pretoria, South Africa. When I lived in South Africa I usually bought my sosaties ready for the grill from my local butcher in Lynnwood, (a suburb of Pretoria..I lived in Lynnwood Glen, across from the Hyperama). South Africans have a love of braais (a grill out) that is almost an obsession and with food like sosaties it is easy to see why they love to grill out like they do! Enjoy this recipe, I know I do!

Sosaties

Meat
1 Clove Garlic
1 fat leg of mutton or lamb 1.5-2 kg
5 bruised orang, lemon or bay leaves
10 ml salt (2 tsp)
3 ml ground ginger (3/4 tsp)
3 ml pepper (3/4 tsp)
25 ml ground corriander (5 tsp)
125 ml milk
150 grams dried apricots

1. Rub an earthenware or glass bowl with the garlic.
2. Cut the meat into cubes large enough to skewer.
3. Mix the remaining ingredients and put the mixture in the bowl with the meat. Marinate overnight.
4. Prepare Sosatie Sauce (below).

Sosatie Sauce
4 Large Onions, Sliced
250 ml Water
1 Small Chili, seeded and chopped
25 ml Sugar (5 tsp)
25 ml Curry Powder (5 tsp) (I suggest S&B Brand)
3 ml Salt (3/4 tsp)
5 ml Turmeric (1 tsp)
25 ml apricot jam or 6 dried apricots, soaked and finely chopped (I prefer the dried apricots)
500 ml vinegar (I use Apple Cider vinegar)

Mix and boil all ingredients but the vinegar for 5 minutes. Add vinegar at the last minute. Remove from heat an let cool to room temp.

5. Mix the sauce with the meat and allow to marinate for 1-2 days.
6. Thread the pieces of meat, alternating fat and lean with apricots and pieces of onion on soaked skewers.
7. Grill slowly over charcoal (medium heat) until browned and cooked.
8. Thicken remaining sauce by adding flour and heating. Serve with the Sosaties, some Castle Lager and your favourite sides!
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South Africa, Sosaties, Food, Politics, Libertarian
Road Food, Root Beer, Recipes

A Snack Time Interlude

So, after our lunch at Michie Tavern we got out on the road and headed off towards the Outer Banks. Fortunately, we had already planned for a snack stop in Richmond. Having had the foresight to use the internet we had discovered that there was a Krispy Kreme Doughnuts not too far off the highway (OK, I would still have driven there even if it had been off the beaten path...so, sue me). Once we determined it's exact location we headed off to find it.

Now for a question...why is that Krispy Kreme's are located where they are? In recent years I haven't seen one that is in an accessible and nice neighbourhood. That seems to run counter to most business models, I can think of. Odd, huh?

Anyway, we stopped in got our dozen doughnuts (2 Creme filled, 2 Custard filled, 2 Chocolate Glazed with Sprinkles and 6 Plain Glazed), a couple of milks for the kiddos and some of that nice hot Krispy Kreme Coffee. Man, am I glad they started producing their own brand of coffee. It gets a hearty thumbs up from me for being a darned good cuppa Joe! And, needless to say the Doughnuts were fresh and delicious.

After getting the kids situated and napkin'd we hit the road, heading towards what was going to be one of the best meals of our trip!


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Krispy Kreme, Road Food,Food